SC

Charleston “Post And Corruption” Wants Gas Tax Hike

SOUTH CAROLINA’S LIBERAL MSM VEERS FURTHER LEFT … Over the holiday weekend an editorial in The (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier – a.k.a. the “Post and Corruption” – embraced the establishment of a “badly needed gas tax hike” in South Carolina. The paper also chided “hardheads in the Legislature” for…

SOUTH CAROLINA’S LIBERAL MSM VEERS FURTHER LEFT …

Over the holiday weekend an editorial in The (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier – a.k.a. the “Post and Corruption” – embraced the establishment of a “badly needed gas tax hike” in South Carolina.

The paper also chided “hardheads in the Legislature” for refusing to embrace such a tax hike.

“By passing up a gas tax increase, the state’s leadership is passing up a good deal for road funding,” the paper claimed.

Really? 

It’s not surprising the Post and Courier  is adopting this view – and refusing to embrace long-overdue reforms to the way infrastructure is funded in South Carolina.

After all, Charleston is home to the costly Interstate 526 expansion – one of the biggest, most expensive unnecessary transportation boondoggles in state history.

The Lowcountry loves the current, corrupt system … and their main media microphone is clearly intent on keeping that gravy train flowing.

Seven years ago, state leaders claimed to have “reformed” transportation funding in South Carolina.  Turns out that was yet another example of “reform in name only.”  Hundreds of millions of dollars are still being blown on wasteful projects, while nothing has been done to shrink the nation’s fourth-largest system of state-maintained (or non-maintained) roads.

FITS has been exposing South Carolina’s highway funding issues for years. To read one of our more recent reports, CLICK HERE.  Under S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley, a bad situation has gotten worse – culminating in the drunk driving arrest of former S.C. Department of Transportation (SCDOT) director Robert St. Onge, who resigned his office in disgrace earlier this year.

Compounding the problem, Haley has proposed replacing St. Onge with a fiscally liberal Washington insider.

We’re not denying that there are critical infrastructure needs in South Carolina.  And unlike some strict libertarians, we’re not disputing government’s necessary involvement in meeting those needs.  Funding for legitimate infrastructure improvements is a core function of government, in our estimation.

Having said that, there’s no way taxpayers should be forced to pay new taxes and fees at a time when our system is unnecessarily bloated, politically driven and inherently wasteful.  And at a time when government is subsidizing so many non-essential items – like higher education or crony capitalist “economic development.”

Throwing new money at South Carolina’s transportation system is the easy answer.  But no matter where that money comes from, it’s never going to accomplish anything unless the system itself is truly reformed.

That means reducing the size of the network we maintain, saying “no” to unnecessary projects like the Interstate 526 expansion and establishing a project scoring system for future appropriations that’s based on actual, not political, needs.

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172 comments

GrandTango July 7, 2014 at 10:15 am

The price of gas has averaged at least $1.50 more a gal. for 6 years, under Obama, compared to the Bush Administrations eight years..Do you know damaging that is to American familes, already struggling w/ Obama Job losses,and healthcare expenses and food costs that are skyrocketing…???

And FITS has said VERY LITTLE, if anything, about it…you’ve actually Bashed Bush, more than Obama. So I think it’d be a good idea for you to STFU. considering your track record of Weakness on the issue of gas prices, and political incompetence.

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Lee Padgett July 7, 2014 at 12:09 pm

I hope u appreciate how hard it was to vote up one of your postings.

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Stare In The Mirror July 7, 2014 at 2:43 pm

Why?GT just says the same BS you Right Wing nutsos believe but dont want to say sometimes.

Look in the mirror Padgett.

You ARE Gran Tango!

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Lee Padgett July 7, 2014 at 3:07 pm

Families are suffering due to higher energy costs. Even with the lowest electrical rates in the state Georgetown’s poor suffers greatly in times of cold and heat. Gas has doubled in price and being a rural state it hurts anyone who has to drive to get anywhere. So if you are a hardcore Democrat YOU look in the mirror and try to assuage your guilt for causing the low income people to continue to suffer due to speculative science and propaganda. Your party is ruining the economy of the country and I do hold the Repubs accountable as well. I am not one and do not vote just because of an R after their name. Either I will vote Steve French or Sheheen this November. You will not see GT do that. I also believe abortion is between a woman, her family and doctor and her God. I do not believe it should be made illegal. When have you heard a repub in this state say that?

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CorruptionInColumbia July 8, 2014 at 7:50 am

Hear, hear!!!!

Smirks July 8, 2014 at 9:09 am

The days of cheap gas are over. It doesn’t matter who is in office, unless we reduce what we consume we are going to pay a hefty price for gas.

Lee Padgett July 8, 2014 at 9:28 am

We have reduced usage. That is why the gas tax coffers have been on a continual decline to the point the Feds are considering a driven mile fee. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. We are seeing that cliche in full effect! What next? And it does matter who is in office. The “green” agenda is causing energy price spikes and will continue to do so. And a defeatist attitude is what gives our elected ilk carte blanche to do as they wish. Thanks for propping them up.

ThreePalms July 7, 2014 at 1:34 pm

GT, you are full of it. The highest price for gasoline in the US occurred during the Bush administration. Job losses during the Bush administration reached 820K jobs/month and 60,000 closed factories. The Obama administration, on the other hand, has experienced continuous job creation. Admittedly, the job creation rate has not been fast enough, but this job creation has occurred in spite of efforts lead by House Republicans to block or hinder administration proposals to address unemployment.

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Lee Padgett July 7, 2014 at 3:08 pm

We are only .40 cents below the average all time high. Under Bush the gas did not hover at 3.00 plus a gallon. Check yourself..

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Tom July 7, 2014 at 3:16 pm

I believe when Bush was president your response would have been, the President does not control the price of oil. But in typical teanut style the theory changes with the day.

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Lee Padgett July 7, 2014 at 3:24 pm

I have no respect or use for Bush. He an Obama are of the same cloth. He spent out of control and the Repubs now say Obama is doing the same. They are all hypocrites.. But the fact is Gas rose to 4$ a gallon during Bush and sent the economy South. It corrected and leveled back out in the low 2$ range now it stays above three. What happened??

Lee Padgett July 7, 2014 at 3:30 pm
Tom July 7, 2014 at 3:33 pm

The world economy is better, there is a higher demand for oil; Iraq is returning to its natural state of conflict. I could go on but it would be worthless. Get rid of the black muslim socialist and all will be well.

Road money makes pols rich July 7, 2014 at 10:33 am

Harrell’s got them tap dancing, don’t he? He can’t get prosecuted quick enough.

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okay July 7, 2014 at 10:38 am

So what would you prefer?

I see no real data to support that the road system in SC is bloated relative to any other state. In fact, we have some of the lowest road spending relative to the size of the state and we have some of the worst infrastructure in the entire nation, and a gas tax that hasn’t increased in decades, with really no other source of funding.

Used to be that conservatives were for more local gov’t taxing and spending and more excise taxes to pay for infrastructure projects. This “oppose every tax increase regardless of merits or data” is why we’re way behind.

