SC

Nepo-Cronyism: SC Style

“IT’S ALL WHO YA KNOW … OR WHO YOU’RE RELATED TO” || By FITSNEWS || There’s an interesting story up on The Nerve this week focusing on a sweetheart deal doled out by state government to Lamar Outdoor Advertising – a company which is represented by the son-in-law of powerful…

“IT’S ALL WHO YA KNOW … OR WHO YOU’RE RELATED TO”

|| By FITSNEWS || There’s an interesting story up on The Nerve this week focusing on a sweetheart deal doled out by state government to Lamar Outdoor Advertising – a company which is represented by the son-in-law of powerful S.C. Senate leader Hugh Leatherman.

According to the website, a subsidiary of Lamar enjoys an exclusive deal to advertise on South Carolina interstate highways (specifically by interstate off-ramps).  The subsidiary pays the S.C. Department of Transportation (SCDOT) an estimated $2.8 million a year in licensing fees for this right – but it doesn’t disclose how much it makes from the signs.

Nor does the notoriously cash-strapped agency disclose what it does with the money …

Oh, and get this: The contract for these signs has been awarded to the same company for the last sixteen years – and was once even reauthorized while Leatherman’s son-in-law, John Hardee, was a member of the SCDOT commission.

Let’s call this what it is, people: “Nepo-cronyism.”

Of course coming from Leatherman it probably shouldn’t be surprising.

This is just how business is done in South Carolina.  To the victors, go the spoils …

Pic: Travis Bell Photography

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29 comments

jimlewisowb April 22, 2015 at 12:47 pm

Fucking Cockroaches

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Ned April 22, 2015 at 12:47 pm

Leatherman is so crooked they will have to screw him in the ground when he dies.

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The Colonel April 22, 2015 at 12:50 pm

Overheard in 8,000 BCE

Ick: “That freaking woolly mammoth smelling bastard gave the job to his brother…”
Ook: “Nepotism, it ain’t what you know but who you know or who you’re married to, been that way forever…”

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major major April 22, 2015 at 1:06 pm

At first I misread the headline as NECRO-PONYISM: SC STYLE and I thought Oh great, now someone in South Carolina got caught screwing a DEAD horse!?

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TroubleBaby April 22, 2015 at 1:25 pm

What needs to happen is we need to send more money to the SCDOT so they can pay off the pols, via their relatives- yet still have enough left over for roads.

Let’s just all sign over our paychecks for the benefit of SC. We can have nice roads if we just fork over enough, even if we can’t afford cars to drive on them with afterwards.

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Former ORS Employee April 22, 2015 at 1:51 pm

Nepotism in SC state government? If you want to see an agency that hands jobs to family members of current and former members of the general assembly, you need to take a look at the staff list at ORS. That rats nest is infested with under-qualified and over-paid idiots that have their jobs solely because they are related to so and so state representative/senator. Hiring family members into your business is one thing, but giving out what is essentially public welfare to family members of the general assembly, on the ratepayer’s dime, is something else entirely.

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Sconset987 April 22, 2015 at 2:03 pm

I know you like to jump all over Leatherman every chance you get but Lamar Outdoor Advertising is the biggest billboard company in the country. Not some small local operation. No doubt they have the same kind of contracts in most, if not all, states,

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TroubleBaby April 22, 2015 at 2:07 pm

“Not some small local operation.”

That’s a good reason right there to make them bid for the work.

“No doubt they have the same kind of contracts in most, if not all, states”

No doubt, I’m sure they have relatives of pols on the payroll in every state. It’s a winning business model.

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SynTwist April 22, 2015 at 2:11 pm

From my limited experience with the company insiders, decades ago, they have to be competitive.

Every reputable contractor has a contract of some kind in place.

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TroubleBaby April 22, 2015 at 2:50 pm

“From my limited experience with the company insiders, decades ago, they have to be competitive.”

If it’s “exclusive”, why do they have to be competitive?

“According to the website, a subsidiary of Lamar enjoys an exclusive deal to advertise on South Carolina interstate highways (specifically by interstate off-ramps).”

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SynTwist April 22, 2015 at 4:50 pm

It is what they call sole source, which means they have likely done the same work previously at a highly competitive rate. It is listed on every level of government websites. Even GSA.

SynTwist April 22, 2015 at 2:13 pm

TB – Look up Lamar. They have been doing this a long time and are better/cheaper than most companies in their field. Why? Simple. They’ve been doing it for a long time.

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TroubleBaby April 22, 2015 at 2:47 pm

“They have been doing this a long time and are better/cheaper than most companies in their field.”

So you’ve seen the bids?

