By FITSNews || S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford parted ways with his ideological allies on Tuesday when he announced that he would sign into law a controversial piece of command economic legislation that has been championed by his chief ideological antagonist – liberal S.C. House Speaker Bobby Harrell.
The surprise announcement sent shock waves through what’s left of the Palmetto state’s “reform movement” – while simultaneously delivering a huge political boost to the status quo forces led by Harrell, whose hold on power in the S.C. House has grown increasingly tenuous in recent weeks.
Harrell’s “Kremlinator” bill – which codifies and expands South Carolina’s top-down approach to economic development – empowers the state’s research universities and other government agencies with an expanded role in central economic planning. Basically, in lieu of tax relief for all businesses, it puts government’s ability to pick winners and losers in the marketplace on steroids.
The “Kremlinator” has been steadfastly opposed by FITS as well as Sanford’s few legislative allies. It has also been opposed by the pro-Sanford forces at the S.C. Policy Council, a conservative think tank that has railed against precisely this sort of government manipulation of the marketplace.
“Instead of lowering taxes for everyone, lawmakers are continuing to pursue a strategy of offering incentives and subsidies to select companies,” the Policy Council said earlier this year in a release criticizing the “Kremlinator.”
Indeed, South Carolina has the highest effective manufacturing property tax in the nation, but rather than cut this tax – along with other job-killing taxes – lawmakers would rather maintain the right to dole out taxpayer-funded incentives to companies and special interests that can afford to play ball in Columbia.
S.C. Policy Council President Ashley Landess – who is perhaps the only person in Columbia who didn’t call for Sanford’s resignation last summer – did not respond to multiple requests from FITS seeking comment on the governor’s decision.
Lobbyists who have supported the legislation were shocked to learn that the governor was signing the bill. In fact, they had been busily lining up votes to override a widely-expected veto.
Stay tuned to FITS for more on the “Kremlinator” – and more on this surprise decision by Sanford to betray the free market principles he claims to support.
By eggaday June 22, 2010 at 8:18 pm
so he ain’t “staying true” like miss jenny said he would right?
what was markie mark up to this past weekend Sic? You said Maria, the “real” press says he spent time with his boys and or got to missing again. scoop please
By Cooter Brown June 22, 2010 at 8:21 pm
Caint hee jest set still fer a few months!!!
By SubZeroIQ June 22, 2010 at 8:49 pm
I want to educate you on what terms you throw around mean and on how to think.
Really, after reading here a few weeks, I am beginning to think all you have are some cliches.
You may object to the bill Sanford signed; but please do not get your economic systems mixed and do not make wrong assumptions.
One of the main differences between Capitalism and Communism is that no one sat down and wrote a “Capitalist Manifesto.” So, people mistakenly think that, like the forms of speech, it is either poetry or prose.
Communism and Socialism do not mean high taxes or gun control. In essence, they mean that the ownership of the tools of production is not by individuals.
Since little production goes on in South Carolina, it is a moot point.
What you should be asking is: What do we produce that someone outside our borders would want and would, in a fair market, trade us for something they have which we want.
The next question about education is basically: do we foster skills that anywhere someone would trade us something they have, which we want, in return for our applying, to their benefit, the skill we acquired.
That skill need not be one of production, it may be a skill in the arts.
You all are so irresponsible that I doubt you will do anything with my trying to bring it down to the basics for you other than make fun of me.
But please surprise me pleasantly. Thanks.
By Cicero June 22, 2010 at 8:52 pm
Sounds like Sanford and Harrell worked out some sort of deal where Harrell agreed to push his fellow legislators to uphold some of Sanford’s vetoes in return for Sanford’s approval on this monstrosity.
By Charles_Pinckney June 22, 2010 at 9:32 pm
Wrong. Power is taken away from the research universities in the Endowed Chairs section, and the corporate income tax elimination was taken out months ago. I recommend that you read the bill.
