Yes, Mark Sanford should fulfill his
patriotic duties -- the ones he swore to uphold when he took the
oath of office as governor of South Carolina.
Instead of tending full-time to the duties of governor at the end
of the month, Sanford plans to undergo two weeks of Air Force
Reserve training in Alabama. Sanford, a first lieutenant in the
Reserve, will be at Maxwell Air Force Base near Montgomery, Ala.,
from March 23 to April 5. He announced that he would not turn over
the chief executive's duties to Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer.
Sanford gained his commission on Jan. 30, 2002, about 10 months
after he had announced he was running for governor. Some said
joining the Reserve was a political move, and, apparently in answer
to the critics, Sanford promised soon after taking office that he
would honor his military commitment.
We think this is a clear case of misplaced priorities. His duties
as the state's chief executive are more important that drilling with
his Reserve unit in Alabama.
This state faces a deficit of more than $500 million. Decisions
that will affect every state agency, every service from education to
health care to law enforcement, and, ultimately every citizen in the
state, will be made in coming weeks.
The governor needs to be in South Carolina helping determine how
the state can dig itself out of this financial mess. He needs to
participate in the debate over raising the cigarette tax to help
fund Medicaid. He needs to be involved in the effort to shore up
budgets for prisons and to find beds in mental hospitals for the
mentally ill.
In other words, he needs to be doing the job he was elected to
do, not going to summer camp with the Air Force Reserve. If he does
go to Alabama on March 23, he would, among other things, learn
marching skills; attend classes on military customs, courtesies,
dress and grooming; hone his communication skills; learn about the
structure of the Defense Department and study leadership styles and
techniques.
Sanford says that he hopes to set a good example by honoring his
pledge to serve in the Reserve. But by leaving the state for two
weeks during the legislative session at a time of dire economic
crisis, he would be shirking his duties as governor. He also might
risk becoming irrelevant to the debate and being relegated to the
sidelines while decisions are made that will impact the lives of
millions of South Carolinians.
The governor has said that he will fulfill his military
obligation, in part, because he wants to a role model for his young
sons. That is an admirable thought, but it is one Sanford should
have considered before running for the state's highest office.
Forgive us for being so blunt: South Carolina needs a governor a
lot worse than the Air Force Reserve needs another second
lieutenant.
|
In summary
Sanford's first duty is to serve as chief executive of the
state in a time of financial crisis.
|
