McMaster: Governor must approve use of stimulus money
Sanford makes overture to legislators
COLUMBIA - South Carolina's attorney general says the governor must approve the use of federal stimulus money before it can be spent as the White House wants.
File/The Post and Courier
S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster
The nonbinding opinion issued Tuesday by Attorney General Henry McMaster throws yet another wrench into South Carolina's potential use of $700 million in federal cash that the Obama administration wants spent on schools and other programs.
That comes on the heels of Monday's announcement by Gov. Mark Sanford's office that he would be willing to accept $700 million in stimulus cash if the legislature would take an equal amount of state cash and use it toward debt, said Sanford press secretary Joel Sawyer.
Despite doomsday propositions raised by some legislators, Sawyer said, the difference between the way Sanford would budget and the Legislature's proposals are only about $50 million apart, although the governor and legislative budget writers have vastly different approaches.
The opinion
Read State Attorney General Henry McMaster's opinion on the stimulus money acceptance, released 3/31/2009
Click here to see Gov. Mark Sanford's response Monday to Sen. Hugh Leatherman. Leatherman, a Florence Republican and lead Senate budget writer, asked Sanford last week in a letter to reconsider his decision to reject $700 million in state budget aid.
In other words, if left up to Sanford, the state budget would not have a $700 million hole over the next two years that could only be dealt with by laying off teachers and risking public safety, Sawyer said.
McMaster's opinion said that Congress intended for state lawmakers to go around anti-bailout governors and use the money.
South Carolina legislators planned on doing that because Sanford wants to use money to pay down state debt.
McMaster says the governor has a say in how that portion of South Carolina's $2.8 billion in stimulus money is spent in the state budget.
To reach an accord with the Legislature, the governor would start by going back to his $5.8 billion executive budget that he submited to the Legislature in January as a recommendation for state spending.
Annual savings generated in the executive budget combined with Sanford's proposal to use the stimulus money designated for state budget aid to pay down debt would free up $430 million over the next two years. Now, add that to the $220 million the Legislature is using in other stimulus funds in the proposed budget, and Sanford could write a budget that comes close to filling in the budget aid in dispute, Sawyer said.
E-mail this story
Printer-friendly version
Comments
crankyyankee (anonymous) says...
We'd better spend that money before someone figures out we can't repay it!
March 31, 2009 at 1:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
glenntomp (anonymous) says...
My understanding is that if Sanford does not accept the money under the terms set forth by Congress to begin with for the entirety of the funds allocated to SC, we stand to "lose" it all. Its all or nothing. I am not saying this is the optimal way for Congress to handle this, but there DO have to be checks and balances. The Gov's office is playing with fire here, and we all stand to lose if he maintains his stubborn stance.
Incidentally, the fact that Sanford to SC having lost its good credit rating surely has something to do with this. Now the Governor sees a way to get the State out of the financial trouble that he managed to get us into - at the expense of our schools and other state infrastructure.
March 31, 2009 at 1:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Fins711 (anonymous) says...
Glenntromp, I have a question: How is it all Sanford's fault for the morass we are in? How do you blame everything on one individual? This is a problem that has been building up for decades. Yet because people don't like him or disagree with his policies as governor, they want to demonize him and slander him. This same approach is used in regard to blaming Bush for all our woes. It is time to look around and see there is plenty of blame to share.
March 31, 2009 at 1:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Luna (anonymous) says...
Fin - how is it that everyone else has blamed the dude on the job for, what 3 months and we are not suppose to point the finger on the job for 7 years?
It is HIS JOB and what a crappy job he has done.
March 31, 2009 at 1:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Fins711 (anonymous) says...
Luna,that's easy. The same way our state legislators have helped to get us in this mess, Obama's buddies in the democrat-controlled congress have helped to do the same. Don't forget, Obama has spent more in 3 months than Bush ever did in eight years. That is a fact you cannot ignore.
March 31, 2009 at 2:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
crankyyankee (anonymous) says...
Sanford begged our State Legislators to save our surplus tax revenues for the past five or six years. Remember pork and barrel? What did our legislators do? Spent every dime and gave Bobby Harrell $500,000 for brokering a land deal that cost the taxpayers millions! For those of you with no education or living on someonbe elses dime I guess you can blame Sanford. For those with an education and strong fiscal skills he looks like a genius. The proof is in the facts not what every handwringing poor person percieves! poor pityful me! What about me! Why don't they take care of me! If anyone should be rich it's me! Why do they pick on me! The future will tell the truth and Mark was right five years ago and the poor people were wrong, it's my guess five years from now Sanford will be right again and the poor will still be poor!
