Leaders come to Union's rescue

COLUMBIA -- State Rep. Mike Anthony breathed a sigh of relief Thursday morning when he learned the Ways and Means Committee had voted to fully fund the University of South Carolina Union in the $5.3 billion budget it sent to the House.

"This is great news for Union County," said Anthony, D-Union. "I think everyone recognized how vital USC Union is to the area."

Gov. Mark Sanford, in his executive budget, recommended a three-year phase-out of USC Union and USC Salkehatchie. USC Union Dean James Edwards had said that slashing the 300-student, two-year school's state funding by a third would have forced it to close after one year.

"Our legislative delegation, to a person, pledged their support to us," Edwards said. "They've proven to be good to their word."

Half of USC Union's $1.8 million budget comes from state funding. Sanford proposed giving the $2.9 million annually that would be saved closing the Union and Salkehatchie campuses to the remaining schools in the USC system beginning in fiscal 2006-07.

The Ways and Means Committee appropriated $905,182 for USC Union for fiscal 2004-05. The school, like most agencies, was hit with a 15 percent reduction in telephone expenses,

travel, meals and fees and registrations, which Sanford proposed in his budget.

Rep. Ralph Davenport, R-Boiling Springs, a member of the Ways and Means Committee, said keeping USC Union open was crucial because of the tough economic times the county faces. Union has been hit hard by layoffs in the textile region and has been dealing with double-digit unemployment.

"They've had such an awful problem with the economy," Davenport said. "The university has become a focal point, providing much needed services. It's keeping the community together right now."

Sanford spokesman Will Folks said the committee's spending plan is just the next step in the budget process.

"Obviously there are going to be differences in the budget that the General Assembly sends to the governor and the budget the governor introduced last month," Folks said. "The governor is just pleased that so much of what he introduced is being used in the process."

Robert W. Dalton can be reached at 562-7223 or bob.dalton@shj.com.

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