The governor's mansion belongs to the people of South Carolina, not Mark Sanford. It should remain open to the public.

Sanford's suggestion that he'll close the mansion for four months because he can't find money to run it is preposterous. It is a grandiose gesture that has not been thought through well enough.

For Sanford to seek free handouts of food from the public is a disgrace.

And for him to again blame everything on the opposing political party is tiresome.

The simple fact is South Carolinians send enough money to Columbia to keep the governor's mansion open to the public and fully staffed for the first family. The money is there. Sanford can find it. His predecessor, Jim Hodges, moved funds around before he left office to address the budget problem at the mansion, which has a staff of 11 people. Sanford needs to buck it up as a leader and fix this minor problem.

The mansion's current budget is $435,058 and the Sanfords said $391,209 of that had been spent through Feb. 1. It would cost about $195,508 to keep the mansion at current staff and program levels, leaving a shortfall of $151,659.

That is chicken feed, and to suggest the private sector now needs to pay to keep the mansion open is making a mountain out of mole hill.

The mansion is a unique, historical structure that recently was refurbished at great expense because of its importance to the entire state. It serves as a museum. Its art, books, furniture, china, silverware and knickknacks are important symbols of the state's history. It is visited by thousands of school children annually and is an important part of any citizen's visit to Columbia. The structure sits in a campus-like setting where a feel for the state and its history can be absorbed and appreciated. A gift shop nearby, like the one in the Statehouse, is a treasure trove of South Carolina culture.

The mansion also serves an important role in the social and business duties of the governor. It is much more than a residence, but the people of South Carolina deserve to know that it is appreciated as a residence.

It is demeaning to the people of the state for the governor's press release on Adluh Flour's corporate donation of grits to close with this: "Anyone interested in helping keep the governor's mansion open via either financial or in-kind contributions is encouraged to contact ..."

It's one thing for the new governor to say he will cut expenses. He said, for example, he would lop off the $80,000 salary of the mansion's chief of staff. But it is quite another thing for Sanford to say he may shut down the public's house, to claim he can't find $152,000 in a mammoth state budget, and then go begging for free food. Everyone knows the state budget is a mess, but spare us the histrionics, please.