Democrats came out swinging after Gov. Mark Sanford’s State of the State speech Wednesday, saying South Carolinians don’t need an income tax cut, they need more money for schools and property tax relief.

In his speech, Sanford thanked House Republicans for their progress toward cutting the income tax to 4.75 percent from 7 percent.

Democrats said South Carolinians want property tax relief, not income tax relief. They ask how the state can become more competitive if it can’t afford to put police on the roads and fund schools.

Meanwhile, years of spending cuts at the state level have forced local governments to raise property taxes, said Sen. John Land, D-Clarendon.

Sanford also said the key to improving schools was to subject them to the forces of competition.

Embracing Put Parents in Charge — which would give a tax break to parents who send their children to private school or another public school — would help accomplish that, he said.

But such a plan would “benefit the few to the detriment of all public school children,” said Sen. Joel Lourie, D-Richland.

Democrats were incensed when Sanford compared two of the state’s poorest and lowest-performing school districts to private schools in Wisconsin.

Low-income Milwaukee parents use vouchers to pay for private schools and cry “tears of joy” when they are placed in some particularly well-regarded schools, said Sanford, who visited the private schools there last year.

“Can you imagine tears being shed because you got into the public school in Allendale or Marion?” Sanford asked.

Rep. James Smith, D-Richland, angrily circled his copy of the speech as Sanford said that.

“I expect to have a governor who’s in support of the state,” said House Minority Leader Harry Ott, D-Calhoun, “not a governor who throws rocks at things in the state.”

Ott said Sanford’s proposal to close USC Salkehatchie, a two-year college in Allendale, was inconsistent with his plan to improve public schools. He said Democrats would fight it.

Spokesman Will Folks said Sanford was trying to point out that students everywhere would benefit from private competition.

Reach Talhelm at (803) 771-8339 or jtalhelm@thestate.com