| | Issue #20.09 :: 02/28/2007 - 03/06/2007 | Government News Briefs
Laurinline Signs Off, Republicans Buy Site
| BY FREE TIMES WRITERS
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The political web site southcarolina08.com, which former Columbia blogger Laurin Manning launched to chronicle the state’s role in the race for the White House, has changed hands and party lines. Manning, a popular blogger with strong Democratic ties who went to work for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in an undisclosed position, recently sold the site for $1,000 to Jason Zacher of Zacher Media Strategies and his partner, Chip Felkel of the Felkel Group, both of Greenville. “We bought it because we really think it’s a unique opportunity for debate on the candidates, on the issues,” Zacher says. Both Zacher and Felkel have ties to the Republican candidates for the presidency. “I have friends that work on the [John] McCain, [Mitt] Romney, [Rudy] Guliani and [Mike] Huckabee campaigns,” Zacher says. “While we’re trying to keep it independent, in a state the size of South Carolina it’s nearly impossible not to know people working for a variety of campaigns. As far as the posting goes, if we achieve a true cross section of South Carolina, the number of posts will lean toward Republican just because there are more Republicans in this state.” In a farewell message on her blog, laurinline.com, Manning says she maintained the site since July 2002 and, “It’s time for me to pursue new things for now, but maybe some day laurinline will return.” — JJ
Researchers Find Thurmond-Sharpton Link
No, you’re not reading News of the Weird: In an astounding historical find that adds to the late U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond’s controversial legacy, professional genealogists working for the web site Ancestry.com recently determined that the great-grandfather of the Rev. Al Sharpton, Coleman Sharpton, was a slave owned by Julia Thurmond, an ancestor of Strom Thurmond. The inquiry began after Ancestry.com contacted a reporter at the New York Daily News and asked him to let genealogists at the site research his family tree, according to The Associated Press. The reporter agreed and asked Sharpton to participate. Sharpton responded to the outcome of the research in a Feb. 25 news conference, calling the finding “probably the most shocking thing in my life.” Sharpton plans to have DNA testing done to see if he is related to Strom Thurmond. — DC
Coble, Graham Participate in Climate Change Event
Columbia Mayor Bob Coble, a Democrat, and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., planned to participate in a bipartisan teleconference Feb. 28 on climate change. “It’s going to be during the winter meeting [here] of the Municipal Association [of South Carolina], so all the mayors will be in town,” Coble said prior to the teleconference. With Graham wiring in from Washington, D.C., the conversation was to focus on plans for action on climate change and its local and national effects. Coble said former Vice President Al Gore’s movie about global warming, An Inconvenient Truth, winning two Oscars on Feb. 25, including best documentary, “I’m sure helped” put the issue at the forefront. The National Wildlife Federation, the South Carolina Wildlife Federation and the Carolina Climate Network sponsored the teleconference. — EW
Audit: Township Ticket Sales Drop
The Township Auditorium was down more than $600,000 in ticket sales for the 2005-06 fiscal year, according to an independent audit released Feb. 20. “We had less events, cheaper tickets,” Township director Sally Roach says. “There weren’t as many shows out their looking for 3,000 seats.” In 2004-05, the Township hosted 65 events with total attendance of about 118,000. By contrast, in 2005-06 the Township had 51 events with attendance of some 76,000. Because of lower profits, the Township received extra financial help from Richland County Council this year. “We were forgiven a [$200,000] loan that stemmed from 2003,” Roach says. “Then we received accommodations tax funding of $100,000.” The council is planning a $12 million renovation of the Township. — JJ
Tobacco as Public Health Continues to Gain Ground
Evidence that tobacco finally has taken on legs as a public health issue in South Carolina, a state with a long tobacco history rooted in agriculture, continues to mount. On Feb. 21, S.C. Rep. Seth Whipper, D-Charleston, announced that he is sponsoring legislation to increase the state’s cigarette tax to the national average. At 7 cents a pack, the levy is the lowest in the nation. Whipper’s bill would raise it to $1. Advocates of an increase contend that among other things it would deter young people from getting hooked on nicotine, one of the most addictive substances. Tobacco kills 5,900 South Carolinians every year, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Meanwhile, the Richland School District 2 board unanimously approved a tobacco-free policy for all the district’s schools Feb. 13. — EW
Scott Goes Off on City
At a Richland County Council meeting Feb. 20, Councilwoman Bernice Scott expressed frustration at the city of Columbia’s record in working with the county on animal care and renovating the Township Auditorium. “You don’t have to slap me twice to let me know you got hands,” Scott said, complaining that nothing has been done in the past five years on either issue despite repeated attempts and lots of communication. In a follow-up interview, Scott says, “We got animals running loose. We’ve got animals being mistreated. I had a constituent of mine die from being attacked by wild dogs.” If the two governments can negotiate, Scott says, “Then what is the problem? I want to solve the problem. We got a problem.” — JJ
New Times, New Signs in the Capital City
