A Democrat Fiddles as South Carolina Burns
A newspaper editorial urges South Carolina Gov. Jim Hodges to either call the Legislature into session to deal with budget cuts, or order the state Budget and Control Board to make the cuts needed to close a $331 million budget gap in the current fiscal year.

"Thus far, Hodges has opted for the irresponsible choice: doing nothing," says the Greenville News in the scathing editorial.

By law, Hodges must do one or the other - either summon the Legislature into session or have the Budget and Control Board make the necessary 5-percent cut to the state budget, the paper notes. "Of the two options, calling the Legislature back to Columbia is preferable because state lawmakers can prioritize spending and safeguard vital services such as education, health care and law enforcement. The budget board, for its part, only can enact across-the-board cuts, which indiscriminately impact both crucial services and less important expenses. The budget board already has cut the state budget three times in the past two years, allowing the Legislature to escape the responsibility and accountability expected of lawmakers."

Hodges, a Democrat, appears ready to just dump the budget problem into the lap of Republican Gov.-elect Mark Sanford, who beat Hodges 53% to 47% in the November election. Sanford campaigned on a pledge to cut taxes and phase out the state's income tax, and received key endorsements based on his willingness to lead and tackle tough problems. During the campaign, Hodges refused to deal with the growing budget gap in order to avoid negative headlines that might hurt his re-election bid. He lost anyway, and deservedly so.

Now, he continues to play petulant politics rather than do his job.