Friday, June 26, 2009

Show me the (stimulus) money

By Richard Eckstrom
Comptroller General

Since being appointed as the state’s “stimulus watchdog” earlier this year, I’ve often been asked how much of the federal stimulus money we’ve received so far. I thought I’d take this opportunity to answer that question and to explain how it’s being used.

At the time of this writing, the State of South Carolina has received just over $332 million in federal stimulus money. Seven state agencies have received these funds:

-- Department of Health and Human Services, $263,947,399 for Medicaid services
-- Employment Security Commission, $48,395,901 for unemployment benefits
-- Department of Education, $17,178,039 for services for at-risk students
-- Department of Health and Environmental Control, $1,767,928 for maternal and child health services-- Department of Commerce, $832,429 for workforce development grants-- Office on Aging, $90,646 for meals for senior citizens
-- Governor’s Office, $40,545 for youth services

State agencies and programs are expected eventually to receive about $2.8 billion from the stimulus package (all paid for by increasing federal debt and printing new currency.)

Unfortunately, in their rush to pass this massive “stimulus” package, the White House and Congress seemed to devote inadequate thought to oversight. There has been much talk about transparency -- but despite the fact that stimulus spending is already happening, the federal government has yet to offer clear guidelines on how the funds are to be tracked to ensure they are used as intended. States aren’t even required to submit their first spending reports to the federal government until this fall. And the federal stimulus Web site, Recovery.gov, merely offers general information and press releases about various projects.

Still, the people of South Carolina can be confident that there will be oversight of stimulus spending in our state. The S.C. Stimulus Oversight Task Force created by Gov. Sanford is committed to making sure the funds are spent with transparency and accountability. And my office is enhancing the state’s stimulus transparency Web site, so that anyone with Internet access can view detailed stimulus spending with a few clicks of a mouse. We’re shining a bright light on that spending. Burglars usually avoid brightly lit houses.

The stimulus plan represents record-shattering growth in government, it‘s laden with spending that has nothing to do with growing our economy or creating jobs, and it saddles future generations with enormous debt. But because it’s now the law, our focus has turned to ensuring these funds are spent without waste and misuse, and that people have easy access to the details. Citizens deserve to conveniently see how these funds are being used in South Carolina.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Honor the Flag

By Richard Eckstrom
Comptroller General

Sunday, June 14 was one of our nation’s often overlooked holidays.

For many, it passed quietly. There were very few ceremonies, and lots of people didn’t even know it was a holiday.

But to the patriotic among us, it was Flag Day, a day set aside to commemorate the adoption of the flag of the United States.

For more than 200 years, the flag has been a stirring symbol of strength, hope and freedom – freedom we enjoy due to the sacrifices of those who have served to defend their country. The first U.S. flag had 13 stars and 13 stripes symbolizing the American colonies. It was declared the official flag of the new nation by an Act of the Continental Congress in 1777. The flag’s design changed several times between 1776 and 1960 -- the year the 50th star representing the state of Hawaii was added.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson, who as a boy lived in Columbia, issued a proclamation declaring June 14 National Flag Day. In 1966, the holiday was formally established by an Act of Congress.


Today, Flag Day has taken on added meaning, particularly among the younger generation, as the events of 9-11 and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have rekindled our sense of national pride. And as the national economic crisis creates anxiety over our national future and our daily lives, there’s a rediscovery of the spirit of “pulling together” – of helping each other during tough times. Indeed, despite the many divisions that exist, the flag reminds us we’re “indivisible.”


On Sunday, June 14, many thankful Americans took time to celebrate more than just a piece of cloth, and to think what it is that makes that particular cloth so special. But it need not take a holiday for us to honor the flag and what it stands for, and to recommit to do our part to keep our country a special place for future generations.


As our leaders grapple with some of the greatest challenges in generations, perhaps that colorful cloth rectangle is more meaningful than ever. Think about what it symbolizes – Unity. Our differences pale in comparison to the common bond we share as Americans. The flag isn’t a province of the political “left” or “right.” It’s not the Republican flag or the Democratic flag, but the flag of the United States and a constant reminder of our common values as Americans.


In the best of times and in the worst of times, every American should honor that flag and thrill to see Old Glory paint the breeze.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Tracking the 'stimulus'

By Richard Eckstrom
Comptroller General

A couple weeks ago I accepted an invitation to appear on the cable news channel C-SPAN, which was doing a special feature on the federal “stimulus” package approved by Congress. Our state has established itself as a national leader on spending transparency, the producers told me, and they felt viewers would be interested in what we are doing to track federal stimulus dollars to ensure they are not misspent.


Before I go any further, I want to note that I strongly opposed the stimulus package, which was loaded with wasteful spending on items that have very little to do with creating jobs and growing the economy. It doesn’t grow the economy… it grows government! And let’s not forget who will be repaying this trillion dollar debt we’re borrowing to grow government; it won’t be us.

