“It just didn’t feel like my time.
I can’t explain it any other way.”
Former State Education Superintendent Inez Tenenbaum, dismissing speculation that she would run for governor in 2010.
The only Democratic candidate to announce his intention to run has been state Sen. Vincent Sheheen (D-Kershaw). Source: The (Sumter) Item
Carrotmob to Reward Local Green Business
On Sat. April 11, one deserving company is expected to see a lot of cabbage in Charleston’s inaugural Carrotmob. Green Drinks Charleston has presented a challenge to local business owners to go green, and the winner will be rewarded with a flood of environmentally responsible visitors in the form of a Carrotmob.
“Think of it as the opposite of a boycott with a little healthy competition thrown in the mix,” says Jason Cronen, organizer of Green Drinks Charleston.
Cronen contacted locally owned coffee shops, corner markets, groceries, and bars and asked them to put a percentage of their one-day sales to reinvesting in energy-efficient retrofits for their business.
“The business that makes the greatest commitment wins, and hundreds
of Carrotmob consumers deliver rewards by shopping at their store,”
he says.
The Carrotmob is expected to help businesses make a positive impact on the community and earn loyalty from the consumer. To learn more about the Carrotmob, visit www.carrotmobcharleston.blogspot.com.
—Emma Hart
Bank Bailout an Ineffective Noose
In the earliest stages of contentious primary battles in the 2010 elections, the opening salvo in two high-profile GOP races seems to be the $700 billion bank bailout approved by Congress in 2008. But survey results in one of those races suggests that conservative voters are likely more worried about the current calamities.
Last week, a Politico report on Congressman Henry Brown’s potential GOP primary challenge called his bailout support “an issue that could become a defining theme in the Republican primary.” Congressman Gresham Barrett is hearing something similar in his race for governor in 2010. Richard Quinn, a consultant for likely opponent Henry McMaster, told The Post and Courier that Barrett’s bailout support was a “serious liability.”
But a study by Ayres, McHenry, and Associates for the Barrett campaign suggests otherwise. When presented with brief biographies of the likely candidates in the race, including mention of Barrett’s bailout vote, Barrett pulled away from the competition among undecided GOP voters. —Greg Hambrick
$109 million
That’s how much South Carolina is expected to receive for energy programs, according to a release from House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.). The money will go toward tax rebates for home energy saving measures and cash for state-funded alternative energy projects.
Angel Oak Village Hearing Thursday
The more than 1,400-year-old Angel Oak on Johns Island will be back in the spotlight this week, with developers taking another crack at winning key approval from the City of Charleston’s Corridor Design Review Board. Plans for the 21-acre development will be presented to the board on Thurs., March 25, for feedback. There won’t be a vote on the proposal.
The last plan called for 600 units with a 300-foot undeveloped barrier. But it wasn’t enough space to assuage the concerns of protestors, and the city board said the proposal wasn’t creative enough.
Developer Robert DeMoura told the City Paper that the new plan includes “smaller, unique building types, which further protects Angel Oak Park.”
The meeting is at 5 p.m. Thursday in the third floor conference room at
75 Calhoun St. The public will be given a chance to comment, according to city staff. —Greg Hambrick
2012
That’s when those peninsula socialites holding their breath over potential indictments in the Ravenel cocaine scandal can throw a big (drug free) party. Pascal Andre Etcheber was indicted last week for allegedly giving false statements in the 2007 investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin McDonald tells the City Paper that there is a five year statute of limitations on the case, so Ravenel’s pals should start marking their calendars from the last time they shared a bump with Ravenel or spoke with investigators.
Sanford Stimulus Stance Baffles Mayors
Seventy-nine South Carolina mayors have now signed a letter begging the governor, the state legislature, and that excited person standing beside Howie Mandel to take the deal. Well, maybe just the first two.
Gov. Mark Sanford announced earlier this month that he wanted to spend $700 million of the federal stimulus money to pay off some of the state’s debt. In response, Charleston Mayor Joe Riley has rallied his fellow municipal leaders from across the state to tell Sanford that local communities are hurting and need that money for jobs and schools.
“Mayors see first-hand and perhaps see best the needs of our residents,” Riley says.
Losing that money would impact public services statewide, particularly in the classroom, he says. “It’s time for Gov. Sanford to change his position … and put an end to this foolishness.”
Sanford’s debt proposal “seemed removed from reality,” Riley says. “This is not a time for philosophical meandering of the mind. This is a time for action.” —Greg Hambrick
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