When I first heard Ken Wingate was being appointed to fill in as interim treasurer, I had these thoughts:
- He’s a good guy, a good choice. I first came to know him during the epic battle to outlaw video poker; he helped run the "vote No" campaign on the referendum that never happened. I believe
that campaign’s efforts is what caused video poker to panic and sue to stop the vote — which backfired and ended up in the industry’s being banned. He then ran for governor, which was overreaching for a guy who hadn’t held public office before. But when he was knocked out in the 2002 GOP primary, he got behind nominee Sanford, and eventually headed the governor’s MAP commission, in the early days when we still had hopes for the Sanford administration. - He’s a morally and socially conservative family guy — a real one, instead of the phony one that Thomas Ravenel tried to project in last year’s election — and there’s one thing I can say with certainty: We won’t see Ken Wingate rolling up our money to snort stuff up his nose.
- What was the hurry? The governor should not have acted so precipitously; it seemed like he was picking the first guy who said "yes." This was a great opportunity to show that the governor would do a better, more thoughtful job of hiring a treasurer than we could get through popular election, and rushing the job was no way to give that impression. But I was apparently wrong (remember, I’m describing first impressions here). Somebody had to be in that seat to sign checks, starting right away. So, good one there, governor.
- One other concern, and this one remains. The governor didn’t necessarily need to pick one of the people who had run for the office; in fact, this was a good opportunity to go beyond that self-selected group — even though Greg Ryberg would have been fine for the job. But what about a professional — someone who already knew the workings of the office and could keep it running smoothly during this temporary period, thereby avoiding upsets to the important but highly routine work it must do? Why an outsider? I could see if you had specific plans for changes, and wanted a new broom. But you don’t do that with a temporary appointment (the Legislature could appoint someone as early as today if Ravenel resigns). Why introduce two jarring disruptions in a brief period? That’s not good management. As fine a pick as Wingate is personally, the message sent by such a decision is troubling. Here’s the connotation: Someone from the private sector is always better than an experienced public servant (read that "bureaucrat," and make a face like you smell something), whether he knows anything or not, and even if he doesn’t have time to learn where the men’s room is before he’s gone. It suggests a carelessness with regard to the public good, the making of an ideological point ahead of efficiency and accountability. This is just a small caveat right now, and I suspect Mr. Wingate will do a fine-enough job that he will soon put it out of my mind. But for now, I make note of it.
I’ll come back later and comment on the nasty things the Democrats are saying about Ken. (NOTE: Earlier, this paragraph said "later today." The way the day’s been going — those videos took a while — it might be more like tomorrow.)
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I first came to know him during the epic battle to outlaw video poker; he helped run the “vote No” campaign on the referendum that never happened.
He’s a morally and socially conservative family guy — a real one, instead of the phony one that Thomas Ravenel tried to project in last year’s election
-Brad
These two statements are completely incompatible. A true conservative would never push to outlaw someone’s personal choice to do something that was already legal.
I first came to know him during the epic battle to outlaw video poker; he helped run the “vote No” campaign on the referendum that never happened.
He’s a morally and socially conservative family guy — a real one, instead of the phony one that Thomas Ravenel tried to project in last year’s election
-Brad
These two statements are completely incompatible. A true conservative would never push to outlaw someone’s personal choice to do something that was already legal.
I’ve never responded to a blog of any sort, so forgive me if I’m not following maybe some sort of unofficial blog protocol, but here goes:
This all just seems like more of the same ol’ same ol’. Governor Sanford picked one of his pals to step into the position. That seems to be how he’s been doing things for the past 5 ½ years. And what happens? We end of with unemployment rates higher than most of the country, our credit rating, at least what I’ve read in the paper in the past, isn’t so hot, and we can’t get kids out of high school. Kind of like John McCain, the appeal of Gov. Sanford was that he fashioned himself as an outsider, a maverick. I guess that’s only in TV ads (kinda like Thomas Ravenel’s “family man” TV commercials).
I understand that there was an immediate need, but why not go a little more into the private sector? Why not ask one of the rating services in SC to make some recommendations?
I’m sure that Ken Wingate is a good guy, but we’ve all heard that before, haven’t we…
Wingate is a right-wing extremist.He doesn’t believe evolution should be taught in schools.He IS in favor of exposing the “gay agenda” to students and,of course,an abstinence based sex education.
In other words,the guy’s completely out of touch with reality.
