COLUMBIA - Horry County can benefit from helping Gov. Mark Sanford achieve his government and tax reform goals, members of the legislative delegation said Wednesday after the State of the State speech.

"I think he's presented an exciting plan for South Carolina to increase the quantity of jobs and the quality of jobs," Rep. Alan Clemmons, R-Myrtle Beach, said.

Raising the standard of living, educational standards and cutting taxes are good for the whole state, including Horry County, Clemmons said.

"He wants to expand the economic atmosphere in the state just as we do in Horry County," he said. "I believe that this General Assembly agrees with him, and now comes the tough task of putting together the pieces of the puzzle to make that happen."

Although he hasn't made up his mind, he says Sanford's figures from other states point to economic growth when income taxes are cut, as the governor proposes to do.

Sanford wants to raise cigarette taxes to cut income taxes. Clemmons said he is leaning to the conclusion that cigarette taxes are voluntary, while income taxes are not.

Rep. Thad Viers, R-Myrtle Beach, and Sen. Luke Rankin, D-Myrtle Beach, took heart in Sanford's mention of restructuring school districts.

They both sponsored bills requiring the 80 school districts to consolidate so that each county has only one district, like the system in Horry and Georgetown counties.

The bills were assigned to committees last year but have not been acted on.

"I was pleased that he called attention to something that is not getting attention but will save a lot of money for taxpayers," Rankin said.

Like Sanford's proposals to consolidate college programs, the school consolidation bills are facing "politically charged turf protection," he said.

"I think that the governor did a good job of supporting Horry County's position on that," Viers said.

Rep. Billy Witherspoon, R-Conway, also wants to help the governor's tax and restructuring plans succeed. He said Sanford set a better tone this year of urging both sides of the Capitol to work together.

"He's beginning to try to pull the House and Senate together, and that's good," Witherspoon said.

Rankin also said the State of the State speech was "strong on theme, maybe a little short on specifics."

But Sanford's tone was upbeat, Rankin said, "trying to instill hope in a fairly austere time."