Blog question for day two: This is for everyone! Go to the governor’s website using the S.C. Government link in the left hand panel. You can also get there directly using the link http://www.scgovernor.com/. Explore this site to look at the things that the governor is doing and the image he is trying to project. Remember that the site is designed to make the governor look as effective and powerful as possible. After you spend a while exploring the site, share TWO things from it with the class that you found which illustrate something from the chapter. What I want here is for you to describe what you found (in your own words) and how it illustrates something from the chapter.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Blog posting for the second day on the governor
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After looking at the website, one particular article stood out to me. The article dealt with Mark Sanford urging the Senate to move forward with a pending DUI piece of legislation. This relates to the chapter because the chapter discusses how governors must be attentive to bills that are being discussed in the House and Senate. Sanford is deeply concerned with the percent of people injured or killed by drunk drivers in South Carolina; therefore, he is really pushing for this piece of legislation that makes a lot of the loopholes in our laws pertaining to DUI’s to pass.
The second thing I looked at was his proposal for the taxpayer empowerment amendment. It is important for a governor to concentrate on his own legislative agenda as well as other agendas. This proposal emphasizes the need for the governor to be involved in the legislative process. Whether or not this proposal gets passed or not is up to the combined efforts of the legislative executive.
Julie Kate Keeney
One thing of interest to me was that Governor Sanford signed the Virtual Schools Bill. The bill gives SC students more opportunities to take courses online and receive credit for them. There are lots of advanced courses that aren’t offered in all areas of the state and, with this bill, students will have the chance to take these classes online. Online classes are also helpful if the students work or have families.
Another thing that interested me was the Governor’s call for Passage of Immigration Reforms. The bill would make employers confirm their worker’s citizenship, make it a state felony to harbor illegal aliens, would give SLED the authority to be immigration and customs agents, etc. The bill has passed the Senate and is currently in the House.
-Sarah Luckey
One thing I have found on the governor’s website is how he and the speaker of the house have joined together to encourage a tax cut in the income tax. I find this to be very important for the governor to be gaining support from fellow legislators. Taxes are always something constituents keep an eye on. He can gain some power by lowering the income tax. He would have many people on his side sharing their support for him. It is a wise move on his part to be doing this. Some feel he is not a very good governor, but lowering the income tax could change that outlook on him.
Back in April the governor called for school district consolidation. This was aimed at trying to get school districts to cut down on administrative costs and get more money inside the classroom. This is really important so that schools are using money in the right places as opposed to the wrong places, wasted spending. If Governor Sanford really pushes this agenda it would cut down school management costs tremendously and allow for spending on things far better such as textbooks and even renovations. Education is another strong point in politics. Everyone wants their children to be getting a good education and by taking this step of consolidating school districts it would help these children and schools. This is part of the governor’s agenda and he is likely to push hard for this, education is something really important to him. He should strongly urge members of his party to push for this in legislative activity.
Matt Spivey
I was interested in Governor Mark Sanford’s interest in creating harsher penalties for repetitive drunk drivers. I believe that it is important to have a harsh penalty for drunk drivers especially since South Carolina ranks so high in deaths by drunk drivers. It shows that he, as governor, is pushing to get this piece of legislation passed by the Senate. Another was the virtual school bill. I wish that this was available when I was in high school. I understand that it is hard to have every available course in every school in the state, therefore this will allow for students to take course that they may not be able to find in a classroom at their school. I agree that it will give students a chance to grow and have more opportunities to be more college prepared.
Kaycee Doying
One of the things that was a big interest to me and I wish was happening when I was in school is that Governor Sanford singed the Virtual Schools Bill. This bill gives student a chance to take courses that are offered at another school. I think this is really great and will really help the state’s education growth. I was also interested with the governor’s interest to create harsher penalties for repetitive drunk drivers. I think this is very important to have and very important for our state with the fact that South Carolina is ranked so high to death by drunk drivers.
Cequita E.
From what I got form his site was that he trying to present an image of a family man whose family is involved in making SC a better place. I thought the highlights of the first lady demonstrated that point. One of the things that I noticed is that he suspended the mayor of Eastover. He is getting involved with his formal powers granted to him. SC’s governors are limited as to what they can or can not do so he is exercising his right to do what he can do. Also his order to fill the vacancy for Oconee County Treasurer is an example of him exercising his formal powers. I did like what he is doing for drunk driving, it is a problem and it does need to be addressed. If he had more formal powers he could probably take a more proactive approach but again SC is limited on formal powers for the Governor.
