Jul 31 2008
Liston Barfield Wastes Taxpayer Money On Lavish Vacation
S.C. taxpayers will pick up the $100,000 tab for a group of German politicians to visit Grand Strand attractions and party at the Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort this fall.
The week long visit from Germany’s Partnership of Parliaments is part of a controversial $10 million competitive grant program approved last month by a five-person state committee appointed by the governor and legislators.
The grants, funded by taxpayer dollars, have been derided by Gov. Mark Sanford and others as being a slush fund for legislators’ pet projects. Sanford has said the pork-barrel spending often receives little or no oversight.
However, Horry County legislator Liston Barfield, R-Aynor, said the Germany grant might prompt more people from that country to vacation in the Myrtle Beach area.
Barfield sponsored the $100,000 grant, which was the largest for any area group or project.
State Representative Liston Barfield apparently got the idea that it’s perfectly ok for him to take the money that you have worked hard for and use it to wine and dine foreign dignitaries for a week in Myrtle Beach and he didn’t think you’d mind. Evidently, this is his idea of promoting tourism. I find it interesting that it’s all going to his home county.
Now I am no expert travel agent, but I really don’t see how blowing 100 grand on a lavish vacation for politicians will have a positive effect on bringing German tourists to South Carolina. I would imagine $100,000 on ads and commercials would be a more favorable method, assuming the state government should even be spending our money on this in the first place. Is this Barfield’s idea of small government or is he another Republican liar pretending to be a conservative at election time? I know where my bets are hedged on that question.
Let me get this straight..
we ‘wasted” $5000 trying to attract a known demographic (gays) that is known to spend huge sums of cash when they travel…
then we turn around and “invest” $100,000 to try and attract a demographic that doesnt come close to spending the same amount per person..
That pretty much sums up Columbia.
What your saying is you would rather turn Myrtle Beach into another San Francisco and let the Queers do their thing in front of our children then try to get German people to come to the beach.I think it’s a sin to waste taxpayers money on a vacation no matter which party does it.