Welcome Center Roulette

Republican leaders in the S.C. House appeased one of their chief Democratic “rivals” (and secured the votes she brings with her) by forcing the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism (PRT) to keep open a little-used, money-losing “Welcome Center” along Interstate 95.

The Santee Welcome Center – which lies in the district of powerful Democratic Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter – was kept open by a legislative proviso, or a directive within the state budget that tells agencies how to spend the money they’ve been allocated.

Lawmakers used another budget proviso to mandate that PRT close the gift shop at the S.C. Governor’s Mansion – a direct shot at their least favorite politician of all-time, Republican Gov. Mark Sanford.

What a “welcome center” is doing in the middle of the state is obviously another story, but in the case of both provisos (39.12 and 89.96, respectively) lawmakers basically reached into the Parks, Recreation and Tourism budget and stripped its leaders of the authority to make decisions.

That part of the story has already been covered, but the angle we’re interested in is whether or not this obvious “sop” to Cobb-Hunter (who brings at least a dozen Democratic votes around with her) is aimed at securing her ongoing participation in the RINOcrat majority that currently rules the S.C. House.

After all, the power of House Speaker Bobby Harrell is largely dependent on Cobb-Hunter, and keeping her happy is a critical component of his governing coaltion.

What, you though “Republicans” actually ruled in South Carolina? Think again …

Not surprisingly, this isn’t the first time lawmakers have mandated that this particular Welcome Center stay open. They also directed PRT not to close it during last year’s budget cuts.

Multiple lawmakers who spoke with FITS on condition of anonymity acknowledge that the provisos were crafted to keep Cobb-Hunter “on board” with the Speaker, but they have varying

“It’s a small sop next to the other deals they cut,” one lawmaker said. “Gilda and Bobby are in bed on a lot more than Welcome Centers.”

Another lawmaker familiar with the crafting of the provisos told FITS the Santee Welcome Center was a “fringe benefit” of targeting Gov. Sanford, and that the real intention of the provisos was to humiliate the governor.

“Somewhere in there they figured (Cobb-Hunter) should be taken care of, too,”  the lawmaker said.

According to PRT, none of its Welcome Centers technically “make money,” but the one in Santee is among the least productive.

Welcome Centers allegedly “profit” the state by making hotel reservations for travelers, but during the 2007-08 fiscal year the Welcome Center in Santee made just 1,141 reservations, resulting in a “fiscal impact”on the state of just $99,450, according to PRT data.

By contrast, Welcome Centers in Hardeeville and Dillon made 8,795 and 5,807 reservations, respectively. Hardeeville’s reservations resulted in a $766,572 “fiscal impact” on the state, compared to $506,138 for Dillon.

In fact, the only Welcome Center in the State that does worse than Santee is located on the Georgia border along I-85, in the Oconee County district of Rep. Don Bowen.

Meanwhile, the Governor’s Mansion gift shop is also losing money, but nowhere near the same amount as these poor-producing Welcome Centers.

In fact, by state-run gift shop standards, the Governor’s Mansion location is performing pretty well in a down economy.

According to PRT data, the mansion gift shop lost $35,373.72 during the most recent fiscal year. By comparison, the gift shop at the S.C. State House lost a whopping $125,428.48 – or four times that amount.

Of course (surprise, surprise), lawmakers have expressly prohibited PRT from closing the State House gift shop, too, although a proviso would permit the agency to shut it down on the weekends.

PRT reportedly informed mansion gift shop employees on Wednesday that they were being let go effective June 30.

Frankly, the fact that South Carolina is funding any of these centers and shops at all is a joke – and further evidence that our state leaders cannot properly identify and prioritize government functions.

But keeping these centers open (and forcing PRT to fire the employees of one of the few marginally-productive assets it has) apparently helps Speaker Harrell pad his RINOcrat majority and score political points against the governor.

As we said yesterday, that’s the way business is done in South Carolina’s “Republican” state government.

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