City of Columbia, S.C. mayor Steve Benjamin will easily win reelection this year despite his administration’s rampant corruption – and despite increased public awareness of a growing gang problem within South Carolina’s capital city.
According to the results of a new poll obtained exclusively by FITS, Benjamin enjoys a 55-16 percent edge over city councilman Moe Baddourah in the Columbia mayoral race – with 29 percent of those polled saying they were undecided.
Results of the poll – conducted by Crantford Research – can be viewed here.
Benjamin’s margin comes despite the fact 75 percent of those polled believe the city of Columbia, S.C. has a gang problem (compared to 9 percent who say it doesn’t and 16 percent who were “not sure”). Meanwhile 65 percent of respondents said the Five Points region of the city was not a “safe place to visit at night” (compared to 12 percent who said it was and 23 percent who said they were “not sure”).
Benjamin famously declared Five Points “safe” earlier this year – a prediction that has wound up being dead wrong.
Clearly his failed leadership is not costing him much in the way of support, though … which is interesting when you consider 42 percent of those surveyed for this poll say Columbia’s elected leaders are not “doing enough to make Columbia a safe place to live and work” (compared to 35 percent said they were and 23 percent who were “not sure”).
If only Benjamin had a credible opponent to take advantage of those numbers ….
41 comments
…and that is why people move to Lexington.
although I’m sure you’re not holding up Lexington as a paragon of virtue, correct?
:)
They’ve just been smarter about their corruption and their policies not quite as destructive(yet).
Not at all, but we can stand on our side of the river and feel how lucky we are we aren’t living on the other side.
True dat.
I’d still much rather live on the Columbia side of the river.
Just don’t live in the hood.
Well someone has to pay all those taxes and fees.
i thought it was for the meth
Well you have crack on one side and meth on the other, and I hear there’s more money in meth.
And you can make meth on your front porch with empty mountain dew bottles…
Someone’s been watching YouTube again.
Our county council is working hard at becoming as self-serving and ready to squander taxpayer monies as Columbia’s or Richland County’s councils.
They just voted to squander a bunch of money on recreation and probably will raise taxes for that. They also have voted to hire some consulting firm at an obscene (hundreds of thousands of dollars) rate to tell them how they can squander the penny tax they will be pushing through soon.
I am so ashamed of my council woman (Debbie Summers) and the rest of the trash who believe since we have to pay their taxes, it is ok for them to squander it away as they please.
Hmmm…. Is it because “Moe Baddourah” sounds like a terrorist’s name?
lol….great picture of party boy
His “smile” is infectious.
From the stories I’ve heard that’s probably not the only part of him that’s infectious.
The former police chief probably knows the specifics.
It’s because voters in Columbia are one of three (3) things:
1. Ignorant: they care but don’t really know what’s going on and who is responsible for it
2. Corrupt: they know what is going on and who is responsible for it but they get something out of it
3. Apathetic: they are too busy watching Gamecock/Clemson football and not paying enough attention to care what is going on and who is responsible for it.
You just more or less described the nations electorate, not just Columbia.
Maybe substitute “NFL”, or “Honey Boo Boo”, etc. in for #3…but basically it’s the same everywhere.
In their defense on point #3 though, there is an element of rational disinterest in the whole affair, if when any candidate is elected nothing changes substantially 99.9% of the time.
Except things have changed, for the worse of course.
Natural evolution Jay – a fundamental argument against the theory of evolution is entropy the fact that things don’t naturally evolve, they devolve or break down.
Only action on the part of an external actor can change the natural decline. I have a high end watch, waterproof to a depth far deeper than I’ll ever dive; it is self winding and theoretically shouldn’t need any input from me to keep perfect time – except that every 6-8 years, it begins to lose time. An expensive trip
to the jeweler “sets it aright” for another 6-8 years.
If we could find the right “jeweler”, our ship of state can be readily (not easily, but readily) be set “aright”
The “debate” last night solidified the fact that we are screwed 6 ways from sunday.
P.O.S.
Bingo Jay! Lots more I will never share.. Less I need some book revenue!! :)
World’s thinnest book: “Honest Black American Politicians From 1865 to the Present Day”
Correction the world’s tinnest book would be “Honest American Politicians Period” regardless of race or party!
I think there were some honest politicians back when the concept of the “citizen lawmaker” was still common. Now, with dirtbag, parasitic, self-serving, career politicians, you are exactly right.
You mean like that liar Cory Booker?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rNnNIV9oKI
Pathetic. It’s only a matter of time before the corruption implodes in the City of Columbia.
Toal has his back on the complaints to the ODC. It’s a joke.
Did you mean “has his “black””? That I can believe.
T-bone Benji will be mayor until Clyburn retires, then he’ll become the 6th district congressman.
Remember, you heard it from the machine.
The thugs in five points most assuredly want to keep him in, they haven’t had easy pickings this good in ages!
Open season on creepy ass crackers.
Aaaaaah, yes. Cola will become the proud “Detroit of the South!” Just give us time…
Hey Sic…lose the Nail Fungus ads, PLEASE!
I’m still waiting on the results from my STD test so I know if I have crabs or not.
I used to see those ads back in the 90’s about “counting carbs” and I came to realize the announce was dyslexic. He really meant counting crabs. Unlike counting sheep, once you count all those crotch crickets you can’t get back to sleep.
YES – they are disgusting!!
I’d still love to know what cinched the deal where Sypolt dropped out and threw his support to Benjamin. Was it threats to reveal some kind of dirt that Benji had on Sypolt? Was it reward by promising Sypolt the Chief’s job at CPD? Was it a combination of the two?
Whatever the case, if the citizens of Columbia are stupid enough to re-elect Benjamin, I hope their taxes double over the next year. They get the government they deserve. I only feel sorry for the few who vote against Benji and the workers who have come there to work or those who occasionally have to eat or purchase goods in Cola.
Just read 10-30 post on the Winthrop Poll.
Nikki Haley’s voters are just as simple minded as Steve Benjamin’s.
We don’t stand a chance with the voters we have.
Wait until you see who he plans to make Asst. Chief of Police once he is re-elected. A close friend with no real qualifications.
So many people in Columbia are drinking the Kool-Aid of Mayor Benjamin. What really is his track record for Columbia? He seems to always be connected to the big real estate deals in Columbia. Why push for a strong arm mayor? Unless you have a personal agenda with it. The biggest two concerns for Columbia are getting reputable leadership in the police department and good protection for all people entering Columbia. I have not heard his voice once on this. Without good security, nothing else will prosper in Columbia. My heart goes out to the ones living under such poor leadership. Columbia, by far is much better than what we are seeing. The bottom line is it all goes back to leadership. Its up to the people!
Columbia will be like Detroit before long due to this ass of gangster nigger wanna be fuckin be leader. Liberals want so I hope they are happy when a band of these feral aped break into there non gun owning home!