We can’t tell you how many SC Electric & Gas ratepayers have called us to ask:

• Why our elected officials do nothing to stop SCE&G executives from continuing to “rob” them of $37 million a month?

• Why nothing is being done about the abandoned nuclear plant ratepayers already paid almost $2 billion for that will not provide cheaper electricity?

• Why lawmakers hold hearings but wasted the entire six month 2018 session and have done nothing about SCE&G or Santee Cooper executives they believe “criminally” mismanaged this $9 billion project and now refuse to give up documents needed by those who are suing them?

Will these “criminals,” they ask, ever go to prison?

This is one of the massive social problems that plague us today. We have a “lock ‘em up” mentality that has loaded us with more and more debt for prisons where we spend buillions of dollars a year feeding and caring for non-violent offenders who are not a danger to the rest of us.

As former presidential candite Mike Huckabee recently observed, we lock up people who may neve harm anyone simply because we are mad at them.

The ones we need to lock up and isolate from the rest of us are murderers, violent gang members, rapists and sexual predators who can harm us.

According to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, it costs us $60.81 a day to house, feed and care for an inmate.

We will spend a projected $15.4 million in the fiscal year ending June 30 to operate the Lexngton County Detention Center.

How much might we save if the courts were allowed to give more in-home sentences, probation, restitution and community serviuce to those who are no flight risk or threat to others?

Minimum mandatory sentences tie judges’ hands.

We believe the million dollar SCE&G bonuses should be taken back, ratepayers relieved of the burden of higher rates and compensated for their losses.

But jailing SCE&G executives?

That makes no sense.

– JerryBellune.com

We believe the million dollar SCE&G executive bonuses should be taken back.