Columbia - Unique urban research community

[vicupstate]

There is state money involved in ICAR. Clemson Graduate program in Automotive Engineering is going into ICAR.

[ResearchMan]

vicupstate..you are right. I forget Adams. I recently discovered Finlay's sister lives close to me and I'm often thinking of how his vision created the Vista. I remember Coble was not very nice in that campaign and took a few cheap shots. But I don't recall what they were.

Recently Coble announced he had acquired spare flu shots from the mayor of Chicago. At the time DHEC and many local public health officials were in the prociess of getting these for the county & state. It seemed like he used a public health scare to buy himself publicity. I've become so jaded about his motivations for press announcements...he reminds me of Charlie Condon. I wonder if Azar will run again..he seems to be angry all the time about the status quo. Me too but I've not seen him have good solutions to any problems. Papadea is not so bad..if he hadn't had to recuse himself so much. But that's cause Coble was so tight with E&A. Papadea was unavailable to vote but he often was on the other side of an issue than the mayor. I often thought that's why Coble used E&A on the hotel .. to remove a counter-vote and get his $75 mil hotel.

I like Sanford because he is frugal and a realist. The state's budget took a huge hit over the last few years and many agencies have had the fat and some of the meat cut out of their budget. Almost every agency is in bad shape. The problem is that the legislature doesn't make tough decisions about budgetary matters and when the money dried up they still had to pay for property tax relief they promised their constituents. Everybody agency got cut..some deeper than others. Commerce is a shell of what it used to be..I hear because Jakie Knotts was mad about a pet project and he beat Commerce up over the Wayne Sterling era golf junkets. In any case Sanford sees that more people around the state want a decent college in their back yard and the state takes on debt to pay for it all. He may be wrong or right but he does look at big picture and has attempted to start a debate on what are the state's spending priorities.

ICAR was originally a sweetheart deal for a Florida developer..but the new governor didn't like the numbers and they forced Clemson to redo the agreemnent. The developer is still around and has properties surrounding the ICAR site. I don't see how it can be all private. Clemson is the primary developer, the state infrastucture bank was giving them a lot of money for roads. Sanford claims his renegotiations saved the state over $100 million.

Ok..too long a post I know.

[waccamatt]

Columbia/Richland County is a very diverse place politically. It leans towards a democratic majority, but not by too much.

I'd have to somewhat disagree with that statement. John Kerry won Richland County by 20,000 votes in November.

[Spartan]

True, but he did win. I attended a CR meeting where the Richland COunty Republican Chairman or whatever he is called talked with us. He said that Richland has always leaned Democrat. Republicans are there and tehy are quite strong, just not as numerous.

[goodbye]

In general, the further you get from the Upstate, the more Democratic (liberal) the State becomes. I'm not surprised by those figures in the election.

I definitely see major inclinations of bias towards the Midlands/Lowcountry by Governor Sanford. I think he will have a much harder time being re-elected, because the Upstate was the area where he recieved the most votes, and he has been here very little, except to try and hinder/slow any major plans (ICAR).

Maybe Columbia and the Lowcountry will carry him to re-election?

[vicupstate]

In general, the further you get from the Upstate, the more Democratic (liberal) the State becomes.  I'm not surprised by those figures in the election.

I definitely see major inclinations of bias towards the Midlands/Lowcountry by Governor Sanford.  I think he will have a much harder time being re-elected, because the Upstate was the area where he recieved the most votes, and he has been here very little, except to try and hinder/slow any major plans (ICAR).

Maybe Columbia and the Lowcountry will carry him to re-election?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

While Skyliner is basically right, that first comment is a little too broad. Actually, the coast itself is heavily Republican. It's the areas between the coastal counties and the upstate that are the heart of the Democratic party base.

The upstate is the most conservative and Republican area of the state, and they will vote for Sanford regardless as long as he is the GOP nominee. Horry, Beaufort and all the Trident counties are strong Republican areas as well though. The Democrat have a strong advantage only in Richland County and the black majority counties in the Pee Dee and Lower Savannah River regions.

Richland is a Democratic stronghold now, but it came very close to becoming a GOP stronghold back in the late 80's. Around 1989 or so, there was a special election for a State House seat between Republican Ray Rossi and Democrat Candy Waites. The Democrats won the seat, but if the GOP had won, they would have held a majority on county council, 2 of 4 state senate seats , a majority among Richland state representatives, and 4 of the 5 county-wide offices (Sheriff, Coroner, etc). Throughout the late '70's and '80's the GOP had been gaining strength in Richland, just as they did in all other areas of the state. After that special election, the Richland GOP has steadily lost ground. Now Democrats hold the county council, 4 of 5 county offices, 3 of 4 senate seats and a strong majority of state representatives seats. All while the rest of the state has continued further toward GOP domainance.

While the coastal counties are Republican, they will switch to the Democrat when the Republican is deemed too conservative or a poor candidate. This is what put ex-Governor Hodges and some other Democrats in statewide office in '98. Four years later, the coastal counties returned to their normal pattern of voting Republican, tossing out Hodges in the process.

Lastly, I have to strongly disagree about the comment on ICAR and Sanford. ICAR is developing just as originally planned, the only difference is Sanford got the developer to cough up more of his own money. Every resident of the state should be glad that $10 million of taxpayer money will go to something else besides Rosen's (ICAR developer) bottomline.

I wish Sanford could try to prevent greedy baseball owners from taking the taxpayer's of Mauldin and Greenville County for a ride, but that is a local matter.

[Spartan]

In general, the further you get from the Upstate, the more Democratic (liberal) the State becomes.  I'm not surprised by those figures in the election.

I definitely see major inclinations of bias towards the Midlands/Lowcountry by Governor Sanford.  I think he will have a much harder time being re-elected, because the Upstate was the area where he recieved the most votes, and he has been here very little, except to try and hinder/slow any major plans (ICAR).

Maybe Columbia and the Lowcountry will carry him to re-election?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think Sanford will get elected on his own merits. I think he is one of the best governor's we've had in a while. He is genuinely concerned about not wasting the tzxparyer's money, and I like that. If anything, his bias towars the Lowcountry will give him the edge against his opponents. Tenenbaum can't claim anything in the Upstate, and you need the Upstate to win.

I say kudos to Sanford for making the ICAR guy pay more of his own money. Anything he does that can save the state a few bucks is fine by me.

[vicupstate]

I think Sanford will get elected on his own merits. I think he is one of the best governor's we've had in a while. He is genuinely concerned about not wasting the tzxparyer's money, and I like that. If anything, his bias towars the Lowcountry will give him the edge against his opponents. Tenenbaum can't claim anything in the Upstate, and you need the Upstate to win.

I say kudos to Sanford for making the ICAR guy pay more of his own money. Anything he does that can save the state a few bucks is fine by me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Tenenbaum has already announced her intentions to run for relection as Superintendent of Education. The Democrats don't have any candidate at this point.

[Spartan]

Tenenbaum has already announced her intentions to run for relection as Superintendent of Education. The Democrats don't have any candidate at this point.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

She could always change her mind

[waccamatt]

Maybe Columbia and the Lowcountry will carry him to re-election?

Not Columbia. A Republican running for statewide office hasn't won Richland County in many years.