By A. Citizen || If you rely on one of the Southeast’s most worthless newspapers to keep up with the times, you wouldn’t know that our dear friends in the S.C. House of Representatives just approved three weeks of furlough time for themselves as a “cost-cutting measure.”
Of course, if you live in Rock Hill, Charleston or even Augusta, Georgia, you would know.
Just not Columbia, S.C.
Nonetheless, the 124 members of the “Republican-controlled” House will be back in their hometowns cultivating their own businesses and glad handing contributors while South Carolinians are still languishing in double-digit unemployment. During these three weeks, no cuts will be made to the state budget. No decisions to help S.C. small businesses will be made. No taxes will be cut. No bureaucracy trimmed. No reforms passed to help the unemployed of the Palmetto State to find jobs.
And what do “We The Taxpayers” receive in exchange for this three-week vacation? A whopping $150,000.
Yeah, exactly.
At a time when our state is facing a reported shortfall of (at least) half a billion dollars, the amount of money saved by this furlough will amount to less than a drop in the ocean. Frankly, it’s yet another in a long line of decisions made by the folks in Columbia that demonstrate the disconnect they currently have with the constituents they are supposed to be serving.
So what’s the next step the General Assembly will take to bring South Carolina out of the economic doldrums?
We’re putting our money on budget appropriations set aside to play the new-to-town Mega Millions game.
That would make about as much sense as their current efforts.
Editor’s Note: “A. Citizen” is an anonymous column written by FITS readers just like you. We accept submissions from any reader on any topic, and do not disclose anyone’s identity under any circumstances in the event we decide to (or not to) publish them. We reserve the right to edit as we deem necessary. To submit a column, just e-mail Sic Willie at w@fitsnews.com.
By Donny February 7, 2010 at 5:19 pm
File this under “darned if you do, darned if you don’t.” This genius writer probably doesn’t realize (or chooses to ignore) the SC House of Reps has an appropriated budget just like every other agency in SC, which is subject to the same cuts every other agency is getting. Therefore, given the size of the SC House’s budget, $150,000 does make a big difference. Nice cheap shot, though.
By FITSNews February 7, 2010 at 5:32 pm
Donny-
Way to be there for the legislative branch!
-FITS
By You Can Call Me Ma'am February 7, 2010 at 8:26 pm
Why not lay off all those pages or law clerks?
By political hack February 8, 2010 at 10:01 am
If you lay off the pages or law clerks the Representatives/Senators and Judges wouldn’t know how to do their job. They serve a vital public purpose in this state!
By You Can Call Me Ma'am February 9, 2010 at 9:16 am
@political hack – LOL – All this time I thought that was why they had staff — like lawyers, adm assts, analysts, etc.