I like covering the news better than being the news

Usually, I am telling you about other people’s stories. Today, here’s one about me:

My family and I go to church in Anderson. Now, before I go any further, you might be asking why we travel to Anderson for church. When I was a senior at Anderson University, some friends of mine started a Bible study on campus. At their first meeting, they had 12 people. Eleven years later, that Bible study has turned into a church with over 10,000 weekly attendees.

This church is amazing and we love it. This is where we want to be where we can learn, love and serve.

So, back to the story. When we got out of church this past Sunday, several fire trucks were in the parking lot and police tape was strewn across the area. We quickly realized that the fire trucks were very close to where we had parked that morning.

When we started walking to our car, we had to cross the police tape where we were met by a firefighter who asked us what kind of car we drove. When we answered a black Camry, he said, “Please follow me to the tent.” At that point, various four-letter words were racing through my mind.

When we got to the tent, we were told that the truck in front of our car had caught on fire. Due to a breeze blowing directly toward our car and an exploding gas tank from the truck, our car caught the brunt of the damage (there was literally no steering wheel left in the Camry). Other cars were also hit, and in total, five were destroyed and six were damaged.

Within minutes of finding out this information, we were barraged with offers of rides home, food and drinks while we waited and we were kept up to date on everything that was going on. Not only was it church leadership who provided this for us and everyone else in our situation, but church members who had never laid eyes on us before. We were very grateful.

On Monday, my wife and I began the process of filing a claim on our car, talking to investigators and adjustors, getting new drivers’ licenses, new bank cards and everything else we lost in the fire. But, I learned two important lessons from this experience.

First, people helping other people, regardless of who they are, and even if they knew us or not, is an amazing sight. I was literally blown away by the generosity of everyone around us on Sunday. People who were parked on the other side of the parking lot stuck around in 100 degree heat to make sure everyone involved was ok.

Second, I like covering the news much better than I like being the news.

A recent study by several media outlets in the Upstate, including Laurens County, has recently filed Freedom of Information Act requests for the salaries of various public offices and institutions and has made them available in their publications.

While this is perfectly legal and within the means of any news organization to do, the two questions that come out of an action like this is one- Is it wise? And two-What end does it serve?

I have in recent days had constructive arguments with various people about this issue, and I will say up front that I do not think it’s a good idea to publish the salaries of the people who work in public institutions. One counter-argument that has been made to me is that everyone knows what the President makes so why not everyone else?

My response to that question has been and will always be that you could pay the President of the United States one dollar a year and the best of the best would still run for that office simply out of the prestige of it. However, if you start to print what a city manager or school superintendent make, will that make the best of the best want to come to your community?

Also, there are going to be many people who get mad about how much the President/CEO of a hospital makes. But, ask yourself, could I do that job? Could I oversee the operations of a hospital with hundreds of employees and a $50+ million budget? Do you have the education and experience to run an operation like that? I know I don’t.

Could you run a school system with ten schools and hundreds of administrators, teachers, staff members, students, coaches, athletics, and everything else that goes with the job. Could you make the decisions they make and make sure they’re the right decisions? I don’t think I could.

The people who make big bucks are paid big bucks because they are responsible for many employees, day to day operations, multi-million dollar budgets and ensuring the continuity of their institution.

So, it makes no sense to me to come down on public servants for doing a job that not that many people can do and then ridiculing them for how much money they make.

My second point is that it’s easy to throw out some salary numbers and not compare them to anything. Because, when people don’t have anything to judge against, they judge against themselves. And, that leads to anger when an electrician or a teacher sees how much money they make compared to the salary of a City Manager, which is a false comparison.

To see how you stack up in the salary line, you should compare your salary to people who do what you do, not what someone in a completely different field does. That’s the mistake that is being made.

Instead of just throwing out a blanket statement of salaries, there needs to be some research done and compare those salaries to others in a similar job with similar requirements and budgets. That’s the fair and only responsible way to make comparisons.

Maybe organizations can set up some sort of shadow program where members of the community can tag along with executives for a day to see the decisions and work that has to be done each day.

But, don’t count on that happening. The same people who complain about these salaries won’t even come to a School Board meeting or County Council meeting.

Things looking up for the 2010 Laurens Raiders

People can be very loyal, but they can also be very finicky. I have always said that if you can get someone to change churches or funeral homes, you have really accomplished something. Sports, however, are a different story.

When our team is winning, we show up painted in our school’s color with clappers, foam fingers and those awful cow bells. But, when they lose, we don’t show up for games, talk of firing coaches and badmouth everyone from the quarterback to the ball boys.

Our Laurens High School Raider football team had a terrible season this year. There is no denying the fact that they finished 1-10 with only one conference win coming against Easley. There is also no denying that the Raiders only scored 197 points all season while giving up 321 and finished the season ranked 108 in the state.

