The picture painted by the contractors and the Five Points Association was to be a VanGogh; it has turned out to be a finger painting done by a five–year–old child.

The project began with the usual inconveniences, lost parking and slowed foot traffic. It has since turned into one lie after another.

Before the project began, a group of men came by our retail stores asking us to sign papers, stating they had now informed us of the project beginning. As questions were asked the answers were given. We were told our customers would only be inconvenienced for the first few weeks, then we would have fenced pathways with astro–turf from the parking areas across the street for direct entrance to our stores.

It is now week nine, and we have been fenced in for eight weeks and without water for two weeks, while everyone is passing the buck, week after week of lies and deception.

Of the 45 possible work days in nine weeks, approximately eight days have been missed due to bad weather or simply all workers at another block leaving no workers were at our site.

As we now experience an 80% decrease in business due to the 410 feet necessary to walk to the entrance of our store, we grow tired of being misled.

We were selling between eight and 12 bikes a week at Quality Mopeds & Scooters. Two weeks ago we were down to just three, and this past week–only 1. Are we to sit here and watch our stores go bankrupt, as next week turns to next week again, again, and again?

Five times we have been lied to about the pathways to our store. The president of Five Points Association was lied to about our access as well and relayed the false information to us. When we confronted him he became defensive and said it’s really not lies.

Now we see the astro–turf that was to floor the pathways to our stores is really a stained and matted indoor carpet from a trash pile, and the continued fencing has been taken down only to be put right back up to imprison us into more isolation from our customers.

While the contractor is telling us it will be nine days before a crew will arrive to begin another phase of construction, we continue to be amazed at the lack of planning that has caused so much inconvenience. One would think that a $30 million project could include overtime and weekend work and would have show more consideration for the people who are affected the most. It seems as though the Association that was formed to protect us is actually the same Five Points Association, who for years has been questioned about its financial motives. They have turned on us as a community. This Association has lost sight of the very things that had formed and created the ambience once loved by many.

Rick Griggs

Quality Mopeds and Scooters

Hydrogen is not

a source of energy

Thanks to Temple Ligon for pointing out that hydrogen is not a source of energy but merely a vehicle for its distribution. Many people are not aware of this fact. Thanks also for his pointing out new developments for producing hydrogen from water via the solar–powered Tandem Cell.

Incidentally, at its hoped–for performance level of ten percent, one can calculate the land area that would be required for this solar source to replace oil. It comes out to be about 35,000 square miles, or about the size of the state of Georgia. To free ourselves entirely of fossil fuels and thus solve the green house problem would require about twice this area. Such a deployment, if not on currently existing roofs, would no doubt have ecological effects and might require an army of window washers for its maintenance. Thus it seems to me that the human race will have to master the safe use of nuclear power and humane population control if it hopes to maintain modern civilization and a healthy environment over geological time scales.

Leonard Robert Gardner

Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Geological Sciences

USC

History of Blue Laws could be humorous

I enjoyed John Wrisley’s timely article (Oct. 15, 2004) on mini– bottles. The last sentence, “As long as we cling to Blue Laws and other restrictions there is not much chance of the state becoming a Mecca of Social Progress,” brought a question to mind. Is there a comprehensive list of all Blue Laws, both those that have been repealed and those that are still on the books? It may not be timely or current, but it would most likely be humorous.

Keith Bush

There’s another choice While some issues have come to light during the debates between DeMint and Tenenbaum, it is unfortunate that voters have been kept from hearing other candidates.

Reb Sutherland, the Libertarian candidate, has lots of good ideas, and she sees through some of the fallacies and smokescreens of the other candidates.

The Libertarian Party has had major party status in SC for 25 years. Michael Badnarik, the Libertarian presidential candidate, is on the ballot in 48 states – 20 more than Ralph Nader. In some states, there are quite a few elected Libertarians.

There is no legitimate reason for the major news media to ignore Libertarian candidates. South Carolinians are smart enough to decide for themselves which candidate to vote for. All they need is complete information.

David Morris