By Florida Watching June 22, 2010 at 9:34 pm
Oh the horror…….to think that the LUV GOV might be replaced by an alleged brandy new LUV GOV. And we all can credit Palin Power for this wonderful development. Balsak invited me for shooters………..See ya.
By Pelion Potentate June 22, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Will, please explain to us unenlightened masses just what Sanford’s principals have done for the state by way of economic development in the last 8 years. Legislative gridlock? 11+% unemployment? Fodder for an endless stream of late night jokes? The one agency in charge of recruiting the free market to the state according to his “principles” is a total mess that will take years to gain back the respect it once had during the Campbell administration. If you’d quit fawning over Kara Borie long enough to see the forest through the trees, you might notice that in the last three years, the Dept. of Commerce has had a 75% turnover rate. That’s Seventy-Five Percent of collective knowledge and skills that will not be replaced. What other agency can you point to with that kind of track record? And it has nothing to do with budget cuts, no matter how the agency tries to spin it.
If this “reform movement” that you constantly drool over was supposed to deliver free market principles to the way the state functions, why haven’t we seen it taking shape in the one agency repsonsible for jobs and economic growth? Sandford and his “principles” have had their eight years. It’s time to try something else.
By Groundball June 22, 2010 at 10:16 pm
Sanford probably did this in return to Harrell for saving his job earlier this year. Sanford has no “ideals” nor does he have anything but betrayal for anyone who supports him. If you don’t believe this, ask his family.
Nobody is going to treat anyone any better than they do their spouse and kids. If you think they will, you’re just fooling yourself.
By Lera June 23, 2010 at 12:55 am
SubZeroIQ:
Granted, when I saw your name at the beginning of the post–my first thought was:Yay! he makes me giggle!! But, then I read your post, and it only made me sad–and want to only see SC out of my rearview mirror! But, in the end, it did make me giggle—silly boy–SC has nothing anyone else wants!! The only thing SC produces prodigiously is political coruption and idiocy!! But hey, they do it very well. And if you are good at something…..and education???? See…there you go again…making me giggle!!! Thanks!! I needed that!! Keep it up!!
By eggaday June 23, 2010 at 7:24 am
SC produces crime.
SC produces young people with little to no education for the most part.
SC has no industry anymore.
Sanfraud destroyed this state, now we are gonna get Sanfraud in a skirt for four years, right?
anyone else thinking of moving?
By Soft Sigh from Hell June 23, 2010 at 8:29 am
SC produces agricultural and forestry products. SC approaches the post-industrial era of America without ever having gone through the good paying manufacturing jobs that the upper midwest and California had. Instead we had minimum wage mill jobs, now exported by conservative businessmen, with Fritz Hollings about the only person of note loudly protesting. Welcome to Spain. After another term or two of Sanford II maybe Portugal.
By AW June 23, 2010 at 9:23 am
Eggaday, those three things you say SC produces are ALL because of a lack of education. Education: reduces crime (thus law enforcement AND prison expendatures), reduces government helthcare aid, and attracts industry. Want to increase state revenue without raising taxes while shrinking expendatures? Educate the citizens along I-95 who have been lagging behind for generations, allow a bridge from high school to tech schools and from tech schools to universities for those who can meet requirements (4 year higher education isn’t for everyone). We’ve just about lowered our taxes to a point where we’ve collected all the industry we are going to from that function alone. It’s time to empower South Carolina’s workforce.
By George June 23, 2010 at 2:53 pm
Gov. Horn Dog
By Jonny D June 23, 2010 at 3:05 pm
gotta luv the Luv Guv, and gotta luv the Speaker. Hey Bobby, Luv Guv sends this one out to you!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5ZjrGdlNDo
By SubZeroIQ June 27, 2010 at 9:09 pm
Lera:
You made my day because you seem, not only to read my posts, but also to look for them. I must have arrived by FITS standards!
But I did not know who “he” is at first. I am she. Or do I write like a man?
If you keep reading, I’ll keep writing, God willing.