In April, the S.C. Department of Transportation (SCDOT) approved a $344 million vote-buying scam that funded five non-priority political projects – including an “Interchange of Hope” for an Interstate that doesn’t exist (and should never be built).
Bear in mind that the agency owes contractors tens of millions of dollars and has a huge backlog of roads and bridges that need long-overdue repairs.
Strike one …
In August, after it was revealed that SCDOT was out of money and stiffing contractors (even as its bureaucrats hob-nobbed on the taxpayer dime)- the agency inexplicably voted to reauthorize this scandalous bond offering.
In fact, that vote came one day after S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley begged the administration of Barack Obama for an emergency $52 million loan to keep the agency afloat in the short term.
Strike two …
This week, after SCDOT’s cash crunch has been revealed to be even worse than the agency originally admitted – its commissioners are still refusing to scrap this abomination.
In fact, SCDOT Chairman Danny Isaac led a group of commissioners in voting to once again re-authorize the scam – which is nothing but a power play on the part of the state’s coastal mafia to force state government into moving forward with the controversial $2.4 billion Interstate 73 project.
Strike three …
Amazing isn’t it?
“We’re not paying our contractors,” commissioner John Edwards said on Thursday. “We’re not keeping up with every day bills.”
So … why did the commissioners vote to blow this $344 million on a bunch of non-essential projects? What could have possibly convinced them that this was a good idea?
Well, S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley’s Transportation Secretary – who like the governor is a proponent of the I-73 boondoggle – gave commissioners an especially rosy report on the agency’s finances, assuring them that SCDOT wouldn’t be forced to run a deficit anytime soon.
Really?
Because internal spreadsheets from the agency tell a vastly different story.
Transportation Secretary Robert J. St. Onge also told commissioners that they could expect another “Obama advance” of $52 million next summer.
Interesting … because the last time we checked, those Federal Highway Administration dollars were specifically earmarked for an infrastructure fund that SCDOT must pay into every month – a fund that the agency already owes $14 million to and which it must now find another way of repaying.
In other words, St. Onge fudged the numbers (again) … while pretending that another federal bailout will be the elixir to keep things from getting out of hand.
We hate to break it to this retired general, but that ship has sailed.
The SCDOT has lost all conception of reality, people … and we’re all about to be on the hook for its delusional financial mismanagement. Not only that, an agency which arguably performs a core function of government is going broke just months after a “Republican” legislature and “Tea Party” governor passed the largest budget in its history.
Sadly, this behavior isn’t surprising given the example that’s coming from the governor’s office. After all, Haley herself has previously approved a pair of $100 million state-funded bailouts for her cabinet-level health care agency (click here and here to read about those). She’s also signed off on corporate tax hikes aimed at paying back the $800 million our state’s unemployment trust fund still owes the federal government – and she’s put taxpayers on the hook for another $146 million of that tab (which she had the audacity to call “business tax relief“).
And while Haley has endorsed the proper structural reform for SCDOT (i.e. putting it in the governor’s cabinet), she hasn’t lifted a finger to block these wasteful projects, she continues to advocate for I-73′s construction and she’s refused to support legislation which would mandate that priority transportation projects be funded ahead of political ones.
So much for all that campaign rhetoric about “knowing the value of a dollar,” right?
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By Anonymous_1 October 21, 2011 at 5:58 am
Hey, Sic…talk about things falling apart…Guv’s new hire at DPS is about to take the deep six and drag a whole lot of folks along with him. There’s a new motto: don’t mess with DPS..screw this quis separabit thing. My money’s on Kenny and his administration…gonna be some sad singing and slow walking really soon…the fat lady’s been told to take it somewhere else..toodles
By John October 21, 2011 at 6:52 am
Screw the road builders and contractors. It is A GREAT DAY IN SC!
I know it is because the Tea Party believes anything I say, and those fools are 100 percent behind me. I love dumb ass people that will be with me regardless of what I do!!!
It really is a great day.
By They know? October 21, 2011 at 8:10 am
Well, when will the elected and appointed officials ever be held accountable for what they do or don’t do? How many times must we see what a failure THIS outfit is?