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euwe max July 7, 2014 at 11:41 am

Weak minds reduce everything to “no.”

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Nah July 7, 2014 at 1:32 pm

It’s far easier to say “yes” than “no”…everyone likes “yes”…no one likes “no”.

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okay July 7, 2014 at 4:56 pm

Not even remotely close to reality in SC. It’s difficult to say “Yes” in this case because crazy groups, and Fits, will attack you for being a RINO.

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Nah July 7, 2014 at 5:11 pm

The SCDOT has accrued $778 million in deficiencies, that’s a lot of “yes”‘s.

euwe max July 8, 2014 at 4:24 pm

Except Republicans.

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Norma Scok July 8, 2014 at 11:10 am

But we have more roads than most states our size/population. Building needless roads has been payback to voters in this state for a long time.

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Upstater July 7, 2014 at 10:46 am

The “conservative” Spartanburg Herald-Journal ran an editorial Sunday that largely echoes the P&C editorial.

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20140706/OPINION/407061003/1128/opinion?Title=Our-governor-promises-a-plan-but-need-will-demand-a-gas-tax-increase

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CNSYD July 7, 2014 at 10:48 am

Obviously Sic Willie has never sat through numerous light changes at the intersection of Hwy 17 and Main Rd. in Charleston due to traffic trying to get on Johns Island. Extension of I 526 will help solve that situation.

Now if the traffic backups were in Lex/Rich, Sic Willie would be demanding more infrastructure.

Gas prices have steadily risen but the gas tax has remained the same. It is a flat number not a percentage like sales tax. It needs to at least keep up with inflation.

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Clarendonian July 7, 2014 at 11:02 am

The absurdity of the proposition that no gas tax increase is needed to advance the critical repair and maintenance of our highway system is exceeded only by Haley’s idiotic “money tree” whereby funds of the General Fund are to be used for highways.

It is obscenely stupid that her plan expected to address $1.3 billion in needs over the next 10 years would be considered a viable and realistic option for needs that are predicted to be $25-30 billion over the next 30 years.

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Lexington Traffic Jam July 7, 2014 at 11:03 am

“Now if the traffic backups were in Lex/Rich, Sic Willie would be demanding more infrastructure.”

The roads leading into Lexington in some areas are atrocious in terms of congestion.

It’s probably unsolvable, but that’s a separate issue.

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Halfvast Conspirator July 7, 2014 at 11:14 am

Or they could actually FIX that intersection properly for a few $10s of millions instead of $558million for the 526 extension debacle. But they will put a ridiculous band-aid on it to placate those who say “Do Something” and it will still be a mess, because they really don’t want to fix it properly, they want everyone to speak as CNSYD does. It’s all about the money for developers and road builders and Little Joe getting more tax money from Johns Island. And the Kings of Corruption are the ones pushing the hardest for it, imagine that.

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CNSYD July 7, 2014 at 11:58 am

And these “Kings of Corruption” are? Oh, I bet anyone who has a different idea from you is corrupt, right? I 526 is not needed for the city of Charleston to expand onto Johns Island. They can do it now. Oh, you mean property values might go up and that would increase the tax base. Well, no one wants the value of their property to go up, do they?

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Halfvast Conspirator July 7, 2014 at 12:10 pm

Generally speaking they would be the corrupt fools who ignore DOT’s rankings of highway projects and go ahead and use their minions to ram through extremely expensive pet projects to benefit their benefactors. [Hint: Bobby Harrell et al.] I’m sure we will learn more as time goes on about who all was wrapped up in it.

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CNSYD July 7, 2014 at 1:03 pm

So if you think your list is “better” that DOT’s list, then you are a corrupt fool, that right? All politics are local.

Halfvast Conspirator July 7, 2014 at 1:45 pm

I have no idea what that means. But yeah, all politics are local, and much of it seems to require vast amounts of money from outside the local area. Like, from, you know, taxpayers and fee-payers in the whole state or country to support the local politics and politicians in their giveaways.

Oh, and SCDOT has these things called “engineers” who know stuff about roads and stuff, you know, like how to build them, how to operate them, how they work, what they cost, what benefits they provide and sorta important stuff like that. They study those things to be able to tell you that Road X would be better than Road Y because of, like, you know, technical stuff.

Corrupt fools like Bobby Harrell and his legislative and bureaucratic minions are much smarter and knowledgeable than all those “engineers,” being politicians and ass-kissers and lawyers and prescription pushers or whatever else they do to suck up vast quantities of taxpayer money for their pet projects.

CNSYD July 7, 2014 at 1:58 pm

News flash for you. SCDOT “designs” very few roads and builds even less. Do you think SCDOT designed and built, for example, the Ravenel bridge? Firms like Wilbur Smith live off doing design work for SCDOT.

You may want to examine the “engineers” at SCDOT and ascertain how many of them have EAC/ABET engineering degrees as opposed to TAC/ABET technology degrees.

What makes a road “better” than another road from a “technical” standpoint?

Halfvast Conspirator July 7, 2014 at 3:21 pm

Oh, I see now, Bobby Harrell and his flying monkeys hired Wilbur et al. to figure out that spending $558mil on the 526ext was the best use of our transportation (i.e., taxpayer) money, over the projects that had been ranked higher. It is all so clear now!

CNSYD July 7, 2014 at 3:59 pm

Still waiting on your explanation of “better” roads from a technical standpoint.

Wherein did I say Harrell et al hired Wilbur Smith to do anything? I believe that you will find that SCDOT does all that type contracting.

What is your definition of “best use” of “our” money? Is “cheaper” better?

Native Ink July 7, 2014 at 9:37 pm

I agree with Halfvast. Until they improve or widen Maybank Highway and Main Road to have the same number of lanes as their bridges, I don’t want to hear anything about extending I-526 (2 very big new bridges and a new four-lane highway).

For those of you not from Charleston, imagine a four-lane bridge narrowing to feed a two-lane highway, and some residents of the islands bitching that they need a brand-new interstate instead of just adding a lane to the road.

Sheesh. Only in South Carolina.

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Gravy Yard Drain July 7, 2014 at 11:44 am

You are fucked up. Always have been. Always will be. You need to get a life, like yesterday!

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CNSYD July 7, 2014 at 11:53 am

“Always”. Lets examine that. You have ALWAYS known me and you have the gift of knowing the future as you know how I will be ALWAYS.

My life is just fine thank you. I live it to please me not you.

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idcydm July 7, 2014 at 6:54 pm

Why is everything needs to keep up with inflation except wages, to hell with a gas tax increase.

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Printing money forever July 7, 2014 at 7:12 pm

Cause that’s what makes our masters happy, more power and control for them at the expense of Sixpack Joe. Then when they throw a few table scraps to the poor of some gov’t subsidy they feel good.

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CNSYD July 7, 2014 at 9:21 pm

Unless you have 1950 dollars available, you better have kept up with inflation. If your wages haven’t kept up that sounds like a personal problem. Maybe your employer is giving you a hint about your performance.

