The Index-Journal from Greenwood, South Carolina • Page 32

Sunday, September 9, 2007 20 The Index-Journal. Greenwood, C. 'Til poverty do us part Recently, a reader wrote in about his 68-year-old wife. She had been the breadwinner in her household, and she suffered a stroke that left her unable to swallow or communicate. She was being, tube fed.

In her name are $100,000 in savings, the house and $230,000 in an IRA. The 7 0-y ear-old husband of 44 years is a not become destitute, those who enacted the February 2006 DRA (Deficit Reform Act) did so with little foresight or idea of how this draconian act would affect the rttiddle-, class "American Family," to which politicians give lip service but no substantive solutions. For more and more seniors, "'til death' do us part" has morphed NEXT STEPS -mm Contnbuted pnoto diabetic with very little savings and no pension. She did not sigh a power of attorney, and he is unable to access the funds in her name to either pay the $7,000 per month it costs to maintain her in a nursing home or pay his expenses. When he filed a Medicaid application, he was told that, as a couple, they had too much money.

Because she hadn't into separation and divorce when nursing home costs run from a month to more than 1 2,000 monthly, depending on where you live. To allow all or the vast majority of family resources to be spent on nursing-home care takes away from the ability of the healthy spouse to live. Regardless of your opinion on this topic, allowing Relay for Life donation Greg Stevens, site manager for the Dura vent plant of Flexible Technologies in Abbeville, presents a check for SI, 000 to Deborah Ayers, Abbeville County Relay for Life Event chairwoman. This gift was made possible through Flexible Technologies' Golf Committee and annual tournament, as well as sponsorships by customers and vendors of Flexible Technologies. Flexible also was a sponsor for the Relay for Life event earlier this year.

JAN WARNER JAN COLLINS Syndicated Columnists BUSINESS LICENSES Hard Head Honey Dews, 509 Norwood carpentry work. Club Azleca. 1223 S. Main Nightclub. BUILDING PERMITS Butter Holmes.

430 Pelzer $2,128, window replacement Turner Leonard, 1411 Cambridge Ave. $750, demolition of structure. Virginia B. Hughes, et 207 Lake $500, handicap ramp. Vicki Land, 507 Marshall Road, $6,000, bathroom addition.

Brian Schoch, et 121 Ramsey Drive, $6,000, remodeKngrepairs. Sarah Sheaty, et 223 Main St. $7,200, tear off, re-roof. Vernon Devore, 126 Leonard St $2,000, tear off. re-roof.

Gwendolyn C. Thompson, 161 Valley Road, $9,000, replace windows. Robert V. Stabile, 321 Gatewood Drive, $20,000, remodel bathexterior door. Allen K.

Atkins, et 600 Water-ford $5,000. interior upfit. Stockman Lands 315 Bypass 72 N.W, $200, portable or temporary sign, direct selling establish. EmHy White. 120 E.

Abbey Drive, $2,000, interior remodel, screen door. Christopher T. Miller, et al 105 Greenville Church Road, $167,399, new single-family dwelling. David G. Boswell, et 2413 Main St $100, adding deck.

Alan D. Darting, et 203 Belle Meade Road. $15,000, greatroom, garage. Bobby L. Davis, 1718 Highway 246 $500, adding roof over deck.

Rasor Holdings LLC, 219 Bypass 72 N.W., $136,151, commercial building, remodel. David McGill, 690 Bypass 72 N.W., temporary sign, AG South Farm Credit. Private Tennessee company finding profits in special ed community spouses to become dependent upon children or other family members is inappropriate. Yet, increasing divorce rates among our seniors is upon us. And in a large number of these actions, elderly citizens are facing the extensive costs of long-term care.

