In Re: Ports

For those of you new to FITS, we view our role in South Carolina’s political process very simply: Insert dynamite. Light fuse. Enjoy!

We don’t mince words, we don’t care who we offend or alienate, and we don’t bend over for anybody.

We’re also not afraid to publish anything we reasonably determine to be true  – and we’re 100% upfront about the fact that we’re not just bringing you the news, we’re actively exposing you to our opinions about it.

“Brutal honesty,” in other words.

As far as we’re concerned, that’s the only way that things in this bass-ackward state are ever going to change, but even if that wasn’t the case – it’s just the way we’re built, for better or worse.

Don’t like that? Then we recommend that you go read one of the mainstream media outlets that does enjoy bending over, like La Socialista (a.k.a. The State newspaper) or La Liberbad (a.k.a. The Greenville News).

Anyway, in our relentless pursuit of kicking ass and taking names, few state agencies have borne the brunt of our rage quite like the S.C. State Ports Authority.  And few public figures have received quite the excoriation as former (and current) Ports Authority Chairman Bill Stern.

Accordingly, we were rather surprised when a friend of ours proposed a meeting between our founding editor and Stern.  And of course we literally fell out of our chairs when both men (particularly Stern) agreed to sit down across the table from one another.

The confab went down a few weeks ago, and needless to say it wasn’t all sunshine and giggles.

However, both Stern and Sic emerged from the get-together with no visible cuts or bruises, and despite an air of litigiousness in the room nobody (as far as we know) actually got litigated.

Oh, and no furniture was harmed in the making of this moment.

In fact, the meeting paved the way for what turned out to be a very productive – albeit animated – discussion between two of the principals in the port debate, a conversation that took place in Sic’s living room a week or so after the “Stern Summit.”

More on that later …

In the interim,we do have to say that we were impressed by Stern – first and foremost because he took the time to sit down with someone who has criticized him so vehemently (and at times on such a deeply personal level).  Also, as much as we have labored to portray Stern as an intellectual boob, we were impressed with his grasp of the issues affecting the state’s port system.

We even agreed with him on some of the prescriptions he put forward to reverse the losses of recent years.

Now don’t get us wrong … we continue to believe that the leadership of the SPA is working behind the scenes with entrenched interests in Charleston to keep a deepwater port from ever being constructed in job-starved Jasper County.

We are also convinced that the Port of Charleston has squandered a golden opportunity to enhance its competitive position over the last decade.

Stern says we’re wrong on both counts, and so we’ll take him at his word moving forward.  Trusting but verifying, obviously.

Still, for a meeting that no one ever conceived as even a remote possibility, we left with distinctly positive impressions and a sense of hope for the future of an issue that has unnecessarily held our state back for decades.

Most importantly, if promises made at the follow-up “living room summit” are genuine – and implemented (by both sides) – then South Carolina could be closer than ever to maximizing one of its most important competitive advantages.

Stay tuned …