Date Published: May 9, 2006   

Sanford stops by Bradley's Market

Governor uses opportunity to discuss growth of state government

Chris Moore / The Item Gov. Mark Sanford shares a laugh with Dr. Mary Blanchard, center, and Robert Bradley, the owner of Bradley’s Market, as the governor stopped by the North Main Street store Monday afternoon.

By LESLIE CANTU
Item Staff Writer
lesliec@theitem.com

Gov. Mark Sanford appropriated local fruits and vegetables at Bradley's Market on Monday to illustrate his argument that state government is growing too quickly.

He first compared one tomato, representing growth in income, to a similarly sized tomato, representing the proper amount of growth for government.

He then substituted an ear of corn for the second tomato to show shoppers what he said is the gross disparity between growth in income and growth in the state budget.

"The average paycheck for most people isn't growing 13 percent," he said.

The state budget should grow in a sustainable fashion, he said, rather than leaping up and down in time with economic cycles.

"Thirteen percent is clearly not sustainable," Sanford said.

Sanford is touring the state to urge residents to put pressure on legislators to trim budget growth. The next two weeks are critical, he said, if people are to get their representatives to pare down government spending.

The governor spoke to about a dozen people in the market. State Rep. Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, and County Councilman Jimmy Byrd showed up to lend their support.

Most of those on hand appeared supportive of the governor's plea, but owner Robert Bradley had a few extra suggestions.

Health care is his biggest worry, he said, and he asked for some sort of program for small-business owners similar to the health insurance program for teachers.

He also put in a plug for four-year status for the University of South Carolina Sumter, saying many can't afford tuition at bigger schools or can't afford the commute to Columbia.

Sanford said he is not opposed to four-year status, but he wants the proper procedure followed.

Chris Moore / The Item From left, state Rep. Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, and Bradley listen in on Sanford’s conversation with Blanchard.

Dr. Mary Elizabeth Blanchard said the state's biggest problem is the growing percentage of babies born out of wedlock. She suggested spending some money on a campaign to combat the problem, which affects everything from Medicaid spending to education and jobs.

Later in the afternoon, state Sen. Phil Leventis, D-Sumter, said Sanford's numbers are out of context.

"You need to look at the budget as an investment," he said.

He agrees with some of Sanford's suggestions, he said, but it's "almost pandering" to simplify the matter to say too much is being spent.

"It's easy to trim the budget in other people's back yards," Leventis said.

Some have argued the state needs to catch up after several years of budget cuts, but Sanford said that argument is misleading, because the state began charging higher fees and receiving more federal funds in that time frame, and because the extra money isn't going to areas most often cited, such as for more highway troopers.

Sanford uses numbers from the Cato Institute to show that state tax revenues increased 41 percent from 2002 to 2005, compared to a national-average 22 percent increase.

In fact, more recent numbers show the state's tax revenues increased 20 percent from 2002 to 2005. Chris Edwards, director of tax policy studies at the Cato Institute, used quarterly estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau to calculate the 41 percent figure.

Monday, he confirmed that more recent tables show the 20 percent increase rather than 41 percent. He said he wasn't sure, without further study, why there was such a difference in the numbers, although part of the disparity might be because the 41 percent figure used calendar years, and quarterly estimates and the 20 percent figure uses fiscal years and better data.

Joel Sawyer, the governor's spokesman, said the disparity affects the governor's argument "not at all."

"This is just one small part of a larger argument," he said.

The Senate still wants to grow the government by 13 percent, Sawyer said, which is unsustainable. Other states that have had good years are talking about refunding money, he said, but "in South Carolina, the thought is to spend every penny that comes in."

In addition to making his point to receptive ears, Sanford went home with two tomatoes, courtesy of Bradley's. He offered to buy the tomatoes after manhandling them for an hour in pursuit of a visual metaphor, but Bradley insisted Sanford take the tomatoes free of charge.



Contact Staff Writer Leslie Cantu at lesliec@theitem.com or 803-774-1250.