Two prototypes of new way-finder signs the city of Columbia plans to install around town are posted on the south side of City Hall at 1737 Main St. The city put them up to seek input on how they look. The city has accepted a bid of about $225,000 from Signage Industries of North Carolina for the first phase of an overhaul to the city’s system of directional and way-finder signs. “The main thing is to have a consistent look and feel to it,” city planning director Chip Land says. The signs will point the way to newer attractions, such as the Convention Center, and established ones like the State House. The signs will start going up in April or May, says city construction director Tom Ward. — EW
Sanford Backs Tougher Laws Against DUI; Jabs Legislators
The more drunk you are, the stiffer DUI penalty you’ll face. That’s the gist of a bill introduced by S.C. Rep. Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, drafted by the S.C. Impaired Driving Prevention Council and championed by Gov. Mark Sanford on Feb. 22. Already at odds with the General Assembly, Sanford’s latest attack involves calling-out the many legislators who are lawyers, suggesting they have a vested stake in retaining the status quo, a system he alleges is too lenient on repeat offenders and is blind to how intoxicated offenders are. Under the bill, penalties would increase with higher levels of intoxication and plea deals for recidivists would be forbidden. The bill drew immediate return fire from attorney lawmakers Sanford stereotyped as pro-offender. The legislation also would lengthen mandatory license suspension for refusing a breathalizer from six months to one year and allow police to charge an intoxicated person sitting in a vehicle with DWI. — RA
Clinton Says Confederate Flag Should Not Fly at State House
While the GOP bashed Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York about a consulting contract her campaign negotiated with state Sen. Darrell Jackson, D-Richland, Clinton didn’t miss the opportunity to speak out about the Confederate flag, saying it should be removed from the State House grounds. In a Feb. 19 interview with The Associated Press in Florence after her rally in Columbia earlier that day at Allen University, Clinton said the country should unite under one flag while at war. “I think about how many South Carolinians have served in our military and who are serving today under our flag and I believe that we should have one flag that we all pay honor to, as I know that most people in South Carolina do every single day,” Clinton said. “I personally would like to see it removed from the State House grounds.” — JJ
Sanford Turns Critical Eye on Budget and Control Board
Gov. Mark Sanford issued an executive order Feb. 26 creating a task force to take a long hard look at what some describe as the ultimate black hole of state government — the Budget and Control Board. The nine-member committee will consider ways to make the board more efficient and accountable to taxpayers. Sanford says South Carolina is the only state with such a board and that it ought to be dissolved and many of its functions folded into a new administration department answerable to the governor. However, with taste for such an overhaul utterly lacking in change-averse South Carolina, the guv apparently is trying a different approach. But whether the task force’s findings, due in June, will collect dust or facilitate reform is an open question. — EW
Poll Shows High Support for Lexington Arts Center
Despite snags with a $30 million plan to convert the former Sessions department store on Main Street in Lexington into a 1,200 seat performing arts center, town officials say the idea is too good to let slip away and are pursuing other venue options. In a recent survey of residents by the town, 80 percent of those polled said they supported the idea of a performing arts venue. Town leaders have said they intend to include a retail and restaurant component to make the facility a tourist destination. In his recent state of the city address, Mayor Randy Halfacre said a campaign to move forward would be forthcoming in the next few months. “It is now time to take the proposed arts center concept to the business and corporate community for assessment of their financial support,” Halfacre said. Visit lexingtonartscenter.com for more information. — RA
Agencies Serving Homeless Receive Large Federal Grants
Republican U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint of South Carolina announced more than $7.7 million in grants Feb. 22 to agencies that care for the homeless and their families in South Carolina. The money will pay for housing and other services. Local organizations receiving the grants include the Family Shelter (about $606,000), Sistercare (more than $331,000) and the Salvation Army (nearly $109,000). The Mental Illness Recovery Center (MIRCI) and Trinity Housing Corporation received two grants each. MIRCI will net more than $494,000; Trinity Housing Corporation will receive a total of about $268,000. In addition, the state was awarded nearly $1.5 million to renovate buildings to serve as shelters and provide services. — JJ
Columbia College Summit to Focus on Hispanic Affairs
Columbia College plans to hold a community summit on Hispanic affairs Friday. The summit will include presentations by Tammy Besherse of the South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center on legislation proposed by the S.C. Senate Immigration Study Committee, and by Lisa Lopez Snyder, program coordinator for the Coalition for New South Carolinians, on immigration reform. Also on the agenda is a keynote address by John Garcia, coordinator of the Latino justice campaign for the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, who will give a national and regional overview of immigration laws. A roundtable discussion among local Hispanic leaders will follow Garcia’s talk. The summit, which is free to the public, will conclude with a lunch/networking session. For more information or to register, visit schlc.org or call 606-1164. — RA | |
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