With South Carolina’s unemployment rates among the nation’s highest, the state can’t tolerate an irresponsible agency handling benefits for the jobless. Unemployment numbers were as high as 22 percent in portions of Pee Dee in February, approaching double the 12.5 percent state average in the same month.
Panicked politicians and citizens alike have cried for government leaders to “do something” over the last two years, and Gov. Mark Sanford and other South Carolina lawmakers made real reform this past week. The overhaul of the South Carolina Employment Security Commission appears to be more than just “something”; it seems to be the smart thing.
The governor and state Legislature should be recognized for seeing the problems with the troubled agency and making moves toward finding solutions. Granted, the problems were blinding when they came to light — the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund had an $800 million surplus in the early 2000s, but the commission recently had to borrow $800 million from the federal government to keep paying benefits.
Nonetheless, it is encouraging to see a government entity overhauled rather than have its services duplicated, expanding the government’s reach and further stretching taxpayer dollars at a time when that can least be afforded.
The governor promised that the overhauled agency, now renamed the Department of Employment and Workforce, would more efficiently serve the unemployed and taxpayers and provide transparency in its operations, all positives for South Carolina residents if achieved.
But the overhaul still includes many “if”s, promises that will have little effect unless proposed measures are implemented and maintained in a responsible fashion. Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, called new law “the beginning of a long process” and said lawmakers and citizens should not to think of the overhaul as a cure-all for the woes of commission. She’s right. Given the continuing economic difficulties throughout the state, citizens should watch the implementation of the revamped agency closely and hold lawmakers accountable for the results.
Promises of efficiency and transparency must be kept as South Carolina and the nation continue to make steps toward economic recovery.
It should also be noted that the move increases the governor’s power by placing the director of the agency on the governor’s cabinet, something that is sure to become an issue in the upcoming gubernatorial primaries. The increase in power to the executive branch in a state known for its legislative might does something toward distributing powers and could even further streamline efficiency within the state government if handled properly.
While there are still too many “if”s for citizens to feel totally comfortable just yet, news of the overhaul should be the source of some optimism and, if executed as planned, could be one small step toward recovery.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement