Faith's optimism on auto park tempered by Sanford

e-mail this story Dan Hoover • Faith's optimism on auto park tempered by Sanford (08/24/03) • GOP gleeful at possible Dem strife (08/16/03) • GOP runoff grows more likely in 4th District (08/02/03) • Erwin pins rebound hopes on primary (07/26/03) • Tenenbaum jump-starts '06 election (05/24/03)

Gov. Mark Sanford brought a bucket of cold water to Greenville last week and doused hopes that an auto park breakthrough was at hand, hopes raised by his own Commerce Department.

Comments by Commerce Secretary Bob Faith on Wednesday and a department spokeswoman on Tuesday, suggesting that it was all over but the shouting, were tempered by Sanford's remarks during a Thursday tour of BMW's Greer plant.

"I don't want to raise expectations unnecessarily high," Sanford said.

Sanford's spokesman said the governor and Faith are on the same page and reiterated earlier gubernatorial statements, that the deal is moving along, but there are no guarantees that locations and developers won't change.

Done deal?

Faith appeared unequivocal about the auto park becoming a reality, telling the Upstate Alliance in Clinton on Wednesday that "we're going to be the engineering, design, knowledge-based capital of the auto industry."

He amplified on comments made Tuesday by Clare Morris, the Commerce Department's spokeswoman who suggested that the center is all but a done deal.

"Everything is not signed yet, but everything is basically poised to be signed," Morris said.

The announcement should come in October, she said.

And spokesperson-types generally don't utter public comments inconsistent with the boss's views.

Screeching halt

But Sanford appeared to hit the brakes on Thursday.

"I want to emphasize it's Secretary Faith's job to be optimistic," Sanford said in reiterating — twice — that negotiations with Florida developer Clifford Rosen were closer to a deal but were not signed.

"A deal is not a deal until a deal is signed."

That was seconds after Faith, standing beside Sanford, had said that the deal was little more than "a matter of finalizing the details."

As he has done almost since taking office in January, Sanford refused to lay out any of his reservations about the initial project other than that the best interests of South Carolina's taxpayers had not been a factor during the negotiations.

Sanford said he has never detailed his reservations and wouldn't start now.

He stepped into the project shortly after his January inauguration.

Some local legislators, including Rep. Lewis Vaughn, said weeks ago that Sanford was frittering away precious political capital through his intervention and the prolonged negotiations. Most have steered clear of openly criticizing Sanford, although their body language suggests otherwise.

Upstate worries

In February, House Speaker David Wilkins, R-Greenville, hand-delivered to Sanford a letter of concern from a worried Greenville Chamber of Commerce and Mayor Knox White. That brought Sanford to Greenville for a City Hall press conference to reassure local boosters of his support.

Last week's comments raised anew the question of just where things stand.

Faith said the state is closer to a deal with Rosen, a major contributor to Democratic Gov. Jim Hodges, than it is to ending the talks and seeking a new developer.

He and Sanford "are in lockstep on this," Faith said.

"We may have different styles as to how we talk, but we are committed" to landing the auto park, he said. Still, he added the standard administration caveat that it might not be with Rosen or in the proposed Greenville location at I-85 near Laurens Road.

"We're saying the same thing, and it does look good," Faith said.

Role-playing?

Good cop-bad cop?

"It played out that way, but that's not necessarily any strategy or goal we're trying to create," Faith said. "You know, in that particular conversation, that's the way it looked like."

Will Folks, Sanford's spokesman, said both the governor and the secretary are correct, each fulfilling his role.

"The governor's role is to mind the company store and promote the larger vision. The secretary's role is managing the day-to-day process," Folks said.

Did the governor undercut Faith?

"I don't agree with the premise, so I don't know how to answer that," Folks said.

Such a notion is "pretty darn silly," Faith said.

Folks said that Sanford "from the beginning has said the larger vision for this park is going to happen and it's going to happen in Greenville and that it will ultimately be a value add on the front end and the back end for the taxpayers of South Carolina. His message has been consistent from day one."

Democratic criticism

But Joe Erwin, a Greenville businessman who doubles as chairman of the state Democratic Party, has a different take.

"I'm disappointed in how the governor has handled this. I respect his right to engage in due diligence, but I think there has been far too much grandstanding and a lack of clarity in handling this situation.

"This initiative began long before he was ever elected by very responsible businesspeople and institutions, (including) Clemson University, BMW and Greenville's movers and shakers," he said.

Erwin said Rosen, the developer, deserves credit for "making it all possible," but if the deal collapses, he would question whether Sanford was motivated by political retaliation. Rosen and members of his family donated thousands of dollars to the re-election campaign of Hodges, whom Sanford defeated last November.

"That would be a terribly petty thing," Erwin said.

Sanford has said his motivation was the best deal for taxpayers, not Rosen's ties to Hodges.

Erwin said if the auto park — and its projected 20,000 high-wage jobs and Clemson University campus — falls through, Sanford "may as well not consider running for re-election."

Dan Hoover's column appears on Sunday. He can be reached at (864) 298-4883 or toll-free at (800) 274-7879, extension 4883.