While South Carolina state government pours hundreds of millions of dollars down the drain on its failing K-12 education system, bloated and duplicative higher education system, state-sponsored tourism marketing and so called “economic development” deals – its roads and bridges have fallen into disrepair (although the extent of that is up for debate).
Despite passing record-setting budgets each year – the latest a whopping $23.3 billion – the state’s “Republican-controlled” General Assembly says it needs more money to fix its roads and bridges.
Really? This state is spending hundreds of millions of dollars on totally unnecessary projects (while ignoring cost-effective alternatives). Yet rather than eliminating these unnecessary expenses – or better yet, conducting a long-overdue prioritization of its spending – “Republican” leaders are pushing through a rash of new taxing, spending and borrowing.
After a “Republican” plan to raise the gas tax (and provide for future annual tax hikes) failed to progress through the S.C. House of Representatives, the fiscally liberal State Senate is advancing its own batch of “revenue enhancements.”
Among them?
- Increasing the state’s gas tax by four cents
- Eliminating the $300 sales tax cap on motor vehicles
- Raising vehicle registration fees (from $24 to $36 for most motorists)
- Raising drivers’ license fees (from $12 to $17 for a five-year renewal and from $25 to $35 for a ten-year renewal)
- Borrowing $800 million
Pushing the plan? Prepare to be shocked (not), but it’s S.C. Senate finance chairman Hugh Leatherman, who is co-owner of a construction company that receives millions of dollars from the state.
The beat goes on, right?
This website has consistently opposed raising the gas tax – and we oppose each and every one of these “revenue enhancements.” Palmetto State residents simply cannot afford them. Seriously … South Carolina may have some of the lowest gas prices in the nation, but a 2011 study revealed our dirt poor residents are paying a higher percentage of their income on fuel costs than residents of any other state (save Mississippi).
In addition to opposing these tax hikes we oppose Interstate 73 and Interstate 526 – two totally unnecessary transportation projects which will drain hundreds of millions of dollars from South Carolina taxpayers over the coming decade. Furthermore, we oppose the shamefully negligent financial mismanagement taking place at the S.C. Department of Transportation (SCDOT) – one of several government agencies S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley has run into the ground since taking office.
“Republican” lawmakers are once again refusing to prioritize spending on core functions. On top of that they are refusing to reform a shamefully corrupt process of funding highway projects – or the shamefully incompetent agency that administers the process.
They are doing what they always do … throwing more money at a problem and sticking you with the check.
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74 comments
To attract foreign and out-of-state business, you need good roads. Roads are a must for business. In order to maintain our status especially in the Upstate as a place to do business, I say let’s do it. I say we should cut the salaries of the bigwigs, the titular do-nothings like Glenn McConnell to save money. Columbia should shrink its own government. Too many chiefs, not enough Indians. Their salaries are outrageous. Surely you can combine job functions and reduce the numbers on the payroll.
McConnell is paid $46,545. Perhaps we could buy some more stop signs or mile markers. Please list the “outrageous” salaries and include your basis for comparison.
Add McConnell’s 24-7-365 SLED security detail — $440,000 a year. Do you think that is prudent spending of your tax dollars?
Legislators aren’t paid much, and I’m not sure how many higher-ups there are at SCDOT that make six figures, but I doubt you could fire enough to pony up the $800 million they are asking for in borrowing alone.
They don’t need more money, they need to spend the money they get more wisely. Once they do the latter to at least a competent degree, maybe asking for more tax dollars wouldn’t be entirely inappropriate.
Maybe they can borrow some money from Richland Country and get some ‘vote stealing’ ideas from Miss Lillian to help raise some $ for our failing highway system!
Glenn McConnell works hard ever day — raising money for the Hunley.
His Commission on the Aging (new bureaucracy) works hard every day, too.
It duplicates work done by DHHS and DHEC.
Empire building, but the Post & Courier loves it !!
To attract foreign and out-of-state business, you need good roads. Roads are a must for business. In order to maintain our status especially in the Upstate as a place to do business, I say let’s do it. I say we should cut the salaries of the bigwigs, the titular do-nothings like Glenn McConnell to save money. Columbia should shrink its own government. Too many chiefs, not enough Indians. Their salaries are outrageous. Surely you can combine job functions and reduce the numbers on the payroll.
McConnell is paid $46,545. Perhaps we could buy some more stop signs or mile markers. Please list the “outrageous” salaries and include your basis for comparison.
