LOTS OF PUBLIC MONEY, VERY LITTLE PUBLIC INPUT Budget debate will begin on the Senate floor today. The budget was passed out of committee May 3, and made publicly available…
WHAT IS THAT THING, AND WHY ARE WE PAYING SO MUCH FOR IT? Read Quantifying the Machine, the Policy Council’s report on the costs of economic development, here. For other material…
Next year, the state of South Carolina will receive around $25 million dollars from the National Mortgage Settlement, a joint federal-state lawsuit against loan servicers awarded to parties affected by…
The House is currently debating the budget recommended by the Ways and Means committee after months of hearings. With just over $535 million in “new” recurring revenue[1], lawmakers justify spending…
The federal government is trying to run the U.S. economy – and South Carolina is helping out by taking federal grants for “economic development.” Why? Because it’s free money from…
Last session, legislative leaders argued South Carolina needed every dollar of the state’s $2.8 billion federal stimulus package to save jobs for teachers and law enforcement personnel. Faced with such…
What is the South Carolina Research Authority? That question was asked at a recent meeting of the House Ways & Means Committee – and not a single lawmaker had an…
Sponsored by House Speaker Bobby Harrell and 108 other representatives, the Economic Development Competitiveness Act is the product of Speaker Harrell’s economic development working group. This 49-page bill combines a…
It would appear the “private” aspect of Innovista, originally touted as a “public-private partnership,” is all but dead. To date, USC’s research campus, which has cost taxpayers more than $100…
When plans for Innovista, the University of South Carolina’s 500-acre research campus, were rolled out in 2005, it was touted as a can’t-miss project that would become a driving force…
Senate Finance Budget: What to Keep an Eye On
LOTS OF PUBLIC MONEY, VERY LITTLE PUBLIC INPUT Budget debate will begin on the Senate floor today. The budget was passed out of committee May 3, and made publicly available…
How Much Does the Machine Really Cost?
WHAT IS THAT THING, AND WHY ARE WE PAYING SO MUCH FOR IT? Read Quantifying the Machine, the Policy Council’s report on the costs of economic development, here. For other material…
The Economic Development Pyramid
Whatever happened to this? Tune back in next week for an update on the state's failed economic development machine...
The House Budget’s Five Worst Economic Development Provisos
Next year, the state of South Carolina will receive around $25 million dollars from the National Mortgage Settlement, a joint federal-state lawsuit against loan servicers awarded to parties affected by…
Ways and Means Budget Largest in State History – Yet Again
The House is currently debating the budget recommended by the Ways and Means committee after months of hearings. With just over $535 million in “new” recurring revenue[1], lawmakers justify spending…
The Matthew Lesko Approach to Economic Development
The federal government is trying to run the U.S. economy – and South Carolina is helping out by taking federal grants for “economic development.” Why? Because it’s free money from…
Stimulus Dollars Not Going to Teachers and Law Enforcement
Last session, legislative leaders argued South Carolina needed every dollar of the state’s $2.8 billion federal stimulus package to save jobs for teachers and law enforcement personnel. Faced with such…
What is the South Carolina Research Authority?
What is the South Carolina Research Authority? That question was asked at a recent meeting of the House Ways & Means Committee – and not a single lawmaker had an…
The ‘Incentives Game’ – what else are lawmakers giving away?
Here are just a few of the things legislators are doing right now in the name of ‘economic development.’
Fact Sheet on H 4478: The S.C. Economic Development Competitiveness Act of 2010
Sponsored by House Speaker Bobby Harrell and 108 other representatives, the Economic Development Competitiveness Act is the product of Speaker Harrell’s economic development working group. This 49-page bill combines a…
Innovista: A Public-Private Partnership That’s All Public
It would appear the “private” aspect of Innovista, originally touted as a “public-private partnership,” is all but dead. To date, USC’s research campus, which has cost taxpayers more than $100…
Innovista: State-Driven Economy Struggling Despite $140 Million in Taxpayer Support
When plans for Innovista, the University of South Carolina’s 500-acre research campus, were rolled out in 2005, it was touted as a can’t-miss project that would become a driving force…