We have no idea what prompted S.C. Senator Mike Rose to wear that sweater, but what the man lacks in style he more than makes up for with one of the sharpest minds in the state legislature.
And while we know that’s not saying a heckuva lot, the fact remains Rose is one of few members of the S.C. General Assembly whose intellectual curiosity exceeds his ego, and whose concern for the taxpayers exceeds his concern for acquiring personal power.
During today’s budget debate on the floor of the S.C. Senate, Rose raised a point of order today asking that the Senate budget be struck down on the grounds that it is not balanced (as required by state Constitution).
Rose’s argument – an eminently sensible one – is that appropriating “stimulus” dollars violates this provision because those dollars are not available to the General Assembly.
Sensing a threat to all of the wasteful spending that he crammed into our state’s monstrous $20.7 billion budget (South Carolina’s largest ever), Senate Finance Chairman Hugh Leatherman strode to the podium to protect his very, very big baby.
“It does not appropriate,” Leatherman said of his budget. “There is a tremendous difference between authorizing and appropriating.”
Not surprisingly, Leatherman’s fellow big government baby … err, buddy Sen. Glenn McConnell ruled promptly against Rose’s point of order.
Interesting.
We’re not lawyers or anything, but if Leatherman and McConnell concede (as they both did today) that the budget does not appropriate stimulus dollars, is that not an admission of the governor’s sole authority regarding these funds?
And wouldn’t that concession eliminate the grounds for a lawsuit?
You’ll recall that the Supreme Court – in rejecting a previous stimulus-related lawsuit – specifcially used the word “appropriate” in relation to these funds.
Sadly, we’re just tinkering around the edges of a massive government intervention.
South Carolina is getting over $8 billion in “stimulus” funds, and the governor and state lawmakers are quibbling over less than a tenth of that amount.
Frankly, all you need to know about state government in South Carolina is that in the worst revenue year on record, it’s producing its biggest spending plan ever.
Of course that’s par for the course in the so-called “reddest state in America.”
By Page May 13, 2009 at 8:45 pm
McConnell ruled against the point of order because the stimulus funding is set up to be spent only if it is received. Since it will not be spent if it is not received, the budget is balanced if they get the money and if they don’t get it.
By BIN News Editorial Staff May 13, 2009 at 11:54 pm
sic(k) willie is a fashion consultant like he’s a political consultant.
And that’s sad. Look at how sic(k) willie dresses. He’s not sure if he’s a punk rocker, a rapper, a 6th year college senior or a porn site host.
The BIN News Funding Editor says she knows exactly what he is. But she’s too much a lady to describe him in public.
BTW, did everyone hear the news? Vouchers are still dead in S.C.
BIN News Editorial Staff
Flair and Balanced