Add McConnell’s 24-7-365 SLED security detail — $440,000 a year. Do you think that is prudent spending of your tax dollars?
Legislators aren’t paid much, and I’m not sure how many higher-ups there are at SCDOT that make six figures, but I doubt you could fire enough to pony up the $800 million they are asking for in borrowing alone.
They don’t need more money, they need to spend the money they get more wisely. Once they do the latter to at least a competent degree, maybe asking for more tax dollars wouldn’t be entirely inappropriate.
Maybe they can borrow some money from Richland Country and get some ‘vote stealing’ ideas from Miss Lillian to help raise some $ for our failing highway system!
Glenn McConnell works hard ever day — raising money for the Hunley.
His Commission on the Aging (new bureaucracy) works hard every day, too.
It duplicates work done by DHHS and DHEC.
Empire building, but the Post & Courier loves it !!
The assorted flat taxes in their proposals hit poor people the hardest.
Dems and Republicans continue to sell the poor down the river and neglect what some consider “core functions” of gov’t….namely roads.
Funds for the Hunley, Innovista, Shrimp & Grits bars? Check.
Funds for roads? Need more flat taxes that hammer poor people.
Nice job fellas…keep up the good work. Maybe one day your reward will be a bloody riot…in which case I hope you have a good bugout bag and vehicle, because you turd are the first people the rioters will be looking for.
I have begun investing in donkeys and two wheeled carts. So far I have lined up enough to haul the majority of elected cockroaches through the streets of Columbia before getting to the Guillotine
Since cockroaches can live up to 7 days after their heads are cut off I plan to leave their flopping bodies on the State House grounds for the buzzards
The only problem so far is that no one is interested in their heads
In desperation I tried to get that fella over in Pelion to bury them on his 347 acre DHEC Approved Shit Farm but he declined maintaining that he had just received approval to turn his farm into Jakie’s Perpetual Care Memorial Garden for Deceased Cockroach Politicians and Elected Officials
In fact he has already come up with a slogan to promote his new venture
“Politicians may be shit to you but they are bread and butter to me”
WHAT! –Jakie and Grand Tango are the same person? (memo to dhs – look for the tall tower off Bub Schumpert Road)
“In desperation I tried to get that fella over in Pelion to bury them on his 347 acre DHEC Approved Shit Farm”
Returned to whence they came.
“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, _______”
Building and maintaining roads is not a core function of government. Let the private sector do it.
Good idea! We have I-185 as a prime example of private funding of roads.
You two have constructed quite a nice straw man.
Rather than focus on the current failures of SC gov’t to handle the roads properly…you focus on meaningless topics and pretend that it’s a solution or answer to the problem.
I have “constructed” nothing. vicupstate has proposed having the private sector handle roads. I merely stated that he has an example of that in his own back yard. So in your mind that is off topic. You want to focus on failures of government not solutions. A lot of good that does.
Gotta know a problem exists before you can fix it. It’s just that simple.
I didn’t say it was “off topic”, I said it was a meaningless topic.
Yes, we do have an example, not only does it bring in tolls, it made sixty grand as a movie set. The private sector at work.
The first clue it wasn’t “private sector” is that to raise the money they had to have SCDOT backing the bonds.
If traditional methods of corporate start up were used it would have never even gotten out of the gate.
Once the “private” backers had the chump SC taxpayer on the hook it became a pork fest free for all…an hence lost any notion of it being private sector.
The assorted flat taxes in their proposals hit poor people the hardest.
Dems and Republicans continue to sell the poor down the river and neglect what some consider “core functions” of gov’t….namely roads.
Funds for the Hunley, Innovista, Shrimp & Grits bars? Check.
Funds for roads? Need more flat taxes that hammer poor people.
Nice job fellas…keep up the good work. Maybe one day your reward will be a bloody riot…in which case I hope you have a good bugout bag and vehicle, because you turd are the first people the rioters will be looking for.
I have begun investing in donkeys and two wheeled carts. So far I have lined up enough to haul the majority of elected cockroaches through the streets of Columbia before getting to the Guillotine
Since cockroaches can live up to 7 days after their heads are cut off I plan to leave their flopping bodies on the State House grounds for the buzzards
The only problem so far is that no one is interested in their heads
In desperation I tried to get that fella over in Pelion to bury them on his 347 acre DHEC Approved Shit Farm but he declined maintaining that he had just received approval to turn his farm into Jakie’s Perpetual Care Memorial Garden for Deceased Cockroach Politicians and Elected Officials
In fact he has already come up with a slogan to promote his new venture
“Politicians may be shit to you but they are bread and butter to me”
WHAT! –Jakie and Grand Tango are the same person? (memo to dhs – look for the tall tower off Bub Schumpert Road)
“In desperation I tried to get that fella over in Pelion to bury them on his 347 acre DHEC Approved Shit Farm”
Returned to whence they came.
