Few federal dollars in Obama budget for Folly Beach

FOLLY BEACH -- The island sands continue to wash away. The popular Charleston County Park is so badly eroded that the office sits stranded in the tide, behind a boardwalk that once carried visitors over the dunes.

But so far, there's no money to fix severely damaged Folly Beach.

Local officials who hoped to find $15 million in President Obama's budget to renourish the popular tourist destination, were chagrined today to learn the budget provides only $400,000 to plan it. They now pin their hope on a meeting in Washington later this month with the S.C. congressional delegation.

Meanwhile, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has denied a $5.5 million emergency grant for a temporary fix. Ironically, the grant was denied because the beach is scheduled to be completely renourished in 2013.

The $3.8 trillion budget was released today to immediate criticism by Republicans in an election year where it's expected to become campaign cannon fodder.

Read more later at postandcourier.com and also in tomorrow's newspaper.