Obama administration rejects Sanford’s attempt to redirect stimulus funds.
Obama administration rejects Sanford’s attempt to redirect stimulus funds.
Last week, Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC) said he would ask the Obama administration if he could redirect $700 million in federal stimulus money to pay down the state’s debt — instead of for its original purpose of school funding and public safety. The Obama administration today rejected his request, saying that the legislation doesn’t allow Obama to “make an exception for that cash”:
The $787 billion stimulus legislation sets strict rules for the $53.6 billion being sent to help state budgets, Orszag wrote. It calls for 82 percent of the money to be used for public schools and colleges and 18 percent on public safety and other government services. “Congress has not authorized the executive branch to waive any of the above statutory requirements,” Orszag’s one-page letter said.
Sanford has said he will outright reject part of the stimulus money if the administration says no to him. Last week, state Senate Finance Committee Chairman Hugh Leatherman — a Republican — introduced legislation allowing the state to spend the money in spite of Sanford’s opposition.
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I’d love to know which corporations are owed money by the state of South Carolina, and exactly how much they spent to have Mark “Dick” Sanford elected.
March 16th, 2009 at 5:53 pmGovernor, if you’re doing this on principle, then perhaps you should remember what Former Vice President Dick Cheney said, “Principle is OK up to a certain point, but principle doesn’t do any good if you lose.”
You will lose, Governor.
March 16th, 2009 at 5:55 pmCould you imagine the outcry if Governors had ordered their National Guard troops to not participate in the Iraq War?!
March 16th, 2009 at 5:56 pm(apologies if some Governors did do this, I did not fact check this).
.
So, Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC) prefers to balance a budget vs. education and safety?
Wait a second here…
… Isn’t education and safety part of that budget?
.
March 16th, 2009 at 5:56 pmSanford has said he will outright reject part of the stimulus money if the administration says no to him.
I suggest that President Obama get in touch with Illinois Governor Pat Quinn. I’m sure he will be happy to solve this problem by taking that money.
http://www.illinois.gov/GOV/
March 16th, 2009 at 5:57 pmNot in South Carolina.
March 16th, 2009 at 5:57 pmSend it to Washington state, idiot! We gots kids needs lernin.
March 16th, 2009 at 5:59 pmshoeless,
March 16th, 2009 at 6:02 pmHome schoolin’ never looked more viable in S.C. NO?
Maybe Chuck Norris can hire his separatist militia to supplement State security, too.
If Gov. Sanford doesn’t want South Carolina to have it…
DIBBS! I called it. Send the cash to NY. Our public safety officers could use it.
March 16th, 2009 at 6:04 pmYou Go Senate Finance Committee Chairman Hugh Leatherman. It’s good to see that not all the Republicans in SC are complete idealogical cattle.
By the way, those of us here in Iowa will also be glad to take a portion of that $700 million if Sanford is successful in his bid to turn down the money.
I hope all the voters in his state take notice that Republicans are more than willing to sacrifice them to make political points. Perhaps Sanford might want to “Spend more time with the family”
March 16th, 2009 at 6:04 pmThis is sweet. I’ll take the money if I can use it to make me look better because I can’t figure out how to balance my own checkbook, let alone the state budget.
The fact is, we don’t want people here to be smarter or safer. Especially smarter.
March 16th, 2009 at 6:05 pmNY called ‘dibbs’ fair and square.
March 16th, 2009 at 6:06 pm=D
I hope they do the same thing to Jindal and Rick Perry. The whackos are playing to the party leaders while pissing on the legs of the constituents and telling them it is raining.
March 16th, 2009 at 6:12 pmDespite running his mouth to the contrary, Mr. Sanford is not the boss of it.
March 16th, 2009 at 6:18 pmPerhaps someone should remind Sanford that if more South Carolinians have jobs, (such as teachers,engineers,construction workers),more taxes would be collected, which in turn could be used to pay down the stste debt.
Sometimes the obvious is too hard for republicans.
March 16th, 2009 at 6:26 pmThis is more nonsense by the republicans who impeding the President’s efforts at every turn.
Stimulus is spending and clearly the republicans are working to purposely restrict the effectiveness of the President’s plans by limiting spending.
