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SC unemployment grows for 13 months

May 22, 2009 By

Unemployment in South Carolina has increased for 13 months in a row and the number of unemployed workers has more than doubled in that time. The South Carolina Employment Security Commission reports the April’s rate increased by one tenth of a point—to 11.5 percent and still higher than the nation’s rate of 8.9 percent.

Some good news: The number of nonfarm jobs rose for the second month in a row, gaining 9,700 in April and there were seasonal surges in business as well as in the leisure and hospitality industries. Those gains did not overcome the overall losses for this year, however.

According to ESC figures, manufacturing is still the hardest hit from a year ago. ANd Chester County has the highest rate of unemployment in the state–at 21.8 percent. Lexington County is faring the best, at 7.6 percent.

Roosevelt T. Halley, executive director of the ESC, says “The recent job gains are certainly a welcome sign that has helped slow the pace of the recessionary trend.”

He cautioned, however, that we are not “out of the woods” yet, and that we are likely to see higher jobless rates before the economy begins to improve.

As of March, South Carolina ranked third in the nation in unemployment, behind Michigan and Oregon.   Read ESC Report

Filed Under: Business, Economy, News, Politics & Government

Economy sinking war ships

May 22, 2009 By

Patriots Point in Charleston is financially sinking, and so are its ships. Throughout the Memorial Day weekend many visitors will travel down to Charleston to see one of South Carolina’s most visited attractions, Patriots Point, which boards the U.S.S Yorktown.

This year times are tough for the Naval and Maritime Museum, which has a $7 million economic impact on Charleston and lack of funds are causing the old war ships on the Charleston harbor to slowly sink. The U.S.S. Yorktown and destroyer Laffey attract thousands of visitors each year to Patriots Point, but as the ships get older, they need repairs. The Patriots Point Development Authority cannot afford repairs for the ships, so they are looking for ways to keep these two main ships, along with two others, on board.

One way the Authority has initiated help to increase Patriots Point’s business, is with a new advertising campaign that will cost $400,000. The campaign will begin in July, and include ads on TV and radio in Columbia, worldwide website ads, and a $1 off coupon in the Myrtle Beach Monster Coupon Book. In the Charleston area, Patriots Point will post a billboard reading: “It’s history you can touch.”

The Memorial Day ceremony at the war ships in Charleston will honor fallen veterans with a moment of silence, prayer and laying of a wreath.

Filed Under: Business, Economy, Military, News

Legislative week: Rocky ending, sequel to come

May 22, 2009 By

The rocky ending to the state legislative session may just be the beginning of an interesting late spring. The final few days of the session stirred up a variety of emotions including frustration in the Senate from Lexington county senator Jake Knotts. “I told y’all, shortening the session was not a good thing for the people of South Carolina, because it shortens what you can get done.”2legiswrap-may-22nd3

Indignation was displayed in the House by Williamsburg Representative Ken Kennedy. ” I know I’m not going to get it passed. So why lose my time going and drawing up the amendment, when I can lose your time talking about why you guys want allow me to do what I want to do.”

Some important votes were taken including the House and Senate overriding several of Governor Sanford’s budget vetoes including the ones dealing directly with the use of stimulus money the Governor refused to apply for, which led to the Governor Suing the state of South Carolina.

“Do you now want to have individual legislative bodies, in essence, be given the power to undo a federal law.”

Governor Sanford’s comments brought forth more frustration from Senator Knotts. “The only thing I’ve got to say is we’ve got 616 days left of him.”

Sumter Senator Phil Leventis chose to wax philosophical about the whole situation. “I have a legion of bills that didn’t pass. I have a legion of bills may be not as big, that did. The point is it is presumptuous indeed to believe that because a bill is on the calendar that it deserves passage or even debate.”

The House and Senate did agree to a compromise that restricts the payday lending industry, while the cigarette tax bill bogged down in the Senate.

Incidentally, state legislators also agreed to return to work overtime the week of June 16th.

Stay tuned.

Filed Under: Legislature, News, Politics & Government

Charleston’s Piccolo Spoleto underway

May 22, 2009 By

The world-known Spoleto USA starts this weekend and Charleston’s own Piccolo Spoleto, known as Spoleto’s outreach arm, is kicking off with less money this year. Piccolo founder and director Ellen Moryl says the economy has sure taken its toll on the festival.

“Oh, it’s hit us profoundly, it’s hit everybody. But, ya know, that has made us take a look at our budget, we have become very, very cost conscience, as we always have been that, but exceptionally so now. And we are maximizing the use of the dollars that we get donated,” says Moryl.

Spoleto USA and Piccolo Spoleto are financially separate, as Piccolo Spoleto’s budget is fundraiser-based, and this year, it was cut by one-third. Last year the festival had $1.2 million and this year, Moryl says they only had $830,000 to work with. Most of the cuts were in the marketing department, such as brochures and mailings. Most of Piccolo Spoleto’s shows are free of admission.

“We take a lot of things to outlying areas, to hospital wards, to senior citizen centers, to nursing homes, and community centers, like in Ridgeville, to many, many places where people don’t even know that Piccolo Spoleto Festival is even going on, and if they did, they might not be able to afford the ticket prices of Spoleto Festival,” says Moryl.

Despite the bad news the economy may have brought the festival, Moryl says they have reason to be excited. The National Endowment for the Arts will study Piccolo this year as part of a national survey going to seven different outdoor festivals around the country to ask attendees a variety of questions.

“What they think of the festival experience, how it impacts them, how it impacts the community, I’m sure they will be doing a demographic study as to who is responding to these survey questions and I know they will be doing a study of the economic impact,” says Moryl.

Moryl says the significance of the study is to find out how these outdoor festivals provide artistic excellence to citizens.

Filed Under: Economy, News, Recreation & Entertainment

McConnell reacts to governor’s lawsuit

May 22, 2009 By

Governor Mark Sanford has sued the state of South Carolina, specifically Attorney General Henry McMaster, in federal court after state lawmakers vetoed the governor’s rejection of South Carolina’s portion of the stimulus package. Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell of Charleston says the governor has gone beyond his limits.

“It’s interesting that this governor is seeking a federal judge to interpret our constitution rather than going to the State Supreme Court and getting them interpret the constitution, and that’s why I say he’s reached across the Tenth Amendment and he’s right it’s not about the stimulus funds anymore,” says McConnell.

The Tenth Amendment gives the rights to the people and/or states. McConnell says Sanford should have kept it at that and not brought the federal court into this battle.

“I don’t like judges making laws and amending constitutions. If you wanna amend the constitution then there’s a process for doing that, but to ask judges to do it, it wrong and judges have no business. I’ve said, if judges gonna make laws then they need to get the black robes off and come on out to the ballot box like the rest of us,” says McConnell.

McConnell says Sanford had other options.

“I’m really disappointed he would do this, because if he doesn’t agree with the legislature, go get a declaratory judgement from the Supreme Court, and if they say we’re wrong, we’re wrong and he’s won,” says McConnell.

Governor Sanford denied the stimulus funds because he says South Carolina will end up further in debt in the long run. State lawmakers says Sanford should have taken the money because tax payers will have to pay the money off either way, as it would go to another state if rejected.

Filed Under: Economy, News, Politics & Government
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