For weeks now, you’ve been barraged by news stories about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009,
Tom at a press Conference re: South Carolina state budget, Feb. 2009 with Gov. Mark Sanford and Ashley Landess, Executive Director, SC Policy Council
a/k/a the federal “stimulus.” And many of you have contacted me, angry and confused about the status of the stimulus money targeted for South Carolina.
The overwhelming majority of the $8 billion in federal stimulus allocated for our state is already on the way. Steps have been taken by Gov. Sanford to ensure that all but $700 million of the $8 billion will come to South Carolina. The debate is over that remaining $700 million.
The governor says he will apply for the $700 million only if the legislature passes a budget that pays down a corresponding amount of our state’s debt. Senior legislators want to use that one-time federal money to pay for recurring programs.
I thought an editorial published in the Island Packet and the Beaufort Gazette this past Saturday summed things up pretty well, and offered a sensible solution. That editorial can be accessed here (and is printed below).
When you get the chance, please take a look and let me know what you think. Thanks.
Tom
Stop the grandstanding, draft responsible budget
Published in the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette on Saturday, April 11, 2009
Political posturing over the federal stimulus money must stop.
It’s time for state senators to draft a budget based on the money they know they have. Right now, that doesn’t include the $350 million for education and law enforcement under Gov. Mark Sanford’s control.
Sanford, for his part, has to accept that he can’t use stimulus money intended to stabilize budgets to pay down debt.
This year’s budget process is highly unusual because Sanford has a substantive role to play. The federal stimulus package has placed $700 million over the next two years under his control. He must apply for the grants, and he will determine how the money is allocated. Lawmakers used to making quick work of overturning Sanford’s budget vetoes must face that fact. Legislation ordering him to appropriate the stimulus money only leads us to court, not to a fiscally sound budget.
State Sen. Tom Davis of Beaufort is pushing for everyone to do their jobs. Lawmakers should do the best they can writing a budget with the money they have. The budget shouldn’t include laying off thousands of teachers to make political points, and it should include federal stimulus money we know we do have (about $578 million to date).
(It should be noted that nearly all of the $8 billion in stimulus money for South Carolina is coming. Only $700 million over the next two years is in doubt.)
But Sanford shouldn’t leave that $700 million sitting on the table. He should figure out how to use the money, following federal requirements and his own political principles. Sanford lost on the question of using stimulus money to pay down the state’s debt, but that doesn’t mean he’s wrong about the need to refrain from spending money today in a way that could add to that debt in the future.
If lawmakers have a hope of moving Sanford to use the $700 million, they will have to do their part by coming up with a budget that recognizes our economic realities. While many people don’t want to see money intended for South Carolina — money we will have to pay back — go elsewhere, they also don’t want to see state legislators spend one-time money as if it’s always going to be there. That’s a bad habit we’ve suffered from many times over.
Davis, Sanford’s former chief of staff, has some advice his fellow lawmakers would do well to heed: “I may be a freshman senator, but I worked with this governor for six years, and I understand his common-sense approach to government. And if our senior legislators want to resolve their impasse with the governor over the $700 million, then my advice is that they take him up on his offer to help find ways to fund critical programs, cut lesser ones, address outstanding liabilities and reduce debt.
“If the legislature does that, then it could go to Gov. Sanford and say, ‘We passed a budget that pays for recurring items with recurring revenues. We did not rely upon one-time budget stabilization funds. We made the cuts you suggested. We did what we could to pay down debt. We worked with you in good faith.’”
But there must be good faith, and that extends to Sanford. He must hold up his end of the bargain and make good use of $700 million intended for the people of South Carolina. Continuing power plays between the two branches of government does none of us any good.
We don’t pretend to know the line-item answers to this dilemma, but we do know whose job it is to figure it out.
To Sanford and lawmakers, we say: Accept the hands you’ve been dealt and get to work.
Tags: budget, island packet, senator tom davis, south carolina, state senator tom davis, stimulus, tom davis
I wholehartedly agree with this editorial.
You have proposed a common sense approach, which I can support, to getting the job done by both the governor and the legislature. However, I do agree with Gov. Sanford in trying to pay down the debt. Let’s hold the line as much as possible.
Tom,as usual,you have hit the nail on the head.Keep up the good work.
Tom:
The editorial speaks for me particularly the last line.
“To Sanford and Lawmakers, we say: Accept the hands you’ve been delt and get to work”
Thanks Tom for your level head when issues are tough. Beaufort County is getting the representation is has so badly needed.
Marcia Hunter
AMEN! Time to get it done.
Sounds good to me!
Mark,
The infamous “corridor of shame” along I95 will be a big issue in any future national political plans that you may have. You need to figure out how to blame others for all of the problems facing South Carolina. Remember, when in doubt, blame the workers.
I agree with you. It’s common sense!
I read this article the other day.I feel that the governor is more grandstanding than concerning himself with our education problems.We should not suffer here so that he can run for office in a few years.This countrys education system has been a mess since”no child left behind”and the powers that let unrulely children, and their sue happy parents rule the schools.We need trade schools for kids that dont care about college,and we need to make them proud of that education.Discipline never hurt anyone,and we cant tie the teachers hands with foolish “politically correct”policies.We need change at the grass roots,and we dont have to throw alot of money at it.The money is there,spent wisely we can make a difference,continuing on the present course is a recipe for being ranked at # 50, in a country that is already far behind the industrialized nations.
Thoughtful dialoge
Thanks
Tom, It makes no sense to spend “stimlus money” that is a one time distrubtion by law that would increase our state spending budget with no end in sight. Spent what has to be spent to cover the basic needs for those legal SC citizens who are real need. Pay down as much debt as possible. As a tax paying citizen of SC I do not want to foot the bill of expanded state gov’t. programs as directed by the federal gov’t. for the use of the “stimlus money” in to the future. Thanks for asking.
Senator Davis:
Your article exudes common sense, which seems to be non-existant in both Columbia and Washington these days. As much as I agree with Governor Sanford concerning paying down the debt, I sincerely doubt if the parameters of the stimulus package will allow it. How do we voters convince our political representatives that this is the “real deal”? There will be no second chances. They must get this right. Think long term, eliminate “pork barrel” expenditures, downsize where you can, privatize where it saves money, “fix” our educational system. The answer is not more government, rather more efficient government. If you all think we have an economic problem now, watch what happens to the value of the U.S. dollar if our elected officials fail to make this work !!
Senator Davis,
Now is the time for draconian measures. Cut entitlements that were not earned, and do not spend stimlus money on recurring expenses. Upgrade and establish that which will provide benefits in the future – like improved roads. We need to stop the waste and live within the money (tax) amounts we generate.
Keep up the good fight, and thank you for your service to South Carolina.
My only dread is that you will get discouraged and come home!!! Babs Price
Finally! A letter from an elected official worth reading! And worth passing along. I have always contended that nothing will ever change in local, state or national government until people in positions of power muster the courage to speak the truth. Somewhere along the way, conscience, convictions and principles went out the window. Do what is RIGHT. Let the chips fall where they may but do what is RIGHT AND HONORABLE. We need statesmen, not politicians. I hope you are serious about attempting to bring about much needed change in Columbia.
Eleanor Tillman