However, where some see loss and are quick to give up on our Raiders, I see a great future. With a roster of 73 players, Laurens is returning 57 of those players. The break down of players by classes for this season was 16 Seniors, 35 Juniors, 14 Sophomores and eight freshman. And, many of those underclassmen got some pretty valuable playing time this year.

The Raiders will be returning running backs Jimmy Harris, Michael Morton, Latarus Guest, Tez Harris, Lamarcus Anderson, Michael Barnes and Chance Bryson and receivers Darius Gibson, Kevin Johnson, Nick Coleman, Chance Wzorek, Chris Booker, Alex Mills, Chase Pressley, Jeff Ruess, Bryson Faulkner and Trey Kolak. Nine offensive lineman will also return for the 2010 season.

On the defensive side of the ball, Hunter Fernandez, Michael Mack, Darius Anderson, BJ Moses, Denzel Sullivan, Tyler Davis, Quindarius Young, Jamie Briggs, Isaac Cooper, Terrell Rogers, Desmond Beasley-Jones, Jake Jenkins, and the list could go on of who will be wearing a Raider uniform next year.

Also, let’s not forget about the Raider JV team who finished the season with a 5-5 overall record with two region wins that Coach Jawon Stephens is going to have to give up to the Varsity ranks next year.

While we as fans are quick to start playing the blame-game, let’s remember that the Raiders were a very young team this year playing against some very experienced teams. Let’s also remember that Head Coach Greg Lawson led the 2008 Raiders to an 11-3 season in which they played for the Division II-AAAA Upper State Championship.

I am convinced that Laurens is going to have one heck of a football team next year. I just hope the Raider fans can forget about this season and give our team a chance from game one and not until after they’ve won a few.

Is Sanford grandstanding for 2012?

Our first President, George Washington, once wrote that we should “guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.” Those words should be in the minds of all South Carolinians right now as we continue to be saddled up to a Governor who would rather appear “patriotic” to the people of the 49 states he does not govern than to provide leadership to the one he does.

Governor Mark Sanford, who wants to be President more than Governor, continues to be defiant to the prospect of millions of dollars from the federal government that is so badly needed, not just to balance a budget, but to make sure our cities have police officers, our schools have teachers and our local governments can function. In the face of leaders on all sides of political thought across the state, our wealthy state leader suggested to the General Assembly that in order to balance the state’s budget this year, they should cut programs and services and not count on the federal stimulus money, which he wants to use to pay down the state’s debt. The White House has already twice denied his request to use the funds for that purpose.

While I am all in favor of having as little debt as possible, now is not the time to be taking political stances that you think might help you in the future. We are not only in debt, but don’t have the money to function day to day. We need to stop the bleeding in the short term or there will not be a way to salvage any semblance of effective government in the long run.

As a comparison, if you were in a car accident and were taken to the hospital with a broken arm and broken neck, the doctors would work on your neck before your arm because that is what is most life threatening at the moment. Thankfully, the Governor is not a doctor or you would be dead while he was putting a cast on your arm.

As we as a city, state and nation are plodding away through these unpleasant economic times and the stance of Sanford, I can’t help but think of a former resident of Laurens named Andrew Johnson. President Johnson too served during tumultuous times. He became President because Lincoln had been assassinated, the Civil War was winding down and Reconstruction was beginning. He had a chance to be great.

But, in a parallel to the thinking of Governor Sanford, Johnson refused to work with those he led. When asked about this, Johnson replied, “Why don't they join me...as I have administered the office of President so well?”

Sound familiar? Well, guess what. Johnson was impeached.

I encourage each of you to call the Governor’s mansion and tell him that while he is planning his run for President in 2012, South Carolinians are hurting. We don’t want a handout from the federal government, but we need one. If we are left without, while Sanford believes he has everything to gain with this stance, South Carolina has everything to lose.

My call to the White House

As I was preparing my recent article on the impact of the President’s stimulus package on Laurens County, I decided to shoot for the stars, so I called the White House for their comments on how the funds could be distributed. Now, I know I’m kind of new to the journalism thing and I tend to get a little overzealous in my writing, but I reasoned that nothing could be gained from not trying.

I will admit up front, in full disclosure, that I was nervous. I pictured in my mind dark colored SUVs pulling into my driveway at any moment and me being whisked away by the Secret Service to some undisclosed location. I decided I better get permission from my boss first and call my wife to tell her there was a possibility I might not be home tonight.

After I said my goodbyes, I picked up the phone and dialed the number. After going through several automated messages, a stern woman answered and asked what I wanted. At this point in the story, I must say that she did not ask my name, but I was prepared to say, “Billy Dunlap.”

