The S.C. Department of Agriculture spent $50,000 earlier this year on, among other things, a press conference with a walking tomato – just one of God knows how many wasteful disbursements of taxpayer dollars the agency has made on behalf of its ridiculous “Palmettovore” campaign.
All told, the department has shelled out $2.5 million over the last two years to Chernoff Newman, the left-leaning PR agency responsible for “Palmettovore” and dozens of other taxpayer-funded boondoggles – including the promotion of our state’s, um, “hydrogen economy of the future.”
The goal of this ridiculous “program” – which we lampooned back in May – is to get South Carolinians to buy “homegrown” foods, which is all well and good, we suppose.
Well, it would be “all well and good” if the South Carolina farmers who ostensibly benefited from this nonsense were actually picking up the promotional tab. Unfortunately, the Agriculture Deparment has decided that taxpayers who don’t directly (or even indirectly) benefit from such expenses should help shoulder the burden.
In other words, they’re picking winners and losers in the marketplace with your money – with the biggest winner being Chernoff Newman.
Also, word is that S.C. Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers is none too pleased with the scrutiny his little program is receiving, and is attempting to throw his weight around by “sending messages” to those who have played a role in exposing the Palmettovore boondoggle.
You know, we hate to break it to Weathers, but being S.C. Agriculture Commissioner doesn’t really give him that much weight to throw around.
Seriously, there are legislative pages working for first-term lawmakers that have more clout than he does.
Anyway, for more information on all this Palmettovore nonsense, check out this report from the S.C. Policy Council.
By Bill July 6, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Pick any state government program..literaly, any program, and study it. And you will find waste, fraud, abuse…and dumbness.
State government is run by a pack of self-interested politicians that could care less about serivng the citizens. Their only goal is relection.
Go Policy Council and go Will.
By DJ July 6, 2009 at 5:21 pm
I just…no..no. Too easy…im leaving this one.
By King Cotton July 6, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Are we certain that this campaign wasn’t actually funded by a competing state, maybe Georgia or North Carolina? Because there’s no way that this foolishness is going to convince anyone to buy South Carolina produce.
What a colossal waste of tax dollars. I wonder how many teachers’ jobs have been cut to pay for this kind of inanity over the past two years?
By 1+1=3 July 6, 2009 at 7:04 pm
The goal of this ridiculous “program” – which we lampooned back in May – is to get South Carolinians to buy “homegrown” foods, which is all well and good, we suppose.
Really? We can’t even get the Governor to eat at home.
By Gillon July 6, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Darn, I thought the headline indicated another story about the governor’s girl friend.
By Todd July 6, 2009 at 10:29 pm
Bill: Amen, brother. Run by PRT is you really want a laugh. Court administration? Falling all over each other. One can’t get into the Dept of Ed building on Senate Street for all the consultants shoulder to shoulder……
By Cooter Brown July 7, 2009 at 6:55 am
Whaaaaaaa! We got’s a gov-mint t’mader?
I caint take it!
I’m a goin’ back t’ bed an’ will try again in a few hours!
By James July 7, 2009 at 8:33 am
South Carolina is one of the poorest states in the nation. Last week a study found South Carolina ranked number 5 in the nation in obesity.
How can you be poor and fat?
It’s easy. Consume a lot of “cheap” junk food like french fries, potato chips, hot dogs, and high fructose corn syrup colas.
The unhealthiest calories are also the cheapest. Eating local produce and food from nearby farms will save millions on health care costs, transportation costs, improve the health of thousands of people from South Carolina, and improve the standard of living of many local farmers.
How is the best way for this to happen?
By Toyota Kawaski July 7, 2009 at 9:02 am
Well fits do u buy SC products? Are u doing your part? Or do u just take what the oliver is giving that day.
By fitsnews July 7, 2009 at 9:10 am
TK-
Sic Willie? Shopping? As if.
-FITS
By Toyota Kawaski July 7, 2009 at 9:16 am
Oh i guess Man-d wears the pants in the partnership. Those folks confuse me on who is the quarterback and who is the receiver.
By Fashizzle July 7, 2009 at 9:43 am
James — are you on the Chernoff payroll? You must be because that comment is ridiculous. It doesn’t matter where a cucumber is grown. If your concern is to help poor people eat more produce then import it from wherever it’s the cheapest.
P.S. I want my $2.5 million back.
By guest July 7, 2009 at 10:11 am
Go to your local grocery store and see how many tomatoes you find from America first. NONE! All Canada and Mexico grown. You can’t find one single SC grown product at Bi-Lo – which is a company headquartered in Greenville!!!! Also, how is it that packages of snow peas have the certified SC Grown logo on the bag and there’s a stamp at the top of the bag that says “Product of Guatemala?” WTF? Just because Walter Rawl’s corporate office is in Pelion they can put that misleading label on the bag of crap grown in South America? What a joke and a waste.
By Reality Check July 7, 2009 at 2:03 pm
What about the Roadside Produce Stands that Dept. of Agriculture revealed this past year? Any word on how many tax dollars are going to be spent on this worthless program? Look into it Will.