“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, _______”
Building and maintaining roads is not a core function of government. Let the private sector do it.
Good idea! We have I-185 as a prime example of private funding of roads.
You two have constructed quite a nice straw man.
Rather than focus on the current failures of SC gov’t to handle the roads properly…you focus on meaningless topics and pretend that it’s a solution or answer to the problem.
I have “constructed” nothing. vicupstate has proposed having the private sector handle roads. I merely stated that he has an example of that in his own back yard. So in your mind that is off topic. You want to focus on failures of government not solutions. A lot of good that does.
Gotta know a problem exists before you can fix it. It’s just that simple.
I didn’t say it was “off topic”, I said it was a meaningless topic.
Yes, we do have an example, not only does it bring in tolls, it made sixty grand as a movie set. The private sector at work.
The first clue it wasn’t “private sector” is that to raise the money they had to have SCDOT backing the bonds.
If traditional methods of corporate start up were used it would have never even gotten out of the gate.
Once the “private” backers had the chump SC taxpayer on the hook it became a pork fest free for all…an hence lost any notion of it being private sector.
gas taxes are actually one of the fairest taxes around – you are actually making the user pay. it has to be the most conservative tax imaginable. all the other ‘waste’ you mention is beside this point.
On that basis don’t you think it’s fair to take the total cost of maintaining roads and take that number divided by average yearly gallons purchased to come with a real number for a tax?
My point is, $10 says that the gas, license, & assorted flat taxes are in excess of the actual needs of the state…instead they comprise a “slush” fund in my estimation.
Of course, that’s just a guess in fairness….but I’ll bet I’m right.
They scream “roads” but pitch string bean museums, fund the Hunley, etc. et al
It’s all a matter of priorities…and poor people aren’t one of them.
So what’s your plan? Gas stamps for the “poor”.?
I have no plan, I’m not a central planner. I simply recognize the problems.
gas taxes are actually one of the fairest taxes around – you are actually making the user pay. it has to be the most conservative tax imaginable. all the other ‘waste’ you mention is beside this point.
On that basis don’t you think it’s fair to take the total cost of maintaining roads and take that number divided by average yearly gallons purchased to come with a real number for a tax?
My point is, $10 says that the gas, license, & assorted flat taxes are in excess of the actual needs of the state…instead they comprise a “slush” fund in my estimation.
Of course, that’s just a guess in fairness….but I’ll bet I’m right.
They scream “roads” but pitch string bean museums, fund the Hunley, etc. et al
It’s all a matter of priorities…and poor people aren’t one of them.
So what’s your plan? Gas stamps for the “poor”.?
I have no plan, I’m not a central planner. I simply recognize the problems.
Gee, it must be great to have so much money (or so damn little sense) that some of you just can’t wait to give corrupt, irresponsible, politicians more of our money to squander and fritter away on one thing, while letting the proposed reason for the increased tax go to pot.
They need to put a check box for those of you who really believe they don’t already take enough of our money to fix the roads (if they just spent it properly and honestly) so you can donate double or triple your yearly taxes to them. Obviously, some of you are rich enough and gullible enough to handle this.
Gee, it must be great to have so much money (or so damn little sense) that some of you just can’t wait to give corrupt, irresponsible, politicians more of our money to squander and fritter away on one thing, while letting the proposed reason for the increased tax go to pot.
They need to put a check box for those of you who really believe they don’t already take enough of our money to fix the roads (if they just spent it properly and honestly) so you can donate double or triple your yearly taxes to them. Obviously, some of you are rich enough and gullible enough to handle this.
