SC

SCDOT’s “Reach The Beach” Nonsense

YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT PLAY … By FITSNEWS || For decades … prior to the dawn of GPS navigation or government-subsidized “destination marketing,” Americans have been fully capable of finding their way to the beach. Seriously … it isn’t complicated.  And has never been complicated. It’s the beach.  People either…

YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT PLAY …

By FITSNEWS || For decades … prior to the dawn of GPS navigation or government-subsidized “destination marketing,” Americans have been fully capable of finding their way to the beach.

Seriously … it isn’t complicated.  And has never been complicated.

It’s the beach.  People either have the money to go there, or they don’t.  And if they do have the money – they go where it’s cost-effective, not where some taxpayer-funded advertisement tells them.  And with everybody and their brother in possession of a smart phone, they don’t need directions.

Ya know?

These basic truisms are among the many reasons we emphatically reject government funding for tourism marketing.  That and … wait for it … it’s not a core function of government!

Seriously … tourism marketing should be subsidized by those who directly benefit from it.  Period.

Anyway … while you ponder that, ponder the chronically cash-strapped S.C. Department of Transportation (SCDOT), which is the agency responsible for maintaining the roads and bridges people use to travel to the beach.  And back again.

That is a core function of government … but government is screwing the pooch by funding an unnecessarily large system (and a bunch of totally unnecessary new projects).  And then whining about being broke.

Well, despite its incessant money moaning, SCDOT apparently has enough available cash to fund a new state-of-the-art, online streaming video system – available for free downloading on Apple and Android mobile app markets.

The program – the 511 Traveler Information System – was recently featured in propaganda published by the Washington, D.C. lobbying group where Nikki Haley‘s uber-liberal SCDOT director Janet Oakley used to work.

Figures …

“The streaming video from SCDOT’s traffic cameras replaces still images that were updated online every few seconds,” a release from the agency noted, adding that the videos are available “24 hours a day, seven days a week, and can be accessed by computer, telephone, smartphone or tablet.”

Well great … just great (editor’s note: sarcasm).

Taxpayers are shelling out God knows how much money for traffic information that’s already available via free navigation tools like Google Maps or free traffic apps like Waze.

According to SCDOT, though, the public wanted this service …

“Streaming video was always a top requested item from the public,” one SCDOT bureaucrat was quoted as saying in the agency’s release. “From day one, when we put any image on the web, people wanted streaming video. They wanted those up to date, live images. Technological advances now provide us a chance to do it.”

Never mind the price tag …

Also, the last time we checked the “top requested item from the public” was to have the state’s friggin’ potholes filled … 

“I get so frustrated with these expensive, high tech programs – which have to be maintained as well – while our low tech roads fall apart,” one government watchdog told FITS. “It’s like kids getting new toys. I notice the article mentions how to get to the beach – for Heaven’s sake. A huge, frivolous waste of money. And we wonder why we don’t have money for road repair?”

Exactly …

RAPID REACTION

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40 comments

The American People October 15, 2014 at 4:54 pm

Please, fix up your roads SC, so the rest of us can drive through as fast as possible.
Thanks.

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Limbaughsaphatkhunt October 15, 2014 at 6:18 pm

What? You don’t care to stop at an outdated Mexican themed (and slightly racist) fun park called “South of the Border”? Pedro would be most disappointed.

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Grandpa October 15, 2014 at 8:22 pm

I stopped there once, with my parents. In the late 50s. That was enough.

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Buz Martin October 15, 2014 at 9:18 pm

BACK UP, AMIGO! YOU MEESED IT!

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Smirks October 16, 2014 at 3:08 pm

I won’t mees it when that god-forsaken place finally goes under.

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I've got an idea! October 15, 2014 at 6:32 pm

“so the rest of us can drive through as fast as possible”

We’ll fix them, and then set up speed traps so you guys can help us pay for them.

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The American People October 16, 2014 at 2:34 am

Of course you hicks would do that. Just like any third world country.

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I've got an idea! October 16, 2014 at 11:10 am

Why would you want to drive through a third world country anyway? Would you be happier if we simply made it a toll road for those with residence outside the state?

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The American People October 19, 2014 at 2:28 pm

Build a bridge that spans from North Carolina’s border, all the way to Georgia. Now hurry up!

GaryJR October 16, 2014 at 8:37 am

I’m going to take a wild guess you’re not local. Otherwise you would know you’re as likely to get a beat down with your speeding ticket here in SC. But don’t let that stop you. Your money is good here.

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Bewildered October 15, 2014 at 5:16 pm

Yet another cabinet failure. I challenge anyone to name a cabinet success from this administration …..

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nitrat October 15, 2014 at 6:01 pm

…or, Sanford before her.
How many of HER scandals exploded less than a year after HE left office?

That speaks to long term management problems that everyone but the voters of SC1 should be able to figure out.

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Smirks October 16, 2014 at 3:07 pm

The kitchen cabinets at the governor’s mansion are doing pretty well, I hear.

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What? October 15, 2014 at 5:39 pm

“Reach the beach non-sense”. Why else would anyone visit SC for pleasure? (I know, that sentence sounds crazy) To go to Columbia? lol

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Destroy SCDOT NOW. October 15, 2014 at 6:10 pm

Like we really need to be spending $$$$$$ onstreaming traffic cam videos when South Carolina bridges and roads are death traps?? Who is the SHIT 4 BRAINS that approved this crap over at SCDOT?? We need names so we can assemble protest marches outside of their fooking homes! Sheeshus, this is total criminal insanity!! Traffic cams are more important that a child’s life???? WOW!!

