HOW SOUTH CAROLINA MANAGES “CORE FUNCTIONS” OF GOVERNMENT
|| By FITSNEWS || While South Carolina’s “leaders” blow money on totally unnecessary transportation projects (and the “maintenance” of a disproportionately large, politically driven highway system) … actual transportation needs continue to go unaddressed.
Take Interstate 85 – which runs through the South Carolina Upstate. This road provides a major transportation artery between Atlanta, Georgia and Charlotte, N.C. – but like most roads “maintained” by the chronically mismanaged, corrupt and cash-strapped S.C. Department of Transportation (SCDOT), it’s in terrible shape.
How terrible? According to reporter Dave Jordan of WSPA TV 7 (CBS – Greenville/ Spartanburg, S.C.) – a $44 million paving project intended to provide needed repairs to the stretch of Interstate 85 from Greer to Wellford, S.C. has been indefinitely delayed because the road is in such sorry shape it can’t even be repaved.
That’s right, according to the agency, the “underlying pavement” has deteriorated to the point repaving the road is not feasible – and so the Nashville, Tennessee-based contractor which won the bid has been released from its obligations.
(Ka-ching, ka-ching).
This isn’t the first time repairs to Interstate 85 – which should have been completed years ago – have been put on hold. Last fall the project was delayed after contractor pooch screws and “weather” issues. Now the SCDOT is in the midst of a “review” of the problem, with repairs likely to be delayed again through the summer months.
“They will likely have to do a lot more to get that stretch of road straightened out,” one source familiar with road paving told FITS.
Again … (ka-ching, ka-ching).
Amazing isn’t it? South Carolina will build “interchanges to nowhere” (in the middle of nowhere) for roads which don’t even exist, but when it comes to basic maintenance for absolutely vital thoroughfares – it can’t fight its own backside with both hands.
And these are the people who want hundreds of millions of dollars in additional revenue from a proposed gas tax hike?
Insane.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: South Carolina taxpayers – who are already shelling out a disproportionately high percentage of their modest incomes on fuel – send more than enough money to state government to maintain our roads and bridges.
Hell, the state budget is $25.7 billion this year ….
Our leaders are just totally incompetent … or too busy taking care of themselves (and their families).
Look: We’re kooky libertarians who detest government intervention in our lives (and our wallets), but even we can agree that properly maintaining roads and bridges (especially vital commercial thoroughfares like Interstate 85) is a core function of government. And there’s more than enough cash in state government to get the job done … assuming we look at our so-called transportation funding “shortfall” in the proper context.
62 comments
I guess fits doesnt care about the government encouraging non-governmental entities to help them violate your 4th amendment rights. the PCNA lets the government bypass the 4th ammendment by paying corperations to spy on you for them. all supported by your republican lawmakers from south carolina.
“Money doesn’t talk – it SWEARS..!!
“but even we can agree that properly maintaining roads and bridges (especially vital commercial thoroughfares like Interstate 85) is a core function of government.”
The “core function of government” argument makes no sense to someone that believes the free market yields lower prices & better service/quality product.
No other society exists where everything is privately owned and run. No, not one.
Saudi Arabia?
Here’s six more “societies”:
http://listovative.com/7-countries-with-absolute-monarchy-form-of-government/
Isn’t the Saudi oil company owned in part by the state – they certainly get a lot of the money. Not being a smart @$$, just asking.
The entire country is owned by the Saud family and ultimately the king, so theoretically the entire country is privately owned. The king is the state and the state is the king.
Tis – almost everything in Saudi Arabia is owned by the “House of Saud” or it’s extended family.
LOL, again. But you also must know that they “sub it all out”, not trusting the family members to keep from skimming a bit.
And corrupt as hell you might add……………..
You are talking about a royal family owning things, but since they are the rulers it is still technically government. The United States government also owns land and can dictate its use, the only difference is that citizens can democratically elect representatives to make those decisions. It is just splitting hairs on the same dog.
“It is just splitting hairs on the same dog.”
Not really.
When people are democratically elected, they are still self interested-as we can see with all the corruption and payoffs associated with even roads on a state level.
They enrich themselves at taxpayer expense but in the end, because the elected elite don’t own the roads they don’t give a damn if they fall into disrepair or not.
They are in effect, similar to renters renting a property. They don’t give a damn about the long term value of the property(roads in this case).
Now, contrast that with someone who owns a house(or road). They have a vested interest in upkeep & maintenance. Sure, you have shitty house owners who let their houses go to hell- but there’s still yet much more incentive to keep something you own in better condition than something you “rent”.
That’s all elected people are, temporary “caretakers”(like renters) except unlike renters, they aren’t going to get sued if they screw up the property they are “caretaking”/renting.
my cable TV and internet providers beg to disagree with your rose colored solutions. As does my airline and gas station.
See my other response to your confusion.
LOL … as if The King owns it all … LOL
I guess that means it hasn’t ever, nor could it ever happen.
