Obama Citizenship

Stimulus Update: Gov. Sanford Sues SC AG

By Phil

As you may recall, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford decided to reject some of the funds from the recently-passed stimulus bill, despite the fact that the bill has what many consider an unconstitutional provision that otherwise allows a State legislature to bypass a Governor to accept all funds.

Now, Jeff Schreiber at AmericasRight.com reports that Gov. Sanford is suing his State’s Attorney General for effectively supporting the Legislature in passing legislation requiring the Governor to accept all of the federal monies:

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford has filed suit against South Carolina Attorney Gen. Henry McMaster over action taken by the state legislature which would have required the governor to accept federal stimulus money.

Sanford has been fighting a battle over the money for months now, taking heat from those in the Palmetto State who feel that the funds could help struggling schools and could assist in stemming the state’s above-average unemployment, while himself arguing that the money would handcuff the state into funding unsustainable programs itself after the federal money runs out.

Accepting the federal cash, Sanford stated in the court documents, “would require his agreement to these onerous federal educational mandates and unsustainable spending commitments, would further burden South Carolina’s economy and substantially increase the state’s debt in the future and therefore is contrary to the welfare of the people of South Carolina.”

I completely agree with Jeff’s take on Mr. Sanford’s petition:

It’s a nightmare. Just like the bank bailouts were more about control than anything else (otherwise, the federal government would allow the banks to repay the money), the stimulus money is driven by the same motives. For this administration, crisis lends itself to control.

This lawsuit is more than just a governor suing a state attorney general. This lawsuit is about federalism, about state sovereignty, about the balance of power not just in South Carolina, but from coast to coast.

-Phil

Full post as published by The Right Side of Life on May 26, 2009 (boomark / email).