Wednesday, May 20, 2009

SC House overrides Governor Sanford! Sanity at last?

Head Goofball in charge!


Rich, evil greedhead Republicans who send their children to private schools (and therefore do not care about the public ones) have blessedly NOT prevailed after all. I am very, very pleased to report the following:

SC House overrides major Sanford budget vetoes
ASSOCIATED PRESS • May 20, 2009


COLUMBIA — State lawmakers took first steps today to override the governor’s vetoes of the $5.7 billion state budget and his refusal of federal stimulus funds sought to avert deep public school cuts and big college tuition hikes.

The House voted 98-19 Wednesday to send the budget issue to the Senate and followed that up with a 93-23 vote to override Gov. Mark Sanford’s refusal to accept $700 million in federal stimulus cash. The votes came without debate.

“Woo hoo,” cheered state Education Department spokesman Jim Foster after the vote. He hoped the Senate would follow later Wednesday by also overriding those two key elements.

“We’re disappointed,” Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer said. In the Senate, “we know it will be a lot closer. We hope we will cross the finish line with sustaining it there.”

Sanford, a Republican whose stance has won him national prominence, has said he won’t request that money unless it can be used to offset state debt. But the White House twice rejected that approach, emphasizing the money first had to be used to support education.

But leaders in the GOP-dominated Legislature expect the budget fight to end up in court. Sawyer said the governor is not ready to say whether he’ll raise a legal challenge.

A Chapin High School student has said she plans to refile a lawsuit aimed at forcing Sanford to accept the funds. Casey Edwards did not immediately respond to a message left with her father Thursday.

Meanwhile, Foster said the U.S. Education Department has now set a July 1 deadline to apply for the money.

Sawyer said he was not prepared to comment on that.
Yeah, I'll bet he wasn't! (giggle)

I am so glad the greedheads were outvoted. WOOT! (((happy dance)))

And what is that about "national prominence"? Let's change that to national laughingstock instead. HOW MUCH MONEY has the Governor's little economic-grandstanding stunt cost us, exactly? For instance, when he barnstormed the state for political support for his anti-stimulus fiasco--who paid for that? The South Carolina state taxpayers or the GOP?

Hmm, let me guess.

PS: Time to pray for the SC Senate. Take out those rosaries now!