South Carolina state agencies have amassed at least $381.1 million in surplus money according to a long-awaited report released recently by the S.C. Comptroller General’s office.
Worth noting? This estimate only covers surpluses generated from general fund dollars – which account for roughly one-third of total state spending. There could be hundreds of millions of dollars in additional surplus funding available from other sources of revenue. By far the biggest general fund surplus comes from Nikki Haley’s Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) – which is currently $232.5 million in the black.
That’s good considering this is the agency which borrowed more than $200 million from South Carolina taxpayers two years ago – and which has been blowing tens of millions since then to expand the state’s Medicaid rolls.
So … will South Carolinians get repaid all the money owed to them by SCDHHS? And will we see a dime of the larger surplus balance?
Don’t be crazy. This is South Carolina, people – where “Republican” lawmakers and “conservative” S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley spend every penny of new money that comes into Columbia, S.C.
Don’t believe us? Click here …
S.C. Sen. Tom Davis (R-Beaufort) has consistently pushed for the creation of a “taxpayer rebate fund” which would route surpluses and “savings” back to the South Carolinians who subsidize the operation of government. Unfortunately the “GOP-controlled” State Senate has rejected his plan … twice.
That means every penny of this $381.1 million will be spent on more government …
20 comments
That’s $81 for every man woman and child in South Carolina which is not an unsubstantial amount. $320 for a family of four. This would be a nice boost to the S.C. economy. Wait, we are talking about giving this back to the people pro rata, right? If so then I don’t see why the dems don’t get behind this.
“This would be a nice boost to the S.C. economy. ”
Aren’t Republicans philosophically opposed to that kind of ‘stimulus’?
Generally, Republicans are for cutting taxes and letting people keep their money that would otherwise go to the government. In this case the surplus tax dollars being returned to the taxpayers would be similar to a tax cut and should be returned as it was collected. That someone chooses to call this a stimulus doesn’t make I so.
Im not a repub(or dem) but as a philosophical libertarian that is fiscally conservative(socially liberal) i can say that i would definitely support such a refund/rebate in the current political paradigm/system (in a free society one would not be necessary as there would be no taxation) and i would imagine most conservatives would support a ‘stimulus’ that went directly to the people if was stolen from in the first place by the gun to the head called government even if it was not proportionate to how much was taken(stolen).
I would keep it in a surplus account but these sorry ass pols would spend it for something. They could not keep their hands off it. Give it back.
How did we get a surplus while N. Haley was governor? And in a poor economy? That has to be wrong.
Yeah, but it shouldn’t go to every citizen, It should be divided among those that actually paid the tax. Why the hell should anyone on welfare/long term unemployment/disability/social security (do they pay tax?) and all the rest get a fracking dime.
Anyone know how many people on welfare and such in this state? Might make that more like $160 per eligible citizen.
There’s the rub – taxes, fees, etc. come from so many different sources that it would be impossible to figure out what someone “paid in.” I can see the argument for keeping out someone whose only income is from welfare, but even those on long term disability/unemployment/social security paid in to the system to be able to get the benefits.
Then how are you going to account for sales taxes, property taxes (real and personal), licenses fees, permits, etc?
Please don’t confuse Frank with facts.
Still looking for details of this pie in the sky plan of carpetbagger Davis and/or Sic Willie. What tax year was the excess collected? Is the rebate based on what you paid in or is equal for all taxpayers? Do corporations get rebates? If you paid no income taxes do you get nothing? Did you have to be a legal resident for the whole year? Suppose you owe back child support, do you get the rebate? What about DOC inmates? Etc.
Answering those questions is not a core function of this website. Besides, he does not have a clue as how to address your questions.
not a clue is a core function of this website. all these grandiose plans sell to the sheeple but when you ask for detail, that’s when not a clue comes into play.
You and the pandering, ‘familiarizing himself’ Tom Davis are just maggots on society.
You want those coins in your pockets more than you want to be able to drive to the bank to deposit them on roads that aren’t falling apart due to 10 years of GOP gubernatorial incompetence…during which Davis was right there with the Hiker.
Use it to replace failing and structurally deficient bridges across the state.
Amen!!
I want my money back and they better give it back or criminal charges will be brought against certain members of the SC Senate. Btw …. Hey “SLED”? Look under your own hood. Stop trying to cover up the felonies committed by your own agents.
OK, public accounting rules: if government agencies don’t budget to spend as much as they take in, then that is a surplus. Catch 22: government agencies aren’t allowed to submit budgets that contain unfunded requirements because then it looks like they’re not doing their jobs (you know, paving streets, fixing infrastructure, paying down the public debt). There are no surpluses in government revenues. There are loads of unfunded requirements, and if there aren’t, then there’s always the public debt to be paid off. It’s like a man who owes $50,000 on his credit cards suddenly getting a 2% raise and wondering what to do with the ‘windfall’. Pure political smoke and mirrors.
Mark Sanford wanted to return the surplus to the taxpayers a few years ago but the legislators said noooo, we’ve got things we need to spend it on!!
and since the legislature wouldn’t return the money to the taxpayers, Markie used it on airplane fights to get haircuts, SLED chauffeurs for his dogs, etc.
So the deficit in the State retirement system has been filled?