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Article published Apr 17, 2005
Group under fire for pushing Sanford plan
Rep. Adam
Taylor was surprised to find his name among those in a newspaper advertisement
last week encouraging Rep. Adam Taylor to vote for Gov. Mark Sanford's
controversial tuition tax credit program.Taylor, a Laurens Republican, showed
the full-page ad, placed in his hometown newspaper by South Carolinians for
Responsible Government, to his colleagues in the House chamber Wednesday
morning.Most weren't impressed."I find it reprehensible that they would go after
a friend and colleague," said House Speaker Pro Tem Doug Smith, R-Spartanburg,
the primary sponsor of Sanford's "Put Parents in Charge" plan."Adam Taylor has
the best interest of children at heart. We just happen to disagree on the best
way to improve their opportunities to get a good education."Taylor was one of
two legislators -- both Republicans and both members of the House Ways and Means
Committee -- targeted by SCRG. The group also placed an ad in the Hartsville
newspaper pressuring Rep. Jay Lucas to vote for the plan.Taylor said he didn't
know why he and Lucas were being singled out. He said he's opposed to the plan,
but so are many others on the committee.Taylor also said the strategy was
backfiring. He said he was prepared to offer amendments to the plan to try to
reach a compromise, but that based on what he's seeing now he'll just vote
against it.Group's methods questionedDenver Merrill, a spokesman for SCRG, said
including Taylor's name in the ad as one of those supporting the plan was an
honest mistake. He said he didn't understand Taylor's reaction."We don't see
anything wrong with the ad," Merrill said. "We felt like they were not getting
the message that 'Put Parents in Charge' has a vast amount of support in their
districts. If they're not going to listen to us, maybe they'll listen to their
constituents."Taylor said he doesn't have a problem with the message. It's the
group's methods he questioned."I think some of the tactics they use are
completely unfair," Taylor said.Smith agreed."I have no ability to control how
South Carolinians for Responsible Government run their operation," Smith said.
"That said, I've expressed my disgust for how they do business. But it's fallen
on deaf ears."This isn't the first time SCRG has come under fire for its tactics
in pushing the bill.It reorganized last month after Todd McCauley, the executive
director at the time, submitted letters to the editor of The State newspaper
under the name Dennis Sinned.Sanford spokesman Will Folks said the governor
believes groups on both sides of the issue "need to play by the rules."He would
not say whether he thought SCRG is doing that."The governor doesn't control
third-party groups," Folks said. "He wants everybody to advance the issues
fairly and truthfully. Anything that departs from that, he'd obviously have a
problem with."Robert W. Dalton can be reachedat 562-7274 or
bob.dalton@shj.com.