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S.C. Statehouse Report
Nov. 30, 2003
VIEW: http://www.statehousereport.com/columns/03.1130.plan.htm
 HOT
ISSUE
State needs to plan better for future
By
Andy Brack
SC Statehouse Report
NOV. 30, 2003 - - One of the biggest challenges facing state government
is the need for sound planning - - planning for education , economic
development, fiscal management and more.
 At
least that's the consensus of an informal panel of a half dozen
Charleston-area business leaders who shared a lunch of Chinese food
recently.
"Planning is a huge issue," said Meg Howle, a marketing
professional. "We need to have more long-term vision for how
to use the limited resources we have for the biggest benefit to
the people."
Mount Pleasant banker Chip Coffee agreed and added, "I think
that's what Governor Sanford is trying to accomplish."
A big chunk of the state's future depends on developing human potential
in schools.
"If you don't have the people available to do the jobs to
do the work and if they don't have the skills, then you're not going
to have what you need to get industry," Coffee said.
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One panelist said an example of how more planning is needed in
education can be seen in how lottery funds are used to pay for tech
college tuition. The amount of tuition assistance is variable because
it is contingent on politics, the number of students and the money
available. One semester, for example, students may pay nothing;
for another, they may pay $500.
The lack of certainty creates confusion for students and administrators.
If there were a long-term, sustainable funding plan that wasn't
subjected to various whims, students and administrators would be
able to plan their futures better.
Long-time Charleston Realtor Max Hill Jr. said the state also faces
challenges in economic development planning.
Too often, parochial interests compete in ways that negatively
impact a whole region, he said. For example, the three-county Charleston
area draws a lot of economic development attention, much to the
detriment to the ring of rural counties that surround it. If, however,
a more regional planning effort were in place, more benefits could
be spread to surrounding areas.
Hill said he believed the state was in the best spot to provide
more regional economic growth planning, but it needed to take a
leadership role to get things moving.
Another planning-related topic that came up at the lunch was standard
fare - - how the state should tax its residents to be able to provide
services.
Charlie Smith, another Realtor who plans to run for the S.C. House
of Representatives next year, said he was concerned about proposals
to get rid of property taxes in favor of sales or income taxes.
"When you shift taxes from property tax to sales tax, then
you are disproportionately burdening moderate- and low-income people,"
he said. And if they have to pay more of their disposable income
to sales tax, they'll have a harder time becoming homeowners, which
would hurt the real estate industry, he added.
But another businessman who used to serve in the General Assembly
said he thought cutting property taxes and boosting sales taxes
because it would be fairer in the long run because it would spread
the tax burden.
Interestingly, this businessman, who asked not to be identified,
added the Statehouse seems to be filled with the same problems now
- - education, taxes, growth - - as it was a dozen years ago when
he served.
"It doesn't seem to change."
But during the lunch, most people - - Republicans and Democrats
- - seemed relatively satisfied with state government, in spite
of the last few years of budget cuts. More than anything, however,
they wanted the state to plan better for the future.
If South Carolina continues to stick to a 1960's-era plan for economic
development, education and financial management, it will remain
behind. State government needs to be more strategic in how it approaches
challenges and opportunities while keeping its long-term obligations
to provide services to those in need.
McLEMORE'S WORLD
How to relax at Thanksgiving
This week's cartoon by our Bill McLemore:
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