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.
By Reform the SPA January 22, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Bernard Groseclose said he was resigning this week and what does the SPA board do ? Why they are figuring out a severance package for him . Isn’t that just unbelievable?
Stern obviously does not know anything about running a port. Just look at Georgia kicking our butt with their rail facility – 3.5 miles of rail track to load intermodal trains.
Bill Stern- How many feet of rail track are you building at the most expensive terminal ever built in the U.S. at the navy base?
Does Gov. Sanford even know there is a port in Charleston?
By P Branton January 22, 2009 at 7:22 pm
Come ON…..Sic !!!
Who needs the PORT for container ships!!
Riley wants to attract the “LOVE BOAT” !!!!!
Who needs the ILA greasers with their ham sandwiches…??!?! Riley wants the “Golden Girls” to come drop their WAD and leave…!!!!
Talk about “Disney on Ice” …Riley wants “Southern Charm on the Waterfront” !!
By James January 22, 2009 at 9:56 pm
I predict the ILA becomes extinct very soon! I mean look, they are the reason for the departure of Maersk Lines. What a shame. I really wonder if the members of the ILA understand that they are eliminating their own jobs. They are firing themselves!
By SPA communist propaganda January 22, 2009 at 10:01 pm
Poor Sen. Grooms has gotten drunk on the SPA’s electric Kool-aid. Grooms was on Charleston TV saying that 1 in 10 jobs in South Carolina is from our port. Why aren’t these thousands of people protesting and holding riots ? Because the SPA job study is total b.s.
The port community had a gathering with less than 100 people showing up to discuss Maersk leaving a week ago.
Bill Stern and other SPA board members need to quit pushing their communist propaganda and realize a private port terminal will create the same number of jobs that a state agency will create.
Sen. Grooms sounded like a delusional Soviet bureaucrat on TV.
By Stink Fish January 22, 2009 at 11:31 pm
>>(fitnews)downward trajectory that began well before the current global downturn.
From what I have read one of the Spa’s most productive year was 2007….
>>Bill Stern- How many feet of rail track are you building at the most expensive terminal ever built in the U.S. at the navy base? Does Gov. Sanford even know there is a port in Charleston?
What, have you been asleep at the wheel? Let me guess you missed the whole Daniel Island expansion thing?
What do you people expect? The Port has to battle yanky bank Politicians and unions just to stay competitive, you think Bernie Groseclose wanted to leave one of the highest paid (non-union) port jobs? Come on people, Rilely and McConnell wanted him out in the worst way, now they can take credit for rescuing the Maersk fiasco (Yes the Port did make concessions but not the union). Bernie Grosclose was not and is not the problem. Mr. Groseclose was the fall guy, this is a man of extreme integrity, has he ever accused, slandered, or communicated/verbalized a corrosive comment (like the ones you all posted above?). Everything he did he did for the growth of the Port i.e. Danial Island.
Two years ago everyone was about ‘contain the Port,’ now you’re all “Why aren’t you expanding?” Boo Ho! Rip what you sow.
The problem is a) the economy b) in-state political posturing and back biting.
I can think of only two (2) State agency’s that are not taking money out of your wallet… wana guess who one of them is?
With the insight and forward thinking of the people at the Port (Headed by Mr. Groseclose). the Port has been able to become a huge player in shipping commerce, it is through their forward thinking that they were able to see the expanded Panama Canal and plan for servicing those larger ships with the deepest draft (and so close to the ocean). You all see what’s in front of you but you don’t see the turn ahead.
Does any one know what an union member makes at the terminals, or what their bonuses where last year, how many of them can actually drive on the terminals (clean driving record) can pass a security clearance for Home Land security and HOW MANY CAN PASS A DRUG TEST? Stop picking up pebbles and look at the boulders your standing on?
By Reform the SPA January 23, 2009 at 11:23 am
Did you know that Savannah has roughly the same amount of berth space and the same number of container cranes as Charleston?
Did you know that Savannah’s draft is several feet shallower than the Port of Charleston’s draft? Charleston can handle the largest ships via spending over 140 million dollars on dredging and Savannah did not. Did you know that Savannah is much further from the open ocean than the Port of Charleston?
So why is is that Savannah is gaining volume and the Port of Charleston’s volume is nosediving?
The SPA board’s strategy seems to be for Charleston to build another spec terminal that will sit mostly idle like our other three terminals.