Erica Wilson Armour
The article that caught my attentions was the DUI legislation that the governor is trying to pass before the legislation period ends (article dated 5/25/2007). Governor Mark Sanford believes that stiffer penalties must be placed against those that commit DUI. In the article, it also mentions that South Carolina is ranked 9th in the country in drunk driving deaths. The action that the governor took in this situation was shows his importance of knowing what is going to happen to bills in the legislation process. The chapter also mentions the governor's power of veto (a power to suspend a bill if the governor does not like it), but it in this case the governor is pushing for passage. I believe that Gov. Sanford’s intentions are at the right place, safety in the roads is important and it would help encourage students to think twice about drinking and driving.
The next article was the to adopt an Amendment to improve the "Open Enrollment" bill (article post 05/24/07). The open enrollment is to allow students the opportunity to move from a school unfit for them to another and become better students. However, in its current form, the bill is flawed and the Governor is pleading with the legislator to pass an amendment created by Sen. Grooms that will give families more options to their children's education. Gov. Mark Sanford states in the article that the open enrollment plans was one he proposed in his original campaign. Keeping up with his promises in his campaign improves his electoral mandate (if he is a lame duck, then the party's electrical mandate).
What both articles conclude is the legislative agenda that Gov. Mark Sanford has established in his position. He is attentive of what bills are in the legislative process (as mentioned in DUI article) and promoting his own legislative agenda while in office (as mentioned in the “Open Enrollment” article). Despite the governor’s efforts, the final decision will be known at the end of the legislation process and success depends on the amount of legislative allies.
Xavier de Jesus
One thing that was interesting to me on Governor Sanford's website was the fact hat he is only the third two term governor for the state. I believe him being re-elcted despite the normal pattern reflects a lot about his informal powers. His powers over the majority are strong.
Another thing of interest was his view on the econony. His website showshow he has stepped in and aided in turning things around for the state's economy. He has brought in more jobs and etc.
It was interesting to look at the website and to see how the things we just learned of are evident on the website.
COShendra Jackson
To the eight of you who responded to this on time, good jobs -- all get S+'s!!!
A few random comments. Remember what I said about the job of those who design this website is to make the governor look good -- in talking about changes in the economy of course they will emphasize the good sounding things -- and not talk about things that are not so positive, like high rates of unemployment or infant mortality or lack of health insurance.
The income tax cuts, not yet passed, may or may not be so popular -- that may depend on how much income you make -- as I understand the proposal from the governor, he wants most cuts to help those at the high end of the economic ladder.
While he is only the 3rd to have a second term, we should remember that only the last 5 had an opportunity to be re-elected -- the constitution was changed back in the 1980s to allow a second term.
The DUI bill did not pass, even though most people, including this one, probably think it should pass. This is another instance where the governor has failed to successfully persuade the legislature to act.
Sanford's proposal on school transfers was a back door way to allow public funding of private schools, including religious schools. Most South Carolinians opppose that. A transfer bill to allow transfers to public schools did pass. However, whether that will mean much is in doubt as it is on a space-available basis.
Bob Botsch
I read the news release from January 3, 2007 that showed the governor’s executive budget for the year. Without reading the chapter, I wouldn’t have known what the executive budget was. This year, Governor Sanford proposed a $6.5 billion dollar budget that was in favor of healthcare, education, and law-enforcement. This was along with some other things. It was interesting to read because the governor is said to be only “half of the budgetary equation”. He must be prepared to negotiate with the legislature to achieve his fiscal preferences.
I also read a veto message from Governor Sanford on June 6, 2007. The bill H 3161 was a bill about reaffirming and furthering the state’s unusual control over the public school transportation system. The governor used his veto power to reject the bill. His reasoning was because the system is basically becoming too expensive and other alternatives should be researched. This is an example of how the veto power allows the governor to accept or reject a bill that is passed by a state legislature. If Governor Sanford chose not to take an action on the bill, then it would automatically become a law. I don’t know how often this happens, but I hope not too often. Both of these examples were interesting to me and they illustrated things from the chapter. Both budget-making and veto powers are formal powers of the governor.
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