You need to understand that Folks uses the “core function of government” so called argument to suit his agenda and as click bait.
It is, or should be, a “core government function” to build decent roads in the first place and to maintain them with serious intent.
{rant}A whole lot of this crapola could be averted if the state and counties had long term financial plans in place for such infrastructure stuff. If you are going to build a twenty year road, you should have all of the maintenance figured out for at least twenty years into the future … or is that not “common core” enough for you all.{end of rant}
“It is, or should be, a “core government function” to build decent roads
in the first place and to maintain them with serious intent.”
That is your opinion, which has nothing to do with how to get the best product for the least money. See my response to Roberto.
I take your point, but I am Libertarian, and understand that there ARE things that are core government functions. Things in the commons, such as road construction and maintenance, fall into that category. Water systems do also, but maybe not education, on that one I am undecided.
South Carolina has a transportation money shortfall for two reasons:
1. It misuses gasoline taxes, which are supposed to be for road maintenance.
2. We drive more miles, using less gas, producing less money per mile driven than the system was designed for.
Maybe we could quite charging gasoline tax, tax people on miles driven, and toll travellers crossing our borders by Interstate.
“understand that there ARE things that are core government functions.”
It’s a vague, unprincipled opion- which has nothing to do with the fact the free market provides the best quality good/services for a particular price point versus centrally planned markets.
The part you quoted was NOT the entire opinion. You truncated the part about the commons. While I agree that “the free market provides the best quality good/services for a particular price point versus centrally planned markets” my point is that in some cases there are goods/services which can only be provided through central planning, roads being one of them.
A road on one man’s property can be supplied easily without government involvement.
A road through more than one man’s property requires coordination, and when coordination is required, government is involved even if only to enforce contracts.
And by the way, principled opinions are never pragmatic. While your statement about free markets is principled and correct, the opinion can not be be used to build a system to fix an interstate highway system.
However, it is good to see that there are other Libertarians out there, and you appear to be one.
“A road through more than one man’s property requires coordination, and when coordination is required, government is involved even if only to enforce contracts.”
That’s the typical argument for a central planner.
Central planning is not required for free markets.
“And by the way, principled opinions are never pragmatic.”
Then why bother being a “Libertarian”?
“While your statement about free markets is principled and correct”
You seem to have some cognitive dissonance.
“it is good to see that there are other Libertarians out there, and you appear to be one.”
You are incorrect. I’m a libertarian, not “Libertarian”.
Please show me how the free market is providing the best product for the best prices in our internet services, which now rank just above Portugal and Egypt in quality. The “free market” turns into a monopoly every time that it is not regulated, as private industry cuts deals to avoid expensive competition with itself.
Please share with me how the free market will provide competition in roads and bridges as well?
Your confusion lies in what is, or is not, a “free market”.
I’m not in the mood to argue to obvious today. If you feel free markets don’t yield the best quality for price, then argue for gov’t control of everything.
It’s no skin off my nose.
No, I am a Libertarian, and a libertarian. I am actually a member of the party, though I haven’t paid dues in a while, I took the no violence pledge and joined years ago.
If you took the “no violence” pledge, how do you support government forcibly taking money from people(taxes) to poorly build/maintain roads?
WOW: FITS – you’re posting this BORING Bull-$#!t…When I just finished reading a scintillating story on Obama and his weight loss…
A nurse claims she’s seen his medical records…and the prognosis is not only SCANDALOUS…but not very good…
For a Prissy little Gossip – like you – how can you NOT report on what is wrong w/ Obama’s health…and the reports of how how he got in this condition…???
Very Selective w/ your rumor and innuendo…aren’t you?
Anyway: It’s all over the news..w/ PHOTOS…which is a H#!! of a lot more support than you usually offer for the Bull-$#!t you peddle against those (Republicans) you hate…
Obama loses a few pounds and it is a scandal. GrandTango loses a few more brain cells and no one notices.
A few pounds??…Are you that F*#king Blind???….
Obama so po’…he make a skeleton look like Michael Moore….LMAO…
The contents of your skull makes a goldfish look like Albert Einstein.
But is it true that you have the brain of a horse..and you’re hung like Einstein…
You MUST be a liberal….LMAO…
That prayer rug and fasting does wonders.
Glad it worked out for you.
Hillary is eating well …
They appreciate it at the Dollar General if you pay for the tabloids before reading them, GT.
Ever hear of the Skinnys???…that’s what they’re speculating…
I bet you’d LOVE Obama even more, Boz…if he has what they are wondering he has…That would make him immortal to pop-culture jockeys like you…
You can say HIV/AiDs on here, GT. No, that would not make any difference one way or another in how I see Obama. Either way, I’m not really a fan. Try as you might, with all your warped-out “logic”, you can’t make me his fan.
He hasn’t had any on the outside for a couple of decades. Being an outspoken socialist “progressive” never got anyone laid. Besides, Michelle has him by the short hairs and has never let him outta her sight.
