Apparently, ICA — which won the nod of Richland County Council to manage the penny sales tax construction projects — is concerned about the protests over their getting the job. They’ve sent out a mailer to some local folks, including our own Silence Dogood, protesting that they, too, are local folks. An excerpt:
In fact, ICA Engineering, formerly known as Florence & Hutcheson, has been a part of – and grown with – Columbia and Richland County for the last 30 years. From five employees in downtown Columbia in 1984, we now have 30 professionals who live, work, invest and raise their families right here. All work for the Penny Sales Tax contract will be performed in Richland County. For the past 30 years, ICA Engineering and its employees have paid state, county and city taxes here. We are also proud of the fact that the vast majority of these local employees are graduates of engineering programs at The Citadel, Clemson University and the University of South Carolina.
We also support many local charities and community organizations. We actively serve in our community through homeowners associations, churches and professional societies. I recently served as chair of the Issues Committee for the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce. We have supported organizations such as Epworth Children’s Home and the Special Olympics. Many of us have served on School Improvement Councils and have been a part of Leadership Columbia as well. We also support and are active in local economic development agencies, like the Central SC Alliance, that focus on growing the area’s economy and creating jobs….
You can read the whole letter here. Yeah, I’ve been rooting for the team that was rated No. 1 and didn’t get the job, CECS. But never let it be said that I don’t give you everybody’s point of view. Within reason, of course.
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So why didn’t the council just say what ICA said and avoid the hissy fit about excluding the watchdog committee?
Part of the story here seems to be that the council doesn’t feel it has to explain itself. Why, I can’t imagine — when you consider that they’re going completely against the wishes of the watchdog committee. You’d think they’d be falling all over themselves wanting to explain, and justify their decision…
L’etat c’est moi
I really got a whiff of Louis somebody with county council as reported on this….Seth Rose is my rep, and does a great job. Some of the others?
If you go to ICA’s website, it’s clear they’re a regional company. They hold themselves out as a company with “over 300 professionals in 13 offices across the southeast”.
Not that there’s anything necessarily wrong with that. I just wouldn’t call them a “local” company. As Brad mentioned, the big problem here was the council just doing something without explaining itself.
PARTICULARLY since the purpose of the oversight committee was to increase public trust in the process. And the first thing that comes along, the council just blows them off? It just doesn’t make any sense…
NOTHING, I reapeat, NOTHING about this “penny” tax has done anything to increase public trust or confidence in government. From the campaign to support it, to the Richland County Robbery, to the lawsuit response, to the aftermath in the elections office.
I predict we’ll squander this billion dollars, and need a billion more.
And pretty soon, we’ll be talking about real money. #rememberdirksen
Few people care about the results. The majority only care about the window dressing and the feel-good-ness of altruistic tax grabs.
I want to see the riverwalk loop trail(s) completed. That will be progress.
me, too.
The Timmerman trail, over by SCANA, is progressing nicely, though! They almost have this ridiculously fabulous bridge in, and almost have closed the loop on the river side.
Ratepayer money.
Ratepayer money that is coming out of SCANA profits, due them according to law…