South Carolina Club for Growth

Scoring the Stimulus Veto Override

Key Vote Alert - Budget Veto Overrides

The South Carolina Club for Growth urges all Representatives and Senators to vote "NO" on overriding Governor Mark Sanford's budget vetoes. We will be scoring every budget veto vote as part of our 2009 Legislative Scorecard.

SC Club for Growth Releases 2009 Legislative Goals

Our recent letter to South Carolina legislators outlines SC Club for Growth's positions on the major issues facing South Carolina. Please click here to read more.

SC Club for Growth Releases 2007-2008 Legislative Scorecard

Today, SC Club for Growth released its 2007-2008 South Carolina Legislative Scorecard, awarding the Taxpayer Champion award to five senators and five representatives earning top grades.

SC Club for Growth-endorsed Candidates Elected to State Legislature

Tonight, South Carolina voters chose a majority of SC Club for Growth PAC’s endorsed candidates. "The big winners tonight are Governor Mark Sanford and South Carolina taxpayers eager to see their state government reformed," said Matt Moore, executive director of SC Club for Growth.

SC Club for Growth Calls on School Officials to Cut Spending on Luxury Conference

June 24th, 2009 by SC CFG

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday 6/24/09
Contact: Matt Moore
South Carolina Club for Growth

Even as the drama of the stimulus/bailout fight in South Carolina fades from newspaper and blog headlines, public education officials continue to insist their budgets are dangerously tight and student instruction is suffering.

On Tuesday, Lexington-Richland District 5 reported that despite an infusion of $4.5 million in stimulus dollars, it would need to fire 14 staffers and 62 teachers (The State 6/23). Last Thursday, Lexington District 2 announced similar layoffs for eight teachers and five staffers (The State 6/18). Other districts, such as Dorchester 2 and Charleston, are thinning their ranks through the process of attrition without replacement (Post and Courier 6/22).

Taxpayers might expect school officials to demonstrate fiscal leadership by keeping administrative and non-instructional spending down to a bare minimum. This would ensure the greatest sum of public money actually reaches teachers and students in the classroom.

Those taxpayers would be very disappointed.

Key Vote Alert (SC Ports Authority)

June 15th, 2009 by SC CFG

SC Club for Growth says “sustain” S. 351

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South Carolina Club for Growth strongly urges all members of the SC Senate to sustain S. 351, R. 64, which makes detrimental changes to the State Ports Authority. S. 351, R. 64 will be the final scored vote before the Club releases its 2009-2010 Interim Legislative Scorecard.

In summary, the bill is essentially “restructuring in reverse” through increased bureaucracy and the potential for undue political influence. South Carolina needs an effective and well-managed ports system to remain competitive in the 21st century. However, S. 351, R. 64 will make much-need reforms very difficult by effectively eliminating the governor’s ability to remove board members.

South Carolina’s neighbors, including Georgia, have recognized that putting accountable board members (appointed by the executive branch) in charge of day-to-day policy, administrative, and management decisions leads to success. Likewise, despite recent battles between South Carolina’s current executive and legislative branches, future South Carolina governors deserve an opportunity to make their imprint on our state government.

Taxpayers across South Carolina want accountable and efficient government through a true executive branch they can hold accountable for results - instead of an executive branch hamstrung with even more unaccountable bureaucracy.

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The South Carolina Club for Growth is a network of thousands of South Carolinians, from all walks of life, who believe that prosperity and opportunity come through economic freedom. We work to promote public policies that promote economic growth primarily through legislative involvement, issue advocacy, research, training, and educational activity.

SC Club for Growth
PO Box 11909
Columbia, SC 29211
twitter: SCClub4Growth
phone: 803.454.1134

Scoring the Stimulus Veto Override

May 21st, 2009 by SC CFG

Many of our members have asked The Club to list the SC Senators and Representatives who yesterday attempted to force Governor Sanford to apply for $350 million in federal stimulus dollars. SC Club for Growth firmly believes the legislature’s attempt to ignore Executive Branch policy decisions clearly violates the separation of powers defined in our state’s constitution. The three independent branches of state government exist to safeguard against one branch having too much power.

As we said in our Key Vote Alert yesterday:

“the amendments to the budget forcing the acceptance of $700 million in stimulus funds are in violation of our state’s constitution. This is backed up by public opinions from South Carolina’s Attorney General, the Congressional Research Service, and the federal Director of the Office of Management and Budget, who have all argued that only the governor can apply for and accept these stimulus funds. SC Club for Growth firmly believes the legislature’s efforts clearly violate federal law and will score any associated veto overrides.”

SC Club for Growth encourages you to contact your legislator to either ask them “Why did you support violating the state’s constitution?” or to say “Thank you for defending responsible government.”