Budget Wins Approval; Sanford Calls It "Reckless"

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina budget writers are planning to focus on tax collection enforcement as they found ways to patch together a $5.7 billion budget that reduced drastic cuts.

However, the decisions have still left agencies wondering how they'll provide services such as protecting children from abuse.

A day after telling agencies they'd stand to lose 27 percent of their budgets because the spending plan was $202 million short, the Senate Finance Committee agreed to generate $48 million from putting more money into collection enforcement and by tapping money from a several health care-related agencies.

That's left a $97 million gap.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Governor Sanford's Office released this statement Thursday night on the budget:

"One thing that was made abundantly clear to me yesterday by thousands in Columbia and Charleston is that they’re tired of more spending without reform, and they’re tired of passing on debt to future generations,” Gov. Sanford said. “Unfortunately, this budget is more of the same on those fronts, it’s irresponsible and reckless, and one could argue it is aimed at trying to make a political point. Senators Ryberg and Davis put forward a budget that deserved consideration, but it was summarily dismissed without so much as a vote even after multiple attempts to indeed vote on that proposal. It’s very telling that several Senators actually walked out of the Committee because of that very thing. That budget would have served as a far more useful and responsible starting point for discussions than what Senator Leatherman has dictated to his committee. For all of his talk about wanting to hear other ideas, this document is nothing more than 'The Chaos Budget: The Sequel.'

"Even more egregious is that rather than adopting a single idea aimed at restructuring the broken ways state government operates, this budget is balanced on funny money. Building a budget on the hope that a new $48 million is somehow going to appear out of thin air is optimistic at best and reckless budgeting at worst.

"This budget is unfortunate for every taxpayer and everyone served by government. Alternatives need to be given serious consideration either on the Senate floor or back in the House. There was a lot of talk yesterday on tax day --whether in Columbia, Charleston or elsewhere across the state -- about holding the line on spending, and it’s awfully important that budget writers not pretend those voices don’t exist, and it’s incredibly important that those voices continue to make themselves heard over the coming days and weeks.”