Last week Governor Haley vetoed 81 line items in the General Assembly's 2012-2013 budget proposal. There has been quite a bit of push back from legislators, but by far the biggest public flap has been over defunding of the SC Arts Commission. This seems to be an annual event, but this year due to late passage of the budget, Haley's vetos fall after the start of the new fiscal year, shutting down the Commission due to lack of funding.
Haley defends her position stating that she loves the arts but opposes spending taxpayer dollars to support the Commission's administrative fees. I find this a bit disingenuous. The responsible way to handle funding the Arts Commission is through the legislative process, not through elimination.
The arts bouy our spirits in desperate times, give us inspiration and nourish our souls. I'm confident that our legislators will do the right thing when they reconvene on the 17 and override this veto. That's my perspective. I'd like to hear from you.
