By FITSNews || You know how politicians are always saying that “bipartisanship” is a good thing?
Yeah … we’re pretty sure that this vote isn’t what they had in mind.
According to the official journal of the S.C. House of Representatives, dozens of Republicans and Democrats joined forces on Wednesday to approve a $10 million loan for the private Heritage Golf Tournament, which is held each April on Hilton Head Island.
That’s right … government is about to be in the business of funding golf tournaments, people.
The vote count – which is part of the state’s record-setting $21.1 billion budget – was first posted on the Democratic … err, sorry “progressive” website, Indigo Journal, which was apparently quite disappointed in the House Democratic Caucus.
“When Republicans gift-wrapped an issue for Democrats to run against, just nine – nine – voted no on the loan,” the website lamented.
Among the “Republicans” voting for the proposal?
The vast majority of the GOP leadership – including Speaker Bobby Harrell, House Ways and Means Chairman Danny Cooper, House Majority Leader Kenny Bingham, former Majority Leader Jimmy Merrill and Labor, Commerce and Industry (LCI) Chairman Bill Sandifer.
Myrtle Beach Reps. Alan Clemmons, Tracy Edge, Nelson Hardwick and Thad Viers also voted in favor of the legislation, which seems surprising until you remember that they represent the golf capital of the East Coast.
Hmmm … wonder if they’ll be coming before the General Assembly looking for a golf bailout anytime soon?
Oh well … let’s hope this “bipartisan” boondoggle gets killed in the S.C. Senate.
WEB EXTRA
The “Big Government Golf” Vote
By Gillon March 19, 2010 at 2:18 pm
Can we assume that Senator Tom Davis, who opposes the Sembler project and in whose district the Heritage golf course lies, would also oppose this government subsidy to private business?
By Let's Think About This DC March 19, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Looking at the vote from the house journal, I can’t help but notice several members of the South Carolina House that are employed by SC school districts that voted Yes.
Most notably, ranking House Democrat Denny Neilson-D, Darlington, appears to have voted Yes.
For those who do not know, Darlington County’s biggest employer is the school district.
Denny Neilson has voted in favor of a golf tournament and stands idly by as Darlington County teachers are being furloughed and their classroom allowances slashed in half.
I can guarantee you that most people in her district do not know how she has voted against the Darlington County School District.
(Attempts to reach Mrs. Neilson for comment are unsuccessful)
By BIN News Editorial Staff March 19, 2010 at 5:35 pm
Where-o-where are the sponsors who should be flocking to take over this event? It’s the economy; stupid! And look who brought this economy?
Republicrats and Demopublicans.
And the political pimps sic(k) willie tries to emulate.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emulate
Without this loan or a private sponsor the Heritage will be heritage. You know: gegangen. And private sponsors are drying up like sic(k) willie’s chances of a pardon from sanfraud for his CDV conviction.
By Leon Stavrinakis March 19, 2010 at 6:23 pm
This vote took no money, ZERO DOLLARS, out of the state budget. It simply authorized the state to make the loan out of insurance reserve funds if it becomes necessary to do so. In summary, as of now there is no loan, should one become needed it is authorized, the funds would NOT come out of the budget and so no agency budgets would be impacted at all.
People always want us to run the state like a business and that is exactly what we did. We insured one of best economic assets against loss. The Heritage, which I have never attended, produces millions in revenue and hundreds of jobs for SC each and every year. So far it has produced nearly one hundred million in sales tax revenues alone and that does not even count the income tax revenues contributed from the jobs nor the property tax revenues that follow as well. Of course, the tournament is a considerable advertising and quality of life asset as well.
Sincerely, Leon
By Leon Stavrinakis March 19, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Also, if ever made the loan’s repayment is guaranteed by Beaufort County tourism taxes so there is no risk of default or of the loan ever impacting the state budget.
By Liberty For Me March 19, 2010 at 8:59 pm
I know exactly who voted for it…big government schills
By madcock March 19, 2010 at 10:09 pm
The Democrats should be ashamed of themselves. Its rare that you can do the wrong thing morally and shoot yourself in the foot politically too.
But these wimpy idiots did.
