For the past several weeks, there has been some activity regarding improper loans given by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to the City of Columbia and then to people close to two City Council members. The loans involved Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine and Councilman Daniel Rickenmann. Ironically, they’re the two at-large members of the Council.
Both of the HUD loans were for business development in the Sumter-Columbia Empowerment Zone. Interestingly in regard to Devine, one loan was made to her mother, Veronica Isaac, for $280,000. Isaac used that money to purchase a building at 1419 Richland Street. She then rented out the building to Devine’s law firm. HUD said the problem was that the loan wasn’t used to create any new jobs in the Zone. Subsequently, Isaac had to repay the loan to the city and the city then sent the cash back to HUD.
For Rickenmann, it involves two now-defunct Birds On A Wire restaurants he started, one of which was outside the Zone. The loan was $179,000 to the two businessmen, Bryan Singleton and Cameron Jordan Jr., who bought the restaurants from Rickenmann. While the Councilman says he has documentation that nothing untoward occurred, HUD apparently has documents that report the money was a part of the purchase. When the restaurants went belly-up, the gentlemen defaulted on the loan. According to The State, there is the possibility that the city will have to repay that one, as well.
No matter where the blame is placed or how it is divided, the city government has yet again fallen down on the job of monitoring to whom the checks are cut and what’s being done with the money that is being doled out. How long is it going to be before there’s an overhaul of the Council and the people who run the city finances?
Columbia City Councilman Daniel Rickenmann should really have someone talk to him. You know, a good sit-down, like you’d do with a child that just got a 17 on a test. Yes, the student got the concept that it was a test and that answers should be given, but other wise it was an epic fail. Such is what Rickenmann did at the City Council meeting Wednesday.
According to The State’s Adam Beam’s tweet, the at-large member thought it would be a good idea to raise hospitality tax revenue by getting Carolina to — and we’re not kidding here — schedule more noon kickoffs so that fans will stick around and go to dinner and other such activities.
Let’s go through the number of reasons this is one of the most asinine comments to come out of City Council in a while (and that’s saying something). First, there is a reason most games in the South are scheduled for after 6 p.m. — it’s too fucking hot out. People will fall out, have health problems, &c. Even well-conditioned football players will be at risk for dehydration, cramping and other such issues. It’s bad enough with a 3:30 p.m. CBS start. OK, that’s one thing.
Second is Carolina doesn’t have much control over what time when the games are played. The Southeastern Conference, ESPN and CBS have deals that decide who plays on what channel and at what time. Obviously, Rickenmann didn’t consider that USC would have to, some way, somehow, throw a spanner in the works of the millions and millions of dollars involved for the networks, the conference and yes, the member institutions.
If Columbia wants to raise more cash from the hospitality tax, making unreasonable suggestions about seven weekends out of 52 might not be the best idea.
