SC Farmers’ Market: The Saga Continues

It’s been awhile since we last updated our readers on the Ralph Norman for Lieutenant Governor campaign – a.k.a. Norman’s anti-Semitic blitzkrieg against a proposed property sale at the South Carolina Farmers’ Market.
For those of you who haven’t been following this fight, Norman is attempting to queer a deal between the S.C. Department of Agriculture [...]

Ralph Norman: Anti-Semite?

DID LAWMAKER CALL POLITICAL ANTAGONIST A “GREEDY JEW?”
This website has written extensively on the crusade of S.C. Rep. Ralph Norman (R-Rock Hill) against a “corrupt deal” involving a piece of land at the S.C. Farmers Market.
As we noted in our story, Norman is making waves over this deal because it involves S.C. State Ports Authority [...]

Ralph Norman: Doing The Dirty Work Nikki Haley Can’t Do

REVENGE, POLITICAL ADVANCEMENT AT HEART OF FARMER’S MARKET DEBATE
No media outlet in South Carolina has been more aggressive than this one when it comes to criticizing S.C. State Ports Authority (SCSPA) chairman Bill Stern.  We’ve battled with him for years – arguing that the SCSPA should have been much more aggressive in leveraging private capital [...]

SC Ports Authority Statement On Harbor Deepening Funding

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 22, 2012
SC House Committee Sets Aside $180 Million for Harbor Deepening
Columbia, SC – The House committee shaping the state’s budget is setting aside $180 million for harbor deepening in a key move to modernize South Carolina’s harbor assets and boost the long-range economic outlook for the state.
The South Carolina House of Representatives’ [...]

Nikki Haley Sought Secret Port Meeting

S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley sought a private audience last week with Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal and Alec Poitevint – the chairman of the Georgia Ports Authority – in an effort to “stop the bleeding” from her “Savannah River Sellout.”
“She’s unhappy with the public perception surrounding the port issue and was hoping to change it,” one [...]

SC Port Chairman: Palmetto State Got “Played”

S.C. Ports Authority (SCSPA) chairman Bill Stern said this week that the Palmetto State got “played” by Georgia during negotiations to build a deepwater port in Jasper County. Stern also joined a majority of his fellow board members in shutting off funding for the project until Georgia was “sincere” about cooperating – a move that [...]

SC Ports Chairman To Break Silence

This website has had its fair share of run-ins with S.C. State Ports Authority (SCSPA) chairman Bill Stern in the past. In fact, it’s safe to say that we have been among his most vociferous critics in recent years – even after our founding editor had a lengthy sit-down meeting with the multimillionaire two years [...]

Jon Huntsman’s SC Money Problem

Although he’s still lagging in popular support, former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman figures to be among the most well-financed 2012 Republican presidential candidates.
That’s why we (unfortunately) can’t write off his candidacy … at least not yet.
“He’ll have money,” a pro-Huntsman source told FITS recently. “And his message will be heard.”
That basic “money = message” math [...]

A Race Already Lost

South Carolina had a chance to seize one of its few competitive advantages a decade ago when so-called free market supporter Mark Sanford was elected governor.
While limited in his ability to push through structural reforms by a tyrannical state legislature, Sanford did have an opportunity to appoint free market fiscal conservatives to key boards and [...]

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 [...]

Ports-A-Stern, Again?

The “leadership” of former S.C. State Ports Authority (SPA) Chairman Bill Stern has been one of the most well-documented disasters in South Carolina history -  a state that’s obviously not without its shortage of disasters.
Look no further than the inconceivably antiquated fact that our state government remains in the business of managing the day-to-day operations [...]

Bad, Bad Ports Authority

Less than a year after padding the wallets of its top bureaucrats with a quarter million dollars worth of “performance” bonuses, the S.C. State Ports Authority (SPA) is now laying off workers and forcing all of its employees to take mandatory furloughs.
Yeah … happy pink slips and unpaid holidays, everybody! Yippee!
Of course none of the [...]