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idcydm July 8, 2014 at 8:20 am

Nice personal attack, personal problem, my employer, my performance, too bad your assumptions are wrong and irrelevant.

Too hell with a gas tax increase.

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He's a douchebag July 8, 2014 at 9:06 am

He’s just a prick, ignore him. He thinks that employers can raise the profit margin to compensate for inflation without respect to competition and then tried to make an argument using ad hominem with what is a faulty premise.

Overall, it’s pure shit, just like him.

It's good to be king July 8, 2014 at 9:37 am

“He thinks that employers can raise the profit margin to compensate for inflation without respect to competition”

There is an employer that can do that, it’s called the government. He probably works for a government agency.

Simple Simon July 7, 2014 at 11:04 am

It’s very simple, until you can assure ALL the current money for roads, goes to roads(and they currently can’t), then it is pure folly/waste to give the SCDOT any more.

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euwe max July 7, 2014 at 11:40 am

Horses are the obvious answer.

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The Colonel July 7, 2014 at 12:49 pm

A BMW G 650 GS, KLR 650 or a Honda XL 650 are the obvious answer. all three will top 100 MPH and won’t shit on your garage floor.

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tomstickler July 7, 2014 at 12:54 pm

My STeed has averaged 46+mpg over 73,000+ miles.

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The Colonel July 7, 2014 at 1:48 pm

Yeah but will the ST handle our potholed roads like a dual sport?

Mr. Nobody July 7, 2014 at 1:14 pm

If you can swing the 700GS it’ll be a lot easier on your old bones and give you a little more pop while still being pretty maneuverable.

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The Colonel July 7, 2014 at 4:31 pm

The 700 and 800 are to tall for my comfort. The 1200 cost just shy of a gazillion dollars.

euwe max July 7, 2014 at 1:54 pm

On SC roads?

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The Colonel July 7, 2014 at 2:33 pm

On a dirt road if you’ve got the cajones to do it.

Smirks July 7, 2014 at 4:24 pm

Depends, am I being chased by Rosco P. Coltrane?

Simple Simon July 7, 2014 at 1:08 pm

I thought an audit might be easier, but I defer to your expertise.

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GrandTango July 7, 2014 at 3:00 pm

Did you ask if you could contribute to Obamacare before you gave the IRS your tax bill?…because Obamacare is a bigger and more-dangerous scam that the SCDOT ever thought about being.

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Smirks July 7, 2014 at 4:17 pm

No worries. We already know you don’t contribute as a taxpayer. Thank goodness Google AdSense helps you buy your ramen noodles.

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Sandi Morals July 7, 2014 at 6:36 pm

Will Folks never called GT a SOCIALIST!!! LMAO!!!
Carry on Smirks the Socialist!!! :-)

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There she blows! July 7, 2014 at 7:06 pm

How is it you can type with a type with a cock in each hand? You can’t be using a speech to text generator with a cock in your mouth too.

Are you using some kind of eye tracking software, like Hawking?

Sandi Morals July 7, 2014 at 7:48 pm

Man.You are sic. Obviously a Ervin/Sheheen supporter. Go away weirdo.

There she blows! July 7, 2014 at 7:29 pm

There she blows! Sandi Morals • 18 minutes ago

How is it you can type with a type with a cock in each hand?

oops…sitting behind Fuddruckers and b_zzed with a 40 and he blew right in my mouth!
Sorry for typo. You are one brilliant lady!!

There she blows! July 7, 2014 at 7:44 pm

I am a homosexual like ‘aikencounty’. Queer as they cum and love the Deo Vindice cock up my ass!!!!
Have I offended you? Man I am buzzed!!! FUDDDDDRUCKER ME baby!!!!!!!

Smirks July 8, 2014 at 8:28 am

I always wanted my very own stalker!

Be careful, though, Haley is paying to cheer for her, not stalk some guy who has really pissed you off. Wouldn’t want you to get fired and, you know, have to use some of that soshulist welfare like Tango does.

Jan July 8, 2014 at 2:59 pm

Careful T you are slipping into old habits.

Sandi Morals July 7, 2014 at 11:54 pm

Buz Martin Elmer Fudd Jr. • 3 hours ago

It HAD to happen sooner or later:
//// DAVIS, THOMAS GORDON
GARDEN CITY BEACH, SC 29576 AMERICAN (US) MALE 07/27/1950
63 7/4/2014 3:40:00 AM 7/6/2014 11:55:00 AM
FAILURE TO ACQUIRE VALID TAGS – $150.00
PUBLIC DISORDERLY/PUBLIC INTOXICATION – Disposed – $262.00
INTERFERENCE WITH FIRE AND POLICE ALARMBOXES, GIVING FALSE ALARMS – Disposed – $500.00
DRIVING UNDER SUSPENSION, LICENSE NOT SUSPENDED FOR DUI – 2ND OFFENSE – Disposed – $1,200.00
HIT & RUN, DUTIES OF DRIVER INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT resulting in damage to attended vehicles. – Disposed – $1,000.00
RECKLESS DRIVING – Disposed – $450.00
FAIL. TO RETURN LIC. PLATE AND REGISTRA. UPON LOSS OF INSURANCE- 3RD/SUBS. OFF. – Disposed – $150.00 ///

http://www.horrycounty.org/mug… see more 0 You must sign in to down-vote this post.

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3712.00 Buz Martin • an hour ago

wow :-(
Is Thomas Gordon Davis a “public figure” ? Is he running for a political office? Why would you post such on FITS? Why would you do this to another human being UNLESS you are NOT human? Posted his damn picture!!
What the fuck is wrong with you?
Who is Thomas Gordon Davis?
Why would you do this?
Who is the ‘hillbilly’? Who is Freeland ? see more 1 You must sign in to down-vote this post.

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Guest Elmer Fudd Jr. • 3 hours ago

Well, it looks like your drunken butt-buddy Tom Davis fucked HIMSELF, hillbilly.
And it’s for damn sure I didn’t make this one up.

//// DAVIS, THOMAS GORDON
GARDEN CITY BEACH, SC 29576 AMERICAN (US) MALE 07/27/1950
63 7/4/2014 3:40:00 AM 7/6/2014 11:55:00 AM
FAILURE TO ACQUIRE VALID TAGS – $150.00
PUBLIC DISORDERLY/PUBLIC INTOXICATION – Disposed – $262.00
INTERFERENCE WITH FIRE AND POLICE ALARMBOXES, GIVING FALSE ALARMS – Disposed – $500.00
DRIVING UNDER SUSPENSION, LICENSE NOT SUSPENDED FOR DUI – 2ND OFFENSE – Disposed – $1,200.00
HIT & RUN, DUTIES OF DRIVER INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT resulting in damage to attended vehicles. – Disposed – $1,000.00
RECKLESS DRIVING – Disposed – $450.00
FAIL. TO RETURN LIC. PLATE AND REGISTRA. UPON LOSS OF INSURANCE- 3RD/SUBS. OFF. – Disposed – $150.00 ///

http://www.horrycounty.org/mug… see more 0 You must sign in to down-vote this post.

