Big Bang Ballentinin’ On A Budget
HOW THE SPENDFEST IN COLUMBIA REALLY WORKS
FITSNews – March 9, 2008 – Every so often, an elected official accidentally slips up and tells you what’s really going on in South Carolina’s crazy-spending General Assembly. This week, it was State Rep. Nathan Ballentine – although it’s kinda hard to call it “accidental” seeing as Ballentine wrote it on his blog:
It’s inevitable the budget always passes the House pretty much the same way it came to the floor and many would argue it’s an exercise in futility to even attempt to amend the budget once it comes from Ways and Means.
In a nutshell, if you’re not on Ways and Means – you really have little impact on shaping the budget. There. I said it.
I guess I was naive to think people would listen to debate from the floor and vote accordingly but the overall theme is “no amendments pass†and the Republicans play defense the whole week while the Democrats are usually the ones offering amendments (on offense).
That’s exactly how it works, people. The House Ways & Means Chairman drafts the budget, gets it approved by the Speaker’s Office, and then those two politicians and their cronies spend “Budget Week” basically shoving it down people’s throats in a mock display of deliberative process.
We’d also like to point out that the “two-percent budget cut” that House Ways & Means members keep bragging about this year would probably mean a whole lot more if it hadn’t been preceded by a 41% increase over the previous three years.
Seriously, what kind of logic is that? Basically, that’s the equivalent of a mugger shooting you three times in the chest and then wanting credit for not putting you out of your misery with one between the eyes.
We’ll be looking at the Ways & Means budget in more detail later this week, but for now props to Ballentine for calling it like it is.
UPDATE – Oh, we almost forgot, Sic Willie would also like to give Ballentine props … for his smokin’ hot better half! There truly is hope for all of us …Â
Comments
By Jeffrey Sewell on March 9th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Nathan is definitely a rising star in the party, a true grassroots campaigner and a solid conservative.
By G.L. on March 9th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
Ballentine is one of the few in the state house who have some sense. I think they should start the IQ Caucus for those like him who actually register an IQ level.
By I. P. Freely on March 10th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Sure hope he isn’t paying for that website and blog hosting through his campaign. Getting caught for using state computers for the campaign purpose of “blogging from the (House) floor” would extinguish that star of his pretty fast.
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