Lobbyists Treated To “Rock Star” Parking
Taxpayer-funded lobbyists pull down the big bucks in South Carolina – as much as $221,500 a year, in fact – but it’s their “rock star” parking spaces that are suddenly generating some ill will from the lawmakers they hit up for funding each year.
One lobbyist, in particular, has attracted some unwanted attention as a result of the “primo” parking spot in the State House garage where her black BMW is routinely found during the legislative session.
“It disgusts me,” one lawmaker told FITS. “South Carolinians are struggling to make ends meet and yet these so-called taxpayer servants are rolling into the parking garage with their BMWs, Land Rovers and Porsches all wearing the latest jewelry and fashions.”
Indeed, taxpayer-funded lobbying is back on everyone’s radar this week, although the most vocal opponent of the practice – former Majority Leader Jimmy Merrill (RINO-Charleston) – is dealing with the fallout from his own lobbyist-related scandal. Merrill was busted a month ago flying a lobbyist on the state plane to a legislative boozefest … err “conference” in North Carolina.
Anyway, the conflict over the lobbyists’ perks (and their proximity) has now spilled over into parking spots at the State House garage – a multi-level underground labyrinth of columns and concrete that features some of the most fiercely protected real estate in the capital city.
Lawmakers park in the garage during session, along with employees of the Governor’s Office, Lt. Governor’s Office and dozens of other state agencies.
“We don’t rent spaces to lobbyists,” says Mike Sponhour, spokesman for the S.C. Budget & Control Board, which manages the garage.
Sponhour acknowledged that several of the state’s colleges and universities have paid parking spaces in the garage, but he says that it is up to the various institutions to decide who uses those spots.
Privately-funded lobbyists are not given the opportunity to rent spaces, Sponhour says, although he acknowledges that they could wind up parking in the garage if they were able to somehow “borrow a state employee’s space.”
Sources tell FITS there are in fact several privately-funded lobbyists who have “reserved” spaces in the State House parking garage – spots that are obtained through undisclosed arrangements with state employees.
It is unclear whether or not any of these lobbyists must first pass through the State House’s new $6 million security system to access their “reserved” spaces, as this system was supposed to limit access to the garage to authorized personnel only.
Comments
By Calhoun Fawls on September 30th, 2009 at 1:04 am
Nothing a tow truck can not handle.
By McFailure on September 30th, 2009 at 7:37 am
there is no security system at the statehouse.
its a $6 million failure. they cannot even turn it on due to its shitty construction.
where’s that story?
By beentook2 on September 30th, 2009 at 8:26 am
Seems like the cockroaches are coming out everywhere. As a taxpayer I fund the salary of a state employee. That employee has a parking space under the Cockroach Castle which I pay for and maintain. That employee then “lends” their parking space to a smaller cockroach(taxpayer funded lobbyist) who in turns sucks up to the bigger cockroaches(taxpayer funded elected officials) to suck even more money out of me. Jessie James had to use a gun and dynamite to rob people. Nowadays all it takes is a fancy car, glib tongue, designer clothes, flexible thighs, white powder, little weed and a bottle of Wild Turkey.
By Toyota Kawaski on September 30th, 2009 at 8:35 am
great story Man-d
By fitsnews on September 30th, 2009 at 8:55 am
McF-
Here are several stories we wrote about the new State House security …
http://www.fitsnews.com/2008/09/14/mr-mouse-tests-state-house-security/
http://www.fitsnews.com/2008/09/16/new-state-house-security-still-offline/
http://www.fitsnews.com/2008/11/14/state-house-security-criticized-again/
And yes, that’s a stuffed animal doing investigative reporting …
-FITS
By Sunni SC on September 30th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
You know, I have just about had enough of all this. Let me enlighten you a bit further about that garage.
-The waiting list for obtaining a space when you go to work in one of those buildings is at minimum 1 year. Until such time, employees have to grapple for spaces in temporary lots-often having to arrive up to 45 minutes ahead of time just to have somewhere to park.
-The parking Nazis who run the garage will-and do frequently- issue tickets if you park a car in your own space without the appropriate sticker. Example-you drive another car to work and don’t hike up from the bowels of the garage to obtain a temporary sticker for your own vehicle-which you then have to trudge back down into the bowels to put in place.
-We were told when the ridiculously-over-done security system was put into place that the entrance next to the Dennis Building on Assembly Street was “Legislators Only”. Were they afraid that they might get caught in the horrendous lines that accumulated at all the other entrances caused by the unnecessary fiasco they created?
-Thanks to this Legislators only lane, they removed all parking spaces from in front of the building that houses one of the few public offices in the complex-DNR’s Boat Titling and Registration. So now elderly and handicapped folks have to park at the center of the street parking and battle crossing Assembly Street just to get to the office. Also, there was an incident where a delivery driver, who was trying to make their route, quickly parked at the end of the Legislator’s Only lane and was accosted by none other than Hugh Leatherman-and there was no doubt it was him because he started the conversation with this driver as “Do you know who I am?” Remarkably, he did identify himself as Hugh Leatherman instead of God Almighty……
I was disgusted a few years ago, when visiting another building on the complex to find that although everyone else has to smoke (yes, I know, no one should smoke, but reality time folks, lots of people still do)out of doors, except for the Legislators who have an indoor smoking room. Marked-no lie-SMOKING ROOM/SENATORS, REPRESENTATIVES ONLY. Don’t you love it? Even Obama and Laura Bush can admit to being smokers, but for some reason our Legislators feel the need to hide it?
But now you tell me that while hard-working employees have to fight to get to work everyday, we have private lobbyist who can park anywhere they want? Give me the tar!
By JR on September 30th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
Might be ‘rock star parking’ but that picture you posted aint a rock star car… unless you are counting late eighties hair bands. Dude, not worth 20k. Doesnt scream ‘rolling in the dough’ to me. My minivan is worth more. Where they park might be a different story, but that car doesnt make me sick in this recession.
By Hmmmm on September 30th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Is that marchant’s Porsche?
By StupidShouldHurtMore (SSHM) on September 30th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
@Calhoun Fawls,
Having parked in that garage about a decade and change ago, I assure you that taking a tow truck into the bowels of that complex is difficult at best. Towing a car out from the third floor of any size (think SUV) … lets say you’d have greater success in winning the lottery.
@Sunni SC,
Preach on! If you happened to work for a SC House or SC Senate member, you *might* be fortunate enough to occupy his or her space when the GA is not in session. At least that is the way is was years ago . . .
- SSHM
By Weighing In on October 4th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
taxpayers do not pay for state employees to park there, they have to pay for it themselves. It’s the best deal in town, something like 10 bucks a month (mine is $85). If your suggesting that taxpayers pay for the maintenance and upkeep, then yes that is accurate, but there is no mortgage on the place, and the fees collected from parking cover those costs, so in reality your theory that taxpayers pay for this is a bit misleading. At one point 30 years ago did they pay to build it yes, but still paying, not really. To Sunni SC – where is this “smoking room”?