BTW, tell us FITS, how DID your boy Davis vote?
By madcock March 19, 2010 at 10:12 pm
Doh, it hasn’t made it to the Senate yet. My bad.
Still can’t wait to see what Davis does.
By Lowcountry Hog March 19, 2010 at 10:48 pm
Thank you Rep. Stavrinakis for saying exactly what I was going to say. You just can’t satisfy some people. The state loses NOTHING with this deal should the tournament apply in 2011. And the loan is guaranteed by Beaufort Co. acomodations tax….are people going to just STOP going to Beaufort?? Hell no.
I’ve been to the Heritage and can say without a doubt that with all the people, eating, drinking, shopping that goes on down there for a week, the state would be a fool to let it go. People stay down there for the week, unlike most PGA events other than the US Open and Masters. It’s truly a one of a kind event we should be proud of.
By Lowcountry Hog March 19, 2010 at 10:49 pm
and if he ever gets a chance to vote on it in the Senate, I would place all money on Senator Davis supporting this.
By Cancerman March 20, 2010 at 12:45 am
Well lawmakers lets see the names who got RSVP passes after the vote to the tournament crooked bastards!!
By Michael Rodgers March 20, 2010 at 7:05 am
If you want to get our state government out of a business it should not be involved in, and if you want to get our state government to stop getting in the way of tourism, sporting events, and economic development, and if you want to do all this at a cost of $0, then please work to get our state government to stop flying the Confederate flag and to fly our state flag instead.
Our state government has no business in flying the Confederate flag. It’s not our state’s official flag. It’s an extra flag, and our state government should not be in the business of flying it. Our state government should fly our state flag instead.
Our state government and the people in our state want tourism dollars, and by continuing to fly the Confederate flag day after day, our state government is forcing us to stay under the sanctions of a tourism boycott by the NAACP. Yes, the boycott is like Swiss cheese, full of holes, but many people actually do support it, and they would come here to spend their money if the NAACP boycott were officially ended. The boycott will officially end when our state legislators stop flying the Confederate flag every day out in front of the State House, where our state flag should fly.
Our state government and the people in our state want tourism dollars and prestige at NCAA tournament events, and by continuing to fly the Confederate flag day after day, our state government is forcing us to stay under the sanctions of an NCAA tournament ban, which means that we get no March Madness basketball games and no football bowl games and no ACC tournament baseball games, and on and on. The NCAA tournament ban will officially end when our state legislators stop flying the Confederate flag every day out in front of the State House, where our state flag should fly.
Our state government and the people in our state want economic development without having to overpay for it with gigantic tax subsidies and without lying about the Confederate flag situation. Sen. Glenn McConnell says that SC treats the Confederate flag in a similar way to our neighboring states, and Sen. Robert Ford says that there is no boycott on this issue that African Americans support. And Boeing reaps in the tax subsidies. The way to be like our neighboring states and to end the boycott that is supported by very many people, black and white, is to do exactly what North Carolina does, which is to fly the Confederate flag only on the Confederate holiday. And when we do that, then our brand will no longer be “South Carolina, where the Confederate flag still flies.” We can then get sponsors for golf tournaments and all all kinds of economic development without having to pay out gigantic amounts of cash for it. The people who are stopping us from branding our state how we would like — perhaps as “South Carolina, Heaven for Innovation, Recreation, and Relaxation” — are our state legislators who, against all sense of time, reason, hospitality, and money, continue to fly the Confederate flag day after day out in front of the State House, where our state flag should fly.
The bill that our state legislators should reintroduce and pass in to law is 2007-2008′s H.3588, which, at a cost of $0, brings our state in line with North Carolina with regard to the Confederate flag issue, ends the NAACP boycott, and ends the NCAA tournament ban. It’s a respectful bill that calls for flying our state flag instead of the Confederate flag on every day except Confederate Memorial Day and that calls for flying the Confederate flag on Confederate Memorial Day.
By Liberty For Me March 20, 2010 at 8:59 am
Its all the flags fault….its not taxes and old school business policies.
Clevland and Detroit must have a huge Confederate flag I did not know about.But the NAACP has a lot of members there…and they can buy hoses for $100