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snickering October 15, 2014 at 8:08 pm

I kneel before you, you hit the nail on the head. Not to worry about SCDOT. In the next month SCDOT and everyone involved in the corruption may become guests of another embarrassment known as SCDOC (S.C. Dept. of Corrections). Courtesy of the USFHWA, FBI and Inspector’s General.

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Buz Martin October 15, 2014 at 9:27 pm

NO WAY “everybody involved in the corruption” is gonna do time. Not enough room for all of ’em.

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FastEddy23 October 16, 2014 at 1:07 pm

… but there is plenty of room at all of those FEMA camps.

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Limbaughsaphatkhunt October 15, 2014 at 6:22 pm

Main thing is, let’s not raise a 0.00000000000001 cent gas tax to pay to fix anything. In fact, let’s never raise any taxes ever again. Let’s just set our rates now for the next 100 years and budget cut our way to economic nirvana.

Like Frankenstein says….”Tax baaaaad”…

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FastEddy23 October 15, 2014 at 8:26 pm

…and Frankenstein is right.

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Limbaughsaphatkhunt October 15, 2014 at 8:35 pm

Frankenstein has two bolts coming out of his neck and is cobbled together from pig anuses and corpses and speaks in almost mono-syllabic utterances.

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Hans Delbruck October 15, 2014 at 9:18 pm

Frankenstein has two bolts coming out of his neck and is cobbled together from pig anuses and corpses and speaks in almost mono-syllabic utterances.

But he’s still right. And he has an enormous schvanstucka.

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Buz Martin October 15, 2014 at 9:31 pm

Holy shit! We can post videos on here again!

FastEddy23 October 16, 2014 at 1:03 pm

Yup … That Terri … still the best, still the finest … Got wood?

Buz Martin October 17, 2014 at 9:16 am

Ah well. It was nice while it lasted. Video gone bye-bye, link deleted. Same thing happened when I tried to post one.

FastEddy23 October 16, 2014 at 1:02 pm

… just like Limbaugh? :>)

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Native Ink October 15, 2014 at 9:42 pm

I’d support a gas tax hike if it was guaranteed to “fix anything,” I suspect instead the money would go for more big-ticket new roads that are built for politics more than actual need. First force the SCDOT and the Infrastructure Bank to take the politics out building roads and then let’s talk.

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Rocky October 15, 2014 at 6:29 pm

Yeah, let’s attract more pasty white rednecks from southern Ohio and West Virginia. Like we don’t have enough.

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Buz Martin October 15, 2014 at 9:25 pm

Plus Indiana, Kentucky and “Pensyltucky.”

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Smirks October 16, 2014 at 3:10 pm

Fricking Ohioans, man.

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Buz Martin October 17, 2014 at 9:14 am

They’ve fucked up “Hang On Sloopy” forever. That alone should get them banned.

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SCDOT's new slogan October 15, 2014 at 6:34 pm

“We’ll fuck you up the ass, but at least give you a reach around on the beach.”

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southmauldin October 15, 2014 at 7:18 pm

The Fixx was a highly underappreciated band of the early 1980’s, blending jangly pop and alternative riffs all while espousing political views that were ahead of their time. Their seminal album, Reach the beach, was a compendium of uhhh ummmm aw shit Thanks Will.

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Buz Martin October 15, 2014 at 9:21 pm

One of my favorite ’80s bands.

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mamatiger92 October 16, 2014 at 8:25 am

love that album. cy curnin. awesome.

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FastEddy23 October 15, 2014 at 8:14 pm

“… government is screwing the pooch by funding an unnecessarily large system (and a bunch of totally unnecessary new projects). And then whining about being broke. …”

Surprised? You would not be if you visited Taxifornia. There is a plethora of g’ment programs, projects, agencies, “upgrade activities”, even tourism related subsidies for projects, just like SC’s … that almost all seem dedicated to nothing more than expansion of g’ment.

Consider: a “high speed” rail passenger service 130 miles long,running from the middle of nowhere (north of Fresno) to the middle of nowhere (south of Bakersfield), but it is *half-fast (existing airlines are twice as fast), *with no visible market or potential passengers (nobody in Bakersfield wants to go to Fresno), and will cost more than $9 Billion taxpayer dollars. (http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Court-gives-California-s-proposed-high-speed-5825246.php – today: 10/15/2014)

AND, yes, we have g’ment entities all over the state complaining about being without fund … a din and spew that never seems to end.

I guess modern g’ment bureaucracy as practiced in the 21st century everywhere in the USA IS a now charity.

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Thomas October 15, 2014 at 8:17 pm

What SC needs is a passenger rail service.

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FastEddy23 October 16, 2014 at 1:05 pm

What SC needs is a single rail to run the politicos who champion such ideas right outta town.

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SomalianRoadCorp October 16, 2014 at 10:21 pm

Derp

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Who Is The Rogue Judge October 16, 2014 at 12:11 am

SCDOT is out of control and needs a big house cleaning. That is obvious. What is it going to take? Class action lawsuits and discovery with subpoenas to expose the stealing going on inside this agency? Do these people really want to be found and have warrants for their arrest issued?

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