Reactions to my recent column advocating an Inland Port at the intersection of I-95 and I-26 have been overwhelmingly positive.  A few people, however, seem surprised that I actually have a vision and commitment to improve the lives of my constituents.  And neither vision nor commitment was developed in a vacuum.

            I spent almost four years on the staff of Governor John West and over 17 years as Human Affairs Commissioner.  Those years were preceded by 10 years as a teacher, employment counselor and Director of two youth and community development projects in Charleston and the Low Country.  Those 30-plus years were tremendous preparation for my 1992 campaign for Congress.  During that campaign and subsequent meetings with various State leaders, I developed a vision for addressing the needs and aspirations of the people I sought to serve. 

The Lake Marion Water Agency was not my idea; I just decided it was worth my time and energy to help make it happen.  The Charleston Harbor deepening project was the Ports Authority’s plan, I just happen to be in the right place at the right time to make it happen.  Fourteen years ago the South Carolina Budget and Control Board conducted a study of an Inland Port in South Carolina. I just decided the time might be ripe to bring it to fruition. 

 I keep at my fingertips a study that compares a 67mile stretch along I-85/I-26 to a similar 67-mile expanse along I-95 /I-26.  That I-85/I-26 stretch in the Greenville/Spartanburg area has 736 industries producing 67,390 jobs.  The I-95/I-26 stretch from Walterboro to Manning has only 95 industries providing only 8,924 jobs.  The average per capita income for Calhoun, Clarendon, Colleton, Dorchester, Orangeburg, and Sumter counties is $15,541, over $3500 less than the state’s average of $19,037.  The average per county investment in South Carolina is $424 million. The total investment in these six counties – located in the heart of the Sixth District - is $240 million, $184 million less. 

The water capacity along the I-85 corridor is 242 million gallons per day.  Along I-95 it’s a mere 28 million gallons daily. Unemployment in the above six counties run about two percentage points higher in any given month than the state’s average.  And in two other nearby counties the monthly unemployment rate is usually two and three times the State’s average.

Perhaps most startling is the tax base generated in this region.  For these six counties, the value of a mill (the standard upon which taxes are collected) averages just above $100,000.  For the state, the average nearly doubles that at more than $195,000.   These are the funds used to support the standard of living, things like quality schools, and effective services like water, sewer and garbage collection. 

What is the difference?  There is very little in terms of traffic patterns.  Only 6,000 more cars pass along the I-85 corridor daily.  Communities along I-95/I-26 are lagging behind because they do not have the infrastructure; roads, bridges, water and sewage.

As I have said over and over, the projects I am involved in are pieces of a larger puzzle meant to bring this region of South Carolina on par with the rest of the state.  It is no surprise to those who have followed my career to learn that I have studied these issues, and will work tirelessly to develop viable solutions.  But because such efforts require time, tangible results are just now beginning to surface.  And to those who are just tuning in – we have only just begun.

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