Briefs

by John Temple Ligon

The South

The 11 states of the old Confederacy plus Kentucky and Oklahoma make up the South, where 70 years ago the average income was $314 a year, which in today's dollars would be $4,400. That was about half the national average. Today, the average income in the South is 91% of the national average, but the cost of living is similarly less than the national average.

Pee Dee International

Columbia- based Wilbur Smith Associates is investigating a regional airport concept, probably to locate between Florence and Myrtle Beach with a construction budget in the billions. Annually 1,400,000 passengers fly in and out of Myrtle Beach, while the Florence airport has 120,000 passengers.

Travel South delegates tour Columbia

Tour operators from 13 Southeastern states were scheduled to visit Columbia attractions, March 8- 10. Included on their itinerary were the Columbia Museum of Art, EdVenture, S.C. State Museum, and the Riverbanks Zoo. The group leaves for Myrtle Beach and the 25th Travel South Showcase, March 10- 14.

More money sells Myrtle Beach

The Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce has a marketing budget of $10 million for 2007, five times more than it spent last year. In the past five years, 20,000 lodging units were built, bringing the beach total to 90,000, enough to accommodate 20 million tourists. The beach had about 14 million tourists last year.

Meanwhile, down in Charleston

Hotel developers have filed plans to build almost 3,500 new hotel rooms in the Charleston region over the next few years. That's a 25% increase over the current supply.

Next year for Valentine's

Available online at www.sceg.com/gift, gift certificates can be bought from SCE&G in amounts from $25 up to $150. One advantage is extending financial support with intended use. In other words, the disorganized and under- funded can fall behind on their utility payments, and a cash gift still might not make it to the power company to keep the energy flowing and the heat on. A gift certificate is just the ticket. After a year or two, watch for a secondary market in SCE&G gift certificates. A $150 gift certificate could be worth how much in alternative entertainments and escapes? And until the gift certificate is redeemed, SCE&G gets the float.

Budget above the border

N.C. Gov. Mike Easley recently proposed a $20.1 billion budget, a little less than three times the S.C. proposed budget with almost twice the S.C. population.

Big spenders

In a recent survey conducted by the Travel Industry Association, Gourmet magazine, and the International Culinary Tourism Association, domestic food travelers spend an average of $1,194 per trip. The top 15 destinations for food- related travel by survey respondents: California (14%), Florida (10%), New York (7%), Texas (6%), North Carolina (4%), Georgia (4%), Louisiana (3%), Illinois (3%), Nevada (3%), Pennsylvania (3%), Washington (3%), Hawaii (3%), Michigan (2%), Arizona (2%), Virginia (2%). Wine travelers average $973 per trip. The top 12 destinations for wine- related travel: California (31%), New York (10%), Missouri (5%), North Carolina (5%), Oregon (5%), Pennsylvania (5%), Washington (4%), Virginia (4%), Texas (4%), Florida (2%), Michigan (2%), Ohio (2%). It's interesting to note North Carolina's shared places for fifth in food and fourth in wine.

U.S. Senator Dodd (D-Conn.)

Presidential aspirant Dodd was in Columbia last Friday, March 2, speaking on U.S. competitiveness in the 21st century. His policy proposals included: providing a world- class education, returning fiscal discipline to Washington, increasing access to capital, and instituting a new global trade policy.

He's the Marion kind

Congressman Joe Wilson on Monday, March 5, was happy to report a 390- 0 vote that passed his Francis Marion Act authorizing a commemorative work on federal land (Marion Park, in Washington at the end of South Carolina Avenue) to honor Brigadier General Francis Marion.

Books

The 11th annual S.C. Book Festival, March 3- 4, drew about 6,000 book lovers to meet 74 authors and tour 101 exhibits, all at the convention center on Lincoln Street. One session on Saturday with Tennessee- born poet Nikki Giovanni attracted 500 people.

Retail developments

Northeast Richland County, according to Colliers Keenan Real Estate, has 3,304,173 square feet of retail space, up from 2,747,118 in 2005. Downtown Columbia has 231,075 square feet of retail space, the same as in 2005. The total square feet of retail space in the greater Columbia market is 10,766,518, which is about 91% occupied. Northeast Richland is 86% occupied, and downtown, 99%.

Hedge your bets

Hedge funds and their estimated $1.4 trillion at play worldwide are still unregulated, and they are likely to stay that way. The Bush administration in late February said there was no need for greater government oversight. Last year, each of the top 25 hedge fund managers took home $352 million, on average.