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Article published Mar 5, 2005
Sanford may silence program for blind

James Staton enjoys listening to the newspaper with his breakfast every morning.Staton, a 98-year-old Greenville resident who has been blind for 15 years, is one of 4,600 South Carolinians who take advantage of the state Commission for the Blind's Radio Reading program.If Gov. Mark Sanford has his way, the program will disappear on July 1.In his executive budget, Sanford eliminated the $104,990 in state funding for the program. The House Ways and Means Committee followed Sanford's recommendation in preparing the budget that the House will begin debating on March 14.Volunteers with the Radio Reading program read newspapers, books and magazine articles for blind listeners across the state. The state money -- the program's only source of funding -- pays for two salaries, equipment and broadcasting fees."It's the only way I can keep up with things," Staton said. "I look forward to hearing the news items read out of the local paper, especially the obituaries, because we have a lot of elderly people in our church that I try to keep track of."Sanford: Others fill needSanford concluded in his budget that the Radio Reading Program duplicates the State Library's Talking Book Services program and "other readily available radio and television news outlets that can provide similar information. Sanford wants to redirect the money to the Prevention of Blindness Program.Beth Jones, director of the Radio Reading program, said the governor is misinformed. "If he knew the truth, he might think us more worthwhile," she said.Jones said volunteers read newspapers from across the state, including obituaries, editorials and grocery store ads. Those are items, she said, that listeners would not get from other sources."What we try to do is make accessible the printed newspaper to people who can't read it," said Jones, who has been with the program for 25 years. "All the things that make a newspaper a newspaper, we do."Jim Johnson, director of the State Library, said it's "totally inaccurate" to say the Radio Reading program and the Talking Book Services program provide similar services."Our program provides books and magazines on tape for the blind and for people who are physically handicapped and can't turn the pages," Johnson said. "It's nowherenear a duplication of what the Commission for the Blind does."Sanford spokesman Will Folks said the Governor's Office was thorough in putting together the executive budget, but acknowledged that the State Library's program does not provide newspaper reading services. He said Sanford believed that the "current programs could be modified to achieve the same objectives at a significant savings to the taxpayer."Rep. Mike Anthony, D-Union, said he didn't understand Sanford's motivation."That's the difference between living on an island and being disadvantaged and living in rural South Carolina," Anthony said. "When you wake up on third base and think you've hit a triple -- meaning he's had a silver spoon in his mouth his entire life – you can't understand what normal South Carolinians go through. When you start taking away opportunities for disadvantaged people, such as the blind, I think you're crossing the line."Rep. Ralph Davenport, R-Boiling Springs and a member of the Ways and Means Committee, said an effort already is under way to restore funding for the program."This is a good program, one that is needed by people who are blind," Davenport said.That's good news for the 98-year-old Staton, who hopes the money will be there in the final version of the budget. The voices that share the news with him are a great source of companionship, he said."It's a rough life when you lose your eyesight," he said. "There are things that have happened since I lost my eyesight that I'd like to see. But I can't go out and look for them, so I just stay home."Robert W. Dalton can be reached at 562-7274 or bob.dalton@shj.com.