It is truly a sad commentary that some elderly couples today are forced to divorce in order to survive financially and continue their lives. Those who chastised seniors for getting divorced under these circumstances are the same "experts" who now sit idly by and watch government waste proliferate. Indeed, seniors who get divorced in order to maintain themselves financially are maligned, while those who steal tens of millions of dollars from the Pentagon and go undetected for nearly a decade quickly become yesterday's news. Jan Warner is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and has been practicing law for more than 30 years. Jan Collins is editor of the Business and Economic Review published by the University of South Carolina and a special correspondent for The Economist.

You can learn more information about elder care law and write to the authors on the Web site www. nextsteps.net. Copyright 2007, Newspaper Enterprise Association signed a power of attorney, he was forced to bring guardianship and conservatorship actions in the probate court, but he wasn't allowed to make transfers to himself of the residence or bank accounts because two of their three children, who have been estranged for years, objected to anything coming out of their mother's name. He was placed on a budget and allowed to live in the home that he and she had occupied, but he did not have enough money to be able to continue living in the house. After discussing how long-lost children can come out of the woodwork to add to the difficulties, we suggested that since inter-spousal transfers are allowed as a matter of public policy by Medicaid, not allowing transfers of the wife's assets to him might well be a denial of rights under the equal protection clauses of the United States Constitution and their state constitution.

And we suggested that, at a minimum, the residence should be transferred to him based upon Medicaid's minimum and maximum amounts of countable resources that can be set aside to the "spouse in the community." In these types of situations, more and more seniors are turning to matrimonial actions, rather than probate court actions, as a better way to protect both spouses. While the Nursing Home Reform Act of 1 987 addressed the concern of clergy and politicians who saw seniors divorcing so both did By The Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. Mark Clay-pool left social work jaded by how special-education students were shuffled around and ignored in public schools. He had one radical idea: The best way to teach special-education students would be to turn a profit while doing it. "It would have been more traditional to do this in a not-for-profit fashion," Clay-pool said.

"But the CEO for a not-for-profit walks around with his hand out all day long to keep the doors open and the lights turned on. I didn't want to do that" Claypool founded Educational Services of America in Nashville in 1999 as one of the few companies even attempting to make money by running special-education private schools. With programs in 16 states, ESA owns and operates more than 120 private and charter schools. It hires the teachers and sets up the curriculum for about 7,800 students with learning, developmental or behavioral problems. Critics from within public education have said it's wrong and ineffective to turn a profit off special education students, but the company generated S75 million in revenue this year, and Clay-pool expects revenue to grow to $90 million next year.

The privately owned company would not disclose profits. Only about 100.000 of all special-education students are taught in private schools set up exclusively for special education, according to recent data from the U.S. Department of Education. And there are only about 125 private special education programs that are trying to make a profit, said Sherry L. Kolbe, executive director of the National Association of Private Special Education Centers.

ESA schools offer instruction for students with many kinds of disabilities, from mental retardation to high-functioning autism. One of its rapidly growing programs helps high school special-education graduates who want college degrees. Dean D. Halsey, et 1009 Grace $5,325, re-roof. Carolina Child Care LLC, 1694 Calhoun Road, $8,000, permanent sign, Rainbow Signs Company.

Gloria B. Reynolds, 508 Old Abbeville Highway, $675, business sign, Oxford Creek LLC. PROPERTY TRANSFERS Robertson, $10 and other consideration, lot in the city and county. William W. Batson, et al.

to John D. Jordan, et $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. William W. Batson, et to Stephen V. Fitzgerald Hobbs, et $10 and other consideration, lot in the county.

Jacqueline G. Sinclair to Jacqueline G. Sinclair, et $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. Lonnie Norman to Meagan Fra-zier, et $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. Cindy L.

Anderson to Larry R. Anderson, $5 and no other consideration, lot in the county. Donald S. Keadle to Christel R. Poore, $10, lot in the county.

Comfort Homes LLC to Town and Country Real. Estate at Northcreek LLC, $10 and other consideration, lots in the city. Obbie Tolbert et to Sandra Lewis, et $10 and other-con-. sideration, lots in the city. Obbie Tolbert et to Julia Mae Roundtree, $10 and other consideration, lot in the city.

