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Opinion
At
least some are trying for spending restraints
June
22, 2006
Part
One:
Sometimes it may not seem to be happening, especially
to taxpayers, but there are efforts to control government
spending in Columbia and Washington.
In Columbia, of
course, Gov. Mark Sanford has made it a priority to control
spending, even as he’s been the target of tax-and-spend
critics. It’s an ongoing battle, too, so it’s in the interests
of every South Carolina taxpayer to pay attention to what’s
happening ..... and if necessary, act accordingly.
In the
nation’s capital, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham has signed on in
support of the “Stop Over-Spending Act of 2006.” The act seeks
to make structural changes to how Washington spends taxpayer
dollars.
One thing, however: Every action has a reaction
..... in this case, opposition.
“THIS
LEGISLATION,” SAYS Graham, “will place long overdue
spending restraints on the Congress. We need to be more
efficient in how we spend taxpayer dollars. The bill empowers
people in Congress who want to control spending and reduce the
size of government. It is the worst nightmare of those who
want to continue to waste taxpayer dollars,”
Graham, a
member of the Senate Budget Committee, says this will bring
about real change, that something has been lost: fiscal
discipline.
It’s good that both Sanford and Graham are
working on stopping over-spending wherever it occurs. Had such
“tools” been available through the years, there’s no telling
how much better off taxpayers would now be.
IT
ALWAYS SEEMS THAT anytime unexpected revenue comes
in, as it did this year in the Palmetto State, lawmakers can’t
wait to spend it. Whether it’s needed or not, that’s the way
it always is.
Sometimes spending is critically necessary,
in both state and national budgets. It’s the
“spending-just-because-new money-is-available” way of doing
things that concerns most taxpayers. If asked, is there any
doubt that the biggest majority, if not all, would say
unexpected extra revenue ought to be given back to the
taxpayers in a rebate or tax cut. Either way would go a long
ways toward repairing the public’s negative view of government
in general.
Tomorrow, Part Two
Editorial expression in this feature represents
our own views.
Opinions are limited to this page.
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