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Buz Martin Guest • 3 hours ago

Sumbitch had the nerve to say *I* was ugly. When I had a beard, at least I kept it trimmed neatly. He looks worse that Freeland in his “homeless creek rat” avatar pic. Tom’s got a damned NECK BEARD in that mugshot! Living in a motel, too, I hear. How the mighty have fallen!

GT, in my opinion you would be wise to stay off of this website. Buz was a master ‘hacker’ at TSN and is apparently doing their dirty work on FITS. Now he is apparently investigating contributors on various websites, including FITS and ‘outing’ them.
Peace. Sandi Morals is OUT!

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More Evil Comes Forth In SC July 7, 2014 at 11:42 am

Charleston Mayor Riley’s Mouth Piece … and his friends at “The Beach Company” …… I say we form mobs and go to their homes and offices. Yeah …. get in their faces and ask them questions and shit.

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Slartibartfast July 7, 2014 at 1:30 pm

Is it ok if we just ask them questions?

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Can't reform it July 7, 2014 at 3:18 pm

Why bother? They’ll just lie to you anyway.

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Slartibartfast July 7, 2014 at 10:30 pm

Of course. I was simply remarking that I didn’t want to form a mob and then take a shit.

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Can't reform it July 8, 2014 at 9:08 am

Ah, I see what you did there now.

Halfvast Conspirator July 7, 2014 at 3:27 pm

Would you ask them questions before or after you shit in their faces? Either way, you would get the same thing coming from their mouths.

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UpStater July 7, 2014 at 11:55 am

Bruce Bannister had an interesting OP-ED piece basically defending Harrell. It would be interesting to know if other papers ran similar pieces.

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Lee Padgett July 7, 2014 at 11:57 am

If the price of gas could go down and not feel the effects of the Obama economy and we were not being pushed to drive more and more fuel efficient cars and conserve cause of the Global Warming Cooling Climate Alterations that are happening then maybe the monies would be there. But instead of working to fix problems and actually thinking through a scenario the knee jerk reaction is “throw more money at it” which means tax more and more. No. The DOT controls nearly every road in this State, pretty much unheard of, and if the money was kept locally for basic road repairs the agency may have what it needs for the major projects. And don’t blame Repubs for not being for the gas tax increase, they are fully on board it’s the liberaltarians that are screaming no more.

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Going Blind Over Here July 7, 2014 at 12:16 pm

Goddamn! Take a few minutes and fix that run-on sentence. Shesh!

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Lee Padgett July 7, 2014 at 12:30 pm

If it bothers u why don’t you rewrite the post yourself.

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Slartibartfast July 7, 2014 at 1:22 pm

“If it bothers u why don’t you rewrite the post yourself.”

“If the price of gas could go down, and not feel the effects of the Obama economy; if we were not being pushed to drive more and more fuel efficient cars and conserve because of the Global Warming-Cooling Climate Alterations that are happening; then maybe the monies would be there. But instead of working to fix problems and actually thinking through a scenario, the knee jerk reaction is “throw more money at it.” This means we get taxed more and more.

“The DOT controls every road in this State, in one way or another. This concept is not often proffered on this board, but if the money were to be kept locally for basic road repairs, the agency might just have what it needs for the major projects. And don’t blame Repubs for not being for the gas tax increase, they are fully on board. It’s the ‘liberaltarians’ that are screaming no more.”

There, fixed. You’re welcome…. But it’s still bullshit.

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Fantasy Island July 7, 2014 at 1:34 pm

Yep, not a pol in sight in SC that claims the “L” label, yet somehow it’s the libertarians(unicorns?) being blamed by R’s and D’s that are ruining the whole dog & pony show.

Lee Padgett July 7, 2014 at 3:09 pm

Thanks. Love the ocd thing…

Lee Padgett July 7, 2014 at 3:20 pm
Growing hair on your palms? July 8, 2014 at 9:28 am

If you’re going blind, all you have to do is stop masturbating.

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Smirks July 8, 2014 at 9:20 am

If the price of gas could go down

It won’t. Not unless we have another recession that slaughters demand, which is what happened in late ’08/early ’09.

and we were not being pushed to drive more and more fuel efficient cars
and conserve cause of the Global Warming Cooling Climate Alterations
that are happening

Fuel efficiency isn’t being pushed just for the sake of global warming, it is being pushed to reduce our gas consumption so that high gas prices aren’t as painful.

I find it quite sad that someone bemoans gas prices and then whines about more fuel efficient cars in the same sentence. Do you think if everyone drove gas-guzzling Hummers that the price of gas would go down?

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Lee Padgett July 8, 2014 at 9:39 am

If we were being encouraged to reduce consumption based on your argument that is one thing and I support it but it is not. Executive orders to force car companies to increase mpg were implemented. Forcing the big three etc to bring their vehicles up to a standard. The argument should be about market choices as you correctly imply but the fact is–It is not, it is an agenda that is dictating this and that irritates the hell out of me. I have cut my traveling in half because I do not wish to pay anymore for gas than I am. That, my friend, cuts the gas tax I am paying in half. Many have been forced to do so. So the Government needs to quit whining and fix the problem instead of looking for ways to supplement. Open areas for drilling. We could flood the market with enough reserves to affect the worldwide price–but we don’t we might lose a slug or a snail in the process. The Government is purely responsible for their debacle and they should not be asking me to pay to get out of it!!!!!!!!!

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RogueElephant July 7, 2014 at 12:22 pm

A nickel a gallon increase in the fuel tax would be a good thing if it went to road repairs. But to add it to the general fund to be pissed away by crooked politicians for who knows what —NO NO NEVER NO.

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Jimmie Kendricks July 7, 2014 at 12:44 pm

Teabaggers and Haleys idea of good roads is state funded airplane rides and donor sponsored trips by plane…let the peasants risk their lives on those shitty roads…Haley I want tell you my fantasy land plan to fix the roads until I a re-elected….but …..Shhhhhh…it involves borrowing from the state retiree pension system and outsourcing more state employee’s and taking federal money meant for the poor and vets and raising the taxes on the poor and middle class its the Teabagger way folks.

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nitrat July 7, 2014 at 3:21 pm

Goddam governors should be mandated to ride the roads when traveling in the state to see what in the hell it’s like. We all know they have plenty of free time to do so…without speeding like Marky Poo and I do mean poo.

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tomstickler July 7, 2014 at 12:45 pm

The $0.1675/gal state tax on gasoline was imposed in 1987. If that tax had been indexed to the CPI, it would be $0.3508 today.

The lost revenue from the failure to adjust the gasoline tax amounts to $476,580,000 this year.

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Ludwig Von Mises July 7, 2014 at 2:37 pm

Facts not welcome here.

Fits and his acolytes “know” that there is plenty of money to fix every road in this state!

What?You dont believe that?

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Lord Keynes July 7, 2014 at 4:00 pm

There’s no inflation, it’s not necessary.

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Jackie Chiles July 7, 2014 at 4:05 pm

Unless and until wages are indexed to the CPI, I don’t want to see taxes indexed.

