While no one would deny that money is important
in politics, there is a difference between donating to a campaign and
a system of political spoils. We have a right to express our political
beliefs by supporting candidates, but we should not tolerate decisions
that are reached (or appear to have been reached) based on who gave
the most money.
Since his first gubernatorial campaign in 1998,
Jim Hodges has consistently blurred this distinction. During the
lottery debate and now in his re-election campaign, a correlation is
developing between entities that support his political ambitions and
those who have business before our state. I have grown weary of
hearing businesspeople tell me, "I would like to help you but we have
got to support Hodges for business reasons." Even if that perception
were only a misperception among businesspeople, the fact that it
exists is wrong.
Tragically, it is more than a misperception. In
his latest filing with the State Ethics Commission, Mr. Hodges
disclosed $17,500 in contributions from a cluster of Colorado-based
construction companies, all of which use the same mailing address. It
turns out one of these companies, Flatiron Structures, has been
selected as a partner in the new $531 million Cooper River Bridge and
is managing partner for the $240 million Carolina Bays Parkway. With
so many transportation contracts out there, should we be surprised
that Gov. Hodges' latest filing reveals at least $150,000 in
contributions from construction-related firms? Should we be surprised
many of these firms appear on the Transportation Department's List of
Qualified Bidders?
Here is what concerns me: Phillips and Jordan of
Knoxville, Tenn., the construction firm selected to grade the Conway
Bypass, not only gave $3,500 to Gov. Hodges this past quarter but also
gave $1,000 last year to the Lottery Coalition. What interest could
this company, or California-based Flour Enterprises (which gave $2,500
to Mr. Hodges this quarter and $1,000 to the lottery and was awarded
the general contract for the Conway Bypass) possibly have in South
Carolina's lottery? What on earth does a lottery have to do with
grading a highway? We all know why Scientific Games contributed; after
giving $25,000 to the Lottery Coalition, it happened to be awarded the
lucrative lottery distribution contract. But how do these construction
companies explain their contributions? And how does Gov. Hodges
explain accepting them?
For that matter, why did New York investment
firms Paine-Webber, Salomon Smith Barney and Goldman Sachs donate a
combined $22,750 to the S.C. Lottery for Better Schools Coalition in
2000? I used to work for Goldman Sachs. Goldman Sachs has no more
interest in South Carolina's lottery than you and I have in New York's
lottery. These firms are interested in securing tobacco bond business
in South Carolina and are merely paying the price of admission.
Sadly, these contributions may be only the tip
of the iceberg. If there is a pattern of giving to the governor and
his causes, how much more do these entities give to his political
party or invest as an independent expenditure on his behalf? Companies
can give $10 million -- or more -- to the Democratic Party without
having to report anything, and if they gave $10 million, what do they
expect in return?
Last year, Gov. Hodges vetoed legislation that
would have required stricter disclosure of campaign contributions. He
commissioned a task force on campaign finance reform only to have its
recommendations gather dust on his desk for the last seven months.
Gov. Hodges and I see these issues very
differently. If elected governor, I would fight for disclosure of
independent expenditures and soft money contributions to political
parties -- Republican and Democratic. If someone seeks to influence an
election, or is essentially required by a politician to pay homage for
a paving contract, it should be disclosed for all S.C. taxpayers to
critique.
Thomas Jefferson once wrote, "There is only one
force in the nation that can be depended upon to keep the government
pure and the governors honest, and that is the people themselves." It
is time for the people of South Carolina to keep our government pure
and our governor honest -- and we need the light of day on all
political contributions to do that.
