(Columbia, SC) - Sanford for Governor Campaign Manager Jason Miller today responded to a recent attack from Democrat gubernatorial candidate Tommy Moore.

"It appears that 27-year liberal Columbia insider Tommy Moore's bid to be the Democrats' nominee for governor won't be based on solid footing," said Miller.

Miller continued that "last Friday's press release from the Moore campaign was chock-full of false factual assertions," including the several following egregious examples:

*        In Moore's release, his campaign falsely criticizes Governor Sanford on school funding.  In reality, under Governor Sanford, the Base Student Cost was fully funded last year for the first time in five years, and this year's Executive Budget proposes to fully fund the Base Student Cost for this coming school year.

*        In Moore's release, his campaign falsely criticizes Governor Sanford on the state's unemployment rate.  In reality, more than 117,000 new jobs have been created in South Carolina since Governor Sanford took office, and the first three years of the Sanford administration outpaced all prior administrations in job growth since the creation of the Department of Commerce.

*        In Moore's release, his campaign falsely criticizes Governor Sanford on the state's job creation ranking.  In reality, according to the FDIC, South Carolina ranks 28th in job growth. 

"While Moore claims to be concerned about the state's unemployment rate, his only policy proposal would actually cost South Carolina jobs," Miller added, referencing Moore's introduction last week of a $150 million tax increase for a new health care program that would "impose financial obligations on participating employers," (Dan Hoover, "Democratic Candidates Running For Governor Launch New Strategies," The Greenville News, 4/19/2006)  

Plans similar to the one proposed by Moore and Frank Knapp of the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce have contained an unfunded shortfall of more than $200 million, despite an increase to the cigarette tax.  That's a cost that would likely have to be passed on to small businesses or directly to their employees, leading to more employees being put out of work.

And as highlighted in a press release last week by the South Carolina Republican Party, that isn't the largest tax increase Tommy Moore has ever proposed.  In 2003, Moore proposed the largest tax increase in state history, attempting to raise state sales taxes by over $1 billion ("South Carolina Revenue Sources And Fiscal Impacts," South Carolina Budget And Control Board, Office of Research and Statistics, 2/5/2004). 

Fortunately, Senate Republicans rejected Moore's amendment several times, stating "we voted to table this amendment to the General Appropriations Bill because without a corresponding tax decrease South Carolinians cannot afford the tax increase that this amendment would have led to during these difficult economic times," (South Carolina Senate Journal, Printed Page 2290, 5/7/2003).

For more information on 27-year liberal Columbia insider Tommy Moore and his campaign of inaccuracy, please contact Jason Miller at (803) 238-7475. 

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