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Lord Keynes July 7, 2014 at 4:27 pm

Ha! Surely you jest, there is no inflation…and if there way wages would go up at the same amount.

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Lord Keynes July 7, 2014 at 4:27 pm

“there was”

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Smirks July 8, 2014 at 8:35 am

The gas tax should be raised based on need, not just arbitrarily raised with inflation. A 35 cent gas tax would be close to what North Carolina has, which is the 8th highest in the nation:

http://taxfoundation.org/article/state-gasoline-tax-rates-2009-2013

None of this goes to fixing the issues with how this money is spent and how well SCDOT is run, mind you.

I’m not against raising the gasoline tax, but I want to make sure everything is being done to use the money they have wisely, and then raise it based on what is needed. Somehow I doubt that means more than doubling the tax.

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Fred July 7, 2014 at 12:53 pm

What’s the difference between SC and some small African nations?

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Slartibartfast July 7, 2014 at 1:29 pm

In small African nations, they don’t have the freedom to write “What’s the difference between SC and some small African nations?

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Bible Thumper July 7, 2014 at 2:01 pm

Boko Haram is not abducting our women and girls.

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SCBlues July 7, 2014 at 3:54 pm

“Boko Haram is not abducting our women and girls”

Maybe we can send them Miley Cyrus as a peace offering . . .

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Tom July 7, 2014 at 3:24 pm

Who says? There are plenty of nations in Africa where people have the freedom to write anything they want. Heck Somalia is a libertarian utopia. There is virtually no government at all. No one there cares what anybody writes. In fact they don’t pay any attention to it at all.

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Ludwig Von Mises July 7, 2014 at 3:52 pm

Too many facts dammit!

You’re ruining the line here!

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Reality need not apply July 7, 2014 at 6:00 pm

Hate to break it to you, but Somalia is over run with tiny fiefdoms….it has plenty of governments.

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Tom July 7, 2014 at 9:02 pm

Libertarians call that home rule. Its what happens when you get rid of unnecessary government. Warlords arise, and protect the inalienable rights of the people in their immediate vicinity; and they do it without taxes using free market principals . You pay them for protection, and that works unless some who does not like you pays more. In addition, they still don’t care what you write. They are going to ignore it anyway, as long as you pay them.
That said, there are still plenty of small African countries where you are free to write anything you want. Teanuts just assume otherwise, because … well…the people there are black.

Reality need not apply July 7, 2014 at 10:01 pm

I thought you said Somalia had virtually no government? Yes, that’s exactly what you said.

“and they do it without taxes using free market principals .”

It doesn’t surprise me that you don’t know the definition of a free market., but I’ll give you hint:

It has something to do with “free”.

Warlords, like all governments, compel through violence, they just do it on a smaller scale.

Tom July 8, 2014 at 2:29 pm

I do understand the nature of free markets, and that is exactly what they have. You are free to pay the warlord or not. That is how the free market works. In our country if you don’t pay your power bill your power is cut off. In their country if you don’t pay your security bill your security is cut off and lots of people want your stuff..

In our country we do not have a truly free market. We have controlled capitalism. We curb the excesses of the free market with laws and regulations. But Republicans would like to change all of that, and libertarians want to change that even more. I think Somalia is an appropriate example of the result of implementing libertarian ideals.

As for Republican ideas, They think seem to think money is speech and the government should listen to the people with the most money. Also a lot like Somalia.

Slartibartfast July 7, 2014 at 10:32 pm

Good point. And you’re right about Somalia. But I tend to think of Somalia as “Greater Qatar..” But then, again, Somalia is not libertarian, it’s a series of tribal dictatorships.

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Halfvast Conspirator July 7, 2014 at 3:28 pm

We have more white people?

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Slartibartfast July 7, 2014 at 1:14 pm

We have ample funds to replace every single inch of State roads from the taxes which were created to fund them. Instead, we us the money to bribe the foolish and lazy into voting for legislators who promise them stuff. And stuff they get.

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Mary July 7, 2014 at 3:14 pm

Such total garbage. Typical Fake News/Tea Party Fantisy. We would all be rich if it weren’t for all those poor minorities gaming the system. Never mind that corporate welfare dwarfs welfare for the poor. Never mind the wealthy benefit far more from government spending than poor people do.

So if we have to choose, i say let we start by letting the bridges to no where go. I would rather feed poor kids than have a bridge over the Cooper river. We can save a lot of money that way. It costs a lot less to feed poor kids that to build and repair giant bridges. The wealthy can repair their own bridges. I want to hear the screams when all those people can’t get to their beach house on the Isle of Palms and Sullivans Island.

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Jackie Chiles July 7, 2014 at 4:03 pm

The wealthy do build and repair their own bridges. It’s called taxes.

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Your Point? July 7, 2014 at 4:28 pm

really ?George W Bush said the wealthy have accountants and all to get out of paying taxes.

Some very wealthy people dont pay taxes at all or pay about as much as people making less than 100 000 a year.

So yes some wealthy people pay taxes.

So?

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Jackie Chiles July 7, 2014 at 4:37 pm

You seem dumb.

Mary July 7, 2014 at 5:56 pm

Well we all get an equal say on where our taxes go. And I assure you the owners of those beach houses on Sullivans Island and Isle of Palms have never paid enough taxes to pay for the bridges and maintenance. Those are paid for by all of us, and frankly that is where I think we should look first to save taxpayer dollars. They benefit the least number of taxpayers.

I use to think you were smart, but now you seem dumb.

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The Real Dice Man July 7, 2014 at 7:15 pm

Mary, Mary quite contrary

Trim that pussy it’s so damn hairy

Mary July 8, 2014 at 2:24 am

Typical Republican. Pretty soon women will hate Republicans as much as Blacks and Hispanics do.

The Real Dice Man July 8, 2014 at 8:57 am

Mary, Mary shaved her cunt,

Now it looks like Allen Funt

CNSYD July 7, 2014 at 9:18 pm

News Flash! The Ravenel bridge is also part of US Hwy 17, not a SC farm to market road. Traffic going across that bridge may be poor folk going from Awendaw or McCellanville to the hospital complex in downtown Charleston. But hey, why care about them?

Mary July 8, 2014 at 2:20 am

Cheaper to build a hospital for those folks, and air lift serious cases.

Jackie Chiles July 8, 2014 at 8:06 am

(idiot who has no idea how much air lifts cost)

Smirks July 8, 2014 at 8:41 am

You aren’t kidding. They cost thousands of dollars.

The average distance of the trips is 52 miles, but the costs vary widely. There’s no national requirement to track or report fees, but they can range from less than $12,000 to as much as $25,000 per flight

Oh, and the really fun part? Health insurance may cover very little of these costs. I know someone who had to be air lifted to the hospital, their insurance only covered $1,000 of the bill.

Jackie Chiles July 8, 2014 at 8:45 am

Exactly. I’ve seen bills from my clients as high as $45k, none of which was covered by insurance. There’s a “transportation” exclusion in most health insurance contracts. It’s so bad that you can actually purchase air lift insurance directly from the helicopter company.

