Stick to business in session

The (Charleston) Post and Courier

State lawmakers are getting back together next week for a quick legislative fix that will enable the state's unemployed residents to qualify for extended benefits. It's the least they can do.

It's also the most they should do.

Those who want to impeach Gov. Mark Sanford ought to wait for the completion of a State Ethics Commission review of his air travel. That's only fair, though fairness is not necessarily a concern for some of the governor's more strident opponents.

The Legislature also should wait until its January session to consider reorganization of the state Employment Security Commission. The ESC badly needs reform, but the special session isn't the right time or place to deal with it. …

The two-day session, called by Rep. Harrell and Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn McConnell, should give quick relief to those 120,000 residents who have lost benefits. They estimate that legislators can get the job done in two days.

Wrapping up the emergency session in short order will allow the Legislature to fix a specific problem while precluding the possibility for mischief. And that will be a relief to a state which has seen more than its share of governmental follies in 2009.

Unemployment benefits

Almost 7,000 unemployed South Carolinians could lose their benefits after this week because the state forgot to change a rule that would have allowed them to receive extended federal compensation.

Congress passed the extended benefits especially for high-unemployment states like South Carolina. But it keyed the benefits to the state's unemployment rate, while the state keys its benefits to the number of people receiving checks. The difference means that thousands of families will run out of benefits unless the General Assembly reconvenes for a special session to change the law. Late Monday, legislative leaders indicated that session will be held Oct. 27.

Everyone agrees that South Carolina's law should have been changed to take advantage of the federal assistance, but there is wide disagreement on who is responsible for the failure to make the change…. Lawmakers can point fingers wherever they please for this fiasco, but the responsibility is theirs. …

They have consistently rejected attempts to create a more efficient and accountable state government structure. They have kept an iron grip on power and authority that should not be theirs. That means South Carolinians can be assured that the responsibility for this problem lies with lawmakers.

Good nutrition for kids

Speaking of studies that repeat themselves until we finally get the message, children and teenagers need more “fruits, veggies and whole grains and a limit on calories” at lunchtime, according to the Institute of Medicine.

And that's just in school, which makes sense, as so many children don't live in households where healthy eating is encouraged.

That's not to say it's right, but it is the way it is in many American households.

For some children, school lunches are the best meal they will get all day with respect to building bones, maintaining energy and strengthening their bodies to fight off disease.

The government's school lunch program is an example of a good idea gone somewhat awry. The standards are steep but even the well-intentioned guidelines don't measure up to what the government recommends for the home, according to The Associated Press.

We all need to eat healthier. And children need examples of good nutrition at home and at school to develop good habits for a lifetime.