Lawmakers Squeal After Governor’s Clever Jab 

(Washington, D.C.) – Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today named the South Carolina legislature Porker of the Month for June 2004 for overriding almost every one of Governor Mark Sanford’s (R) 106 budget vetoes.  After Gov. Sanford vetoed almost $36 million of a $5.5 billion fiscal 2005 budget, the Republican-controlled legislature breezed through 105 overrides in the House and 99 overrides in the Senate with little or no debate.  Gov. Sanford responded by walking into the House chamber carrying two pigs, named “Pork” and “Barrel,” infuriating lawmakers.  The mess made by the pigs was nothing compared to the chaos caused by the failure of the legislature to put a lid on wasteful spending.

After the House kicked the budget back to Gov. Sanford, he vetoed another $16.2 million in appropriations, saying that the surplus funds should be used to pay off the remaining portion of the state’s unconstitutional $155 million deficit carried over from fiscal 2002.  Sanford also vetoed some appropriations that relied on $90 million in surplus funds that may not be collected.

Some of the 106 items vetoed by Gov. Sanford included:  $5 million for Hunting Island Beach Renourishment; $500,000 worth of equipment for a Florence-Darlington Technical School building that has not been built or funded; $380,000 for a stadium expansion to accommodate a Palmetto Bowl Football Game; $250,000 for the Freedom Weekend Aloft balloon festival; $40,000 for an early retirement pay-out to a single employee; and $26,000 for the Senior Citizens Sports Classic.

The piggies provoked a bipartisan firestorm from the pork-barrelers in the legislature.  House Speaker David Wilkins (R) called Sanford’s act “insulting” and “childish,” saying it was “beneath the dignity of the governor.”  It’s ironic that a harmless joke is called “insulting” but reckless spending is considered respectable.

Mark Sanford served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2000, earning Taxpayer Superhero status and a number one ranking in the entire Congress by the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste.  Sanford campaigned for governor on bringing his vision of efficient, cost-saving, growth-friendly government to his home state.  His reform efforts have often been thwarted by legislators who are protective of the status quo.  He deserves congratulations, not condemnation, for his bold demonstration of concern for South Carolina’s taxpayers.  In fact, CAGW may have inspired his actions, as each year the group releases its annual Congressional Pig Book at a press conference complete with live pigs.

For placing higher importance on pork projects than the state’s tax and deficit burdens, for reflexively overriding the governor’s budget vetoes, and for squealing when Gov. Sanford called them out with a light-hearted jab, CAGW names the South Carolina legislature its Porker of the Month for June 2004.

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