You are BASHING Republicans..and the Senate…But I don’t see one D@*n QUOTE from any Senator…to support your tirade…
You also break your Neck to Attack the REPUBLICAN-Controlled Senate for Gas Tax Legislation, but the REPUBLICAN Controlled Senate VOTED it Down…Which your lying @$$ does not credit them for…
Liars are a Bigger problem than anything..and FITS is a GD Lying Sack of $#!*…
You cannot have it both ways…you cannot BLAME REPUBLICANS for Everything..and Claim to be Conservative…
If it were not for Republicans, we”d be pouring More money into all the Failed programs you are continually B!*ching and whining about…The waste that you and your lord god Sanford Did nothing to FIX when you Held our governor’s office Hostage for EIGHT F*#ing Trail-Hiking years…
Again: Dip-$#!*$ like FITS, and Sanford, who Took Money as a Government Trough-Gobbler, are the F*#kin problem…
They Rob us blind, and then have the Audacity to try and present themselves as an authority, after FAILING and FAILING miserably…
Increase state gas tax by 4 cents
Completely unnecessary. Make SCDOT cut shit they don’t need to be pissing money on. Start with I-73.
Eliminate the $300 sales tax cap on motor vehicles
That’s stupid. This cap helps people who are trying to buy a means of transportation, something that is quite vital in this state. The cap is less justifiable on extremely expensive luxury vehicles perhaps, but I’m not sure if there’s a decent way to exclude expensive luxury cars from the cap.
Raising vehicle registration fees
Why is this necessary? Have the costs of maintaining vehicle registration gone up? That’s all these fees should cover.
Raising drivers license fees
Again, why is this necessary? Have the costs of testing drivers and printing licenses gone up? That’s all the fee should really cover.
Borrowing $800 million
Seriously? You’re asking for all that money and you still have to borrow nearly $1 billion?
This is the kind of stuff that should make you question what kind of people show up to the polls and exactly what is running through their minds when they push the button to vote for these ass clowns.
And each intersection, bridge, overpass, and exit ramp will be named (with costly signage) after some swinging dick politician like Chip Limehouse, Floyd Breeland, Bobby Harrell, Glenn McConnell (sorry, no dick), Ernie Passailaigue, Earle Morris (sorry, signs removed), etc.
Increase state gas tax by 4 cents
Completely unnecessary. Make SCDOT cut shit they don’t need to be pissing money on. Start with I-73.
Eliminate the $300 sales tax cap on motor vehicles
That’s stupid. This cap helps people who are trying to buy a means of transportation, something that is quite vital in this state. The cap is less justifiable on extremely expensive luxury vehicles perhaps, but I’m not sure if there’s a decent way to exclude expensive luxury cars from the cap.
Raising vehicle registration fees
Why is this necessary? Have the costs of maintaining vehicle registration gone up? That’s all these fees should cover.
Raising drivers license fees
Again, why is this necessary? Have the costs of testing drivers and printing licenses gone up? That’s all the fee should really cover.
Borrowing $800 million
Seriously? You’re asking for all that money and you still have to borrow nearly $1 billion?
This is the kind of stuff that should make you question what kind of people show up to the polls and exactly what is running through their minds when they push the button to vote for these ass clowns.
And each intersection, bridge, overpass, and exit ramp will be named (with costly signage) after some swinging dick politician like Chip Limehouse, Floyd Breeland, Bobby Harrell, Glenn McConnell (sorry, no dick), Ernie Passailaigue, Earle Morris (sorry, signs removed), etc.
For crying out loud, start thinking outside the damn box
Issue coin slotted chastity belts to every female over the age of 14 and up to the age of 74
Everyone in the free world knows that South Carolina is the most fucked up State in the Union so why not collect revenue from the one thing we do best, FUCKING
Now before some of you ladies reach for the knife I would like to defend my choice of whom to tax
As most of you ladies know it would be foolish to try and put a coin slot on dicks. First off, the majority of them ain’t big enough to mount a coin box, second a large number of them don’t work when you want them to and thirdly they always seem to go off prematurely leaving customers unsatisfied
Forget about coins – just let the women hold dollar bills between their teeth — it works for us at the titty bars!
For crying out loud, start thinking outside the damn box
Issue coin slotted chastity belts to every female over the age of 14 and up to the age of 74
Everyone in the free world knows that South Carolina is the most fucked up State in the Union so why not collect revenue from the one thing we do best, FUCKING
Now before some of you ladies reach for the knife I would like to defend my choice of whom to tax
As most of you ladies know it would be foolish to try and put a coin slot on dicks. First off, the majority of them ain’t big enough to mount a coin box, second a large number of them don’t work when you want them to and thirdly they always seem to go off prematurely leaving customers unsatisfied
Forget about coins – just let the women hold dollar bills between their teeth — it works for us at the titty bars!
Pedro says – If you don’t like that bumpas, you need to pay more at the pumpas.
Hey Bobby H., how is the Whitney working for ya?
Pedro says – If you don’t like that bumpas, you need to pay more at the pumpas.
