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Note: Comments posted at the bottom of this page are not submissions for the print version of Tell Willie and are for online readers to discuss today's Tell Willie column in real time. To submit a question or comment to Willie for the print newspaper click here or call 864-882-0903 and leave Willie a message. He checks his voice mail daily.

Willie,

What gives? The County Council “takes months” to try and find an adequate replacement for the open administrator position. After hours and hours of reviewing 120+ applications, County Council finds “one shining candidate.” However, instead of offering Mr. Watson the job, Mr. Watson now has to wait while an outside agency conducts a new search with Mr. Watson already a finalist. What if this new agency wouldn’t have selected Mr. Watson, now what? Even though Mr. Watson grew up in the area, he must be wondering what gives. No wonder it takes so long for something to get done by the County

Council! By the way, I suggest McCall get a new picture taken. The one being used looks like he is mad at the world. Maybe he is?

Willie says:

Don’t be picking on my buddy Wayne now. I’ve suggested he get the paper a new picture but he just looks at me like he looks in that picture. I guess that’s him. As for picking a new administrator, it’s pretty important they get it right this time. If they don’t we will be electing the next supervisor and we all know where that will get us. Besides, things don’t seem to be falling apart on Pine Street any worse than they were.

Willie,

Until I tried to find help for my son, who has become addicted to drugs and alcohol, I did not realize that our state has very few facilities for teenagers. I have been transferred around by phone for the last month from person to person telling me none of the facilities in this area give inpatient care to anyone under 18. He has asked for help and there is nowhere to help. He is currently seeking help at one of the local organizations in Seneca as a out-patient and has been put on a 3-month waiting list at a facility in Orangeburg for teenagers. You and I both know that attending this outside help is risky business for getting him clean. He is still going to have it put in his face out on the street with all of the friends he hangs with who also do the same things. I want to know if you can help me find out who to call or write to in our mixed up government system here in SC to complain about the lack of help for our kids. The least they could do is offer more in-patient care like our surrounding states do. It’s a shame that we are sitting back and letting our government use our tax money for bogus material things and not trying to save lives. Do you have any ideas?

Willie says:

Believe it or not, your best bet is to talk with the folks who represent you in Columbia. They are the only ones who can approve the kind of facility funding you are looking for. You’re not the first to complain about the lack of in-patient facilities for drug and alcohol rehab. For what it’s worth, there are private facilities, but they sure cost a lot of money and it’s usually not covered by insurance.

Willie,

You have got to be kidding me on $2 million for a Westminster fire station. Let me get this straight, the county is going to give the city a station that cost the taxpayers of the county $2 million in this economy. We have volunteer county stations (that were built by community donations, not the county) that are busting at the seams for room and some even have to park their trucks outside. Some stations have leaks in the roof, but thank goodness the county is giving them money for satellite TV, play stations and new computers. This is unreal! Go back and Google your upstatetoday.com and see how many ways the county has twisted their words when it comes to this old but new white elephant called emergency services. We, the taxpayers, paid an outside firm to come in last year and assess the county’s set up to be told it does not work! Give me a break.

And …

Willie,

I just got through reading about the turmoil over the joint fire department that is to be located in the Westminster area. It seems to me that the powers that be have no idea what they’re doing. If money is an issue, why didn’t they look into grant opportunities? Just this year, the Department of Homeland Security took applications for state and local governments that wanted to either remodel or build a new fire station. Just in round one, there was $165 million awarded to fire departments around the nation. Four of those were here in South Carolina. I think a joint facility would be great, and it’s about time that the fire service in this county has some organization. There are many opportunities out there that are not being utilized. They need to do their job and do it effectively for it is the right thing to do. Don’t be the status quo.

Willie says:

We can argue the merits of building a joint fire station in Westminster ’til were blue in the face. Some will say it’s great. Others will say it’s not. The fact is, Westminster invested in land and preparation after signing an agreement with the county. The new council chose not to renege on that agreement. That’s admirable. That said, you’re right … we need a plan. They keep assessing that 2.9 mill tax but whatever plan there was seems to have left office with Mr. Surrett. It’s enough to make ya stop, drop and roll.

Willie,

When did the county start rescuing developers especially in this economy? If the county is “mesmerized” already by the Pointe West Development, then we are in trouble already. The small towns in the county are already struggling with roads and sewer costs, so why go to bat for someone else’s pocket using the good credit of the county.

Willie says:

I whacked part of your comment because it is speculation and rumor. We get enough of that without trying. As for the county helping the development, the county has been helping private business for decades with tax credits and other incentives. Willie thinks public-private partnerships are the way to go. They at least beat all public-no partnerships. My understanding is the county would not be on the hook for the bonds even in default since the collateral backing them already exists. But then, I couldn’t balance my checkbook last month either.

Willie,

I know a family who lives in the Salem area and they have several animals. The horses are skin and bones and the dogs wander the area and are a tremendous nuisance. Animal control has done nothing! These poor animals are not being taken care of and the county knows about it but does nothing! Help!

Willie says:

Call your councilman. Call the sheriff. Call the Humane Society. Please, would somebody do something here!

Willie,

I would like to know exactly what the animal control officer does in Seneca. I have a neighbor who has about 20 dogs and about 10 cats. They are constantly getting out and getting into people’s trash cans and are a nuisance. I called animal control and they wouldn’t do anything about it. Why do we have that position if all he does is sit around and do nothing?

Willie says:

Animal control is not a city issue unless dogs are breaking city ordinances. Call the county. I’m not sure who you have seen sitting around. I know those county animal control folks are running around like cats and dogs.