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Article published Sep 8, 2003
Football fans and schools should cover the safety costs of their
events
Who should pay for the cost of traffic enforcement at
football games: the fans who attend or all the taxpayers in the state? It's a
much more complex question than you may think.The question has been debated in
Columbia. The General Assembly decided that all the taxpayers in the state
should foot the bill. It included a provision in the state budget that
prohibited the Highway Patrol from charging schools for providing traffic
control and enforcement at such events.The theory behind the lawmakers' move is
that the Highway Patrol is charged with enforcing the law on the roads
throughout the state all the time. Whenever there is a high-traffic event, the
Highway Patrol should respond and maintain safety.In other words, when the
Highway Patrol provides traffic control and enforcement for a football game, it
is just doing its job, for which state taxpayers already pay.Furthermore, the
state doesn't want to start a system under which state agencies can just start
charging fees and taxing other entities and individuals on their own without
going through the legislature.These are good points, but Gov. Mark Sanford
doesn't see it that way. He would rather see the football fans pay for a service
that is provided for their benefit. After all, the city of Columbia charges the
University of South Carolina for the services of its police officers directing
traffic on game days.So the governor vetoed the provision in the budget,
clearing the way for the Highway Patrol to charge for the service.Maybe.Last
week, Attorney General Henry McMaster issued an opinion stating that the Highway
Patrol has no legal authority -- regardless of the provision in the budget or
the veto -- allowing it to charge for its services.The legislature will probably
have to settle this issue when it reconvenes in January. Lawmakers' concerns are
valid, especially in setting a precedent allowing agencies to establish their
own fees.But it will be another tight budget year, and it would be worthwhile
for lawmakers to come up with an acceptable method to raise money for traffic
enforcement from football fans.