Norma Scok July 8, 2014 at 11:14 am

Even with the high cost of funerals, its always cheaper to just die.

Mary July 8, 2014 at 11:54 am

So if you live in that area buy the air lift insurance, and let the government subsidize that. Pretty small cost.

Jackie Chiles July 8, 2014 at 12:00 pm

Except what you’re proposing would completely ruin the air insurance model and lead to increasing costs. Air insurance premiums are based on you maybe using it once in your life. What your proposing is people buying it who will be using it every time they need to go to a major hospital. You seem to lack a basic understanding for even the most basic financial concepts.

Mary July 8, 2014 at 1:10 pm

Again you are being silly. The local hospital will provide the care except in extreme cases. There will be no material increase in the number of airlifts to Charleston. There may even be fewer if there is a closer hospital.

You are making this up as you go along. I am not suggesting you need an airlift everytime someone goes to the hospital. There will be plenty of people to support a local hospital. The odds any person will need an airlift will not change at all. Almost no one will ever need an airlift. I live in a small town, population 18,000 with a local hospital. Occasionally we have to airlift people to Charlotte or Columbia. It will be no different.

Mary July 8, 2014 at 1:20 pm

Further, I never suggested an airlift every time you need to go to a major hospital. There will still be major hospitals you can get to by car or ambulance. It will just take longer to get there. No one is suggesting we shut down all the roads. Just have less expensive alternatives.

Jackie Chiles July 8, 2014 at 4:10 pm

“It will just take you longer to get there.” You and everyone else that lives in the area, including tourists. But hey, who cares about supporting SC’s largest industry when there’s so many towns without hospitals. amirite?

Jackie Chiles July 8, 2014 at 4:09 pm

You do realize that major hospitals become major hospitals because they rely on people from the surrounding communities going there right?

Almost no one will need an airlift? You’re talking about doing away with road funding for bridges to build random small hospitals in communities without a population base to support them. In such a situation, do you think your local hospital is hiring the best and brightest doctors, nurses, and staff? Believe me, people going to your small town local hospital are begging to be transferred to larger hospitals.

The Colonel July 8, 2014 at 10:59 am

Having once been responsible for adjudicating the need for airlifts, I can affirmatively state that the vast majority were unnecessary (at least in the Medicare World).

Mary July 8, 2014 at 9:56 am

Actually I do. I was comparing the cost of air lifts for serious cases, to the cost of a giant bridge. There are not that many; most could actually be dealt with by a good local hospital and the ones that could not be treated at the local hospital would probably have required air lift anyway. The distance to Charleston by air will not change you know. So the incremental cost would not be that much. Further, without competition from Charleston the local hospital would probably be profitable and provide easier access for the local folk than traveling all the way to Charleston.

Jackie Chiles July 8, 2014 at 10:08 am

Are you trolling now? Do you have any clue how expensive hospitals are? Even a cheap hospital runs over $17 million for construction costs alone. That’s just the construction costs, not the cost of medical devices, staffing, maintenance, electricity, etc. There’s not enough people in those areas to justify the cost of a hospital. Furthermore, if you’re spending millions of dollars per year airlifting people from Ravenel hospital to downtown charleston, at the end of the day, you’ve got nothing but a lot of fuel costs. And this is an ongoing cost. At least with a bridge you spend millions and have an actual bridge.

The Arthur Ravenel Bridge cost $6 million total to build. I honestly can’t believe you’re even arguing that building a hospital in ravenel and airlifting hundreds of patients to Charleston per year is somehow a better solution than just building a bridge. You are truly a result of a broken education system.

Mary July 8, 2014 at 10:52 am

Stay off of Wikipedia if you are not going to read better. The Arthur Ravenel Bridge cost $632 million. It probably costs about 6 million a year just to maintain that bridge. There would not be thousands of additional air flights a year. The number would not go up significantly over what it is now, and would still be way less than the cost of maintaining the bridge each year.

Finally, this debate is obviously theoretical. We have already wasted the money on the bridge. The point is that there are a lot of ways to reduce cost. I simply prefer to reduce the costs that benefit the fewest people. As I said, government is geared toward benefiting rich people, not poor people. We waist money on things that benefit the rich and powerful all the time.

Jackie Chiles July 8, 2014 at 10:57 am

“I simply prefer to reduce the costs that benefit the fewest people.”

Uh, so you’d rather build a hospital that benefits roughly 500 people per year than a bridge that 78,000 people per day?

Mary July 8, 2014 at 11:07 am

Now you are just being silly. A corporation would build the hospital at no cost to the taxpayer if it gets a CON. That leaves us 632 million and 6 million a year to spend on benefiting hundreds of thousands, or building roads that benefit even more people.

Jackie Chiles July 8, 2014 at 11:20 am

“A corporation would build the hospital at no cost to the taxpayer if it gets a CON.”

No. No corporation would build a non-government subsidized hospital in Ravenel. There’s literally no way to make money on a hospital in such a small city with such a larger hospital one county over. Tell me, how many cities in the world with 2,500 citizens have hospitals?

Mary July 8, 2014 at 11:28 am

Ok so we may need to spend 10 million out of the 632 million to subsidize the construction of the hospital that will benefit far more than 2500 people if there is no bridge. Again cost benefit analysis.

Jackie Chiles July 8, 2014 at 11:55 am

No. Operating a hospital is more than a one time investment. You have to pay doctors, nurses, techs, therapists, janitors, buy medical equipment, furnish the hospital, have administrative offices, billing people, electricity, maintenance, etc. There’s a reason nobody opens hospitals in towns with 2,500 people. It’s nonsensical.

You can either waste a ton of money and resources to solve one problem- poor people not having access to a hospital, or waste a ton of money getting poor people to better hospitals AND solve the problem of getting 78k people to and from work in Charleston AND also giving poor people access to, jobs, shops, etc. You think Billy Bob in Awendaw wants to take a Helicopter to the grocery store?

The Colonel July 8, 2014 at 11:42 am

Giant bridges are a rarity. The Isle of Palms Connector cost $35,000,000, The Ben Sawyer bridge cost $32,000,000 to completely rebuild after Hugo. Providence Hospital Northeast just spent $34,000,000 on a remodeling. The “beach bridges” you decry are necessary links to the mainland for whole lot of folks who don’t live on the beach.

Mary July 8, 2014 at 12:56 pm

The “beach bridges” you decry are necessary links to the mainland for whole lot of folks who don’t live on the beach.

You got that right, because they are mostly vacation homes. Add to the cost of those bridges, (and there are a lot more Edisto Island, Seabrook, Hilton Head, etc. etc.) the cost of beach renourishment, and subsidized flood insurance, and suddenly we are heavily subsidizing investment in vacation property. Pay as you go ferries work just fine or small two lane bridges. Sure a lot fewer people will vacation there, they will go elsewhere. A few people will lose jobs. They will need to work elsewhere. A few restaurants and flip flop stores will shut down. Others will open elsewhere. Wild Dunes, will need to pay for its own ferry, like the resorts do on Daufuskie. A lack of bridges will suddenly make other properties far more interesting and valuable. Lake property will go up, property on the Grand Strand will go up; mountain vacation property will go up.

