Gov. Sanford: Senate Mortgages Future for Political Points Now

GOVERNOR ISSUES STATEMENT ON SENATE BUDGET, SAYS MONEY FOR RETIREMENT DEBT SHOULDN'T BE RAIDED

Columbia, S.C. -April 16, 2008 - Governor Mark Sanford today issued the following statement on the Senate's completion of their budget, and in particular their decision to raid money set aside for the state's $20 billion in unpaid for political promises in an effort to provide raises this year:

"It's hard to imaging anything more irresponsible than taking money set aside for retirement benefits debt and use it to try and buy favor with current state employees during an election year,"; Gov. Sanford said. ";This decision might make a lot of folks in government happy now, but it's going to be their children and grandchildren who end up paying the price for our Senate's failure to address $20 billion in unpaid for political promises.

"Meanwhile, the legislature's $18.5 million pet project fund sits untouched, and excuse after excuse is offered by Senate leadership as to why that money can't be used. We've said before that cutting across the board isn't the way families and small businesses do things, and it isn't the way state government should operate either. In light of how the state's budget situation has changed since they last looked at the budget, the House now has another opportunity to do what the Senate did not by shutting down the Competitive Grants program once and for all, and I'd urge them to do so."