S.C. Governor Must Take Stimulus Funds

In a unanimous ruling handed down by the S.C. Supreme Court, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford must request the $700 million in federal stimulus money he had wanted to reject. The court says Sanford has a duty to execute the state budget, which includes provisions for using the funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Governor Sanford had contended that accepting the cash would make the state budget dependent on federal aid. He had said he would accept the money only if he could use it to pay down the state’s debt. The Obama administration rejected that idea, saying the money was intended to spur the economy, not apply to debts. The state Supreme Court ruling settles the issue. This week, Sanford said he wouldn’t appeal the decision if it came down against him. (Information courtesy of the Charlotte Business Journal).

I believe that it is the governor's right to accept, or deny, this federal aid. This is more a battle for state sovereignty than it is a question of applied stimulus funds. Also, where does the state's legislature fall into this? Are we going to have high courts all over the land fighting battles based on a united agenda? With things stacking all over this nation on a one-sided point of view, I fear that our "stack" will come toppling over, due to imbalance.

Tags: act, aid, american, and, carolina, court, federal, mark, money, recovery

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Comment by Mel Standing Eagle on June 6, 2009 at 7:14pm: I stand corrected on the court. Some of the same legislators that fought against the governor on the Stimulus money fought against SC enacting the State Sovereignty legislation as a number other state have. These legislators are going to have a serious problem their next election!

Comment by Persian Paladin on June 6, 2009 at 6:48pm: This is a tyranny of the federal government.

People should remember what America was founded on: -

Comment by Raymond Mendoza on June 6, 2009 at 6:41pm: I agree with you, Mel_Standing_Eagle. Just a quick point of clarification: it is the state's Supreme Court who is pushing it, not a Federal Court.

Comment by Mel Standing Eagle on June 6, 2009 at 6:38pm: I live in SC.... Everyone forgets that the money has to be paid back in two years and with interest. I agree with the Governor. What the public has not been told, is the school system and other state agencies have hidden funds for a rainy day... well folks, it is a rainy day. There is enough funds in these interest bearing account to fund these programs for two years. We should use that money instead of going into debt with the Fed on non-existing funds that they created out of thin air.

Second, the Federal Court should not have say over a state. That is where state rights is suppose to exist... and the legislators here in S.C. that are pushing this, are known here to be liberal and out for give away programs with no concerns of the payback.
....thin air $0 from air x 9 trillion = $0 . . . do the math

Comment by krs on June 6, 2009 at 12:23am: "a duty to execute the state budget, which includes provisions for using the funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. "

If the state's budget was including use of the money, then the state legislature had already planned to use it. The governor was going out on his own on rejecting it.

Comment by Raymond Mendoza on June 5, 2009 at 4:16pm: The issue is he didn't accept it and the state's supreme court went around him. I wish he would appeal, but it wouldn't do any good. We have too many activist judges that are coming to a unified thought process.

Comment by Connor Bryant on June 5, 2009 at 3:44pm: He shouldn't have to accept it. It's just the next generation's debt.

Comment by Raymond Mendoza on June 5, 2009 at 2:05pm: No, they do not create laws, but they seem keen on setting precedent, which is close enough to ratifying an amendment to the Constitution.

Comment by Stephen Williams on June 5, 2009 at 1:54pm: They cannot create laws

Comment by Ebiter on June 5, 2009 at 4:34am: Yep. Because regardless what the Consitution says, Courts now have the power to create and inforce laws. (Nevermind thier function was to interpret laws) Before long, the court system (most of which server for life senteces) will become the only branch of the government. Then our wonderful Democracy (yes actually a Constitutional Republic) will be transformed into an Oligarchy.