Hey Bobby H., how is the Whitney working for ya?
What’s up with this web site? Sometimes comments show, sometimes not. The new format sucks.
Nancy Mace has left the building.
What’s up with this web site? Sometimes comments show, sometimes not. The new format sucks.
Nancy Mace has left the building.
The roads in MS make ours look good.
The roads in MS make ours look good.
Bottom line: Liberals are Demoralized over the scandal after scandal coming from the corrupt Obama Administration…
Demoralized liberals are Bad for FITS’ business. FITS got to do something (like GOP Bashing) to try and get these Liberals back in the fold….
To quote,Cuddles Kovinsky:’God,I wish I lived in ,Connecticut.’
To quote,Cuddles Kovinsky:’God,I wish I lived in ,Connecticut.’
House Speaker Bobby Harrell must be destroyed. He is as corrupt as they come.
House Speaker Bobby Harrell must be destroyed. He is as corrupt as they come.
We didn’t buy the lie of the I-95 Corridor Coalition Act so they will punish us with more taxes. IT’S FOR THE CHILDREN. Wait, children don’t drive!
It’s for the kick backs! WHAT!? KICKBACKS!
HAHA SC DOT is getting sued so we shall see what comes of the fraud there.
Another bunch of crooks.
We didn’t buy the lie of the I-95 Corridor Coalition Act so they will punish us with more taxes. IT’S FOR THE CHILDREN. Wait, children don’t drive!
It’s for the kick backs! WHAT!? KICKBACKS!
HAHA SC DOT is getting sued so we shall see what comes of the fraud there.
Another bunch of crooks.
While I was looking at the SCDOT 2013 Maintenance Plan for the different DOT districts around the state and looking at the poor & very poor rated roads they have listed for each of their districts, one should multiply the number of miles by the cost to reconstruct these roads. In SCDOT 3 (Greenville, Spartanburg, etc) the cost is roughly $327,000,000.00 for just this district. For SCDOT District 4 (Cherokee, York, etc) the cost is roughly $450,000,000.00. There are 7 SCDOT districts in the state. This isn’t adding new roads, just to fix what is currently in place. They need to rethink their spending priorities but they will not be able to do that since a good majority of the roads are not eligible for Federal Funding. It appears that in order to get Federal Highway dollars they have to pour money into new roads in order to get 80% back from the Feds. Our road funding needs to be improved and we need to fix and improve what we currently have in place before we start building new roads to just get those Federal dollars.
While I was looking at the SCDOT 2013 Maintenance Plan for the different DOT districts around the state and looking at the poor & very poor rated roads they have listed for each of their districts, one should multiply the number of miles by the cost to reconstruct these roads. In SCDOT 3 (Greenville, Spartanburg, etc) the cost is roughly $327,000,000.00 for just this district. For SCDOT District 4 (Cherokee, York, etc) the cost is roughly $450,000,000.00. There are 7 SCDOT districts in the state. This isn’t adding new roads, just to fix what is currently in place. They need to rethink their spending priorities but they will not be able to do that since a good majority of the roads are not eligible for Federal Funding. It appears that in order to get Federal Highway dollars they have to pour money into new roads in order to get 80% back from the Feds. Our road funding needs to be improved and we need to fix and improve what we currently have in place before we start building new roads to just get those Federal dollars.
The Legislature definitely needs to do something about our State Highway System. It’s in horrible shape. Get off the Interstates and on the State’s back roads and see for yourself. Just remember your more likely to be killed on our state roads than be murdered in this state. We need to fix and improve what we currently have in place before building new roads. Now we just have to figure out how to pay for the repairs. In SCDOT 3 to reconstruct just the poor and very poor rated roads the cost is roughly $327,000,000.00. In SCDOT 4 it’s about $450,000,000.00. That’s just to fix what’s there now. There are 7 SCDOT districts in the state. Let’s fix what we have in place now.
The Legislature definitely needs to do something about our State Highway System. It’s in horrible shape. Get off the Interstates and on the State’s back roads and see for yourself. Just remember your more likely to be killed on our state roads than be murdered in this state. We need to fix and improve what we currently have in place before building new roads. Now we just have to figure out how to pay for the repairs. In SCDOT 3 to reconstruct just the poor and very poor rated roads the cost is roughly $327,000,000.00. In SCDOT 4 it’s about $450,000,000.00. That’s just to fix what’s there now. There are 7 SCDOT districts in the state. Let’s fix what we have in place now.