Obbie Tolbert Jr. to Alice C. Williams, $10 and other consideration, lots in the city. Lois F. Wiggleton to Lois K.

Freeman, $5, love and affection, lot in the city. Lois F. Wiggleton to Bernard Freeman, $5, love and affection, lot in the city. William C. Fuller, et to Gwen Johns, love and affection, lot in the county.

Connie B. Babb to Donnie M. Babb, $10, love and affection, lots in the county. Jean C. Stines, et to Susan G.

Bartlett, $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. Randy Oxner, et to John P. Rush III, et $10 and other consideration, lots in the county. John C. Anthony to Tham Huynh, $10 and other consideration, lot in the county.

M. Ellison Young, et to Banner I LLC, $10 and other consideration, lots in the county. John R- Hartline Jr. to Helen F. Babb, $1 0 and other consideration, lot in the county.

Mel Thomas, et to Timothy B. Rushton, et $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. Margie S. Evett to Lands LLC, $5, lot in Laurens County. David A.

Dickson and Janet R. Dickson, $10, love and affection, lot in the city. Invesco LLC to Valerie A. Martin, $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. Jeffery Tolbert, et to Billy E.

Duckett, $10 and other consideration, lot in the city. Jefferson C. Parham to Charles P. Mackih, et $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. Linda P.

Willis to Gordon Collier, $10, love and affection, lot in the county. Karlie Hill Development Co. LLC to Jason R. Burckhalter, $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. John D.

Harrison Jr. to Ronald S. Powell $10 and other consideration, lot in tha ccunty. SCN Newpuit Land alop-ment Co. LLC to Rodney 1.

Simmons, et $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. Jnez H. Drake to William G. Michael, $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. Estate of Mozelle S.

Brewer to Steven Carter, $10. and other consideration, lot in the county. Juanita S. McAllister to Juanita S. McAllister life estate, et $10, lots in the county.

Nellie B. Scott to John H. Daniels, $5, lot in the city. Roscoe Tolbert life estate reserved, to Derrick L. Tolbert, $10 and other consideration, lot in the city and county.

Louvenia Norman to Chavus L. Sprowl, $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. Emma S. Pitts to Patricia P. Gunnells, $10 and other consideration, lot in the county.

Barbara A. Hagen to Barbara A. Hagen, et $5, lots in the county. SCN Newport Land Development Co. LLC to Frederick R.

Lanier, $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. Greenwood Metropolitan District to Commissioners of Public Works, $10 and other consideration, lots in the city. Phillip R. Fortner, et to Terry M. Gibert, et $10 and other consideration, lots in the county.

Lynn K. Timmerman to James B. Timmerman, $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. Harold D. Hudson et to Fred N.

Fuller, $10 and other consideration, lots in the county. Ralph P. Wilson, et life estate reserved, Nina F. Wilson Anthony, $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. SCN Newport Land Development Co.

LLC to Robert Hicks, et $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. Heather B. Fultz to Jason C. Fultz, $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. Travis L.

Aiken to Travis L. Aiken, et $5, lot in the city. Daniel R. Biron, et to Victor Anderson, $10 and other consideration, lot in the city. Mary F.

Cothran White to Joshua L. Goldman, $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. Sharron C. Hall to Diane C. Corley, $10, love and affection, lots in the county.

Stan C. Smith, et al to Debra C. Palmer, $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. Steven Nutting to Frederick Nutting, $10, love and affection, lot in the county. Frederick Nutting to Samuel E.

Owen, et $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. W.M. Burdette, et at, to Michael E. Stevens, $10 and other consideration, lot in the city. Michael E.

Stevens to Michael E. Stevens, custodian, $10 and other consideration, lot in the city. Mary Burks-Jinks, et to Sabrina Y. Williams, $5 and other consideration, lot in the county. J.

