New House Budget … More of the Same Problems
As the Senate Finance Committee meets this week to take up the budget, it’s a good time to review the House budget passed earlier this month. Here are the basics:
The Transportation Infrastructure Funding Flexibility Act: H 4033
The House recently passed legislation, the Transportation Infrastructure Funding Flexibility Act, authorizing the creation of public-private partnerships (PPP) that can be used to build roads in South Carolina. In theory,…
An Interview with Richard Eckstrom – Part 2
The continuation of our interview with South Carolina Comptroller Richard Eckstrom, and the burden the gargantuan debt will place on future generations. ”Is this political stimulus we’re after, or is…
An Interview with Richard Eckstrom Part 1
In part 1 of our interview with Richard Eckstrom the South Carolina comptroller talks about the long-term impact of the federal stimulus program on the state. With no real, sustainable…
The Way Too Early Best and Worst of 2010: A Look at What’s Ahead in the House
Christmas comes early every year in the Statehouse, as legislators who just can’t wait until January start prefiling bills. Like most of the ideas in the General Assembly, there are…
The Best and Worst to Come: A Review of Restructuring Legislation for 2009-2010
As we review the best and worst restructuring legislation of 2009, it’s also time to begin to consider what ideas are likely to resurface during the 2010 session. “Restructuring” generally refers to…
The Best and Worst to Come: A Review of Restructuring Legislation for 2009-2010
As we review the best and worst restructuring legislation of 2009, it’s also time to begin to consider what ideas are likely to resurface during the 2010 session. “Restructuring” generally refers to…
The Best & Worst to Come: A Review of Tax and Spending Legislation for 2009-2010
As we review the best and worst tax and spending legislation of 2009, it’s also time to begin to consider what ideas are likely to resurface during the 2010 session. The big…
The Best & Worst to Come: A Review of Tax and Spending Legislation for 2009-2010
As we review thebest and worst tax and spending legislation of 2009,it’s also time to begin to consider what ideas are likely to resurface during the 2010 session. The…
Stimulus Task Force Says Agencies Moving Forward Despite Contradictions
By: Geoff Pallay and Kevin Dietrich Despite a lack of direction from federal officials, state agencies in South Carolina claim to be on track for complying with stimulus funding guidelines,…
“Cap and Trade” to Cost SC Jobs
Proposals now before Congress seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the United States through a “cap‐and‐trade” system, under which U.S. producers would receive tradable permits to emit greenhouse gasses.…
SC Budget FY09-2010 Summary Review
The General Assembly voted Wednesday to override Governor Sanford’s veto of those parts (IA and III) of the budget (H 3560) that spend disputed federal stimulus dollars, with the Senate…
Five Myths About the FY09-2010 State Budget
This year’s budget debate has not only been one of the most contentious in state history, it has produced the second-largest state budget in history ($20.7 billion), an increase in…
Long-Term Liability Challenges for South Carolina Taxpayers
South Carolina taxpayers currently face serious long-term financial challenges based upon a review of the July 1, 2008actuarial report of the largest statewide pension plan – the South Carolina Retirement…
The Economic Impact of Federal Spending on State Economic Performance: A South Carolina Perspective
Federal government spending comes with costs; it should not be accepted as the free-lunch it is frequently considered to be. Every dollar the government spends must first be removed from…
The Economic Impact of Federal Spending on State Economic Performance: A South Carolina Perspective
By: Donna Arduin Arthur B. Laffer, Ph.D. Wayne H. Winegarden, Ph.D. Ian McDonough Click here to view the PDF version of this report.
The $21 Billion Budget: Three Categories of State Spending
Download the .pdf version here. The state of South Carolina spends approximately $21 billion each year. This is three times higher than the state budget figure frequently cited publicly. This…
House and Senate Committees Recommend Nearly 7.5 Percent Budget Cuts; Education and Corrections Spared
Written by: Bryan Cox The House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee each recommended approximately $480 million in cuts to the state budget Friday to compensate for reduced…
Market Based Medicaid Reform: No New Costs, Better Quality Care
Written by: Mike Bond The best way to assure cost control and good quality in our health care system is to focus reforms on competition and consumer choice. Market-based solutions…
Budget Should Fund Core Government Functions, Not Private Sector
Written By: Ashley Landess The budget debate will rightly focus on raided trust funds, wasteful spending and the looming danger of unfunded liabilities. How much money lawmakers allocate to…
Should Government Be Spending Your Money Like This?
Written by: Ashley Landess The SC House will take up the budget next Tuesday. Lawmakers should carefully deliberate whether some programs should be funded this year ? or at all…
Should Government Be Spending Your Money Like This?
The SC House will take up the budget next Tuesday. Lawmakers should carefully deliberate whether some programs should be funded this year ? or at all ? with public money.…
Reviewing the Records: SC Supreme Court Seat 3 & Court of Appeals Seat 6
Written by: SCPC and BIPEC The economic impact of Supreme Court and Court of Appeals decisions play a significant role in determining the success or failure of aspiring individuals, business…
South Carolina Needs State and Local Spending Caps
Since 2004, state spending has grown nine percent each year while family incomes in South Carolina have grown at just three percent. In that same period, the median family income…
South Carolina Needs State and Local Spending Caps
Since 2004, state spending has grown nine percent each year while family incomes in South Carolina have grown at just three percent. In that same period, the median family income…
Supplement not Supplant: Education Lottery Revenues
Education Lottery revenues have in many instances supplanted, not supplemented, the States spending on K-12 and Higher Education. In the former, this has meant Lottery money for basic instructional needs…
State Spending Growth Tops Southeastern Region
The Fiscal Survey of the States, a joint publication of the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Budget Officers was released this month. The reported cited South…
Big Budget Bad for Economic Growth
Written by: Ashley Landess South Carolina government is growing at a faster rate than our incomes. From 1992 to 2002 real per capital income grew by 2.5 percent, compared to…
Reviewing the Records: SC Supreme Court Seat 5
This is an informational report about the eight candidates for the seat number five position open on the South Carolina Supreme Court. [ Download Complete Article ]
Getting Honest About Unfunded Liabilities
Nothing is more dry and boring than a discussion of actuaries and accounting. But this year a major change in accounting procedures will have a profound effect on South Carolina…