S.C. Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom today announced his plans to track and publicly disclose billions of dollars in federal bailout funds that will soon be flowing to South Carolina government bureaucracies in the wake of President Barack Obama’s massive bailout boondoggle.
Eckstrom blasted the plan itself, as well as the failure of federal officials to provide transparency in previous bailouts, but said that following this money closely was essential to preventing additional “waste, inadequate accountability, and even corruption.”
“Personally, I have very serious concerns in principle about the spending package that appears likely to pass Congress,” Eckstrom said. “There should be no doubt about who will inherit the massive debt being created with this package. It won’t be our generation. It will be our children and even our grandchildren. Still, its passage appears imminent – so at this point our goal should be to ensure these funds are spent with clear direction and accountability.”
Eckstrom’s office will be creating a new website to track the bailout funds, complete with color-coded charts and graphs and itemized lists of receipts and disbursements. The website would also contain specific information on each project that receives funding.
“Our common goal must be to track every dollar every step of the way – from Washington, D.C. to the state agencies, cities, towns, counties and school districts set to receive those funds,” Eckstrom said.
By Rock/M February 13, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Why do solutions to one problem often create new problems that in turn require more solutions?
By Clyde Smoak February 13, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Let Sanford do it! We all know how he loves to micromanage.
By Ed February 13, 2009 at 3:53 pm
I think we should just reject the bailout money altogether, since Sanford and now Eckstrom are so distraught over accepting it. Seriously, if they both feel so strongly about it, then they should stand by their convictions and turn it down.
By Tradd February 13, 2009 at 4:30 pm
I thought that Marky Mark was going to refuse the money.
By James February 13, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Tracking the bailout money would be similar to tracking A-Rods penis. No one knows where it is, but it spread around a lot of places.
By reggie February 13, 2009 at 8:14 pm
i heard that he was going to refuse the money too. o well, im sure mr eckstrom will keep the money on lockdown.
By Ron February 13, 2009 at 8:30 pm
We the people of SC are extremely fortunate indeed to have someone of Richard Eckstrom’s talent, character and fortitude to undertake the task of holding the SC recipients of this enormous amount of government largesse accountable for it’s use. Thanks Richard!
Ron Turner
Summerville, SC
PS: We’ll miss you at breakfast at Kelly’s barbeque tomorrow. Have a great weekend.
By BIN News Editorial Staff February 14, 2009 at 12:23 am
Eight years of republicrat DC “leadership” got us a war in Iraq over weapons of mass deception resulting (so far) in over 4k US dead and over 30k wounded:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/iraq_casualties.htm
Don’t forget Afghanistan; a war that deserves more attention than it has gotten, or that our stock market is in the toilet while oil companies make brazillions while our 401k accounts sink like sic(k) willie’s credibility.
sic(k) willie, at least the demopublicrats are trying something new.
All we hear from you and yours is the same tired old trash.
By liz shepherd February 14, 2009 at 10:32 am
If you’re reading this Mr. Eckstrom, there is another pot o money worth worrying about. It belongs to the people of South Carolina. Our Social Security money is being stolen through ghost accounts. I sent you an email. I’d be happy to send you a proof packet too.
Many many South Carolina citizens rely on Social Security in hard times, which truthfully can happen to anyone. People rely on it to retire too.
What happens to healthcare should the Medicare Trust Fund be drained?
Does anyone in their right mind think for one second they can afford to be ill in America in the year 2009????
It’s time to worry about the ghost system, surrendered and terminated accounts, still paying.
Please understand, the state of South Carolina is subsidizing at least some of these accounts and I fear, with the all inclusive Medicare plans, that every ghost will be in the highest priced subsidized plan.
That could truthfully be a lot of South Carolina money going into FRAUD>
It is past time to look.
Thanks.