Back to the story. When she asked what I wanted, I stammered and asked, “Um, I’m not really sure if I can do this, but I am a reporter for GoLaurens.com in SC, and I would like to speak with someone about how the recovery economic, I mean economic recovery package could impact our state.” To my surprise, she transferred me to someone in media relations. No prison time yet.

The poor guy that I next spoke with was evidently some junior staffer who listened to my question and then transferred me to “someone who could better answer my question.” In hindsight, what happened next is what I believe to be an honest mistake on the staffer’s part, but it completely freaked me out. I have reasoned that he either transferred me to the wrong extension, or someone answered a line they were not supposed to.

Anyway, what went from being “someone who could better answer my question,” turned into me being on the phone with a senior staff member…the White House Press Secretary. At this point, in my mind I went from an undisclosed location to Gitmo. I was waiting for my door to be kicked in and me being front-page news in every major publication in the world in an orange jumpsuit with a black bag over my head. However, it did cross my mind that I could be on Larry King Live.

After the initial shock wore off of both of us, I proceeded to ask my question, and very generously he replied, “I don’t really have time to go into details, but if you will send me an email, I will respond.” I’m still waiting for that email.

So, I guess the moral of the story is: when Barack Obama says he is going to have a more open and transparent government, in the future, I will take him more seriously.

It is only stuff

As this Christmas season draws nearer with each passing day, I am reminded of my annual tirade about the commercialization of the holiday. As I am sure many of you have either voiced, experienced or felt this way at some point in your life, I am reminded of this daily, as the thoughts of gross materialism are never far from my mind.

One of the things I am trying to teach my children is that stuff is only stuff. It does not matter how much of it you have; only how much you want. I am a firm believer that money is not evil. How can it be? Money has no soul. It has no brain. It has no feelings. It cannot will itself to hurt someone or take from someone. It can only be used as a tool in the hands of the person who wields it.

I have often heard it said that what a person spends their money on is what they truly value. This is so true. I want to be a person who spends his money well. On helping others in a time of need. On providing food, shelter and water to people who do not have it. On creating a world that does not revolve around stuff, but the needs of people.

As Christmas approaches, I encourage you to take a step back and appreciate what you have before spending money for something you want. Teach your children to have compassion on those who are drinking disease-ridden water before buying that new Play Station. They say you can only appreciate what you have when it is gone. I hope this is not true. I pray that we will all remember what we have been blessed with while we have it, so we can share it with others.

I know this is a hard concept to appreciate in a world of “Black Friday’s” and “Cyber Mondays.” I, along with everyone else, am guilty of wanting more stuff. I would love to have many things, but I constantly have to remind myself that what I want is very rarely what I need.

I hope you have a Merry Christmas.

I am thankful

As this Thanksgiving approaches, I am thankful for many things. To start with, I am thankful for my family. I have a wonderful wife who is a daily reminder of the good in people, and two beautiful, although hyper, daughters, who keep me hopeful and tired. I am thankful for my friends, who keep me laughing and constantly on my toes. I am thankful for my church, which keeps me in the right perspective.

I am also thankful for the organizations in Laurens that provide valuable services to our citizens. Two of these organizations are Habitat for Humanity and Hospice of Laurens County. Without the services of these people, many would be lost and without help.

Habitat for Humanity makes it possible for families to have a place to call home. Since 1993, the Laurens Habitat for Humanity has provided 12 families with shelter. Volunteers do most of the construction and some of the materials are donated by businesses. The organization also does not charge interest on the mortgage, which cuts the cost of the house almost in half as compared to a mortgage issued by a financial institution. I am thankful for the work that Habitat for Humanity does.

As a licensed funeral director, I have a special sense of gratitude for the people who work with Hospice. Their job is not an easy one. But, there is a great reward in knowing that you were able to help people through one of their darkest times. With the opening of their new Hospice House, Hospice of Laurens County is able to provide services to families that enable those families to have a place to go that feels like home. I am thankful for the service that Hospice of Laurens County provides.

I am also thankful for two international organizations that seek to provide a better life for people around the world. The ONE Campaign exists to end poverty. By raising awareness about the issues of global poverty, hunger, disease and efforts to fight these problems in the world's poorest countries, the ONE Campaign is a champion of people across the world.

The Blood:Water Mission is an organization that has funded 340 clean water initiatives to more than 276,000 people in Africa. With the widespread effects of malaria and HIV/AIDS, clean water and clean blood is a commodity in Africa, and it should not be. It should be a humanitarian right, and Blood:Water Mission is helping to make it so. I am thankful for their efforts.

On this Thanksgiving holiday, we have much to be thankful for. I hope that each of us will take the time to reflect on what we have been blessed with. I wish each of you a Happy Thanksgiving.