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| Thursday, Feb 6, 2003 |
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Posted on February 06, 2003 Sanford opens Governor's Office for one-on-one chats with public
COLUMBIA -- People across South Carolina were eager to spend just five minutes with their new governor. Gov. Mark Sanford held his first "open door after 4" public office hours on Wednesday. Sanford planned to spend five hours visiting with residents. Appointments for those five hours filled up in 12 minutes, Sanford spokesman Chris Drummond said. A second open-door, scheduled for March 5, filled up in 15 minutes, Drummond said. To meet the demand, the governor added another evening of appointments on Feb. 19. That date also is full, Drummond said. Sanford will meet with an average of 46 people for about five minutes on all three days. Pelion resident Angela Bone talked with Sanford about a bill she's interested in that deals with protecting guide dogs and service animals. Bone, who is legally blind, learned there were no laws covering guide dogs and service animals. When her dog was injured, she had a difficult time getting her insurance company to pay for the care of the animal. Guide dogs and service animals are important medical tools that often cost about $50,000 to train, she said. Bone said she felt encouraged after speaking with Sanford about the bill. "He won't veto it," she said. Brenda Merritt of Blythewood spoke with Sanford about the state's dismal record on domestic violence. "We lead the nation. That's not something to be proud of," Merritt said. "Of all 50 states, South Carolina had the worst ranking of women murdered by men. That's not something we want to rank highest in." Merritt said her goal was to bring the issue to Sanford's attention and strengthen the state's Victim Assistance Program. Staff members in the Governor's Office will take notes on the issues raised by those visiting and forward them to the appropriate agency for consideration, Drummond said. In his State of the State speech, Sanford said he would set aside an evening once a month to meet with citizens in his office. "It's not a visit with my staff, it's not a visit with an agency head, it's not a visit with an intern. That's a personal visit with me," Sanford said. "They won't be long visits, but anyone from anywhere in South Carolina will be able to sit down with their governor in the Governor's Office, and I think that that's important in terms of accessibility." Sanford also has said he plans to make stops around the state to meet with people outside the Statehouse as he did when he served in Congress. Sanford is not the first governor to hold office hours for the public. Gov. David Beasley in 1996 held two open houses, where he met with residents for five minutes each. Gov. Jim Hodges also held a series of "capital for a day" sessions around the state, where the public was invited to speak with the governor. |
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