Patton Webb to Hardee's Food Systems $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. Roy F. Dellinger et to Linda Whortan, $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. Estate of Onie J. McMullan to James D.

Smith, $10 and other consideration, lots in the county. William C. Baldwin to Rose E. Baldwin, $5 and no other consideration, lot in the county. Will Polatty, et to Rebecca C.

Herman, $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. Mark F. Bryant, et to Lawrence D. Bigney, $10 and other consideration, lot in the city. Oxford Creek Inc.

to Roy F. Del-linger et $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. James G. Smith, et to Richard J. Crow, et $10 and other consideration, lots in the county.

William H. Harter III to Nancy B. Milner, $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. Marcia J. Laye to S.

Brandon Coffee, et $5, love and affection lot in the city. Brenda F. Walker, et to Lucille M. Williams, $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. Frances G.

Christian to Carol Boswell, $10 and other consideration, lot in the city. Herbert Anderson Jr. to Queen's Court Cottages Homeowners Association $5 and other, consideration, lot in the county. Herbert Anderson Jr. to James T.

Rambo, et $5 and other con-' sideration, lot in the county. Herbert Anderson Jr. to William B. Powell, et $5 and other Consideration, lot in the county. Herbert Anderson Jr.

to Douglas Q. Gilreath, $5 and other consideration, lot in the county. Herbert Anderson Jr. to Richard DiDiego et $5 and other consideration, lot in the county. Herbert Anderson Jr.

to Phyllis J. Zuehike, et $5 and other consideration, lot in the county. Herbert Anderson Jr. to Pamela T. Bartley, $5 and other consideration, lot in the county.

Herbert Anderson Jr. to Peter J. Johnson, et $5 and other consideration, lot in the county. Herbert Anderson Jr. to Shirley L.

Davis, et $5 and other consid eration, lot in the county. Herbert Anderson Jr. to Richard D. Siltzer, et $5 and other consideration, lot in the county. Herbert Anderson Jr.

to James W. Brown et $5 and other consideration, lot in the county. Herbert Anderson Jr. to John D. Blyth, et $5 and other consideration, lot in the county.

Herbert Anderson Jr. to Paul A. Burdette, et $5 and other consideration, lot in the county. Herbert Anderson Jr. to Mary Lee Smith trust No.

1, $5 and other consideration, lot in the county. Herbert Anderson Jr. to William R. McAlister, et $5 and other consideration, lot in the county. Herbert Anderson Jr.

to Ki H. Kang, et $5 and other consideration, lot in the county. Herbert Anderson Jr. to Amber Crest Properties LLC, $5 and other consideration, lot in the county. Herbert Anderson Jr.

to John K. Devore, et $5 and other consideration, lot in the county. Herbert Anderson Jr. to Jean R. Burch, $5 and other consideration, lot in the county.

Herbert Anderson Jr. to Elvin S. Sandel, $5 and other consideration, lot in the county. Herbert Anderson Jr. to Dennis Whitt, et $5 and other consideration, lot in the county.

Roosevelt Brooks to Mamie Lee B. Duncan, $5, love and affection, lot in the city. Banner I LLC to HMB Properties LLC, $10 and other consideration, lot in the county, Casey L. Palmore to Rodney Holtoway, $10, love and affection, lot in the county. Robert S.

Coleman, et to Charles K. McDonald III, $10 and other consideration, lot in the county. Jason Williams to Eugene P. Townsend, $10 and other consideration, lots In the city. Willie Lee Wilson to Samuel C.

Godfrey, $10 and other consideration, lots in the county. Wayne H. Boozer to Archie V. i i $696cil Frtt 7" Computer Problems Again? 1. MiMttv Ma X1 Best Buys! W8L IVH FREE 12 MONTHS $1396 SK LJCJ FREE Setup! rutt uenveryi FREE Removal I '14 Help is only a click awayt Call on Genesis.

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