Thursday, April 23, 2009

Cherish those who speak out

By Richard Eckstrom
Comptroller General


Something special happened on Wednesday, April 15: Tens of thousands of South Carolinians from all walks of life assembled for “tea parties” at dozens of locations across the state. Their rallies, of course, came on a day many people have come to dread -- Tax Day.

From the Lowcountry to the Upstate, ordinary citizens gathered at modern versions of the Boston Tea Party. They met not only to voice disapproval of the gigantic “stimulus” bill hurriedly passed by Congress, but also to appeal for a new direction for America -- in particular, to change our leaders’ indifference to how they spend our hard-earned tax dollars.

I was particularly struck not by the size of the crowds at these rallies, but by the diversity. Those attending the rally on the steps of the State Capitol appeared to represent a cross-section of our state -- young and old, blue-collar and white-collar, folks of all races and backgrounds.

As I surveyed the crowd, I thought about how fortunate we are to live in a land where such a gathering is possible, and how we owe deep gratitude to those who fought for the freedom to assemble that we often take for granted. Many who attended had served in the military to guarantee this freedom. Yet others could not attend -- because they had paid the ultimate price for this freedom we enjoy as Americans.

Of course, not everyone shares my positive view of these rallies. Many in the media have cynically dismissed them as “tax protests,” and members of one major political party have stooped to ridiculing and belittling those who attended. The president himself told a newspaper reporter that taxes were being “used as a wedge” to scare people.

With all due respect, Mr. President, taxes are not a “wedge” being used to scare people. It is heavy taxes that scare people, and it’s a disservice to everyone to try to marginalize people simply for expressing their growing concerns over their heavy tax burden. For many Americans, taxes have become too high and too burdensome. And let’s not fail to mention that tax revenues are increasingly being used for things of little worth to most taxpayers.

I’d argue that citizens who take the time to gather and deliberate on the future of their state, their nation or their local community should not only be respected, they should be cherished -- whether at a tea party to express frustration with the rapid growth of government, or to speak out about local zoning matter in any community in our state.

Their views should be valued -- even when we disagree with them. Unhindered public expression is an American ideal. Those in positions of public trust -- from our U.S. Congressman down to our local council representative -- have a particular obligation to make sure citizens feel they can safely speak their minds, and that their voices will be heard.

Friday, April 17, 2009

In tough times, remember those less fortunate

By Richard Eckstrom

Even in the best of times, it’s important for those who have enough to meet our own needs to share our blessings with those who do not. Helping others is our highest calling in life.

I don’t have to tell you that these are not the best of times. We’re facing the greatest recession of a generation, and more and more South Carolinians are losing their jobs every week. We recently learned that our state’s unemployment rate has reached a staggering 11 percent.

Nearly everyone is touched in some way by the economic downturn. On top of it all, we recently indebted future generations -- our children and grandchildren -- to pay for a “stimulus” bill which no one is sure will succeed in getting our economy back on track.

Indeed, it’s a period of uncertainty and, for many, pain.

As people tighten their purse strings, charities that help those less fortunate are feeling the pinch. At the same time, many of these charities are seeing an increase in requests for assistance from those seeking food, housing and help paying bills. But even as we’re pilloried daily with grim economic news, we’d do well not to lose sight of the plight of those who were already struggling to meet their basic needs.

In tough times, we must dig deeper. Here are four ways every South Carolinian can help:

-- Perhaps most importantly, we can donate money to a worthwhile charity that serves the poor, such as Harvest Hope Food Bank, Oliver Gospel Mission or the Salvation Army.

-- If you can’t contribute financially, lend a hand. Volunteering your time and effort frees up money so that charities can direct resources where they are needed most.

-- Search your home for surplus items to donate such as clothing, school supplies and non-perishable food items. There’s also a need for diapers and personal hygiene items such as soap and toothpaste.

-- Hold a canned food drive at your office, church, school or recreation center. Challenge other groups to do the same, and compete to see who can collect the most. My office is currently planning one such food drive. This can be a fun, productive way to help those in need.

Yes, times seem tough all around. But while you may be feeling pinched right now, remember that there are many people in far worse circumstances.

