By fitsnews – January 22, 2009
The socialist business model and antiquated culture of arrogance that has the S.C. State Ports Authority spiraling into an anti-competitive abyss is unlikely to change unless lawmakers insist upon it.
After all, S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford has had six years to pull off a free market renaissance at this smug, incompetent bureaucracy, and yet he has failed to do so – leaving die-hard leftists like Harry Butler and borderline Marxist/ political gadfly Bill Stern in charge.
And doing so in spite of their open opposition to his professed conservative ideology.
The result? The port has literally fallen off the competitive cliff – a downward trajectory that began well before the current global downturn.
Now we learn that of all people, it is Stern who will lead the SPA’s search for a new President in the wake of Bernard Groseclose’s resignation earlier this week.
Are you kidding us? Gov. Sanford, what gives?
Wait … we forgot, Stern hooked Sanford up with several hundred thousand dollars in campaign contributions.
On many (if not most) issues affecting this state, we credit Sanford for changing the debate and proposing long-overdue common sense changes.
With respect to the ports, however, he has been asleep at the wheel – with tragic consequences to our economic development efforts.
Keep it tuned to FITS for additional port stories in the days to come … particularly in light of Georgia’s big announcement today.
