On March 20, The Sun News published an article suggesting that the S.C. Senate had delayed consideration of my confirmation as the director of the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. This article followed one March 15 indicating that the Senate committee responsible for my confirmation would take up the matter March 19. Neither of these suppositions is correct. The Sun News reporter made the assumption that because the governor's office forwarded my confirmation paperwork to the Senate on March 12, the Senate committee would take up my confirmation at its meeting scheduled for the following week. When this assumption turned out to be incorrect, the reporter wrote the March 20 article suggesting my confirmation had somehow been delayed because the Senate did not take up my confirmation as she had assumed.

Further perpetuating the erroneous reporting, The Sun News editors ran an editorial [recently] stating that: "The S.C. Senate has left the director-designate of the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism ... twisting in the wind, which means Prosser has left Horry County Council twisting in the wind." Both of these assertions are incorrect. My Senate confirmation is scheduled for April 2. This is the only date on which the confirmation hearing has ever been scheduled.

That a reporter for The Sun News incorrectly assumed it would be another date does not mean that the Senate has left me, or anyone else "twisting in the wind." The fact that The Sun News had its facts wrong from the start should not justify further erroneous reporting or editorial opinion based on facts that are wrong.

While I am honored to have been re-elected by the citizens of Horry County to serve another term as chairman of [the] County Council, I am equally honored that Gov. [Mark] Sanford has asked me to serve in his administration. I am looking forward to serving not only the people of Horry County but the entire state in my new position. I have worked hard during this interim period to ensure a smooth transition for [the] County Council.

I have stated from the time my appointment was first announced that my resignation would be effective upon my confirmation by the Senate. While my resignation is not yet effective, I have ceded most county responsibilities to Vice Chairman Terry Cooper, who is very capable of executing the duties of the chairmanship. I can assure you I have no problem making a clean break from county government; however, it would be presumptuous of me to resign prior to being confirmed by the Senate.

I realize The Sun News is anxious to begin reporting on the special election that will be held to fill the chairman's seat; however, it should focus on reporting the news instead of trying to create it. The media have a duty to the public to report events accurately. In my experience, your paper has done a fairly good job of this, but, in this case it appears that editorial zeal has gotten ahead of the facts.

I look forward to my confirmation hearing April 2 and would like to thank the people of Horry County for the opportunity to have served them on [the] County Council for the past nine years. Given the nature of special elections, I believe that the few months it has taken to complete the appointment process will benefit the community in that it has allowed sufficient time for worthy candidates to consider a run for the chairmanship. I wish my successor good luck in what is a very difficult job.