By Joseph Neal
(Rev. Neal served as Co-chair of the SC Progressive Network for a decade)
Guest Columnist, The State
Author and pastor Rick Warren begins his transformative book, The Purpose Driven Life, with a simple statement: “It’s not about you.”
As Gov. Mark Sanford engages the General Assembly in political gamesmanship over accepting federal stimulus dollars, his actions should prove to South Carolinians that despite his words to the contrary, it’s not about you.
Don’t be confused. Whether or not the governor accepts the money has nothing to do with the potential impact on you, your family or your quality of life.
So, to the more than 4 million residents of our state, it’s not about you.
To the 1,000 to 6,000 public school teachers facing layoffs if the money is rejected, it’s not about you.
To the hundreds of thousands of school children facing larger class sizes, fewer gifted and talented course offerings and fewer textbooks and supplies, it’s not about you.
To the business owners who rely on state government or the workers it employs to survive, it’s not about you.
To the 241,000 residents currently unemployed, it’s not about you.
Even to the 601,868 of you who voted for Sanford in the 2006 general election, it’s not about you.
And especially to the 170 members of the General Assembly, it’s not about you.
If nothing else, this continuing controversy should confirm once and for all that the governor does not have — and has not had — the best interest of South Carolinians at heart. For six years, the governor has used his bully pulpit to mislead and misinform residents, resulting in alternating tides of fear and anger.
He has manufactured controversies and exaggerated differences with the General Assembly for the sole purpose of either garnering more power for himself or defunding and destabilizing state government. Those are the only two end products of his political agenda.
The debate over school vouchers is nothing more than a vehicle to limit funding to public education by diverting it elsewhere. The governor’s persistent calls for eliminating the personal income tax is merely a means to take away the most stabile revenue source — even in a downturn — for state government.
With the controversy surrounding the stimulus money, the governor gets to accomplish both goals. The stimulus bill affords the governor new-found power to shape the budget debate. And he has used his position to catapult himself into the national spotlight. At the same time, he has more authority than ever to severely limit or destabilize state government. For Sanford, the stimulus debate, as the political pundits say, is a perfect storm.
Sanford does not believe in the power of government to better the lives of citizens. The governor does not believe in the responsibility of government to be a safety net for those who are less fortunate or cannot help themselves.
His attacks on state government will have the net effect of shrinking our state’s middle class. This is particularly troubling for African-American residents, who hold a greater share of managerial positions in state government than in the private sector.
The governor’s attacks on public education threaten to exacerbate economic and racial disparities in our state. Education is our society’s greatest equalizer. Keeping our residents poor and ignorant makes the state attractive only to those types of businesses that will keep them in subjugation.
Rev. Warren’s words were intended to remind us to move beyond being self-absorbed and find God’s purpose for our lives by helping one another. This is particularly true for anyone desiring to be a public servant. So, Mark Sanford, enough. It’s not about you.
Rev. Neal represents Richland and Sumter counties in the S.C. House.