McMaster’s pledge for I-73 funding is not best use of COVID relief funding as SC recovers

Certainly, we welcome construction of I-73, a project decades in the making that would ultimately benefit the state’s tourism economy and increase much-needed coastal evacuation routes during severe weather.

This week, Gov. Henry McMaster pledged $300 million in state funding to support the project, which currently has an estimated total price tag of well over $1 billion. We welcome McMaster’s commitment to the project, too.

“I believe that I-73 will be a transformative component in South Carolina,” McMaster said. “... This new interstate will collect supply chains to efficiently move goods and services across our state.”

Horry County, Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach have been working on plans to raise money for the project, which McMaster said would need a local contribution of about $350 million, a federal contribution of $430 million and a total of $795 million from the state.

But while McMaster’s pledge would be a significant contribution, as our reporters noted, that $300 million isn’t really McMaster’s to give. “The state legislature will still have to vote to approve the funding.”

So, the question is will the Legislature go along with McMaster’s plan?

GOP Rep. William Bailey, who represents Horry County, doesn’t think so.

“In South Carolina, only the General Assembly has budget responsibility and the power to designate monies for various projects throughout the state. It is unlikely the General Assembly will have the appetite to justify to their constituents the Governor’s proposal,” Bailey wrote in a statement.

Bailey, also citing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, said the Governor’s timing was off.

“For me, for the Governor to make this announcement at this time is one of the most irresponsible actions I have witnessed in my three years representing the amazing people of District 104,” Bailey wrote.

Bailey said the state is still “battling COVID-19” and must prioritize the needs of our hospitals and first responders. “Health and safety should always be our first priority,” he said.

He then explained that it is the everyday infrastructure - the roads and bridges residents use to get to work, to get to school, to get to the grocery store - that need attention first.

“On multiple occasions, elected officials have been told there are no monies for our deteriorating and unsafe local roads in Horry County. These are roads that our residents use every day and desperately need to ensure their quality of life. These are the roads that should take priority over I-73,” Bailey explained.

He also opposed McMaster’s pronouncements regarding the American Rescue Plan funds for projects not tied to the pandemic.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey may have started that trend when she announced plans to use as much as $400 million of her state’s coronavirus relief funds to build new prisons. Her plan has been widely criticized, but Ivey noted in a Twitter statement that the law allows the funds to be used to replace lost revenue and gives wide latitude to states.

If Bailey’s response is any indication, the governor may be hard pressed to win support for his pledge among his own party and the search for funding will continue.

“I recognize and appreciate that the tourism industry is extremely important to our economy and many people have worked long and hard for the I-73 project. However, it cannot come at the price of the quality of life for South Carolinians who have endured so many hardships as a result of the Covid -19 crisis,” Bailey wrote.

The reality is the pandemic is not over.

More than 12,700 of our fellow residents are dead and just about 52.6% of our residents are fully vaccinated. Schools and hospitals are still struggling, and businesses across the Palmetto state need support to survive.

Bailey is right. As much as I-73 could benefit our state in the long run, we have to focus on the here and now, using all the federal funds available to support our communities in their recovery from the devastating effects of COVID-19.

This story was originally published October 5, 2021 at 11:00 AM with the headline "McMaster’s pledge for I-73 funding is not best use of COVID relief funding as SC recovers."