I hope his constituents hold him accountable at their next election.
March 16th, 2009 at 6:33 pmSanford is carried away with his ego, his partisanship, and his tone-deaf stupidity.
March 16th, 2009 at 6:34 pmShoeless Joe’s ball field in Greenville is near where my wife’s childhood home once was. Sanford- just another Repub asslicker with presidential pretensions, elected the usual way for SC by filtering & skewing local news to his advantage & making Fixed News tv/radio dominate the airwaves. When that’s all they ever hear…..they end up doin’ the “vote against yr. own interests” boogie. Other ways played into electing him too, plain uneducated stupidity among them. Not to wonder how that happens.
Just FYI, a lot of folks living in SC are actually NOT Repubs.
Remember NC went for Obama, Sanford. Just over that border. Remember & shudder. Got plenty of relatives up in Spartanburg who wish they lived a mere 20 mi. north so they could have been part of that 11/08 landslide.
March 16th, 2009 at 6:38 pmSo lemmie get this straight. this fiscally conservative assclown sanford runs his state into debt and we’re supposed to foot the bill via the stimulus? where’s the job creation in that sanford, since it is the repukie catch phrase when speaking of this package?
that’s pretty damn funny.
March 16th, 2009 at 6:38 pmYou have to know this has got kkkarl roves hands all over it anther failed strategy to try to make obama look bad but it has done exactly the oppisite its makein the rethug govs in those states look fiscally and politicaly foolish to the inth degree…and they have prez ambitions they better stick to tryin to keep their jobs come election time
March 16th, 2009 at 6:45 pmI used to live in SC. Does that mean I can claim the money ?
I’d think it is a given that the legislation will overrule the governor. That way the Gov can get credit for standing by his principals of fiscal conservancy and the legislature gets credit for making sure they got the money.
Now if the folks of SC could just put together the idea that Sanford was gonna refuse money to build better schools.
March 16th, 2009 at 6:52 pmWhat does it take to initiate a recall vote in SC?
March 16th, 2009 at 7:02 pmYhe people of South Carolina need to vote this RepubliCon stooge out. Gov. Sanford is a little man; I would think that South Carolina has better to offer, maybe not.
March 16th, 2009 at 7:10 pmTypical Repub tactic, play to the base.
March 16th, 2009 at 7:26 pmI actually think this $700 million ought to come to my county in Georgia. We voted 75% for Obama!
March 16th, 2009 at 7:46 pmPaying down the debt is wise. Being in debt to bankers is very very bad. They have you by the balls when you’re in debt to them.
March 16th, 2009 at 9:25 pmkassandrasduplex spews:Paying down the debt is wise. Being in debt to bankers is very very bad. They have you by the balls when you’re in debt to them.
Spoken like a true dittohead.
Seems to me Mr. Fiscal responsibility is’nt!
March 16th, 2009 at 9:37 pmwell let’s see……people in his state with jobs and better education = lower unemployment compensation payments. money in the bank. people in his state with jobs and better education = higher tax rolls. money in the bank. people in his state with jobs and better education = citizens with actual cashflow to spend buying homes, vehicles, consumables = higher level of prosperity, more taxes! money in the bank. gee, i guess i can see where this joker thinks rejecting the helping hand he’s being offered is a good idea for the people of his state. wouldn’t want all that prosperity happening in south carolina, now would he??
March 17th, 2009 at 7:46 amSanford needs to start thinking more about being the governor of South Carolina and taking care of the needs of the residents of that state, and less about running for President on the Rushpublican ticket in 2012…
March 17th, 2009 at 9:16 amCheck out Colbert report from last night. This guy got nailed.
I can’t believe he did the interview. Maybe sanford doesn’t know how Colbert is.
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/221838/march-16-2009/better-know-a-governor—mark-sanford
March 17th, 2009 at 12:40 pmwoops that’s “who Colbert is” I should of added “what he does to putzs like sanford.
March 17th, 2009 at 12:42 pmLet’s see, didn’t this bill have something to do with stimulating hiring? And how many jobs are created by paying down debt?
March 17th, 2009 at 3:26 pm