Why South Carolina Doesn't Want 'Stimulus'

One of my friends emailed me this article:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123759827524401409.html

There are many interesting details about the state budgeting process in this article. Governor Mark Sanford wants to use part of the federal stimulus money that is allocated to South Carolina to pay down state debt. This use of the stimulus money will require a waiver from the federal government.

The discussion of Governor Sanford’s waiver request is most interesting:

“Last week I reached out to the president, asking for a federal waiver from restrictions on stimulus money. I got a most unusual response. Before I even received an acknowledgment of the request from the White House, I got word that the Democratic National Committee was launching campaign-style TV attack-ads against me for making it.

Is this the new brand of politics we were promised? Instead of engaging with me and other governors on the merits of our dissent, I am to be attacked in television ads? In the end, I just don't believe a problem created by too much debt will be solved by piling on more debt. This doesn't strike me as an unreasonable or extremist position.”

This is the method used by our new administration and their ardent supporters. If someone questions or wishes to debate your policy then attack them as subversive. A common example of this tactic is the use of the term “denier” to describe anyone who does not accept the dogma of the global warming rabble.