S.C. has ‘unusual’ D.C. office

WASHINGTON — South Carolina still has two senators and six House members in Washington.

But it has lost Scott English, who used to be the director of the governor’s office in Washington.

English is still in charge of Washington-South Carolina relations for Gov. Mark Sanford. Since August, though, he has done that job from Columbia.

The governor’s office bills English’s move as a way to save money, in that English holds two positions in Columbia: director of federal/state relations and senior policy adviser.

A “two-for-one” deal, he says.

“We have a unique situation here in that we have a governor who served in Washington for six years,” says English, referring to Sanford’s years in the U.S. House. “Between his extensive contacts in D.C. and mine, we still have a great connection with what’s going on in D.C.”

English’s salary in Washington: $67,500. His salary in Columbia: $75,000.

Some Democrats say the decision to move English south was a mistake and point to the days when Michael Tecklenberg ran the office from Washington under former Democratic Gov. Jim Hodges.

Don Fowler, a member of the Democratic National Committee from Columbia, said the state director needs to be in Washington to attract federal dollars to South Carolina.

“That office has worked for Republican and Democrats to good effect,” Fowler said. “I only assume that Gov. Sanford has a different view — that he doesn’t want federal money. That just seems odd to me.”

Other Democrats are not so sure.

“It’s a little bit unusual, but I know that the governor’s trying to cut corners everywhere he can,” said Joe Erwin, chairman of the S.C. Democratic Party. “I wouldn’t be quick to criticize, not knowing what the implications are.”

Most states have at least a senior member of the governor’s administration in Washington. North Carolina, for example, has a director plus three other staffers. But Tennessee cut its one Washington staffer to help close its substantial budget gap.

There is still one employee left in South Carolina’s D.C. office, policy analyst Blair Goodrich, who graduated from Wofford College in 2000 with a major in government and philosophy.

LEGISLATION WATCH

• Title: The Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2004

• More fitting title: The Super Bowl Halftime Blowback Act of 2004

• Introduced by: U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sam Brownback, R-Kan.

• Intent: To allow the Federal Communications Commission to increase the maximum fine for violating its decency rules from $27,000 to $275,000 per incident.

KEY VOTES

• A giant transportation bill: The Senate Thursday passed the $318 billion transportation equity act, six years of money for the nation’s highways and public transit. The president calls the bill too expensive, but House leaders, who are pushing their own $375 billion transportation bill, consider the Senate bill too small.

• Voting yes: U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings, D-S.C.

• Voting no: U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

“There might have been a little bit here, a little bit there, but there was no imminent threat. There was no clear evidence of peril. ... We could all get the chicken flu, but we are not trying to eliminate the state of Delaware because they have a little chicken flu there. Come on.”

— U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings, D-S.C., responding to a question from U.S. Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., on evidence that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction

Reach Markoe at (202) 383-6023 or lmarkoe@krwashington.com.