Spending The state faces an additional $140 million revenue shortfall, which brings the total shortfalls for the current budget year to $320 million. The state's budget for 2007- 2008 ended the year with a $100 million deficit. For 2006- 2007, the state had a $1.3 billion surplus. The state budget is almost $7 billion. Spending increased about 40 percent during the past three years.

Been there. Done that. A Middlebury/Zogby poll reveals 18 percent of Americans would support a secessionist effort in their state. In the South, 24 percent say they would support such an effort. Among African Americans, 33 percent say they would support secession.

Top 10 states for business - S.C. No. 7 Marketing company Development Counselors International polled 281 U.S. corporate executives to find Texas ranked No. 1 with a 40.8 percent tally as the best state for business. The rest of the top 10 were (2) North Carolina, (3) Georgia, (4) Tennessee and Florida (tied), (6) Nevada, (7) South Carolina, (8) Arizona, (9) Alabama, and (10) Indiana. The state with the least favorable business climate is California.

Duke gets presumptuous North Carolina utility regulators have begun hearings on Duke Energy's idea to profit from conserving electric power (Save- A- Watt program) as well as from selling electric power. South Carolina regulators have had hearings but have failed to act on Duke's proposal.

Jafza Jafza South Carolina LLC hired TranSystems Corp., a planning firm based in Kansas City with offices in Charleston and Greenville, to master plan its 1,300- acre logistics and distribution hub in Orangeburg County. Several South Carolina firms will partner with TranSystems, including Seamon Whiteside & Associates, Atlantic South Consulting, and Davis & Floyd.

Jasper Ocean Terminal The JOT, a $450 million bi- state port on the South Carolina side of the Savannah River, is almost 10 years from full operation. Global shipping in South Carolina is expected to expand due to the $5 billion widening of the Panama Canal by 2015. Union in Charlotte The Association of Flight Attendants is the world's largest labor union of flight attendants. The union represents more than 55,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines. The union is moving from Pittsburgh into new headquarters in the Regency Executive Park in south Charlotte. The union chose Charlotte over Philadelphia for its headquarters.

Foreclosures Second- quarter foreclosures in Columbia increased 40.68% from the first quarter. In Charleston, the increase was 21.39%. Second- quarter foreclosures in South Carolina indicate one foreclosure for every 621 households. In Nevada, it's one foreclosure for every 43 households. Nevada is the national champ.

Putting money where the mouth is Bob Steel, newly named Wachovia Corp. CEO, has bought 1 million shares of stock in Wachovia, worth $16 million. Wachovia lost $8.9 billion in the second quarter and recently announced the elimination of 10,000 jobs. The price of a share of stock in Wachovia has fluctuated over the last year between $7.80 and $53.10. Steel was named Wachovia CEO on July 9. He was the under secretary for domestic finance for the U. S. Department of Treasury.

BB&T following Wachovia CEO's fine example BB&T's pension plan has bought 2.45 million shares of BB&T stock for $52.9 million. BB&T's pension plan has more than $1.5 billion in assets, 5 percent of which is held in BB&T stock.

Hotels Columbia- based Fowler Hospitality LLC has announced plans to build three hotels in Mount Pleasant for a $56 million total, or about $145,000 per room on average. The three hotels, totaling 385 rooms, are expected to be Marriott brands.

Just got a John Deere letter Charlotte- based SPX Corp. has been awarded a five- year contract with Deere & Co. SPX sells flow technology, testing and measurement equipment, thermal equipment and services, and industrial products and services.