“I Don’t See Any Game Plan”
A former S.C. Speaker of the House ripped Gov. Mark Sanford and other Columbia politicians for a lack of leadership on the economic development front, telling La Liberbad (a.k.a. the Greenville News) yesterday that “I don’t see any game plan” to find work for the steadily growing ranks of unemployed South Carolinians.
The comments – while not specifically targeted at Sanford – were made by former Democratic Speaker of the House Rex Carter, who served in that capacity in the late 1970s.
Of course, Carter neglected to mention that all of Sanford’s proposed economic reforms (including the reduction of the state’s income tax) have been shot down by a RINOcrat majority in the S.C. legislature.
He also failed to point out that Sanford controls less than 20% of his own branch of government – a number that continues to dwindle as lawmakers continue to take more power for themselves.
Also, based on state spending, it appears obvious that there is a plan – it’s just not working.
South Carolina’s state budget has more than doubled over the last fifteen years – with public colleges and universities have assuming a “leading” role in economic development.
Meanwhile, the state’s lead “economic development” agency, the Department of Commerce, has seen its funding reduced to early 1990s levels.
How well has that strategy of putting government in the drivers’ seat worked?
Yeah, not so well. South Carolina’s unemployment rate has remained above the national average in good and bad times alike, while our per capita personal income levels continue to lag behind the rest of the nation as well as our regional peers.
Sanford obviously bears his fair share of the blame, to be sure – particularly by failing to lead on the port issue – but the fact remains he’s not in charge.
That means the vast majority of the blame belongs with a legislative branch that’s intent on seizing more power for itself so it can take money that we could be investing in our economy and dumping it into more government.
Comments
By Earl Capps on June 17th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
“He also failed to point out that Sanford controls less than 20% of his own branch of government – a number that continues to dwindle as lawmakers continue to take more power for themselves.”
Considering how poorly gubernatorial agencies such as DSS, PRT and Corrections are being run, Sanford is hardly making a convincing argument that right-sizing state goverment should involve giving him, and future Governors, more authority over state government.
By Checo on June 17th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Earl Capps: THANK YOU! I have been saying that since Sanford was elected. His track record for appointing members to boards, committees, and as agency heads has been abysmal. If anything, he is the poster boy for reducing the governor’s authority even more.
By Mincing Words on June 17th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Earl, on what are you basing your criticism of Corrections? Do you have any basis for the opinions you hold regarding Ozmint’s performance of what is most likely the hardest job in South Carolina? If you have some first hand knowledge of the goings-on there, please share. Because all is not always what it seems, especially when it comes to certain state agencies with impossibly limited budgets and ever-growing obligations.
By Mincing Words on June 18th, 2009 at 6:33 am
Earl, on what are you basing your criticism of Corrections? Do you have any basis for the opinions you hold regarding Ozmint’s performance of what is most likely the hardest job in South Carolina? If you have some first hand knowledge of the goings-on there, please share. Because all is not always what it seems, especially when it comes to certain state agencies with impossibly limited budgets and ever-growing obligations.
BTW I love your blog!
By CCED on June 18th, 2009 at 8:08 am
If anyone needs proof for bad appointments, they need look no further than the Dept. of Commerce, which in the past three years has been decimated under the leadership of Joe Taylor. Sandford’s first appointment, Bob Faith, at least had the smarts (Harvard MBA) and personality to make a difference. Taylor, a log home salesman all his life, may be good at selling pre-fab houses, but his demeanor and management style has forced nearly half of the entire staff (over 70 people to date), including 90% of the economic development pros (some with over 20 years of experience and connections) into exile.
Mr. Taylor seems more concerned with building up a research division(which has gone through three department heads under his watch), in order to skew the numbers in his and the Governor’s favor. He has also made the decision to employ only hungry young salesman with zero experience in economic development to be on the front line. While salesmanship certainly counts for something in the business of recruting business, Commerce’s record clearly shows how it isn’t working. It will take years for that department to recover from the effects of the Sandford-Taylor combo.
By Charles_Pinckney on June 22nd, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Sounds like CCED is a disgruntled former employee. Maybe he/she was fired because they couldn’t spell the Governor’s name properly.