If the taxpayer is going to spend all that money making privately owned beach houses and beach businesses profitable, shouldn’t we get a cut of the action?. After all those beach home owners built their house, and business owners built their business, but we built the bridge to get there. So we built that, right? How about at least a $20 toll each way.

Why should I care what Providence Hospital just spent. That is none of my business. That is there money and I assume they are making a profit or they would not do it.

Mary July 8, 2014 at 12:58 pm

excuse me “their money”

The Colonel July 8, 2014 at 1:12 pm

Pay as you go ferries are far more expensive over the long hauls than bridges when bridges are technologically feasible. There were people living on almost all of the sea islands long before the rich folks showed up. As for Providence Hospital – weren’t you the one who suggested building hospitals would be cheaper than building bridges? Quoting you, “…There are not that many; most could actually be dealt with by a good local hospital and the ones that could not be treated at the local hospital would probably have required air lift anyway…. So the incremental cost would not be that much…” Not that much my ass, you know less about hospital cost, air ambulance services and the sea islands than you do about roads and bridges. Now your argument will be “private hospitals” – there isn’t enough money in services there for a private hospital, and if there was, many of the services would be subsidized with tax dollars sorry, your argument just doesn’t wash.

Mary July 8, 2014 at 2:02 pm

But the ferries should be paid for by the people who use them, right? So that is their cost.

As for the people living on the island before the “rich” people showed up; They were largely forced off of their land because their property taxes went through the roof as a result of all the beach houses and tourists. They got by just fine before the bridges. Once the bridges were in developers gobbled up their land at bargain basement prices.

The hospitals are built by Corporations not taxpayers. Maybe they require some subsidy in the form property tax breaks and indigent care funds, but very small compared to the cost of bridges. The taxpayers are not building the hospitals. Three major hospitals corporations have been fighting for two years over who gets the CON to build a hospital in a small town about 45 minutes north of us.

The Colonel July 8, 2014 at 10:56 am

Actually the not so wealthy build their own roads and bridges. I live in a neighborhood that owns its streets, we pay to pave and improve them with no tax money.

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Tom July 8, 2014 at 2:12 pm

I want to thank Mary and the Republican contingent for this series of exchanges. I think it is hilarious to watch all you Republicans argue that we should build bridges so poor people can get to hospitals. Do you even listen to yourself? Defending access to health care by all the taker leeches and insisting the Government pay for it. I am keeping these arguments on record for future reference. Hypocrisy thy name is GOP.

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Jackie Chiles July 8, 2014 at 4:13 pm

It’s more than getting poor people to hospitals you idiot. My point all along is with building roads instead of financially untenable hospitals in small towns that can’t even support a Wal-Mart, your fear of poor people not getting to hospitals is solved. You, and your brain dead compadre Mary, seem to think we can just defund the roads in SC and throw up a bunch of hospitals, staff them, and suddenly SC’s poor are better off. Sure, maybe tax revenue falls because tourists can’t make it to the beach, and sure, maybe the hospitals will go out of business in a few years, but hey, who cares because we’re sticking it to the rich fatcats that use roads.

Mary July 9, 2014 at 9:00 pm

Hey we have to choose. You say cut spending. We have to choose what spending to cut. I say cut the spending that benefits the fewest people. That involves beach bridges, beach renourshment, etc. The tourist will go elsewhere in SC. There are no good beaches between Florida and Maryland except in SC. Grand Strand will benefit, they don’t need major bridges.

Bill July 8, 2014 at 6:43 pm

I have to ask. Jackie have you ever even been to Charleston? Because if you have how could you not know the Ravenel Bridge has nothing to do with Ravenel, SC. The bridge is between Charleston and Mt. Pleasant, population 71000+-. Where is all this 2500 people crap?

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Jackie Chiles July 8, 2014 at 10:28 pm

Who said it had anything to do with Ravenel? Mary is proposing we build a hospital in Ravenel rather than fund bridges.

Mary July 9, 2014 at 8:56 pm

No I did not. I suggested building a hospital on the Mt. Pleasant side of the Ravenel Bridge. I think this is the same as thinking you could build the Ravenel Bridge for 6 million dollars, a reading comprehension problem.

Jackie Chiles July 10, 2014 at 12:21 am

Oh my God. Are you mentally challenged? There’s already a hospital in Mount Pleasant on that side of the bridge you babbling idiot. http://www.rsfh.com/HomePage/Facilities/Hospitals/Mount_Pleasant/Mount_Pleasant_Hospital.aspx

Slartibartfast July 7, 2014 at 10:26 pm

Mary, so much of what you know to be true is not based on fact. The fantasy is yours. “…promote the general welfare…” means to maintain the roads and get out of the way of merchants and service providers. We do get to choose, and I choose that charities take care of the truly poor and needy – they actually know WHO the poor and needy are, and trust me, there are far fewer of them than you believe there to be. Many of the people on the Isle of Palms and Sullivans built their homes before it was expensive.

In any case, jealousy will not create one single job.

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Mary July 8, 2014 at 2:16 am

Typical republican crap. If you don’t want to pay money to people who don’t need it you must be jealous. I’m jealous of no one. I’m just stating my preference for budget cuts. I say cut things that benefit the fewest people. Cut the beach bridges. Cut the beach renourishment. Cut money for airports. Let’s save that money. If people on iop or Sullivan’s island want a bridge, let the private sector build a toll bridge. Because why should I help pay for that?

And that’s your definition of promoting the general welfare, not mine. There is nothing in the Constitution about building bridges to vacation homes.

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The Colonel July 8, 2014 at 7:38 am

Where are these “beach bridges” you speak of?

Mary July 8, 2014 at 11:14 am

Isle of Palms, Sullivans Island, Seabrook Island, Edisto Island, Hilton Head Island.

But if you are Jackie are arguing that we should do a cost benefit analysis to see if our Government Investment generates money for the taxpayers; i.e. makes a profit: then I agree. But lets be sure we are doing that and not benefiting specific people. I doubt the Ravenel bridge would survive such an analysis. Much cheaper to spend money at the Grand Strand. Fewer bridges and more space.

Again don’t get so worked up. This debate is theoretical. We have already wasted the money on the Ravenel Bridge.

Mary July 8, 2014 at 11:15 am

Excuse me “you and Jackie”.

Jackie Chiles July 8, 2014 at 8:10 am

Amen sister. Let’s cut the bridges to the wealthy people’s houses on the beach. Once we rid ourselves of these “beach bridges,” all those wealthy housecleaners, contractors, store clerks, janitors, etc. will stop living like fat cats on the government dime. I mean it’s like people actually think that keeping transportation open to the beaches generates billions of dollars of tourism for South Carolina or something.

Little Boy Blue July 8, 2014 at 9:03 am

“Because why should I help pay for that?”

You shouldn’t have to, but you would ignore the same argument if it was made by people without kids that have to pay property taxes for schools & a host of other similar issues.

