Bennettsville Sc (Florence, Dillon, Cheraw: real estate, big home, transfer)

[wonderwoman61]

Well, when you've spent all your life trying to build a career and pay for a nice home, why should one have to leave? I have the right to express what I think is wrong because I was born and raised in Marlboro County. I want to be involved but if you aren't a "blue-blood" you aren't allowed to do anything! My next move will be to a nursing home or the graveyard!!

[Geechie North]

Originally Posted by wonderwoman61

Well, when you've spent all your life trying to build a career and pay for a nice home, why should one have to leave? I have the right to express what I think is wrong because I was born and raised in Marlboro County. I want to be involved but if you aren't a "blue-blood" you aren't allowed to do anything! My next move will be to a nursing home or the graveyard!!

Be honest with you, I've never been to Bennetsville (been through it once or twice), but I hear your concerns in that they are average for any town in SC not near either near the coast, or the Columbia or Greenville metros.
THe I-95 coridor is especially depressed (most children live in abject poverty), which is increasing as poor (primarily blacks) are shoved off the coast and back into the Inner Coastal Plain where the newcomers don't want to live.
As far as the "bluebloods", that is also par. The Bourbons (the uppercrust) have always ran everything almost 100% (except when the Feds step in) and thrive by playing the white working class South Carolinian against his black compatriot; it's very tried and true- and sucessful- strategy. In fact you could say that the state of South Carolina has never given a damn about most of its citizens-in fact they enslaved them for most of its history, then exploited them as a cheap labor source ever since. That last part goes for white and black alike.
If you ask me what the remedy is, well that's not my place to say as I no longer live there. But don't count on the new arrivals changing the basic dynamic anytime soon. Most are either retirees who don't have kids (so why care about schools?) and live a life away from the community behind gated developments, or else upscale professionals who either private school (like the upper-middle locals) or have "magnet" schools, which are targeted specifically to their kids, and could give a rip about the rest. There are some newbies who don't fall into either category, but they tend to drift aimlessly until the thrill of the beach and palm trees wears off before striking out for better places.
This may sound negative, because it is, but is also a true snapshot of a state in change.... but not so much. One thing though, while I'm as anti Wal-Mart as they come (and have helped to sucessfully keep one of those mega-sweatshops out of this community), I do believe that the I-95 corridor is so depressed that anything-even "Wal-Mart"- wouldn't hurt and might help, some.

Good luck with fighting the aristocats.

[skc29512]

Go ahead, I'd love to hear what a remedy would be! Absolutely. I've noticed that the people of this town don't stay in town. In other words, soon as the weekend hits they leave. Anywhere but here. I feel like the town is dying a slow painful death. The store fronts are empty. What's going on here? I'm tired of people just blaming it on the same people that get elected every election. Why are people so complaisant? Why don't I get involved? I want to go someplace where people actually care and start a chain reaction of positiveness. And I really don't see this as a black white issue. That's just an old tired excuse. Seriously, I want to hear solutions. I'm just watching the tumbleweeds go by.

[Geechie North]

Originally Posted by skc29512

Go ahead, I'd love to hear what a remedy would be! Absolutely. I've noticed that the people of this town don't stay in town. In other words, soon as the weekend hits they leave. Anywhere but here. I feel like the town is dying a slow painful death. The store fronts are empty. What's going on here? I'm tired of people just blaming it on the same people that get elected every election. Why are people so complaisant? Why don't I get involved? I want to go someplace where people actually care and start a chain reaction of positiveness. And I really don't see this as a black white issue. That's just an old tired excuse. Seriously, I want to hear solutions. I'm just watching the tumbleweeds go by.

I suggest by starting with public infrastructure; invest in the local public schools. See how far that goes- and who "opts out". That will pinpoint the problem for you.

[southernmeltdown]

