The Spartanburg Herald Journal rightly takes the SC General Assembly to task in a blistering editorial titled “Failure to set priorities.” Completely disregarding projected shortfalls in the state budget, legislators have staunchly refused to touch the millions of tax dollars they have stored away for personal pork barrel projects.
From the article
“A committee voted last week to give $10 million to a collection of lawmakers’ pet projects despite the fact that the state budget is in trouble and lawmakers know they may have to come back to Columbia later this year to deal with shortfalls.
The committee spent $10 million of the $18 million in the Competitive Grants Program, which actually involves no competition. The program simply allocates money to the favored local projects of lawmakers.”
It’s a pity that the only things the General Assembly manages to be staunch on are their own petty schemes to aggrandize themselves and complete scorn for taxpayers.
In light of this most recent display of disgusting avarice, is it any wonder that this body of “representatives” has stood in the way of substantive education reform for years?
With this bunch of thieves at the helm of the ship of state, we should all be thankful that South Carolina is not more of a wreck. Then again, if anyone can make that happen, Dan Cooper, Bill Sandifer, BR Skelton, Carl Gullick and friends can.
That the financial well-being of this state must be held hostage to the greedy whims of low-minded politicians is beyond ridiculous. Citizens must hold their elected officials responsible for these repeated instances of breached public trust.
The Herald Journal sums the situation up nicely:
“The fault lies not with the committee but with the General Assembly. It showed a remarkable lack of leadership in writing this budget. Lawmakers were unwilling to concentrate on the primary functions of state government and pare back the growth they’ve added to government over the past years. They are unwilling to put state resources where they are genuinely needed, not if it costs them the ability to buy votes with state-funded festivals and parades.”
3 responses so far ↓
thailAlly // July 1, 2008 at 4:12 pm
How DARE THEY! This kind of thing is completely without excuse or explanation. We have the sorriest bunch of representatives anyone could ever wish for. Call yours up and let him/her know how you feel about them burning your money to get votes for themselves!
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