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Monday, February 16, 2009

Sanford Considering Whether To Take Stimulus Aid

Posted by Greg Hambrick on Mon, Feb 16, 2009 at 3:56 PM

We have come to a put up or shut up moment in Gov. Mark Sanford's opposition to the federal stimulus bill. The governor suggested the White House plan was doomed to failure in an op-ed in The State over the weekend.

Sanford is still considering whether he'll take the more than $8 billion that's is expected to come to South Carolina, according to the Charleston Regional Business Journal.

A spokesman for Sanford said the governor is looking at the bill now and will decide whether to accept the money based on its details.

For example, one provision would increase unemployment funding but requires that the state give benefits to part-time employees. That’s something South Carolina has never done, and it would require new state spending, spokesman Joel Sawyer said.

Clyburn, the House Majority Whip, included language in the bill that would allow state legislatures the option of bypassing governors who do not accept funds.

This part is key. Lets all look back two years ago to when Sanford was running for his second term. In past years, he'd vetoed particular budget items as waste, forcing the legislature to overturn his vetoes line by line, which they tended to do in near uniformity. But, in the face of reelection, Sanford couldn't afford to be seen as targeting pet projects in various parts of the state. So, he vetoed the entire budget. The legislature overturned him and Sanford used the entire incident as a campaign ploy.

As the Business Journal notes, Clyburn created Sanford's way out. Had there been no legislative exception — had the sole decision been left to the governor, Sanford would have had to grudgingly take the money. But now that the legislature can overrule him, the governor can refuse the aid and then leave it to the legislature to make the tough decision to take the money. The legislature becomes the bad guy and Sanford gets another story for the 2012 campaign trail.

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Sanford is not a very smart person. It's obvious that he is a political player hoping to further his goals at becoming a Presidential candidate in 2012. If he were to become the GOP nominee, it would be the best thing to ever have happened for the Democrats. Why would anyone support a clown like bafoon such as Sanford?

Posted by Ken Rogers on February 17, 2009 at 10:41 AM | Report this comment
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Call me a clown but Gov. Sanford is the only politician I am proud to have represent me. We are fortunate to have him & Demint in SC.

Posted by Jerry on February 17, 2009 at 4:32 PM | Report this comment
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Hey Jerry: I am glad that you are PROUD of Sanford. I hope you are proud of him when the rest of the Country moves toward a better future and S.C., Sanford and you stay in the past. Good luck to you. HEHEHE

Posted by dolores on February 18, 2009 at 11:48 AM | Report this comment
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The Feds now in Democrat control is attempting to force states to take federal money. If these states do it will come with a cost - their sovereignty, which explains why so many states are issuing sovereignty bills all over the country. They know what's coming.

Posted by le combat on February 18, 2009 at 1:20 PM | Report this comment
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Dolores: Since when has abandoning the foundation of America, and responsibility become "a better future". Socialism, Marxism, whatever you want to call it, is the death knell of this once proud country. You don't have to look any further than California. The rest of the US, during this Presidency, assuredly will become parallel to California. Luckily, us Southerner's still have our spine and conservatism. Something you will NEVER take away. Rue the day that will come to fruition, when "we the people" deny Federal Government intrusion, and return to a Constitutional Republic, something we haven't been for the past 70 years. Conservatives and Constitutionalists NEED to be the GOP, or this country will be doomed. Even PUTIN AND CHINA said that the DEMOCRATS ARE TOO SOCIALIST. Socialism doesn't work, it merely makes everyone poor. What a great and better future. Stuff it.

Posted by Conservative from FL on February 18, 2009 at 2:06 PM | Report this comment
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I agree with the Conservative from FL. Can Dolores not see the irony in Obama's statements today? First he reaches into all our wallets, takes out not our cash but our credit cards, and uses them to pay other people's bills, then he admonishes us all to begin living within our means. What arrogance and foolishness. For the first time in my adult life, I am NOT proud of my country.

Posted by Fellow American on February 18, 2009 at 2:56 PM | Report this comment
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Or Sanford knows someone has to answer the question, "Who will pay for the upkeep of these items or programs?" If your state is already broke or facing budget cuts now, what is it going to look like down the road when the state has to pay to maintain that new bridge or add part-time employees to unemployment? Perhaps the campaign story will be how environmentalists blocked, denounced and increased the budged for every building project, or do you want a state motto of, "If you build it and fund it they will come!" Do you really think your state troubles would be over if you had 1 million more in population? I think the campaign story will be state rights. And rightly so.

Posted by FeFe on February 18, 2009 at 9:40 PM | Report this comment
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So many people too proud to take money for evil socialist things like healthcare, schools and roads. No, you're too smart to fall for that. Republicans would rather see people go jobless and lose their homes than work with Democrats. Go ahead, slap away a helping hand just don't start complaining about the Democrats when they're the only ones actually bargaining in good faith and getting things done.

Posted by Chris20906 on February 18, 2009 at 11:30 PM | Report this comment
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Chris: It is not the federal governments job to provide healthcare, funding for state roads, and funding for schools. That is why we pay taxes in our local and state areas, to provide maintenance on our roads (But, no, we can't afford it because the welfare system stifles anything outside than constant funding for the miscreants and dregs of society who refuse to work and then suck off the government teet, or, in reality, sucking off MY teet), and to provide local education. It is the INDIVIDUALS responsibility for their own healthcare. Government intrusion and mandates onto healthcare, has driven up the costs. Government needs to GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY. It is a necessary evil at best. This country was founded upon INDIVIDUALISM, FREEDOM, and LIBERTY. Government programs are ANTITHESIS to this fundamental value that we were founded upon. Republicans would rather see FISCAL CONSERVATISM (Rather, conservative members, not RINO's, or moderates, or neocons), which means lowering capital gains taxes or getting rid of them, getting rid of or lowering all business taxes, lowering income tax, and AT THE SAME TIME, cutting government spending, programs, and welfare dependence. Republicans are for a hand UP. Not a hand OUT. If your willing to work, we will more than help you, but if you are a dreg and lazy, then that is of your own choice, and others in a free society should not have to bear their burdens. That WAS america, and WAS why we were prosperous. We are doomed to continue down a road of socialism, where the government mandates to states what to do (Unconstitutional), and creates a permanent entitlement class and in the end everyone becomes poor. That is your society envisioned in reality. No, I want the constitutional republic founded by Jefferson, Franklin, John and Quincy Adams, and all our founding fathers. They envisioned the individual, freedom, liberty, and choices, but along with that came personal responsibility, moral values, and a society that respected hard work, no matter the job and abided by our Constitution. I am afraid of the future, and what it brings. With many states issuing state sovereignty bills, it astonishes me that we actually have to do that. I want all state governments to REFUSE AND REPEAL any UNCONSTITUTIONAL FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MANDATE. If they refuse, and strong arm the states, then we need to SECEEDE. We've done it before over States Rights, and be damned, if at last recourse and all other options extinguished and all failed, then by damn we will do it again, and as Jefferson once said, it is but a small price to pay in blood time to time to keep our freedom and democracy (Paraphrasing, don't remember verbatim off the top of my head).

Posted by Conservative from FL on February 19, 2009 at 12:37 AM | Report this comment

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