March 31, 2009 at 2:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Numba10 (anonymous) says...
Can anyone answer this question. Since many think the solution to education problems is to continually throw money towards education, if you added all the state, county, city and federal funds spent on education and divided it by the number of students, how much would be the total spent per student. Without this number how can anyone judge if enough is being spent. Furthermore, my contact with teachers has educated me to the fact that, unruly children, not money is the problem, along with parents who condone thier childs behavior and blame the teachers.
March 31, 2009 at 3:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Luna (anonymous) says...
Fin - are you calculating in the expense for 2 wars....oh, wait that was never entered into the annual budget process, so no, you are not calculating in the cost of 2 wars.
March 31, 2009 at 3:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wjhamilton3 (anonymous) says...
Sending four to eight thousand teachers home and seeing class size at High Schools climb to 40+ students isn't going to help education. Moultrie Middle school will probably have to cut its foreign language offerings in half, cutting the mumber of classes in Spanish from 7 to 4. How is 120 kids not learning Spanish an improvement in education? My son has taken a semester of German at Wando. He wants to continue with that language. Will his teacher be cut too? He's already had to sit out a semester because all the German classes were full.
March 31, 2009 at 3:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tbordent (anonymous) says...
It seems to me that there is nothing wrong paying down SC debt it is fiscally responsible to pay your debts but not with someone elses money. I feel that if u take stimulus money then the money should be used for the intention that it is given. There is a national emergency and that money is being sent here to help SC deal with this emergency not for the governor to spend as he pleases.
March 31, 2009 at 4:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sandnateater (anonymous) says...
I support SANFORD Now and in 2012! He is doing the right thing. GO SANFORD!!!
March 31, 2009 at 4:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sandnateater (anonymous) says...
You Luna and Losers that think he's wrong need to get a job, manage your money better and get over this idea the gov't owes you something. Only Hope we have in Obama is He will leave us a little Change in our pockets and our grandchildren's children's pockets. Spending your way out of debt doesn't work!!!
March 31, 2009 at 4:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Numba10 (anonymous) says...
The stimulus money is not someone elses. It is our tax money the feds are sending back with strings.
March 31, 2009 at 4:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wucherer (anonymous) says...
Replace sanford. Enjoy the stimulus packages and our tax payer money before the planet gets eaten by a humongous space worm sent from the planet bush.
March 31, 2009 at 5:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Mabilene (anonymous) says...
I don't know who originally said this, but I just pass on the wisdom...
A recession is when your neighbor loses his job.
A depression is when you lose your job.
Recovery is when Obama loses his job.
;)
March 31, 2009 at 5:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
commonsence (anonymous) says...
to all the "fiscal conservatives" on the board...remember your support of Sanford each time you pay a tax and realize that you are getting nothing for it - other than a warm feeling knowing that you have just subsidized services in NY, NJ and every other liberal, yankee state. What don't you understand about the decision to spend the money having already been made - refusing it changes nothing and actually costs each of us.
March 31, 2009 at 5:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Mabilene (anonymous) says...
CS -- when you learn how to spell 'common sense' maybe we will decide that you have some!
March 31, 2009 at 5:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ltgrunt (anonymous) says...
Sandnateater, the wartime debt that we racked up when entering World War II pulled us out of the Great Depression. We've spent our way out of depressions and recessions before, there's no reason to think that it's the wrong answer now. If 2 + 2 has always equalled 4 before, we can reasonably expect it to continue to do so.
Claiming that people who are critical of Sanford's grandstanding "need to get a job" is just asinine. I've got a job, I know how to manage my money just fine, and I don't feel that anyone owes me anything, but I still think Sanford is doing a substandard job and is out of touch with the people of this state and their needs.
Instead of childishly insulting people who disagree with you, why not try to understand their point of view and reason out some sort of balanced compromise. Mindlessly adhering to extreme positions isn't just counterproductive to discussion, it's a dangerous approach to politics for everyone.
March 31, 2009 at 5:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
AMAZING (anonymous) says...
FACEBOOK MEMBERS CALL FOR THE IMPEACHMENT OF MARK SANFORD
http://www.wistv.com/global/video/fla...
March 31, 2009 at 6:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
opinionated (anonymous) says...
Sandnateater is right on and so is Sanford. Only a fool would continue to borrow when we are already in debt. Wake up, this is not the end of WWII, the situation is way different. There is every reason to think spending our way out of this will not work.
March 31, 2009 at 7:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
torde2u (anonymous) says...
