Scott Singer, an Aiken County councilman, questions Rep. Skipper Perry, R-Aiken, about hog funding and state funding of local projects at the county's Republican Club meeting. RON COCKERILLE/STAFF

Budget stall blame given to Democrats

AIKEN - GOP lawmakers from Aiken County blamed Democrats on Monday for stalled budget talks at the Statehouse but predicted that a budget would be approved by the end of this year's session in three weeks.

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"To me, it's a gross miscalculation on behalf of the Democrats if we go into an extra session," GOP Sen. Greg Ryberg said just before he dashed from a noon meeting of the Aiken County Republican Club to the Statehouse.

His Democratic counterpart, Sen. Tommy Moore, said this is not the time for partisan politics.

A budget will be approved in time, but at 6 p.m. Monday the Senate hadn't made any progress, Mr. Moore said.

"It's a problem that's not going to go away with political rhetoric," said the Democrat, who saw his own $912.8 million tax proposal shot down by the Senate last week.

" For them to try to get into finger-pointing and blame just shows how disingenuous they are," he said Monday.

Tell that to Mr. Ryberg's House colleague, Rep. Skipper Perry.

"Ninety-nine percent is posturing from Democrats" who are loading down the budget with pork, Mr. Perry said of the delay. "I have never seen anything like it."

The Senate has had the House-approved budget for more than three weeks without finding middle ground and has killed revenue-raising proposals from both sides of the aisle, including Mr. Moore's, which included a 2-cent sales tax increase and a 53-cent-a-pack increase in taxes on cigarettes.

Mr. Perry said the House budget, which doesn't include a proposed cigarette tax, was economically sound and didn't require much change. Whatever lawmakers agree to still needs approval from Republican Gov. Mark Sanford. He likes the tobacco tax, said Will Folks, his spokesman.

"Generally, the governor feels his plan to provide long-term income tax relief stands a better chance of stimulating the economy, creating jobs and raising income levels in South Carolina," compared with the House version, Mr. Folks said.

Pat Hattman (kneeling), a general contractor for Cherokee Inc., inspects the storm drain system for a new South Carolina Highway 118 bypass. A budget crisis threatens the project. RON COCKERILLE/STAFF

Revenue for the current fiscal year, which runs until the end of June, is down 8.73 percent so far, according to the state Budget and Control board.

The tough times are a political neutralizer, GOP enthusiasts at the Monday meeting said.

"Right now, it's a no-win situation," said Ginny Allen, the treasurer for the Republican Club. "No one's looking good in the eye of the voter."

Reach Josh Gelinas at (803) 279-6895 or josh.gelinas@augustachronicle.com.

--From the Tuesday, May 20, 2003 printed edition of the Augusta Chronicle