You’ve accepted the paradigm, but can’t come to terms with the fact people now fight over confiscated money and there are winners & losers…like hyenas devouring a carcass. Naturally, those with more money get more sway over where their confiscated dollars go in some areas. You don’t like it? Then get rid of taxes.(good luck with that)

Enjoy the paradigm.

Norma Scok July 8, 2014 at 11:12 am

And you’ll also end up cutting the only real successful industry Charleston has–tourism. Tourist go to beaches. If tourists can’t get to beaches, they won’t come here.

Way to go.

Mary July 8, 2014 at 11:25 am

As I said, if you are arguing for a cost benefit analysis, I agree. If the Taxpayer can make a profit on its investment, by all means lets do it. I am glad to see you coming around to the view that government investment is valuable. Now I doubt the Ravenel Bridge would have survived such an analysis, but by all means we should have done it; and maybe we can look at ways to increase the profit, like a toll. And lets spend the profit on improving education, improving roads in other areas and health care for the less fortunate.

SomalianRoadCorp July 8, 2014 at 4:51 pm

I’m going to take a wild guess and say this is the same sock-puppet troll “Mary” that plagued Reason.com a while ago..

ThreePalms July 7, 2014 at 1:36 pm

South Carolina should increase her fuel tax rate. Deteriorating roads and bridges are bad for business and the state’s economy.

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aikencounty July 7, 2014 at 1:55 pm

Old Strom never a highway project he didn’t like.
As long as he owned the projected path.
YOU BETCHA!

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Bible Thumper July 7, 2014 at 2:21 pm

From the picture above, it appears that Spartanburg is the way to go.

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CNSYD July 7, 2014 at 2:39 pm

The message to gain from the picture is that any road exiting Columbia is a good road.

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Norma Scok July 8, 2014 at 11:23 am

Best seeing it get smaller in your rear view mirror

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nitrat July 7, 2014 at 3:17 pm

“…there’s no way taxpayers should be forced to pay new taxes and fees at a time when our system is unnecessarily bloated, politically driven and inherently wasteful”
I’m sorry but when a state has not raised its gas tax since 1987 (when our county roads were better than the interstates I road on in a trip to Missouri and Illinois), and the situation has deteriorated to a crisis level it now is, that should tell you that we need a regular, ongoing infusion of funds to maintain roads and keep up with the expansions and re-engineering necessitated by normal increases in population.
My common sense tells me that if we had a a reliable source of funding for roads, it might not be as politicized as it is now with a Chamber of Commerce in an armpit of the state demanding an interstate highway when the addition of 2 lanes to state roads would do the trick. Now, people have to pull every political string they can find to get something done.
Surely one SCGOP politician can get Grover to tell them that roads are a core function of government and the gas tax/user fee is the only rational way to build and maintain them.

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Bible Thumper July 7, 2014 at 5:32 pm

S.C. Governors pay is $106,078 plus housing.

S.C. State President Thomas Elzey’s pay is $170,000 plus $132,000 from a private foundation plus a $50,000 state bonus, plus $25,00 housing allowance, plus $1,593 for country club membership dues. Total equals $378,593.

http://thetandd.com/news/elzey-earned-with-evaluation/article_e6942362-0582-11e4-afc7-0019bb2963f4.html

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O'Burg Boy July 7, 2014 at 10:08 pm

And free Dodge 300. Black on black, fully tricked out. Feeeeeeeeee.

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Thomas July 7, 2014 at 6:01 pm

There is 3 billion tax dollars in school district funding (46% of all general fund revenue collected from state personal income tax filings and Sales/Use Taxes combined) to reform, streamline, and cut before any tax in gasoline can be put on the table.

There is a disconnect between SC public employee benefits and what tax payers are willing to support. Right now, public worker benefit funding is the number one culprit forcing counties to cut mental health care services, to not hire more police and fireman, preventing road repairs, preventing adding EMS teams in our counties, preventing bridge repairs, and overall is the main impetus in cutting state money to counties.

Penny and gas tax hikes is Leatherman’s fix to fund out of control public worker salaries and benefits and out of control school district spending. Is this your solution?

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Thomas July 7, 2014 at 7:45 pm

Y’all are engaging in a pissing contest without identifying where our road money is going in the first place. It is obvious the General Assembly has been shifting money out of agency budgets for years on end. Why? Other than that question not being answered, y’all are just pissing up a rope.

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Sandi Morals July 7, 2014 at 8:00 pm

Excellent post? Where has the money gone? Should they put in a ‘lock box’ like Congress does with SS? :-)
Power and money corrupt. Problem we have from city council to the wHite House is of the TWO establishment parties, the Republicans are just less corrupt and addicted to power than Democrats.
That and the fact that the Democrat Party has become the party of abortion and perversion while Libratariantards support that AND legalizing drugs to destroy our families , I will continue to trust conservatives with my money in this Representative form of government.

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Thomas July 7, 2014 at 11:51 pm

TN Gov. Bill Haslam signed the new law Wednesday, the first of its kind in the nation. The law is designed to force local governments to make annual payments on their public employee pension plans.

The new law means finding the money to fund the pension program within the next six years, or the state can withhold money it gives to Memphis and use it to make the required payments. Mayor A C Wharton said that is not going to be an easy task, and it could mean higher taxes.

In the meantime Tommy Malone, President of Memphis Fire Fighters Association Local 1784, said the city’s numbers just aren’t adding up and the current proposal could cost the taxpayers more than is needed.

“We, the city, puts in about $20 million a year,” Mayor Wharton said. “It looks like that is going to have to go up. We have an ARC (annual required contribution) of $78 million a year. That means it is $58 million short. We have to come up with that each year to go into the pension plan.”

More than 13 percent of the officers in the Memphis Police Department have called in sick since June 30, the so-called Blue Flu that officials acknowledged Sunday was a deliberate work action.

The City Council plans to hear from citizens who have suggestions on how that body could have found the money to restore the city’s troubled pension fund without cutting health care benefits.

Beginning with the Council’s Personnel Committee meeting on July 15, and at each meeting of that committee through the end of the year, council members will listen to the public’s suggestions. The Personnel Committee meets every two weeks.

“This is a time for them to come in with specific ideas on how to come up with approximately $50- to $55-million to pay for the pension,” Council chairman Jim Strickland said, adding that it was “specifically not to complain about what we did but to offer suggestions.”

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Thomas July 8, 2014 at 12:05 am

I have a suggestion…declare bankruptcy.

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Tomocchio July 7, 2014 at 10:15 pm

My nuts itch. Any suggestions?

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CorruptionInColumbia July 8, 2014 at 7:52 am

Yeah, scratch them.

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dm10ae July 8, 2014 at 12:44 am

The legislator robbed a fund $90+million in 2013 called SHIMS -a 3 cents tax per gallon set aside for roads improvements and maintenance. So a tax hike doesn’t necessarily mean funding would be used properly.

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dude July 8, 2014 at 2:55 pm

South Carolina has worse tax rates than North Carolina and Georgia. Why would an investor come to this state? I wish this governor would have done more about reducing the tax rates, but she’s not committed.

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