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Article published Feb 24, 2005
Taxpayers will know lawmakers are serious if they pay back trust funds
first
As state officials negotiate over their various budget
priorities, taxpayers will know that lawmakers are serious about responsible
fiscal practices if they agree to repay the state's trust funds first.The state
is looking at a better budget situation this year than in the past few years.
The state has more rather than less money to spend in the next fiscal year.
There is money left over from this fiscal year and an estimate of increased
revenue next year.South Carolinians should be watching carefully to see how
lawmakers react to this available money. The state has suffered through four
difficult years of budget cuts, largely because lawmakers spent too much and
grew state government too quickly during past years of economic growth. Citizens
should be watching to see whether lawmakers have learned their lesson or will go
back to spending every dime available.The lines are already drawn.Gov. Mark
Sanford wants the state to hold the line on spending and use the additional
revenues to repay the state trust funds that were raided over the past few years
to make up budget deficits. The fund that is set aside to pay for environmental
cleanups at the Barnwell nuclear waste facility is the fund that gets the most
publicity, but the state has some 40 trust funds. Money was borrowed from these
funds over the previous few years. It should be paid back.But some lawmakers say
they have other priorities for the money. They want to spend it.They have good
purposes in mind for the money. Some want to spend it on education. Some want to
spend it on health care for the poor so the state can get more federal matching
funds. These are worthwhile expenditures of state money.But the immediate truth
is that the state stilldoesn't have all the money that lawmakers want to spend.
South Carolinians will know whether the state is headed back into fiscal
difficulty by how lawmakers choose among these priorities.The more new money
they agree to put back in the trust funds, the better the financial future looks
for the state. Lawmakers will be showing a commitment to live within the state's
means.The more money they spend on other priorities, the more likely it is that
the state is heading back into an untenable financial position. Lawmakers will
be showing that they plan on spending as much as possible, increasing the size
and burden of state government, leaving the state in a poor position to weather
the next economic downturn.