Sanford takes aim at growth in state spending

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Photo: TIM KIMZEY
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, left, speaks with employees at Griffin Gear in Roebuck Wednesday morning. The governor is touring the state speaking about the ballooning budget.
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Gov. Mark Sanford's big-budget blues tour rolled into Roebuck Wednesday morning, where he addressed about 50 employees at Griffin Gear.

Sanford is crossing the state talking to the voters about the need to control government growth. This year's $6.6 billion budget increases spending by 13 percent, a rate of growth that Sanford says is unsustainable.

"As much as you are shareholders in this business, you are shareholders in this state as well," Sanford told the workers. "When it comes to growing government at 13 percent, that's something that is real to you."

Sanford, with charts in hand, said with more than $1 billion in new revenue coming into the state this year, the Legislature could have given more to taxpayers or put more away for a rainy day. That day is coming next year, he said, in the form of a $535 million payment to cover the state health care plan.

"That money must be built into the budget beginning next year," Sanford said.

Griffin Gear employee Ken Hannah said he appreciated the governor's visit. He said most employees don't keep up with what's going on in Columbia.

"It's nice to see the bottom line," he said.

State Democrats have labeled Sanford's trek the "whine and blame" tour. Sen. Glenn Reese, D-Boiling Springs, called the governor's travels a convenient way to duck a debate with Republican primary challenger Oscar Lovelace.

"He's running scared," Reese said. "Anybody who has served for four years and accomplished anything should feel comfortable debating a candidate that has ideas and no money. For him to run scared from a debate like this is unreal."

A scheduled debate, televised statewide by SCETV Wednesday evening, became an interview with Lovelace when Sanford was a no-show as promised.

When asked if he couldn't have made his case to a wider audience in a debate televised statewide, Sanford said, "We've already plowed that ground."

Sanford has previously said that he's too busy to debate Lovelace and it isn't a priority for him.

Employees at Griffin Gear were split on whether they thought Sanford should have been there for the debate.

Ralph Simmons said that Sanford has a big lead over Lovelace, a Prosperity physician, and didn't have anything to gain from a debate.

"If you come across a swift river and you've got everything you need on this side, why swim across?" Simmons said.

But his co-worker, Willie Thompson, saw it differently.

"If you've got something to say, get up and say it," Thompson said. "But if you've got something to hide, just sit down and hide it."

Robert W. Dalton can be reached at 562-7274 or bob.dalton@shj.com.