SCHotline Press Releases

Dear Friend,

The state legislature reconvenes tomorrow (Friday) to elect a new Treasurer to serve out the remainder of Thomas Ravenel’s term. This is a critical election since the Treasurer is the “swing vote” on the five-member Budget and Control Board. The Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom and I support reforms that could result in $500 million in savings, but whether or not they are advanced hangs in the balance.

Two other members of the Budget and Control Board – Sen. Hugh Leatherman and Rep. Dan Cooper – have endorsed a fellow legislator, Rep. Converse Chellis, for Treasurer. I believe Chellis is a good man, but The State newspaper raised some concerns in its editorial today when they wrote that “there is reason to fear he supports the status quo: He is a member of the House leadership team that has blocked changes.”

I have endorsed two reform-minded candidates – Tim Scott, the chairman of Charleston County Council, and Sen. Greg Ryberg – and newspapers from all corners of the state have published editorials urging legislators to elect one of these two men. In case you missed them, these editorials can be accessed at the following links:

(The State)
(The State)
(The Greenville News)
(The Sun News)

Please take the time to read these editorials and forward them to family and friends, and let your legislator know how important the Treasurer’s role is in reforming the Budget and Control Board and dealing with the $15 billion that passes through that agency.

All of this underscores a problem with the process. The legislature has arranged for the Treasurer’s electoral process to be only ten days long, making it essentially impossible for an outsider to receive any consideration. Extremely able and talented men and women – the best our state has to offer in financial matters – will not even get a chance.

I appreciate your consideration of the merits of a ten-day election and continuing the reforms at the Budget and Control Board. And as always, I thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Mark

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A Charleston County Council chair for Treasurer? (Tim Scott Pictured above) First of this week we were to understand that Sanford would appoint a retired Army nurse to head the 4.7 billion dollar DHHS and now this?

Disclaimer: We are not agreeing with or disagreeing with the Gov’s actions simply very curious and that is where you come in so blog away…

[UPDATE] Blogs Of The Day - http://botd.wordpress.com/ #89, Damn were good…

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STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA OFFICE OF MARSHALL, LANDON, BOLTON & BLAKE SANFORD With the assistance of their mom, Jenny Sanford, and the Wachovia Foundation

Contact:                Curry Hagerty                803-737-4772                chagerty@gov.sc.gov 

Columbia, S.C. – The Sanford boys officially unveiled Mischief in the Mansion this afternoon at 12:30 pm at the South Carolina Governor’s Mansion (800 Richland Street, Columbia). 

Mischief in the Mansion is a hard-cover book that gives a short history of the South Carolina Governor’s Mansion and reveals life within, as interpreted by the sons of Governor and Mrs. Mark Sanford.  Marshall, Landon, Bolton, and Blake share their tales of growing up in a home abounding in antiques and history, and full of spaces for plenty of adventure.  Proceeds from this book benefit the Governor’s Mansion, a 501(c)3 non profit organization.

Jenny Sanford remarked, “Our family is honored to have the opportunity to live in this historic home, as have so many other SC families before us, and we are thrilled to be able to give back to this property through this book. SC is blessed with a rich cultural heritage, many historic properties, furniture, and art etc.  We believe it is important not only to preserve these but also to educate our people and our children about them too. I am particularly thankful to our boys for their great work on this project to help raise money to preserve this property for future generations.”

Through the “Reading is Fun” program, Wachovia Foundation has partnered with the Governor’s Mansion Foundation to distribute a copy of the book to each public elementary and middle school library in our state.

“Nothing is more important than helping children learn to read and to love learning,” said Kendall Alley, Wachovia’s South Carolina President. “At Wachovia, we believe a high-quality education is the foundation for a child’s lifelong success, and that’s why we dedicate our community activities to improving public education.  It’s our pleasure to partner with the Governor’s Mansion Foundation to ensure every public school library in the state has a copy of Mischief in the Mansion.  It’s a fun book that will engage our schoolchildren and teach South Carolina’s rich history.”

For more information about the Mischief in the Mansion or to purchase a copy of the book, please visit www.scgovernorsmansion.org.  For more information regarding this press announcement, please contact Curry Hagerty in the Office of the First Lady at 803-737-4772. 

STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
MARK SANFORD, GOVERNOR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joel Sawyer
803-734-2100
jsawyer@gov.sc.gov

Gov. Sanford Issues Statement on Restructuring Votes GOVERNOR THANKS SENATORS WHO VOTED FOR REFORM, CALLS FOR PEOPLE TO CONTINUE MAKING VOICES HEARD

Columbia, S.C. - January 24, 2007 - Governor Mark Sanford issued the following statement on the Senate’s passage of a resolution to give voters the opportunity to decide whether to allow future governors to appoint the Comptroller General, while denying voters the right to vote on continuing that practice with five other offices:

“Today’s vote was about a very simple concept - do we give power to the people of South Carolina to decide on the structure of their government, and to that end I’d give real credit to each and every Senator who voted today to allow South Carolina voters to have a greater voice on that front,” Governor Sanford said. “Unfortunately, as is the case too often in state government, power is hard to give up and there is a minority in the Senate who are working to protect an antiquated, inefficient and unaccountable government structure. The most disappointing thing about today’s votes is the lack of faith this minority of Senators has shown in the people of South Carolina to decide these questions for themselves.”

“Over the past few months traveling across the state during my campaign, I was again reminded that it is the people of this state who have the ultimate power, and not those of us temporarily entrusted to occupy these offices. That’s why during the four more years we’ve been blessed with we’re going to take that time and continue making our case directly to the people of South Carolina as to why these and other changes need to happen, and about the unwillingness of many in office to make those changes. As well, we’re going to continue working with friends in the House to push for more of these offices to make it before the people in 2008.”

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