Originally Posted by Geechie North

Be honest with you, I've never been to Bennetsville (been through it once or twice), but I hear your concerns in that they are average for any town in SC not near either near the coast, or the Columbia or Greenville metros.
THe I-95 coridor is especially depressed (most children live in abject poverty), which is increasing as poor (primarily blacks) are shoved off the coast and back into the Inner Coastal Plain where the newcomers don't want to live.
As far as the "bluebloods", that is also par. The Bourbons (the uppercrust) have always ran everything almost 100% (except when the Feds step in) and thrive by playing the white working class South Carolinian against his black compatriot; it's very tried and true- and sucessful- strategy. In fact you could say that the state of South Carolina has never given a damn about most of its citizens-in fact they enslaved them for most of its history, then exploited them as a cheap labor source ever since. That last part goes for white and black alike.
If you ask me what the remedy is, well that's not my place to say as I no longer live there. But don't count on the new arrivals changing the basic dynamic anytime soon. Most are either retirees who don't have kids (so why care about schools?) and live a life away from the community behind gated developments, or else upscale professionals who either private school (like the upper-middle locals) or have "magnet" schools, which are targeted specifically to their kids, and could give a rip about the rest. There are some newbies who don't fall into either category, but they tend to drift aimlessly until the thrill of the beach and palm trees wears off before striking out for better places.
This may sound negative, because it is, but is also a true snapshot of a state in change.... but not so much. One thing though, while I'm as anti Wal-Mart as they come (and have helped to sucessfully keep one of those mega-sweatshops out of this community), I do believe that the I-95 corridor is so depressed that anything-even "Wal-Mart"- wouldn't hurt and might help, some.

Good luck with fighting the aristocats.

for the very first time i must say i agree with you completely....but if any changes are made to that town by outside influences it will only be for the new people not the townspeople...but most small town people can't afford to live in a gated communuity and join the golf club and if if don't live in that area by god your kids won't attend the "good" schools they built. and enjoy the lake now because when and if the developers come you and your family will not be able to use it anymore unless you are a "member" i have already seen this in my town and there is no stopping the so called progress once it begins.....btw geechie there are 2 wal mart supercenters in my town.... lol ....

[Geechie North]

Fun facts that I discovered while keeping (so far, cross fingers) Wally's Sweatshop out of here:

1. Typical mom and pop store (kind Wal-Fart kills) keeps roughly $0.70 cents on the dollar in the local economy; for the Bentonville Gang, than number falls to $0.40 on the dollar.
2. Wal-Mart's business plan calls for one store/supercenter every 10 miles for population densities typical of Eastern states.

Yeah, the situation re: Southern "development" is pretty sleazy overall. It sort of reminds me of the "Euros Only" compounds that I saw in E. Africa back in the 70's.

As far as the locals being shut-off from enjoying the area's traditional resources, like lakes, etc, that's going to require legislative action. The state I reside in (and we are NOT perfect by any means) has a law which requires any navagable body of water (even artificial ones) to provide public access. However, that's not the case in SC.

I don't know if you remember the decision in Lucas v SC Coastal Zoning Commission (the so-called "dead zone" case) that was decided by the US Supreme Court, but the justices (majority) looked at SC's Common Law and said that such acts (like requiring houses not to be built in what is a defacto inter-tidal area) was an encumberance on property rights. I was on a county zoning commission when the ruling came down and the media dance was that it meant the "end of zoning", which was B and S.

DNR reps conducted a informational meeting with a number of county boards shortly after to point out that the ruling was based on law specific to SC, and that ours was almost 180 degrees different. Moral is, I don't know how you'd get something out of the Gen Assembly (etc.) that would confer a public right to resources like some states have, and that would pass judicial muster, but I would think that it sure worth the effort.

Before it's too late.

Good luck.

[skc29512]

Originally Posted by Geechie North

I suggest by starting with public infrastructure; invest in the local public schools. See how far that goes- and who "opts out". That will pinpoint the problem for you.

Geechie North, when you say invest in the public schools here, I am assuming you are talking about volunteer my time at the school, attend school board meetings. What else do you suggest?

[Geechie North]

How about spending money on them??
Real money.
Make them something more than the joke they currently are.

Even if black people use them also.

[wonderwoman61]

I haven't moved because I have TRIED!!!!! ---get it TRIED --to make a difference here, but the so-called "powers that be" do not want MOVERS AND SHAKERS as was mentioned in another post, but they want little socialites who can sneak around and "cater" these little luncheons or brunches without a license from DHEC and serve "grape salad" to a bunch of hogwashers who don't know diddlelysquat about politics, the economy or much of anything else. Furthermore, why should I move?? I own a home, pay taxes and have just as much right as anyone else to live anywhere I want to in America!

Maybe the person who asked this questions should MOVE and then maybe that would be one small part of the problem GONE!!!

[rjsmarketing]

I am thinking about opening sm computer business, what can tell me?

Originally Posted by wonderwoman61

Is there any..I mean any business owner who wants to open up a business in South Carolina? If so, leave me a message here and I will contact you immediately