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Squishy123 April 22, 2015 at 3:06 pm

Of course she hasn’t.

SynTwist April 22, 2015 at 4:46 pm

Read idiots!

SynTwist April 22, 2015 at 4:17 pm

No, but I do know what a competitive bid looks like, where to find it and how to bid on it.

Does not sound like a sole source bid to me? Or did I miss something? Or do you know what that is?

TroubleBaby April 22, 2015 at 4:41 pm

“No”

Oh.

SynTwist April 22, 2015 at 4:46 pm

Here is the website, each state, county, FG has a procurement site. You simply sign up to find out when bid are coming out. Unless they are sole source, that typically means they are hiring the company who did previous work.

http://procurement.sc.gov/PS/vendor/PS-vendor-contract-opps.phtm

SynTwist April 22, 2015 at 4:47 pm

Yes I have seen bids that is…..

TontoBubbaGoldstein April 22, 2015 at 10:44 pm

No doubt, I’m sure they have relatives of pols on the payroll in every state. It’s a winning business model.

“It is THE winning business model.”

Fixed it for ya!

http://joshuapundit.blogspot.com/2009/01/michelle-obamas-300k-job-at-hospital.html

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SynTwist April 22, 2015 at 2:09 pm

I have never seen Lamar in SC, I am sure they exist, but they love branding. I am familiar with them from FL, some two decades ago. I knew one of their representatives. They are a business. Plain and simple.

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SynTwist April 22, 2015 at 2:20 pm

Need to caveat this with love the work Landess and Folks do, but don’t always agree.

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well-i-am into it April 22, 2015 at 2:29 pm

Just as a comparison to THE NERVE story…..The Post and Courier wins a Pulitzer prize for public service for its series on domestic violence….really…the people who penned this domestic violence series, I suppose, can now be considered on par with the best writers in the country for their literary prowess???…The reason I am bring this up in the context of this post is this….THE NERVE article above is most assuredly in the interest of public service…this is how citizens are robbed day in and day out with no hope of a decent future or opportunity to break through. The Post and courier series is much like the elite trying to educate themselves what domestic violence is in real life. The rest of us know very well what it is and how devastating it can be…and most of us did not care for the series because we all stood in support of a victim at some point in our lives and went through the pain and suffering along with them. We know the pain much closer than that series. More importantly, we care what powerful people in legislature and across the state in positions of power do daily to rob us of our future and how they play with our money….and THAT is not reported in these elite mainstream media. So the real public service is done by people like FITSnews and The Nerve, IMO, given the current state of South Carolina, by exposing the deeds of the elite and the powerful. Bravo!

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SynTwist April 22, 2015 at 2:39 pm

Yikes, I agree with probably the beginning and end. Might have been better to left off the middle, but given the readers deficit problem on this site – probably didn’t do much harm ;)

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well-i-am into it April 23, 2015 at 5:28 am

What bothers me is that people have lost their perspective these days. When I was growing up, there was a lot of wisdom around in the society, a passion for the country and its institutions. In the context of the P&C DV series, well….they claim victory in forcing a change in legislation…that is what they are proud of that the series has accomplished. Really?? Really?? Legislators and law enforcement officials didnt know this existed before or how bad the situation was?? Really?? Why didnt they change legislation before?? About perspective, who in the right mind thinks that the legislators will not jump at the idea of legislating YOU, the people…of course they will…cos YOU have no power and they get the glory. Will the law make a difference?? NO, but if every body has a job, it sure will make a difference, wont it? But they will not work hard to address joblessness and poverty. How about you ask the same legislators to pass laws that regulate themselves or what hurts their interests…take for example ethics law, gun laws, complete freedom of information, accountability….lets see how fast they jump in to pass rock solid legislation. So,we are left with being told by the mainstream media to celebrate things that are superficial. I am not being cynical, but I love my country with passion and I love our people with passion. They deserve much better than these dung-heads.

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Here It Comes April 22, 2015 at 8:07 pm

I want Leathernman in Prison where he belongs. I know people who are getting together to pool well over in $500,000.00 reward money for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of this son of a bitch.

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Doris April 22, 2015 at 9:39 pm

Go ahead and try to get Leatherman indicted in state court. He has already bought Jean Toal. There is no end as to what they will do to help the other.

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Pffft! April 23, 2015 at 12:06 am

Indicted in FEDERAL COURT. The fart would not survive prison life. Slam dunk that crooked old man.

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Mad Maxx April 23, 2015 at 6:57 am

He is one crooked bastard and he runs the Senate like a mean old grandpa that beats his Senator kids with a rod.

The other Senators are cowards for letting him push them around like stickmen.

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