News and Press Releases for February 2006

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02/22/2006

Gov. Sanford Issues Statement on House Budget

Governor Says Budget Writers Headed in Wrong Direction, Spending Must be Held in Check, Trust Funds Musc be Repaid

Columbia, S.C. - Gov. Mark Sanford today issued the following statement on the S.C. House Ways and Means Committee's work so far on the 2006-2007 budget, after it was reported that the Committee is considering spending almost all of the projected tax dollars expected to flow into Columbia this year - putting government into double-digit growth over the previous year.

"Even though we're still very early in the budget writing process, based on recent news I think some in the House are headed in the wrong direction when it comes to keeping an eye on the taxpayers," Gov. Sanford said. "The good news is that this year, there are also a number of people in the House who are committed to the idea of limiting government growth and restoring trust and reserve funds, and I will continue to work with these like-minded people to stop this spending train early before it gets too far down the tracks and hopefully send a dividend back to the taxpayers in the process."

Other members of the House leadership applauded Gov. Sanford for his continued push for fiscal discipline.

"I agree with the Governor that we have a unique opportunity not to repeat the mistake that has been made over and over in the past - spending every dollar that comes in to state government," said Rep. Jim Harrison, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. "Myself and other leaders in the House are committed to putting forth a fiscally responsible budget that doesn't bloat the size of government."

"Since the day I arrived in the General Assembly, controlling the growth of government spending has been a priority for me," said House Speaker Pro Tem Doug Smith. "To the House's credit, earlier this year we passed a spending limitation and I am confident that at the end of the day the leadership in the House will live within this limit."

"The governor has shown consistent leadership on watching out for the taxpayer, and I applaud him doing so once again," said Rep. Harry Cato, Chairman of the House Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee. "There's absolutely no reason to not repay all of our trust and reserve funds this year, and I also believe we can use this year to set a new precedent for running government more like a business in terms of our spending practices."