Sanford held court for a couple of hours at the Embassy Suites downtown. He told the 120 or so hospitality folks in attendance that junking minibottles may be harder than people think.

"I think we're due for a huge fight," Sanford said. "I would ask for you all to make noise because it's only noise that pulls off change in the political process."

After years of attempts, state lawmakers passed a bill in June that lets residents decide whether to throw out the 1.7-ouncers. About 74 percent of restaurants and bars want to see the minibottle mandate killed, according to a survey by the Hospitality Association of South Carolina.

But a brochure campaign in favor of minis recently hit liquor stores statewide. Interestingly enough, it's funded by a group that calls itself the Palmetto Hospitality Association. Word is, some of the state's big distributors and one of the major distillers are behind the push, although no companies have linked themselves to the campaign yet.

The hospitality folks, joined by Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, are cranking up a grassroots push to convince voters to kill mandatory minis.

DEAD WEIGHT

Independence Air has severed ties with the struggling old-guard airlines it served before its rebirth as a discount airline. But one remaining vestige may cost the carrier $25 million a year for the next 11 to 16 years.

Flyi Inc., the company that owns Independence, is slowly transferring the leases on 30 jets back to Delta Air Lines. But if Delta files for bankruptcy, which most analysts expect in a matter of weeks, Independence likely will be stuck making payments on those planes, jets that it has not planned on using. Independence turned two of the planes back over to Delta in September, it has agreements to hand over seven more this month and the remaining 20 are supposed to change hands Nov. 2.

If Delta defaults on the leases before they expire, Independence is left with the bill.

MORE AIRPORT BEDS

Springfield, Mo.-based John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc. cut the ribbon a week ago on its new $15 million Residence Inn by Marriott near the airport.

Hammons, who owns the hotel, and the company he controls will manage the property.

Because of some one-time losses, in the quarter-ended July 4 Hammons' company posted a $2.6 million loss compared with a $79,000 gain in the year-earlier period. But thanks to some cost-cutting and improved group business, John Q. Hammons' six-month profit has increased five-fold. Its stock has surged 66 percent in the past year.

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