Repayment of this wasteful debt extends far into future generations… our children and grandchildren.

But regardless of one’s personal opinion of the stimulus package, what’s clear is that we owe it to those future generations to make sure the funds are spent legally, and to reduce chances for mismanagement and waste.

After Congress passed the Stimulus Act, Governor Sanford issued an Executive Order creating the Stimulus Oversight Task Force. My office was already working on several spending transparency programs, and so the governor tapped me to chair the Task Force.

At our initial Task Force meeting, we made the decision to form four “working groups” to handle various oversight duties. I also invited state Education Superintendent Jim Rex and state Medicaid director Emma Forkner to join me as Task Force co-chairs, an offer I am grateful they accepted. Both of their agencies are receiving hundreds of millions of these funds.

The Legislature has also gotten involved. In addition to the existing Task Force, the legislature recently established its own committee to oversee our stimulus funds and it appointed me and the State Treasurer as co-chairs. We’re now in the process of combining these two groups because they have overlapping functions.

The Task Force meets regularly. Our meetings are open to the public. We will be holding our next meeting on Thursday, June 25 at 10 am.

During my appearance on C-SPAN, the moderator asked me how much money had been provided in the stimulus package for states to track and oversee the funds. My answer was simple: None! In their haste to approve this trillion dollar spending plan, the President and Congress failed to include a single dollar for tracking and oversight to ensure all this money is properly accounted for and not wasted.

Whether or not funding was provided, the Comptroller General’s Office and the Task Force will continue to do this “on the cheap” -- using existing staff and resources to handle the additional tracking and reporting responsibilities required by this spending. Ostensibly, the purpose of the ill-conceived “stimulus” package is to grow the economy by creating jobs. And every dollar we would spend on oversight, administration, or more bureaucracy would be a dollar that wouldn’t be available for that purpose.

South Carolina veterans take special flight

By Richard Eckstrom
Comptroller General

Returning to the Columbia Metropolitan Airport from Washington D.C., the terminal was packed with adoring greeters -- some active military, many veterans. There were lots of families, at least one of which with four generations on hand. There were law enforcement personnel and troops of Boy Scouts. There were balloons, signs, banners, flags, and salutes. Some wept. An Army band played patriotic music.

It was a fitting end to a daylong trip all of us will remember for a lifetime.

I had just had the honor of travelling with 90 World War II veterans to the World War II Memorial at the nation’s capitol. The trip was sponsored by Honor Flight SC, a program that flies veterans, all expenses paid, to see “their monument.” I had travelled as a “guardian,” a volunteer who contributes time and his or her own expenses to ensure the veterans enjoy a comfortable and meaningful experience.

Upon approaching the terminal at Reagan National Airport, our plane passed under an arching water salute from local firefighters. Workers on the tarmac guided our pilots with American flags. Entering the terminal, the veterans were greeted by decorations, flags, and well-wishers and were provided a patriotic tribute by the National Symphony Orchestra. Other travelers stopped to see what the fuss was all about. Faces illuminated with smiles, eyes filled with tears, and hands clapped with pride as these aging veterans deplaned, some walking, some leaning on walkers or canes, and many in wheel chairs.

Aside from the World War II Memorial, the veterans visited the Korean, Viet Nam, and Iwo Jima memorials. They toured Arlington National Cemetery, and witnessed the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

They were showered with affection and appreciation, often encountering groups of students or tourists who took the opportunity to thank them for their service. Students posed for pictures with them as if they were rock stars, and many of these young kids hugged their necks and kissed their cheeks as if they were their grandparents. There were so many emotional occasions.

This was an overwhelming show of gratitude to the men and women who valiantly served our nation so that we all may enjoy the freedoms and quality of life we too often take for granted. It was also a special chance for veterans to reflect, share private stories, and enjoy the comradeship of others who like them had endured the miseries and dangers of combat.

It was a moving experience for the veterans, but not just for the veterans. It was also emotional for the volunteers (which included local television personality Joe Pinner, radio personalities Charlie Benton and Keven Cohen and Honor Flight’s South Carolina organizer, Bill Dukes). It certainly was not lost on us that we were traveling to a sacred place with extremely special men and women whose ranks are declining by an estimated 1,000 per day – true American heroes to whom our nation is indebted. To watch them relive war-time memories alongside fellow veterans and reflect back on those with whom they served, was a solemn reminder of how the United States, and indeed the world, would be far different if not for their sacrifices.

Honor Flight is a national program established to fulfill the dreams of aging veterans who might otherwise lack the ability to travel to the nation’s Capitol. It is financed by private donations and fundraisers. For more information on Honor Flight, or to learn ways you can support this noble cause, visit http://www.honorflightsc.com/ or call (803) 582-8826.