“South Carolina Must Seize This Momentous Opportunity,” Schatz says

(Washington, D.C.) – The 11,800 members and supporters of Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) in South Carolina today commended the Governor’s Commission on Management, Accountability, and Performance (MAP) for its tireless efforts in conducting a private-sector analysis of state government.  The commission will present its final report to Governor Mark Sanford on Tuesday, September 30 at 1:00 p.m. in the Wade Hampton building.     

“The MAP Commission did an outstanding job at finding effective solutions to budget problems,” CAGW President Tom Schatz said.  “The taxpayers and the governor must now make this report bear fruit.  If elected officials muster the political will to carry out these recommendations, the result will be a more effective and accountable government, improved services, and savings for the taxpayers of South Carolina.”

The commission, created by Gov. Sanford’s June 10 executive order, consists of 12 business leaders from throughout the state.  Headed by Chairman Ken Wingate, the commissioners poured through the state budget, interviewed the heads of government agencies, and solicited the advice of thousands of private citizens and state employees.  The MAP Commission is similar to President Reagan’s Grace Commission in 1982.  J. Peter Grace chaired the group of national business leaders, which President Reagan instructed to work like “tireless bloodhound[s]” in order to improve the efficiency of the federal government.  Grace then formed CAGW in 1984 to carry on the mission of drawing attention to waste in the federal government.  Through the implementation of the Grace Commission’s and other cost-cutting recommendations, CAGW has helped save more than $700 billion since its inception. 

“Once again, history illustrates that removing politics and using a private sector approach to increase efficiency is the best way to improve overall government performance,” Schatz continued.  “The experience of the Grace Commission shows that even common sense recommendations are difficult to ratify in an unreceptive legislative climate.  CAGW recommends that a full-time organization be established in South Carolina to inform the public and the legislature of the importance of implementing the MAP Commission’s work.”

Tom Schatz met with the 12-member commission in June to discuss how to improve efficiency in the South Carolina state government.  Topics included methodology, best practices from other states, the success of the Grace Commission in Washington, D.C., and similar efforts at the state level.  Schatz also met with Governor Sanford.

“This should be the start of major changes in South Carolina,” Schatz concluded.  “Some of the state’s keenest business minds devoted months to examining ways to make state government more efficient, documenting the numerous ways that agencies are wasting money and endangering South Carolina’s future.  If the mission ends here, the efforts of thousands of volunteers will be in vain.  South Carolina must embrace the work of the MAP Commission.” 

Citizens Against Government Waste is the nation's largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.