Bardin's good work for S.C.

South Carolina motorists caught a break in 1997 when the state Legislature ended an auto insurance program gone awry. The state Reinsurance Facility, created to guarantee universal coverage, was stifling the free market and costing ratepayers an extra $200 million a year.

That decision was based on an audit directed by Thomas J. Bardin Jr. for the Legislative Audit Council. The report was typical of Mr. Bardin's work: comprehensive, clear and effective. Mr. Bardin, director of the LAC, died unexpectedly on Saturday at age 54 in his hometown of Beaufort.

Mr. Bardin also was the lead auditor in one of the LAC's highest profile investigations -- that of James Holderman, then president of the University of South Carolina. That 1989 audit revealed the extent to which Dr. Holderman misused foundation funds at the university.

He soon went packing, thanks, in part, to Mr. Bardin's findings.

"He was under tremendous pressure; there were all kinds of people trying to stop us," recalled George Schroeder, who was then the LAC's director. "He did a great job on it."

After several years at another state agency, Mr. Bardin returned to head the LAC in 2009. As director, he oversaw completion of the audit that uncovered the abysmal state of affairs at the state Employment Security Commission -- one that key legislators had ignored until the state's unemployment system was virtually insolvent. That audit resulted in a major reorganization of the agency.

Since its inception in 1975, the Audit Council has been a force for good government. Tom Bardin's doggedness and professionalism enhanced the LAC's effectiveness during his years with the agency.

His contributions to a more efficient and accountable state government continue to benefit South Carolina's consumers and taxpayers.