By tomstickler October 21, 2011 at 8:50 am
According to the AP as front-paged in my local rag, The Sun News, Danny Isaac cast the tie-breaking vote to hold off on sending the $344 million borrowing proposal to the legislative committee that approves bond packages. Isaac voted earlier in the meeting not to scrap the deal, and DOT employees have been instructed to keep working on it.
I suppose that is a small victory in turning this train wreck around, but more work needs to be done to stop it completely.
By The Shadow October 21, 2011 at 9:03 am
Lancaster knows where all of the skeletons are buried. DOT has operated like this for well over 40 years. Look at the number of state vehicles alone that are bought through those with connections to DOT. Government from DC to the smallest hamlet now works this way throughout all of America and we taxpayers sit back and take it. America has become a cesspool and we murder Gadaffi!
By CNSYD October 21, 2011 at 9:52 am
If DOT fails to pay contractors, why do those same contractors continue to bid on DOT work?
By Miller Spartanburg October 21, 2011 at 10:15 am
CN, you got that one wrong. Just go to http://www.scdot.org/doing/tentlettings.shtml and see for yourself. You’ll see that aside from a few paving, sign replacement and reflector bids, SCDOT has isn’t putting any work out to bid for the next few months. When they do start back, contractors will jump back in because there is no other work and it is better to get work that pays late and hope for the best than to not bid for work and know the worst is coming soon.
By cash October 21, 2011 at 10:15 am
Saw a DOT van in the Lexington O’Charlies parking lot yesterday. Ran errands and guess what? Two hours later the van was still there. Got to love a long relaxing lunch.
By Miller Spartanburg October 21, 2011 at 10:15 am
What was Danny Boy doing voting for projects in his backyard anyway?
By cash October 21, 2011 at 10:24 am
Have a friend who has worked for DOT many years. He just got a second job. Afraid they might not meet payroll.
By Disgusted by SC DOT October 21, 2011 at 10:43 am
Why aren’t the trial lawyer sharks going after DOT?
Must be that if you sue the agency over money owed, you get blacklisted from future work. What a can of worms that place must be. Shame on the legislature and the last several governors for letting it get to this.
Hard to hang this scandal on Nikki Haley, but now she needs to clean it up, not cover it up. Will she?
NAAAAAAAAA….
By Shanky October 21, 2011 at 12:51 pm
“knowing the value of a dollar,”
An old man and I were discussing this line of the governors while at the pharmacy just yesterday. He reminded me that the value of a dollar is one fucking dollar.
By south mauldin October 21, 2011 at 1:58 pm
Good one Shanky.
By Uncle Dollar October 21, 2011 at 2:47 pm
Don’t worry this will all lead to the need to raise the state gasoline tax by 20 to 30 cents.
By costcutter October 21, 2011 at 7:03 pm
SCDOT needs to look at sweetheart deals negotiated by former R/W Chief Oscar Rucker who now works as the R/W Director for LPA. The entire R/W process needs to be audited. He was the architect of the sweetheart deal with Andre Bauer. What other deals has he cut. His daughter is employed in an area that can influence R/W transactions and her husband is in the Pre-Construction area and formerly worked for LPA. Especially look at R/W transactions Walsh signs off on all R/W transactions where land is sold. Where is the IG?
By Mike October 21, 2011 at 7:12 pm
Governor Haley appointed the Secretary of DOT. She is responsible for this mess. Till she feels the heat she will not fix the DOT.
Haley is the only one that can fix DOT. Demand it.
By There once was October 21, 2011 at 11:21 pm
a fellow named Dan Fanning who tried to reorganize the new DOT – believe they ran him off pretty quickly after he tried to consolidate funcitons at DOT – I believe there was a report generated – anyone still have that?
By C Chase October 22, 2011 at 6:30 pm
There was a less than competent employee that actually thought he ran the agency. When his TERRI was up, his ego was bruised when he was not “begged” to stay on with the agency. My thoughts are he hides by the screen name Cost Cutter. Carl, do you not have anything better to do with your time? (I thought not).
Funny how bitter one can get when they realize they are not as great as they thought they were.