Worried that an adult video store might win a court case that would allow the store to stay open as it appeals an earlier decision that it must close or move to an industrial zone, City Councilman Wendell Gilliard requested, and was granted, the use of a city bus to transport anti-porn protestors to the court.
About 30 residents traveled on Wednesday to a hearing in nearby Anderson on a bus owned and operated by the Charleston Police Department.
"I think the city should offer up any sort of transportation when it comes to fighting terror in our community," Gilliard said, defending his use of public property to support his political agenda. "When we want to utilize taxpayers' money to rid our community of negative elements, we ought to be able to do so."
Police officials defend the trip, claiming that it was not misuse of public funds as the bus was not acquired by public funds, but with seized assets of drug dealers.
"It's not public funds. It's drug dealers' funds," said Charleston police Chief Reuben Greenberg. "I'm sure the drug dealers would have preferred to keep it in their pockets."
Greenberg said he would not have allowed the buses to be used on behalf of anyone who wanted to support the store in court or for other purposes not in the interests of law enforcement.
"I don't think that I have any obligation to be equitable about it," he said.
The mayor and most of the City Council also supported the use of the bus. Only one City Councilman, Robert George, objected.
"What if a group of citizens who were against the half-cent sales tax wanted to have a city bus to go up to Columbia?" George said. "Is that any less legitimate? Where do we draw the line?"
Fortunately for C&C Video, the retailer in question, law isn't a matter of public opinion. Despite the protesting, the retailer won their case, and may stay open for the duration of their appeal process in the zoning case - which could take up to a year to resolve.
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