Poverty up, support down

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But that doesn't mean that state lawmakers are powerless to alleviate the suffering of the state's growing impoverished population — more than one-third of them children. Gov. Sanford and lawmakers will have the opportunity in a few months to shore up the state's support system for the most vulnerable South Carolinians. They should not fail to do so.

South Carolina currently has the eighth highest poverty rate in the nation. About 14.7 percent of the state's population — or 600,000 South Carolinians — lived in poverty in 2001-02. That represents an increase of 1.6 percentage points from 2000-01.

Equally troubling is the trend: Since 2000, South Carolina has seen the fourth-highest increase in poverty in the nation.

Reversing that disconcerting trend — by getting the economy moving again — should be a top priority for state and federal officials. Gov. Sanford has placed an appropriately strong emphasis on economic development, and he should be judged by the results of his efforts.

The governor and state lawmakers, meanwhile, both have the responsibility to repair the state's frayed safety net. Lawmakers have hit some agencies, such as the Department of Social Services, with devastating cuts. DSS, which assists the needy and helps those on welfare toward self-sufficiency, lost one-third — $48 million — of its budget in the past three years.

Employment services have been reduced. Mental health and substance abuse programs have been eliminated or severely cut back. Medicaid health care for the poor has expanded to accommodate almost 1 million South Carolinians, but the state agency that administers the program is struggling to help more people with less money.

Lawmakers have cut funding also for public education and universities — the latter by $87 million over the past three years. That's certainly unwise because public education is the backbone of the economy and clearly helps individuals climb out of poverty.

It's true, of course, that many adults who live in poverty bear the responsibility for their own plight. Factors contributing to poverty include poor work ethic, unwed parenting and drug and alcohol addiction.

But that doesn't excuse lawmakers from doing everything they can to help South Carolinians suffering from a job loss, catastrophic health problems, mental impairment or other cruelties of fate. More than one-third of those living in poverty are children, who can hardly be blamed for their own circumstances. And their lives can be reclaimed through education and good health.

There's much lawmakers can do: They can start by prioritizing spending and reducing redundancies in higher education to free up funds. They also can raise targeted taxes, such as the so-called sin taxes — cigarette and liquor taxes — that have strong public support.

A weak economy raises significant hurdles for South Carolina leaders, but it does not absolve them of the responsibility to protect the well-being of the state's most vulnerable citizens.