"Don't Cut Taxes" pleads the State

America's Worst Newspaper, feeling triumphant after seeing another legislative session in which little was done to help South Carolinians, attacks yet another good idea.

Governor Sanford has long thought that the state government shouldn't grow faster than the economy. After all, if the government relies on money it taxes from its citizens, why should its cut grow faster than our paychecks? Furthermore, so much of the money goes to the well heeled and well connected that it's obvious that the state lawmakers simply can't be trusted not to spend every dime they get—and then some.

Here's the problem. No legislator wants to be the one who doesn't bring home the goodies when all the other lawmakers are delivering taxpayer-funded goodies to their constituents. After all, who doesn't want to be the hero who brought another bike path or children's museum? Unfortunately, all that wasteful spending adds up, and taxpayers are left with the bill.

So Governor Sanford had an idea. Since we all have the same goal—a budget that's in balance and leaves more money for SC families—why don't we create a rule that ensures we meet that goal? Why don't we put a ceiling on spending so that we can soon reap the reward of tax reduction?

The State doesn't like it. After all, since Brad Warthen is just exploding with ideas on how to spend taxpayer money. And since the SC Democratic Party is low on brains, Brad Warthen will just have to do.

Warthen complains that the rule against spending growth is "artificial." But so what? All government rules—including freedom of speech and the balanced budget amendment, to take two—are artificial. Governments themselves are pretty artificial. Of course, Warthen really means "undesirable."

What's really undesirable is the hellish vision of our state wherein citizen's are taxed up to their eyeballs to pay for Warthen's spendthrift fantasies. No thanks, Brad.

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