Is Gov. Sanford Allergic To All Pork - Or Just Some Pork?
South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford is suing his Attorney General for presenting legislation that would force him to accept Federal stimulus monies. South Carolina's Republican Members of Congress have reportedly asked for more than $20 million in pork barrel spending. Will Gov. Sanford reject those funds as well?
Gov. Sanford Suing Mad After Being Asked To Accept Federal Stimulus Money
On May 22, 2009, Americans for Tax Reform tweeted:
CFA Blog: Gov. Sanford's War Against Federal Spending http://twurl.nl/ua6pe2 [Twitter.com/taxreformer, 5/22/09]
The tweet links to the following blog post:
An interesting battle over "stimulus" money is being waged in South Carolina. Governor Mark Sanford has been an outspoken critic of the massive federal spending plan and has pledged not to take the $700 million that was offered to his state, arguing that the money should be used to decrease the state's debt rather than to expand government programs. The governor is one of a handful across the country who have refused stimulus money for programs their states cannot afford once the federal funds run dry. In response, the legislature passed a budget that included stimulus money, hoping to force the governor to accept the funds. Tuesday, the Governor vetoed most of the budget, sending it back to Congress to either rework the legislation or to override his veto.
Yesterday, the governor launched a new offensive by suing the state Attorney General, the officer who would be responsible for enforcing a budget that contained stimulus money. Sanford contends that the legislature overstepped their authority by trying to force the governor to take the federal funds, application for which the White House has asserted only the governor can make. [FiscalAccountability.org, 5/22/09]
But Will He Turn Down Or Give Back The Stimulus Money For These Republican Pork Projects?
South Carolina Republicans in Congress have asked for $20,827,500 in pork to pay for their 37 pet projects, which include:
|
Amount |
Project |
Requested By |
|
$3,000,000 |
SOF Combat Assault Rifle |
Sen. Graham |
|
$2,000,000 |
Hull Humvee Protection Program |
Sen. Graham and Reps. Barrett and Brown |
|
$950,000 |
Harden Street Improvements-Phase II |
Sen. Graham |
|
$950,000 |
Myrtle Beach International Trade & Convention Center, Myrtle Beach, SC |
Sen. Graham |
|
$380,000 |
City of Spartanburg for installation of residential infrastructure |
Sen. Graham |
|
$250,000 |
Improving Access to Sumter National Forest Resources in Union County |
Reps. Inglis and Bob |
|
$237,500 |
Environmental Impact Statement for Southern Evacuation Lifeline (SELL) US 701 Project, Georgetown and Horry Counties |
Rep. Brown |
|
$195,000 |
Peach Tree Short Life Research |
Sen. Graham |
|
$100,000 |
City of Union, South Carolina, for a regional robotics training center |
Rep. Inglis |
[Citizens Against Government Waste, accessed 5/22/09]
