State Supreme Court order Gov Sanford to request stimulus money (Clemson: appointed, credit)

[myrc60]

Read it here:
S.C. high court orders Sanford to accept money - Local / Metro - The State

[Intergalactic]

Since the taxpayers of SC have to pay for it whether Sanford accepted it or not, this is a victory for the taxpayers. Not to mention the schools.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Just say no to Porkulus!

[rubber_factory]

Yes... all what, $350million of it?

Out of the $20.7 BILLION budget?

Man, South Carolina really dodged the bullet there, huh? I bet y'all would've had to just open the doors on all the prisons, fire all the teachers, shut down Carolina & Clemson if this hadn't passed. Right? I mean that's what Leatherman and Bobby Harrell were saying, weren't they? Armageddon?

[myrc60]

I agree with the principles which Gov Sanford was basing his declination on; however these times are unprecedented and I believe we have to trust the feds (what an oxymoron that is) to do the right things for our economy. Many are suffering and will continue to suffer for sometime but the consequences of not doing anything would have been much more damaging than the solution as it stands now. Good luck to all!

[Tinabean]

Really? Would we really have been taxed for the $$ even if we didn't take it? How could that be correct? Admittedly I have not read how the money is earmarked for use but I've heard the majority is headed for education. Folks, SC continues to throw money at the education machine without results. It will be a TREMENDOUS WASTE OF RESOURCES if that money is headed into the bottomless pit that is the current SC Department of Education. Both NC and GA spend less $ per student with better test results. Additionally, the priority should be job creation and economic development balanced with REASONABLE investments into reworking the current FAILINGS of the SC Department of education. I smell far too much influence by the teachers union on Washington and that directive is being forced down the throats of tax paying South Carolinians. Before you start barking about kids' needs, realize that I, along with every other rational person, understand that SC must have a reasonable pool of minimumally educated young adults in order to attract businesses/economic development. But I realize that the problem is much, much bigger than simply adding teachers and paying existing teachers more, building newer schools and adding some computers. That formula is NOT working and throwing another huge block of money and crossing our fingers will not fix the issue. Create the jobs and the demand for employment first, use the increasing tax base in a more strategic way to provide incentives for students to graduate. We need jobs and more relief from taxes in SC immediately. Any impact on education that this stimulus money may have would be realized more than 5 years from now. I'm very disappointed in yesterday's outcome. By the way, I'm a fiscal conservative and a moderate to liberal on social issues -right to a woman's right to choose, equal rights for women and gays, etc... This isn't about advancing a republican agenda, it is about political leaders making decisions like a businessperson does..... what is the return on investment? What is our most pressing need? I think the Governor was trying to do that in this instance.

[BMOREBOY]

^^^People pay for everything even though you don't have it...lol Your tax money can go to pay for a new highway in another state. If I was the Governor, I would have accepted the money because there's already a big recession going on and you can't risk losing more jobs because the state budget can't afford to keep schools, prisons, and etc open. I would give tax breaks to new companies that will bring jobs.

[janrey]

Really? Would we really have been taxed for the $$ even if we didn't take it?

Of course you would, this is federal money not state and will be paid for by EVERYONE who pays federal taxes regardless of what state you live in or whether or not your state took it just like you will be paying for the banking/auto bailouts. Whether or not one agrees or disagrees with the stimulus money, not taking it is foolish because you will pay for it whether it goes to SC or goes to Georgia or Vermont. There is a set number of dollars to be given out and to be paid back by ALL Federal Tax payers. You won't be able to say "Well I live in SC so I don't have to pay it back". There will be no credits given, just a general increase in taxes.

Whether it delays the inevitable will only be known next year. Perhaps the economy will improve next year and more income will come in, in the form of state and federal taxes (more jobs means more collected) or else cutbacks or increased local taxes will have to occur but to not take it now is stupid.

The only thing Sanford was doing was grand standing for political purposes (his goals of running for President). He knew that eventually he'd have to take the money but now he can say he was the only one who stood up against it (the time to be against it was when it was being voted on).

[Tinabean]

"Of course you would, this is federal money not state and will be paid for by EVERYONE who pays federal taxes regardless of what state you live in or whether or not your state took it just like you will be paying for the banking/auto bailouts. Whether or not one agrees or disagrees with the stimulus money, not taking it is foolish because you will pay for it whether it goes to SC or goes to Georgia or Vermont." -- I'm not certain it is as simple as janrey puts it. Perhaps it is but it was my understanding that the states have annual budget allocations from the FEDS. All states are not receiving (nor taking) all of the stimulus money offered. There are both utilization and repayment stipulations attached to the money. STATES will have to pay back the money to the FEDS in the future. Of course I know that our overall taxes will go up to cover the expenditures to shore up the banking and auto industries....that portion is correct, I believe. But the stimulus repayment will not work the same, as I understand it. If someone has a reliable source regarding how the stimulus funds are to be recovered by the FEDS, please post it.

[g-man430]

This guy said it best:

"To think this clown in the 2nd poorest state in the country with one of the worst school systems wanted to reject this money. Proof positive conservatives by their very nature are idiots. Let's see how to cause the state to fall further behind, strip the schools of major funding so another generation is lost in this state. This is what true conservatives want, another lost generation while the states bordering us continue to pull ahead of us in economic development. And then these same people wonder why given their conservative politics and dominance of the state wonder why we aren't the richest state in the nation. To hear them talk we should be, we are the most conservative state and yet we are the second poorest. I wonder if that doesn't suggest maybe it is time for a change in approach? Nah, that makes too much sense. When the path you are on has lead to failure why change, isn't that conservatism summed up?"