Besides, our quality of life is indelibly linked to those around us. When you help your neighbors, you help yourself and your entire community. So it can be reckoned that by sharing material resources with those who need more just to get by, we can all do our small part to help right this ship.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

A good time to commit to civil, issue-oriented discourse

By Richard Eckstrom


I probably don’t have to tell you that South Carolina faces huge challenges -- chief among them the economic recession, rising unemployment and deep government budget cuts brought about by reduced revenue collections.

It’s been noted many times that if there’s a silver lining to this crisis, perhaps it’s in rediscovering the common-sense notion of living within our means…the idea of setting priorities, holding some functions of government higher than others, and eliminating spending that’s not essential to improving the lives of South Carolinians.

But I’d like to make the point that there’s another silver lining -- a unique opportunity to rethink the unfortunate way we’ve come to debate important issues. It’s truly a shame that what should be reasoned discussion on political issues has too often been replaced by insulting “attack politics.”
Sadly, some people will seek any tool to advance a political cause -- even if it means crawling into the gutter to do so. That practice takes a heavy toll on society.


As state and national leaders grapple with the greatest economic crisis in a generation, we’d do well to lay aside the “villains-versus-heroes” mentality, the attitude that it’s OK to launch a personal attack on a fellow human being simply for holding different public policy or political views. Our state and national leaders would serve us best by laying down their arms and being more civil toward one another while debating issues.

Of course, they should stand on principle. They should fight for their beliefs. But they should also take the time to listen to and respect those with views different from their own. Our differences of opinion certainly pale in comparison to the common bond we share in our desire to move our state and nation forward.

Even in normal times our state faces more than its share of hurdles. We must find ways to improve education, improve public safety and reduce our tax burden. And now we’ve got the added challenge of improving the health of our economy and getting South Carolinians working again. A good first step toward meeting these challenges would be to have an honest, civil conversation about where we’re headed and where we want to head as a state and a nation -- minus the political attacks that detract us from our most noble goal of improving the quality of life for ourselves and for future generations.

Monday, April 6, 2009

S.C. town, county setting example others should follow

By Richard Eckstrom
S.C. Comptroller General


What do the town of Irmo and the county of Anderson have in common?

Both want taxpayers to see how their hard-earned dollars are being spent.


Anderson County and Irmo have recently begun posting their spending details on the Internet, empowering their constituents with click-of-a-mouse access to information about how public money is being used. In doing so, these two governments are demonstrating that they understand it’s not government’s money they’re spending -- it’s the citizens’ money. And those citizens deserve nothing less than full spending transparency.


Anderson County and Irmo are also sending an important message: Putting spending details on the Internet each month is neither difficult nor expensive. And the benefits of full transparency are certainly worth the minimal effort involved.


My staff and I have been working to persuade local governments to post their checkbook registers on the Web each month. We’ve been getting in to work a little earlier in the mornings and working a little later in the evenings so that, a couple of times a week, we can travel to meet with local governments across the state. We’ve met with towns, counties and school systems from the Upstate to the coast -- in Horry, Greenville, Spartanburg, Lexington, Richland, Charleston, Berkeley and York counties. And we’ve been encouraged by responses we’re receiving. Several have signaled to me they intend to consider putting their checkbook registers online soon.


In my meetings with local governments, the first argument I inevitably hear is that anyone already has access to spending detail because they can request and obtain it under the state’s Freedom of Information Act. Maybe so, but I would argue that citizens shouldn’t have to make slow and cumbersome Freedom of Information Act requests -- not in the convenient Internet age in which we live.


To make complete spending transparency as simple as possible, my office is offering to host the information on our own Web servers. Local governments can now simply email us a computer file containing their data, and we’ll do the rest.


The town of Irmo readily took us up on the offer. Its spending details are available on my office’s Web site, http://www.cg.sc.gov/ (follow link on left side of screen). Anderson County, on the other hand, has chosen to put its spending information on its own site, http://www.andersoncountysc.org/.

Anderson County and Irmo leaders are to be commended. By voluntarily putting their spending details online, they’re helping usher in a new era of transparency in South Carolina. Other local governments should follow their example. And citizens elsewhere should contact their own local elected officials and urge them to put their checkbook registers on the Internet.


Spending transparency isn’t a Republican or Democratic issue. It’s not a conservative or liberal issue. It’s simply good government. It’s about empowering taxpayers with information about how their money is spent. That’s a goal everyone should embrace.