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RICE BILL WOULD MEET SANFORD’S DEMANDS, CUT $350 MILLION FROM BUDGET
A bill that would force state lawmakers to work with Gov. Mark Sanford to cut $350 million in government waste from South Carolina’s budget passed the State House of Representatives Thursday.
Sanford has said that in order for him to accept $700 million in federal stimulus money, lawmakers must first remove an equal amount from the budget for use in paying down state debt.
Rep. Rex Rice (R-Pickens), who introduced the legislation last month, said it will save taxpayers $350 million a year to combat the strings attached to the stimulus package.
“In South Carolina, we understand money doesn’t grow on trees and that government growth will not stimulate the economy,” said Rice. “We need to pay down debt and take a reasonable approach to handling the stimulus money.”
But Sanford’s office was skeptical that the bill would be able to achieve the desired outcome.
“We appreciate any attempt to pay down state debt, however the restructuring ideas that this committee will no doubt debate are things we’ve been talking about for years,” said Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer. “With the state budget up for debate, consolidation needs to happen sooner rather than later.”
The legislation would require a Joint Study Committee to eliminate duplication within state agencies and remove at least $350 Million in government waste from the state budget by Jan. 15, 2010.
The Joint Study Committee would be composed of the Governor and legislative leaders including the Chairmen of the following committees: House Judiciary, House Ways and Means, Senate Judiciary, Senate Finance, and the Majority and Minority leaders of both chambers.
Rice said he was hopeful that his bill would ensure South Carolina does not follow Washington’s lead in spending money it doesn’t have.
“The only way to fix our broken economy is by eliminating government waste and cutting taxes,” Rice said. “This bill does just that.”
From the article:
“The only way to fix our broken economy is by eliminating government waste and cutting taxes,” Rice said. “This bill does just that.”
My take:
Do you think we are so dense at to believe that the only way to “fix” the economy is to accept your proposed bill? Please… how is eliminating government waste going to fix the lending crisis that started this? Leave the politics and get real.
Son Rep. Rice, please define and identify the so-called “government waste”of at least $350 million from the State budget. Curiouser and curiouser…
Adam, could you find out who we owe and who these elected people want to cut a check to please……..
my bet is that may be very interesting.
The last time I checked our state wasn’t calling Dave Ramsey and yelling We’re debt free. So what ever debt we can pay down now helps to lessen the burden on the the money we have to pay back for the Obamaortion. Not to mention spending has gotten out of hand in recent years. Do we really need to foot the bill on Bean Museums?
pimping a RQA candidate for Congress… I like!
Agreed G. Mitchell, that’s all this site is capable of doing, Adam needs to hind his intentions…
“how is eliminating government waste going to fix the lending crisis that started this?”
Because all government spending is bidding limited resources away from productive use in the private sector, which distorts prices and the allocation of capital in the economy at large, including lending.
The five word version:
All government spending is consumption.
IMPEACH SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR MARK SANFORD ( STIMULUS PACKAGE )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lgjxrSO6xQ
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