I consider Gov Mark to be among the best governors SC ever had!! I say thank God he knows basic economics and has some integrity! Go Mark Go! Stand up to the idiots who think money grows on trees. Maybe they will move out of state and we'll be rid of 'em (wishful thinking).
March 31, 2009 at 7:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
opinionated (anonymous) says...
Absolutely torde2u! Everyone imagine what could be done with the money our state and fed currently pay in interest servicing our national debt.
March 31, 2009 at 7:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
NakedYoga (anonymous) says...
Political posturing - pure and simple. He's running for governor and needs to distinguish himself from Sanford.
March 31, 2009 at 8:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JoanneH (anonymous) says...
When, not if, but WHEN the class sizes get up in the high 30's, and WHEN your child does not get a class he/she needs to graduate, and WHEN your child can't change to a "designer schedule," do NOT, repeat, DO NOT call me if you support Sanford rejecting this stimulus.
I will do my level best to teach as I always do, but I will NOT try to justify to you my methodology if I have students sitting on the floor and if I can not send out grades when YOU want me to.
March 31, 2009 at 8:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
BlackReign (anonymous) says...
Yet another tax cheat in the obama socialist regime;
Sebelius admits errors, pays $7,000 in back taxes
WASHINGTON (AP) - Health and Human Services nominee Kathleen Sebelius recently corrected three years of tax returns and paid more than $7,000 in back taxes after finding "unintentional errors"-the latest tax troubles for an Obama administration nominee. The Kansas governor explained the changes to senators in a letter dated Tuesday that the administration released. She said they involved charitable contributions, the sale of a home and business expenses.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?...
Some animals are more equal than others.
March 31, 2009 at 9:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
majorjohnson (anonymous) says...
This is incredibly misleading as all of the news articles on this are. They keep referring to this as if the $700 million is the whole enchilada. They keep leaving out that we are receiving $2.1 billion even if he rejects this money. I bet most of the people crying about how desperately we need this money think that's all of the stimulus money being added to the budget.
An incredible amount of the billions of stimulus dollars we're using in the budget with or without this $700 million are going to new programs or expanding existing programs. Charleston county school district is not using their stimulus money (over $20 million) to catch up with their $20 million budget shortfall, they're using it to create brand new programs. When the stimulus is over they're going to still be over $20 million under budget plus the extra $20 million in new programs they started. Our state lawmakers are playing the same game.
Mark Sanford has been yelling loud and clear for the legislature to quit using one time money to create new programs and create a rainy day fund, and they ignored and belittled him for it. Now they're doing the exact same thing with these stimulus dollars. You people who blame him for this mess obviously don't have a clue about what you're talking about.
March 31, 2009 at 10:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
AMAZING (anonymous) says...
Gov. Mark Sanford Compares Accepting Stimulus Money to Child Abuse
http://www.politicususa.com/en/Sanfor...
March 31, 2009 at 10:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Shannon (anonymous) says...
Blackreign: you are my hero.
northeastguy: I thought you went home last week. I am sure we can take up a collection for your return trip to the ganglands.
I hope Mark Sanford sticks to his decision, like he said on Glenn Beck tonight he did not want to "commit fiscal child abuse" which means he is planning for the future of our state,our children and grandchildren. Please let the man do his job and I feel you will be glad you did in the long run.
March 31, 2009 at 11:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
AMAZING (anonymous) says...
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Hugh Leatherman said he'd now have to write a budget without the stimulus cash because of the potential legal challenge. That budget would cut public school spending by $161.6 million, college spending by $44.2 million and law enforcement and public safety agency budgets by $39.4 million.
"Based upon what we've heard this morning, if this governor can be so callous and so hardhearted to not draw down these funds for the benefit of our people, in my opinion, the governor has absolutely no interest in this state and the people that he governs," said Leatherman, R-Florence.
April 1, 2009 at 12:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Postandcourier.com is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. Postandcourier.com does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not postandcourier.com. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website. Read our full Terms and Conditions.
Users can now build user-to-user connections, follow friends' recent posts, add an avatar that fits their personality, and more. If you have posted here before you'll need to sign up again, or if you've never posted before, start now by signing up!
- Most Commented
- Most Emailed
- Shared
- Upper King on rise: Hotels, apartments, restaurants changing face of downtown area
- Missing woman case gets murkier
- Missing woman's fiance found dead in his home
- Isle of Palms wants to patch beach
- Body of missing woman's fiance was found near handgun
- DAVID SLADE: S.C. offers hybrid car tax credit
- Pinterest: Pinning hopes and dreams
- Advocating for cyclists
- Facebook posts may cost you a job
- Boeing powering up first local jet
