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PAULINE, SC (June 26, 2010) - This was sent out to local media, but only made it to print in the Woodruff City Bulletin and the Times Examiner. We can always count on them to print the true, conservative message!!!
I believe everyone reading this has somehow been touched by the current recession. Whether you have personally experienced job loss, reduced hours, or slower business than normal, you or someone you know has been impacted. When elected two years ago, people told me that I was about to experience a terrible budget crisis in our state. I understood things were going to be bad, but did not yet realize the full scope. General fund revenue had always increased in the past and the legislature spent a $1.5 Billion surplus prior to my election. Now we are facing a $1 Billion shortfall in next year’s budget (2011/2012). Since we are in the present, I would like to focus my attention on this year’s budget (2010/2011).
When we began the budget process earlier this spring, things looked grim. The first thing we heard was that programs for our disabled and special needs citizens would be cut. Luckily, money was found to protect our most vulnerable citizens. The House of Representatives passed their version of the budget and sent it to the Senate Finance Committee which passed its version to the full Senate. It was then I fully realized the huge lack of prioritization. I watched as our State Director of Public Safety, the head of the Highway Patrol, and the Director of our Natural Resources department begged for money. In our public schools, the base student cost dropped to 1996 levels (cuts of $180 million) and school districts were looking to eliminate jobs, furlough teachers, and increase class sizes. Having young children, class size is something I am very sensitive to as I prefer our younger children in a class of 20 or less, not 30 or more.
The state owns two golf courses which lose money and I wrote an amendment to get the state out of this losing business and send that money back to the classroom. You would have thought I tried to close Myrtle Beach! While law enforcement and education begged, the Finance Committee found $3 million for a low country Democrat’s project and $1.5 million for the Conservation Bank. It’s not that I have a problem with either the project or the bank; my problem is that core government services have to beg while money is found for other projects. To place into perspective, 60 teachers could be hired with the $3 million project money. The budget ultimately passed, even though I voted against it.
Many of you know the Governor vetoed 107 items in this year’s budget. I posted the entire veto message on my website along with commentary the weekend after it was released and just prior to voting on his vetoes. This year, like the Governor or not, he tried to prioritize the way we spend money by eliminating a portion of the budget which could only exist if the Federal Government approved more funds (which to date they have not). “NO” is not a word which is often heard in Columbia. The vetoes were a way of saying “no” to certain things and placing our priorities back on core government services. The House of Representatives, who have to take up the budget vetoes first, sustained 48 of the vetoes. Once sustained by the House, the Senate never got a chance to vote on them. Several tough vetoes made it to the Senate and I had to make a choice. The example I use is one of a father who just lost his job and has to make tough decisions. His teenage daughter has a cell phone and he tells her that he needs to cut it off and put his savings and unemployment check toward mortgage, food, utilities, etc. The daughter lobbies her dad vigorously, telling him that he is going to ruin her life and she cannot function without her cell phone. If the father caves to his daughter and leaves the cell phone on, he will have to struggle with the other bills. If the father is looking at the big picture, he will inform his daughter the phone is off and it is more important to put food on the table.
We must look at the big picture and do what is best for our state. Any money saved by sustaining a veto will go to help our core services. Although I am a strong supporter of the arts and libraries, we had to make the decision to vote for cuts in these areas, in favor of keeping a teacher in the classroom or a trooper on the highway. One Senator’s public school district is increasing class size to 33 and another’s child lost his third grade teacher due to budget cuts this year. Also the highway patrol has cut 200 troopers over the last couple of years. This year’s Senate budget increased 46% due to exhausting of reserve funds. I voted against this increase, knowing people I am close to and rely on could lose their job. However, people I represent and am close to in District 13 are losing their jobs and my business sees the strain of the economy as well, and I have to keep things in perspective. None of us are immune and I hope things recover soon. Until they do, and long after they do, we must prioritize the way we spend money and fund programs to ensure that our state has a bright future. This means making the right decisions, not just the popular ones!
Senator Shane Martin
Repubican - SC State Senate District 13
Greenville, Spartanburg, and Union Counties |
