Gov. Mark Sanford is asking South Carolinians for help in identifying government waste.

Sanford has launched what he calls “Waste Watch” to “broaden your net, looking for ideas and solutions,” his former press secretary Will Folks said. “This is a way for folks to send their ideas directly.”

Since starting the program earlier this month, Folks said the governor has received “a couple dozen” suggestions. Thus far, many of the suggestions center on broad themes — such as “clamping down on Medicaid fraud” or consolidating Mental Health efforts.

Bucky Mock, 61, of Manning, has suggested ways to cut Medicaid costs.

One of his ideas is to require a small co-payment from Medicaid patients when they use more expensive hospital emergency rooms for non-emergency service, rather than seeing a less costly primary-care physician. The idea, Mock said, is to “make them think a little bit about just running to the emergency department every time some little thing is wrong.”

Mock is speaking from experience. His is a nurse in the emergency department of Clarendon Memorial Hospital.

Mock’s second thought was to offer a small reward to Medicaid patients who don’t use the emergency room for non-emergency care. “It wouldn’t be large, but it would be something.”

Mock is pleased Sanford has asked for suggestions.

“There is a lot of waste in different ways,” Mock said. “Sometimes reaching out to people that see it happening is a good way to see what’s happening.”

Sanford began the effort through an e-mail newsletter sent to supporters. In the message, Sanford urged recipients to support his Taxpayer Empowerment Amendment, which would limit how fast government grows.

He also asked his supporters to help identify “waste, inefficiency and duplication” in state government. He said he’ll recognize the best tip at the end of the year, adding the effort “can go a long way toward creating the effective government that South Carolina deserves.”

Folks said Sanford wants everyone to participate.

“This is hopefully something that will turn in to an idea factory where private citizens and state employees can provide real potential savings that the governor and General Assembly can look at in the budget process.”

Any ideas that Sanford puts forward likely will pass across the desk of House Ways and Means chairman Rep. Dan Cooper, R-Anderson.

Cooper said he likes the idea.

“It’s a good idea to get feedback from people who pay for government,” Cooper said.

Cooper is less sure of Sanford’s proposed constitutional amendment, which would limit growth in state spending to no more than the state’s increased population plus inflation.

“You have to get a serious handle on Medicaid growth before you do what he wants to do,” Cooper said.

Reach Gould Sheinin at (803) 771-8658 or asheinin@thestate.com.