Three senators decide they outrank college and the General Assembly

Three arrogant bullies decided last week that their demands are more important than the plans of a local school and the will of the General Assembly.

State Sens. Hugh Leatherman, John Courson and Nikki Setzler met with Spartanburg Technical College officials last week to tell them they had better not change the name of the school to Spartanburg Community College. They threatened to take away all state funding if the school does change its name. Leatherman is the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, while Courson and Setzler are members of the committee.

Faced with these threats, school officials backed away from the name change.

Of course, the entire House and Senate had approved allowing the college to change its name.

That didn't matter to these three senators. They obviously consider themselves more important and knowledgeable than the legislature as a whole.

These three also decided that state law doesn't matter when it conflicts with their views. The law the legislature passed also states that if the college changes its name, it is still part of the technical college system.

The three senators declared that if the college does change its name, they would consider it outside the technical college system and would deny it funding.

In other words, their impressions and their attitude are more important than state law. If that law conflicts with the thoughts of Sens. Leatherman, Courson and Setzler, it doesn't count.

Arrogance on that scale is almost impressive.

As if that weren't enough, they declared that

they decide state funding and would deny this institution that funding unless it bowed to their will. They would deny the students at Spartanburg

Tech the education they need unless the school knuckled under to their demands. They would deny this community the economic boost it needs from Spartanburg Tech unless their ultimatum was satisfied.

That puts them clear off the scale on the arrogance meter.

These three men have abused their positions. They have shown disrespect for the General Assembly and for state law. Their colleagues should respond by removing them from their leadership positions.