Should the state execute Ernest Lee Johnson?

Asked by ABC 17 News

564 Votes

Should the state execute Ernest Lee Johnson?

80%

Yes Yes

20%

No No

80%

Yes

A jury convicted Johnson in 1994 of the murders of three people at a Columbia convenience store. The murder weapon was a claw hammer.

A jury convicted Johnson in 1994 of the murders of three people at a Columbia convenience store. The murder weapon was a claw hammer. Show Less

5 Comments

Connie Sullivan

Enough is enough.

Donna Welborn-Dicus

This was not a passive murder (shooting), he actively beat these three victims to death with a HAMMER.

Max

This man beat the victims with a hammer, with such savagery that the initial investigation, it was thought that they had been shot in their faces with a large shotgun. He should have been put down many years ago.

Will Mason

It is time to stop wasting money on this fool. He should have been executed years ago.

N A

the death penalty is actually far more expensive than a system that utilizes life in prison

Chris Hill

Against the death penalty in general, but then there are cases like this one.

20%

No

Death penalty foes are trying to get the governor to spare Johnson after other legal efforts failed to get him off death row. They say Johnson is intellectually disabled.

Death penalty foes are trying to get the governor to spare Johnson after other legal efforts failed to get him off death row. They say Johnson is intellectually disabled. Show Less

3 Comments

N A

regardless of your stance on the death penalty, the supreme court clearly established in 2002 that it is considered "cruel and unusual punishment" to execute someone with a mental disability. Johnson repeatedly scored below the comprehension level of a 5 yr old on disability tests.

Christopher Watson

Two wrongs don't make a right, it's NOT justice, it's revenge, that is evil. Makes you no better than the Perp.

N A

in response to max de young: 1. no one was advocating this man ever be freed from prison 2. the death penalty is proven to not reduce the amount of violent crimes in a country

Max

But it will prevent another wrong, and that may save an undetermined amount of lives.

Letitia DenHartog

There is no way of knowing whether he understood what he was doing when he killed the people.

Max

I'm pretty certain the people he beat to death also failed to understand him too.

Have you been directly impacted by this past weekend’s storms?

Asked by ABC 17 News

9 Votes

Have you been directly impacted by this past weekend’s storms?

44%

Yes Yes

56%

No No

44%

Yes

0 Comment

No one has commented yet

56%

No

0 Comment

No one has commented yet

Should Columbia city leaders consider tax increases to address projected budget deficits?

Asked by ABC 17 News

233 Votes

Should Columbia city leaders consider tax increases to address projected budget deficits?

23%

Yes Yes

77%

No No

23%

Yes

2 Comments

Max DeYoung

That's how blue cities work, tax, tax, tax, and tax some more.

Zaos Gonzolez

Tax to the MAX. Tax till you drop, and it still don't stop!

Zaos Gonzolez

I believe with all my heart that Columbia residents should donate their entire paychecks to the City. If the City had ALL of the money, it would solve ALL of the problems.

77%

No

5 Comments

Fat Guy Outdoors

This is what Columbia just voted in. Great job!!!!

Debbie Neate

They want to raise taxes because the “sales taxes are less than expected”. Could this be due to Columbia’s citizens not shopping downtown, etc. as they do not. Want to deal with addicts, vagrants and panhandlers. Lower revenues are due to administrators poor policies and other choices ie..plan fine

Susanna Johnson Kettlewell

Get rid of the unnecessary positions created the past 3 years! The answer is to reduce the size of government, NOT raise taxes! Columbia's sales tax rate is already too high. Continue letting crime and homelessness flourish, raise taxes, and people will leave the city,

Allan German

Why not cut the city official salaries by a few thousand dollars each to help make up some of the money that the city is looking for? But I doubt a single city official would be willing to do that even though most of them live better than the rest of the city.

Zaos Gonzolez

The recorder of deeds salary alone is over $96,000!!!!!!!!!!!! TRULY INSANE. Most of us can never even imagine that amount of money.

Will Mason

Not until after ALL avenues for budget cuts have been explored Taxes are too high already.

Zaos Gonzolez

If you are alive, there is no such thing as too many taxes. EVEN when you are unalive, you are taxed.

ABC 17 News

Should the state execute Ernest Lee Johnson?

80% Yes Yes

20% No No

80% Yes

20% No

Have you been directly impacted by this past weekend’s storms?

44% Yes Yes

56% No No

44% Yes

56% No

Should Columbia city leaders consider tax increases to address projected budget deficits?

23% Yes Yes

77% No No

23% Yes

77% No

80%

Yes Yes

20%

No No

80%

Yes

20%

No

44%

Yes Yes

56%

No No

44%

Yes

56%

No

23%

Yes Yes

77%

No No

23%

Yes

77%

No