Does Sanford Need The Paycheck?
The conventional wisdom is that S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford is a millionaire who could “take this job and shove it” if he wanted to.
And while countless South Carolinians are no doubt wishing he would do just that, the Palmetto State’s mercurial chief executive seems disinclined to avail himself of that, um, “temptation.”
Clearly, the governor’s King (David)-sized ego has something to do with that, but more than a few Palmetto politicos are now openly speculating as to whether or not Sanford needs the $140,000 or so that he will collect over the next fifteen months that he is scheduled to serve as South Carolina’s governor.
Wait, what?
Conventional wisdom, you see, can be misleading, as anyone close to the “poor man’s Camelot” that Sanford tried to create in South Carolina will tell you. That’s because Sanford is a “poor man” … at least when his net worth is stacked up against the substantial personal wealth of the woman he mooched off/ cheated on, first lady Jenny Sanford.
Don’t believe us?
Consider this: On the day that each of Sanford’s four boys were born, they were richer than their father would ever be at any point in his life. And while the status of Mark and Jenny’s financial relationship isn’t quite as clear as the status of their marital relationship, there is considerable speculation that the governor (described as “land rich, cash poor” by friends) could be destined for a substantially less lavish lifestyle than he’s been accustomed to living with his wealthy wife.
All of which leads back to our question … could one of the reasons Mark Sanford is clinging to power so desperately be that he actually needs the government paycheck?
Comments
By 1 + 1 = 3 on September 8th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Maria isn’t about to live poor – what homewrecker would?
By shiya on September 8th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Well, Maria must be rich….she does have an apt in NY.on the other hand, maybe both are discovering that neither is as rich as they previously believed.
By 1 + 1 = 3 on September 8th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
House Speaker Bobby Harrell sent Gov. Mark Sanford a letter today asking the governor to resign “for the good of our state.”
Is this true?
By SC Integrity on September 8th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Seems to jive with the fact that this desperate pauper actually had the state reimburse him for a plane ticket he won!!!
By SC Integrity on September 8th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
SOS get the word out, LOCK UP THE CHINA and SECURE THE SILVER SPOONS!!
Hey brother can you spare a dime… or a flight?
Maybe he’ll be calling Davis to now sleep in his basement!
Believe me, were he not a psycho sicko on a secret mission to fool us and suck the system even more, this would never be as much fun.
By CNSYD on September 8th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
IF he did 6 years in Congress and makes it thru 2 terms as Governor he will be collecting 2 pensions. If he did 6 years in Congress that is already locked in and includes health care.
By MKinVA on September 8th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
He needs the money, absolutely. From what I have always heard (from the sister/girlfriends), he spent whatever money he earned buying up land around his mother’s farm (which she still owns and which presumably he will inherit only a quarter of), and the house on Sullivan’s is in Jenny’s name only. Smart girl. Jenny’s money paid the tuition and other major expenses. I always wondered what millions people were talking about when referring to him. Must be Jenny’s money, not his. He wasn’t that successful as a realtor other than some insider deals. He may be a millionaire on paper, but he doesn’t have any real money. Interesting that his soulmate is by some reports also a wealthy woman. I have told my daughter time and time again. STAY AWAY from momma’s boys.
By Huhhh??? on September 8th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Has anybody ever seen the tax returns he said he provides every year?
Where do they go?
Like Cindy McCain was until 2008, has campaign manager Jenny always gotten a free ride and not had to provide hers?
It didn’t add up when I read the 2002 Charlotte Observer profile and they said his return for the year before he ran for Gov showed he had about $24,000 income, but didn’t say where that came from. That piece said he had 3 pieces of land in Beaufort County worth $1M – $3M. Is it partner money from his Chas. real estate firm?
Anyway, this has all been “I know the private sector because I worked there” myth that should have been exploded years ago by a working press. This is a career politician who just likes to take a few years off every now and then.
By scooter on September 8th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
A wise man would have more compassion for the less fortunate in SC. The ones who have lost jobs, insurance, homes…partly due to Sanford’s inability to manage and lead this state. But, he continues to care only about himself. What a badly behaved and unwise man.
By jed on September 8th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
Does he collect the congressional pension that he tried to eliminate? — I looked around, but I couldn’t find any evidence of it either way.
By MKinVA on September 8th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
jed: Sorry for the double post, I put this on The State also: Members of Congress are eligible for a pension at age 62 if they have completed at least five years of service. The calculation is average of 3 highest years of service times .017 times number of years of service equals the annual benefit. So looks like he would receive around the same amount (perhaps less) from Congress at age 62 as he will from the state system. I don’t remember what members of congress made during his years of service. Around $150,000? AND under the state system, at age 65 with just 8 years of service, he gets $20,384 per year.
By Calhoun Fawls on September 9th, 2009 at 7:11 am
It is logical it come comes down to the paycheck. Nothing else makes sense. There is no road to redemption by hanging on. There is no stopping the damage. Sic, you have stumbled upon something I should have seen coming. It comes down to the pay check and free roam and board.
By Calhoun Fawls on September 9th, 2009 at 7:13 am
Five years vested in Congress gets you a $80,000 or so pension at 62. It is outrageous, but it is what it is. If Sanford stacked the payment to one quarter on this governor salary, he could dramatically increase his state pension.
By Longshot on September 9th, 2009 at 7:18 am
If I am not mistaken his congressional retirement is six figures and his state retirement will probably be 60K a year with medical for life.
Hey Wil, check that out and let us known how many clams he will pull down from various gov’t paychecks. Then when he hits 62 he will pull down the max.
Check out how the gov retirement is paid, by just being elected or is it by the number of months served. Then he has his military check coming in.
Wil check out how the plantation is listed for taxes. I suspect he has some kind of special tax deal because it is a bird sanctuary or something.
Next he will get endorsement contracts to endorse Argentine tourism etc.
Bet it will be real interesting just to see what he will get but do not forget he has all these new jobs coming and he would surely be tapped as a big exec in one of them.
Yep, I don’t think MS will be that strapped and he has the entrenched old guard repubs who are very wealthy that will place him in a big corporation and he won’t even have to show up for work unless he feels like it.
By Cheraw Citizen on September 9th, 2009 at 8:18 am
Jenny Sanford is partly to thank for this. She is the one who essentially got him elected. She had to know beforehand a lot of what the man was about and what he would bring to the table.
By aprice2 on September 9th, 2009 at 10:42 am
You bet it’s all-about-the-money. He absolutely needs that $1.4M he is going to exact from the SC taxpayers over the next 14 or so months. Her Jenny-ness is going to OWE HIM alimony unless they have a pre-nup. No doubt they probably do.
When you marry for money, you earn every penny of it. She married for power and he married for money. Those two deserve each other. They are reaping what they sowed.