I started Clemson in the fall of 1986, through 1994. Additionally, my sister attended Clemson 8 years prior to that, and I visited Clemson with my parents to see her a few times during that time as well. Having lived in Charleston all my life, I have traveled on I-85 at least 2-3x every year since then. Additionally, I have friends in Spartanburg so I travel from Clemson to Spartanburg several times a year as well.
As far back as I can remember, I-85 has been under construction. It has NEVER been in a “non-construction” condition.I don’t know the exact length of I-85 in SC, but we’re going on 40 years of constant construction on that road. At some point, every inch of I-85 has been under construction during that period. Thinking about it, I’m not sure how that is even possible.
I-85 goes from Montgomery,Alabama to Petersburg, Virginia (I’ve traveled the entire stretch a number of times since 1973) and the section from Atlanta to Charlotte is extremely utilized thus the wear & tear on the road is very heavy
One way to stop damaging the Interstates is to stop letting those sorry snow plows on the highways during winter, and keep salt off the highways. Ever since we let Yankees start influencing how we manage our highways, we’ve gotten the same results they have in the North. Rotten, torn up roads full of pot holes and rusting bridges. None of which we had in the past to this degree.
In one winter snow plows completely destroyed the new pavement on I-26 between Columbia and Spartanburg. Today, you can actually see where the plows dug their blades into the asphalt. Plows should be banded from all but emergency roads. Instead, we should do what we always did in the past: Close the highway in bad weather. It’s usually only for one day, or a few hours.
We closed highways in the past, no salt, no road scrapers, and most importantly: No Deaths & No Injuries.
That salt also makes a real mess of the old pickup truck … Oh Bummer.
You are correct about just closing the roads in the case of the odd, rare SC snow storm. (In my opinion, plowing snow south of the Mason-Dixon line is a waste of resources.)
Wow great insight, didn’t know this.. thanks for sharing!!
BMW and Michelin workers (some of them) drive I-85 to get to work. You think BMW and Michelin will do something on behalf of their workers? Hell no! Those aren’t union shops! Why should the big-shots care about the little guy?
Oh yeah, they yell for the taxpayers to fix the roads. Corporations are citizens but they’re mostly tax exempt. Their tax money goes offshore and is hidden. Well, that part of it not paid as bribes to pols anyway.
What do you want them to do? It’s not their responsibility to provide roads…
Ok, ok already. Blame those evil corporations … All of whom pay taxes and pay employees so they can pay more taxes ….
“It’s the labour government that has brought the highest peace time taxes, ever. They have the usual socialist disease, they’ve run out of other people’s money.” – Margaret Thatcher.
Thank you, Prissy Little Gossip. An excellent article. On another note, where did all the crazies come from? #GrandTango
“We are all Bozos on this bus.” – Firesign Theater
HA! Okay, good point. ;)
… and whatever happened to that “shovel ready infrastructure” el’ presidente’ was talking about ponying up for? … Oh Bummer?
Not to worry, the Wellford Police Department is doing its best to use revenue from speed trap funds from exit 68 to exit 63 and Duncan Police Dept from exit 63 to SC 101 on both sides of I-85 to improve that section of I-85.
I’m sure the Duncan & Wellford Police Departments are doing more than their share to provide the revenue from speeding tickets to keep exits 63 to SC 101 on I-85 smooth as glass ———–NOT!!!
In fact the part of I-85 referenced in the Ch 7 report is just exactly that stretch.that has been under “construction”
I traverse part of that stretch daily………..
I don’t know what the fuss is about. Most of you fellas don’t even wear *shoes*…
And you?
I live in Texas, we wear boots.
The answer to our road problems, in fact all of our problems, is higher taxes. If we throw money at those roads and other problems our lives will be perfect!
Fine. The taxes should be levied on those who have wasted the most taxpayer money.
Tax government employees … They threw it away, the fattened their own pensions at taxpayers expense So They should pay … It’s so easy to use simple common core math on this: it’s called a pay cut.
Our lap dog SC senator voted for her. Our REAL REPUBLICAN senator did not. Tim Scott for 6 more years.
SC gas tax rates are among the LOWEST in the country….almost 14 cents/gallon lower than the national average (per the API), and gas prices are around $2.26/gallon (on average) in SC, versus $2.52/gallon nationally.
Even when judged against salary/wages, we here in SC pay less for gas than the rest of the country.
I-85 has been falling apart for years. Deferred maintenance has resulted in the road bed to become compromised thus resulting in it failing to support the overlaying asphalt pavement. It is going to be much more expensive to properly fix it along with a lot of other state roads that have been neglected. Roads are an investment if the future prosperity of SC. It’s time to man up and fix them right for our children and grand children’s future. No more excuses for the delays! Let’s just get the roads fixed right.
The politicians could’ve reformed the pork-barrel DOT and Infrastructure Bank. Then they could’ve voted to raise the gax tax. Instead, they voted to raise the gas tax and made some vague promises about tackling reform next year. Yeah, right. Hell no to a tax hike without reform first!