Sanford still saying 'no way' to stimulus bucks
Last night at the Republican Governor's Association our Governor Mark Sanford said he'd reject "federal unemployment cash and funding for green buildings in the stimulus."
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Read more stories on this subject in our stimulus package topic page.I could say why this political posturing is such a bad idea after the war was lost and the bill is passed, but I don't have to: Philip Klein at the conservative political magazine The American Spectator has done it for me. In regards to staunch opposition from Sanford and other Republican governors:
Here's the thing. Yes, in a folk hero sort of way, it would be great fun to see Republican governors refuse to accept the money. But on a practical level, I don't see how it makes any sense. The battle is over. The forces who want to spend more taxpayer money won. If every Republican governor refused to accept the stimulus money, it's not like Congress would go back and reduce the cost of the stimulus package by that amount. Taxpayers in South Carolina will be partially subsidizing all of the stimulus spending no matter whether they like it or not. So, they may as well get what they can out of the stimulus package, and try their best to spend the money as productively as possible.
But Howard Kurtz of The Washington Post says it's a non-issue and the governor's will -- ultimately -- take the money.
Let's hope.
Now, for the cherry on the top: Check out this political cartoon at The Post and Courier.
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22 Feb 2009 1:31 pm.
It's great that Gov. Sanford has a job, and he, or South Carolina with one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, doesn't need the money...guess he should ask some of the heavy industry and manufacturing company execs how things are going...oh wait...there are big companies left...
22 Feb 2009 11:59 pm.
Governor Schwarzenegger will take the money from Governor Sanford turned down.
Schwarzenegger - Stimulus Package Is Terrific
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3lPK7H4kt4
23 Feb 2009 10:52 am.
Tell Gov. Sanford what you think of him, here…
http://www.scgovernor.com/contact/email/
13 Mar 2009 10:34 am.
Gov. Sanford is definitely doing the right thing in not acceptint Federal money, but I bet the Post & Courier would like to have some of this money to make up for their shortfall from poor liberal marketing decisions.
Most of those commenting here selfishly do not realize that if the Federal Gov't gives SC money, the Federal Gov't will follow the money with their Federal demands. Our Federal Gov't (aka 'cash-sucking monster') needs to be cut off, and cut off NOW!!!