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Our View on Covid Money

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EDITORIAL: The Human Factor.

 

Laurens County will have $13 Million to spend from the federal COVID-19 relief fund. A Committee-of-the-Whole of the Laurens County Council will meet to decide how the money is to be allocated.

At the State level, some of this money has been proposed for the widening of Interstate-26. While a worthy cause, we fail to see how this really helps the people who are sickened by this pandemic, and the families of people who have died - What we call The Human Factor.

If the Laurens County Council wants to make a real impact toward The Human Factor, this is how it should allocate $100,000 each to 10 organizations = $1 Million of the $13 Million coming in from the federal government. The receiving organizations:

-- The Memorial Home (since 1886);

-- Beckman Mental Health (Laurens clinic);

-- Laurens County Literacy Association;

-- Thornwell (children's home in Clinton);

-- Laurens County Humane Society;

-- Deputy Roger Rice Ride On Fund;

-- Child Nutrition of District 56;

-- Child Nutrition of District 55;

-- Family Promise;

-- The Good Shepherd Free Medical Clinic.

Judith Brown, with The Laurens County Advertiser, did a really good story about the challenges facing The Memorial Home. The County gave the deed to a board, but all that did was shift the responsibility of indigent care to someone else. 

This, in our view, is a Public Responsibility.

These other organizations, we believe, have been on the front lines of this pandemic.

The Chamber of Commerce has administered a really good small business relief fund, and a second round of this certainly is worthy of consideration. But all this money should not go to the Chamber.

People, regular people, are hurting, too. 

Family Promise helps the homeless. Good Shepherd helps the medically needy. Child Nutrition has organized and executed two years of curbside food pick-ups.

Of course, there may be other ideas out there, and council members are welcome to bring them forward. But we would caution - new equipment is tempting, giving bonuses would make people happy, buying more masks might be needed, BUT this kind of spending does not address human suffering. Real, live human beings. If we had a countywide grief-support network, perhaps this could be included. In any event, we urge those with money in the bank designed for Covid relief - Spend it on Relief. Help the people who need help.

Editorial