A cornerstone of Gov. Mark Sanford's administration has been regular meetings with the public to hear their concerns about and suggestions for state government. At one recent public hearing on the budget held in Charleston, a local resident told the governor about a valuable piece of state-owned land on Sullivan's Island that might be better sold than used for boat storage by a state agency.

Land on Sullivan's Island is a valuable commodity and the governor estimates that the property, 0.86 acres, could fetch as much as $1 million for the state. It currently is being used by the state Department of Health and Environmental Control to store and launch boats used in its shellfish monitoring program.

As a result of the suggestion, the state Budget and Control Board will have the property appraised and DHEC will examine its options. It has been suggested, for example, that the state's Fort Johnson property on James Island could accommodate the DHEC program.

The proposal demonstrates the value of asking citizens for their advice in the budget process.

The hearings have helped form an executive budget with solid suggestions for streamlining state government and cutting costs. The Sullivan's Island proposal is just one more good idea.