The chairman of the State Ports Authority appealed to
a well-connected group of Charleston business executives Tuesday to lobby for
more public and political support of South Carolina's ports in the coming year.
In what has become a familiar rallying cry for more state funds and
legislative attention to the SPA, Harry Butler, a real estate developer who's
been SPA chairman for almost a year, acknowledged the disconnect he sees between
the port's intended role in the state and the public's perception of it.
"What I've found surprising is the number of people who don't think the State
Ports Authority and the South Carolina ports belong to them," Butler told
members of the Rotary Club of Charleston. "It's yours, and I think you need to
take ownership of it. We need your help."
Alluding to both the conflict between residents and port leaders about
terminal expansion and the sometimes distant relationship between the port and
state government, Butler echoed recent sentiment from the maritime community
that the state's port system is at a crossroads.
Improving the SPA's image as an efficient job creator that benefits the
entire state could be a crucial step in getting public support for controversial
land projects, like expansion at the Wando-Welch Terminal in Mount Pleasant and
a new terminal at the former Navy base in North Charleston, and perhaps more
financial backing from the state.
The SPA has been courting various business and development groups such as the
Rotary and has recently been successful in strengthening those ties. It has
renewed support from groups such as the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce and
the Maritime Association of the Port of Charleston for its proposals to the
Legislature, which began a new session Tuesday.
The SPA and its supporters are pushing for new tax incentives to help lure
international firms to South Carolina, as well as millions of dollars for road
studies of North Charleston, where the proposed $500 million terminal could make
or break the land-strapped Port of Charleston.
But Butler expressed concern that even one of the SPA's smallest requests for
state funds might be in jeopardy. Despite a past commitment from the state to
help pay for a recent harbor-deepening project, Butler questioned whether South
Carolina's cinched budget might move lawmakers to invest the money elsewhere.
The SPA is counting on annual contributions of more than $2 million from the
state to pay off the remaining $15.3 million in debt for the project, which
increased the depth of Charleston's harbor to 45 feet to accommodate some of the
largest cargo ships hauling goods into the port.
Gov. Mark Sanford proposed a $2.4 million contribution next year for the
project, but it's up to the General Assembly to approve that funding.
"It's important we receive that installment each year because we can't pay
for existing improvements at other terminals and pay for harbor deepening, too,"
Butler said.
He urged business executives to use their political clout to push for funding
and to promote expansion of the port.
Opponents of some of the projects he was touting Tuesday say more port
terminals, and larger ones, are causing irreversible damage to the region's
roads and environment.
Butler argued that the port is, instead, the community's best asset, creating
jobs for thousands of people and helping pump billions of dollars into the
state's economy.
"At some point we have to have the backbone to say 99 percent of the people
positively affected mean more than a few who have a problem with (expansion),"
Butler said. "We have a tendency today to do what's harmful to the most people
to protect a very few, and we've got to change that."
Kris Wise covers ports and trade. Contact her at kwise@postandcourier. com or
937-5496.