Wingate is a right-wing extremist.He doesn’t believe evolution should be taught in schools.He IS in favor of exposing the “gay agenda” to students and,of course,an abstinence based sex education.
In other words,the guy’s completely out of touch with reality.
Robert,
You didn’t violate any blog protocol, because people frequently make very uninformed observations in this forum. Congratulations on this blogging milestone – at least you have company.
You displayed that you don’t have a very good feel for who Governor Sanford’s pals are. However, like you, I could also be wrong; so I would love for you to list all of the pals that he has appointed, and then it would be great if you could show how those pals have been responsible for this superficial, sweeping indictment of his administration:
“unemployment rates higher than most of the country, our credit rating, at least what I’ve read in the paper in the past, isn’t so hot, and we can’t get kids out of high school”
Turns out, I bet you can’t do any of those things, but I sure would love to see you try. Governor Sanford is far from perfect, but just like it isn’t always the quarterback that wins the game – it isn’t alwasy the quarterback that loses the game either.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics SC has the 9th highest unemployment rate at 5.4%. In 2006 we had an unemployment rate of 6.5%, the fourth highest in the nation.
According to an article released last week by Education Week Magazine only 54 percent of the state’s students graduated high school in four years in the 2003-2004 school year. Utah had the nation’s best graduation rate at nearly 84 percent. The national average was 70 percent.
I’m still compiling my list of the Gov’s cronies in state offices, but it will probably take a while since there are so many……
“This all just seems like more of the same ol’ same ol’. Governor Sanford picked one of his pals to step into the position.”
Nice. I assume you think he should have appointed someone from the other party then?
“I’m still compiling my list of the Gov’s cronies in state offices, but it will probably take a while since there are so many……”
Same with you. I guess to get your approval he needed to fill those slots with a bunch of left-wing wackos like the ones all over this blog, huh?
There seems to be a flaw in this whole process. For whatever reason the framers of our state constitution required elections for the treasurer. Therefore it seems like there should also be some mechanism for the people to decide this in a special election when the elected treasurer loses his job, for whatever reason (death, becoming incapacitated or decides to snort coke). If it’s ok for the governor to appoint someone to the treasurer’s post now, without any approval from the general assembly, why not just go the extra step of let him do this from the get-go after an election?
Oh please! All i’m asking for is leadership with a little bit of experience in state government. Sanford’s only requirement is a large check made out to his campaign, then he’ll let you run what ever agency you want.
Mable,
Our unemployment rate was 6.3% in January of 2003 when Gov Sanford took office…its now 5.4%. Sounds like he deserves credit for that.
While the rate was high in 2006, its now dropped over a full point since November. Many knowledgeable folks believe that the ESC was keeping the rate artificially high to hurt Sanford’s re-election chances. Unfortunately the good ole boys in our state too often work that way.
Our credit rating is still one of the highest in the country. And Democrats have held the Superintendent of Education post for the past ten years so it’s hard to blame our continued failings there on a person who is given no responsibility over education – even though his budgets have given hundreds of millions of new dollars to K-12.
And Brad, you may not know that Ed Evans recently left the Treasurer’s Office to go back to the Budget and Control Board leaving Frank Rainwater as the next in charge over there. As he’s a Democrat and former Deputy Chief of Staff to Gov Hodges, I don’t think anyone should have expected Sanford to appoint him interim Treasurer so it made perfect sense to go outside the agency.
But for the record, the governor has reached into agencies for Interim’s before such as at PPP in the past and at HHS right now. He’s also appointed agency #2’s as permanent agency heads such as Marcia Adams who has done such a great job with the DMV. You may want to consider withdrawing your second criticism as well.
My question goes back to Ravenel: Why is he not going to jail NOW like anybody else facing such serious charges? Instead he goes to the beach for 3 weeks.
And why will nobody like the feds or the SLED chief talk about that? — despite the great job they may have done in discovering the crime.
Austin – well, I can think of Bob Faith, Joey Taylor, that dude from Sticky Fingers, Scott Richardson, Chad Prosser. Carroll Campbell, Whit Smith, and John Hassell on the Ports Authority…
Joe – Sorry pal, not a left wing wacko. Have pretty much voted straight R since my first opportunity to vote in 1978. It’s guys like you, spouting wacko this and wacko that have polarized those in the GOP…
I love Ken Wingate, – one of the finest persons on the planet. Perhaps he should be President of the United States true…meanwhile I am drunk here in Western Australia and have never meet Ken but hell man he sounds a great chap so will put another shrimp on the bbq and drink more beer..God bless Ken