Hear, Hear, A politician with principles, who'd a thunk it

After reading about S.C. Governor Sanford standing up for the principals of conservatives I have to say that I am ready to move the S.C.

Gov. Mark Sanford's wish to use $700 million of federal stimulus money to cut the state's debt rather than prop up its budget soon will land on the desk of President Barack Obama.

If Obama refuses Sanford's request, as expected, then state lawmakers will decide whether to override the governor yet again.

The drama will unfold in the coming weeks as each of them grapples with what is widely considered the worst economy since the Great Depression.

Much of South Carolina's $8 billion share of the $787 billion stimulus package will go directly to individuals in the form of tax breaks, college help and other channels, and Sanford said he has no control of about $2.1 billion set to flow to state government for highway improvements, new waterlines and other projects.

But Sanford said his lawyers say he does control about $700 million of stimulus money, and he is weighing what to do with it as the state's unemployment heads toward record levels and its economy continues to struggle.

Sanford dropped by North Charleston on Wednesday, his third stop in the state, to explain his thinking. He said South Carolina has the highest debt per capita of Southeastern states and that using stimulus money to prop up the budget for two years could prove devastating if the economy hasn't turned around by 2011.

If Sanford can't use the money to lower the debt and lawmakers let that decision stand, then Sanford said he would refuse the $700 million, which then would go to other states.

"There are consequences to every decision we make in life, and I'm comfortable with the consequences of this one," Sanford said. "The easiest thing in the world would have been to accept the money and move on, but it would be completely at odds with the decision-making framework that I've used over the last 15 years of my life." (source)

Sanford is concerned that these "stimulus" packages will only throw us furter into an economic meltdown similar to that in Zimabwe whose inflation rate topped 11 million percent in 2008.

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) -- The United States faces a Zimbabwe-style economic collapse if it keeps "spending a bunch of money we don't have," South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford said Wednesday.
Sanford, a Republican, has been an outspoken critic of the Obama administration's $800 billion stimulus plan. He said he'll turn down about a quarter of his state's $2.8 billion share unless Washington lets him use that money to pay down debt.

"What you're doing is buying into the notion that if we just print some more money that we don't have and send it to different states, we'll create jobs," he said. "If that's the case, why isn't Zimbabwe a rich place?"

Zimbabwe has been in the throes of an economic meltdown ever since the southern African nation embarked on a chaotic land reform program. Its official inflation rate topped 11 million percent in 2008, with its treasury printing banknotes in the trillion-dollar range to keep up with the plummeting value of its currency. (source)

This man is not afraid to stand up for the truth and realize that accepting this money holds dire consequences for the future of the residents of S.C.

"What you're doing is buying into the notion that if we just print some more money that we don't have and send it to different states, we'll create jobs. If that's the case, why isn't Zimbabwe a rich place?"— Gov. Mark Sanford, R-South Carolina, on the Obama-Pelosi-Reid economic "stimulus"