|
S.C. Statehouse
Report
Sunday, Oct. 1, 2006
VIEW: http://www.statehousereport.com/columns/06.1001.tarbaby.htm
Sanford shouldn't use racial language
By
Andy Brack
Publisher
SC Statehouse Report
 OCT.
1 , 2006 - - At a Sept. 19 meeting of the State Budget and
Control Board, Gov. Mark Sanford described his frustration
with how the state disposes of excess property as "dancing
with a tar baby."
Quite simply, it was a very poor choice of words - especially
by a politician running for reelection.
|
Listen.
Hear Gov. Sanford's "tar baby" comment. The
quality isn't great, but you can distinguish the governor's
voice and words.
Audio
| Transcript
|
Sanford's use of "tar baby," unreported until now
by the South Carolina press, might be viewed by some as a
way to describe a "sticky situation." But for many,
particularly South Carolinians of African-American descent,
this expression that comes from the Uncle Remus stories by
Joel Chandler Harris is a racial epithet - a derogatory term
for black people. "As a result, some people suggest avoiding
the use of the term in any context," according to a Web
site on sensitive words by Random House publishers.
Sanford's press secretary, Joel Sawyer, said the context
of the remark was to highlight how "the state was dealing
with a difficult-to-escape situation. The governor was not
aware that some people view the word as having another meaning,
and if anyone was offended by his use of that word he certainly
apologizes."
But when the Rev. Joseph Darby, the powerful African-American
pastor from Charleston who gave the invocation at Sanford's
inauguration, listened to an audio tape of the budget meeting,
he found the governor's language was "distressing and
insulting."
"I am surprised and I am shocked because Mark Sanford
is a well-read man who usually chooses his words carefully,"
said Darby, who is former vice-chair of the state NAACP. "I
would be very curious to learn where he learned to say that
phrase with such natural comfort and I look forward to his
explanation."
|
FEEDBACK
POLICY
We
encourage your feedback. If you'd like to respond to
something in SC Statehouse Report, please
send us an e-mail. We reserve the right to edit for
length and clarity. One submission allowed per month.
Submission of a comment grants permission to us to reprint.
Please keep your comment to 250 words or less:
feedback@statehousereport.com
|
Sanford's use of the term came during the budget board meeting
during a discussion of how the state should dispose of a 250-acre
tract of property near the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base
owned by Clemson University. Earlier this year, Sanford pushed
for the board to sell excess property through auctions. But
this month, Clemson said it wanted to sell the attractive
and developable tract through a sealed bid process with the
minimum value set at $18 million. The university reportedly
wanted to ensure it got at least that amount of money so it
could use the proceeds to purchase options on property for
the Upstate ICAR project.
When Sanford raised a red flag during the budget meeting
about changing how the property was sold, he recalled how
the board agreed to sell a piece of property in Dorchester
County at auction, but changed its mind by August:
"The explanation used was it's slower - uhh, we need
to move this property. But what I've come to learn is that
[Budget and Control Board Executive Director ] Frank [Fusco],
you went and held them for a month in even looking for auctioneers.
"So, I just feel I'm dancing with a tar baby on trying
to, to move this ball forward and again, I don't want to
make my problem y'all's problem but, uh, we're pushing for
open, transparent ways of disposing property so that everybody
has as much of a shot as somebody else.
"Umm, in this instance, given the magnitude of this
project for y'all, if y'all feel strongly about wanting
to go the other way, I'll look the other way. But I want
to emphasize how important we think it is to move to a completely
open process in the way we sell properties." [Transcription
by S.C. Statehouse Report from an audiotape of the 9/12
Budget and Control Board meeting; More]
Sanford's use of the term "tar baby" this month
isn't the first time he's put his foot in his mouth. Four
years ago when running for governor, he offended Jews by likening
time spent on his family's farm to time spent in a concentration
camp.
Meanwhile, Sanford isn't the only Republican to use the expression
"tar baby." Mitt Romney, the Massachusetts governor
who is running for the GOP presidential nomination, received
a storm of criticism in July for using the term at a fundraiser
in Iowa. In describing Boston's Big Dig construction project,
he said: "The best thing politically would be to stay
as far away from that tar baby as I can."
Romney quickly later apologized by saying he didn't realize
some people were offended by the term. In May, presidential
spokesman Tony Snow was criticized for using the term when
answering a question about government surveillance.
Romney was born in Michigan. Snow grew up in Ohio. But Sanford
is Southern. He should have known better. Let's give him the
benefit of the doubt, but it's hard to believe he didn't know
"tar baby" was an old expression with racial overtones.
Send your comments to Andy Brack at brack@statehousereport.com.
His book of commentary, Bugging
the Palmettos, is available for
$15.00. Click
here for more.
Recent commentary
10/1: Watching
the numbers
Another great cartoon from Bill McLemore:
9/24: Outlaw cell
phones when driving
To the editor:
Outlawing Cell phones while driving..(Commentary,
9/24) Let's call it 'Celling'...My suggestion would
be to outlaw using HANDHELD CELLPHONES while driving and impose
a National requirement of the auto makers to make available
as an option a speaker cell phone system would would allow
celling through the autos speaker phone and allow keeping
both hands on the wheel. No harm here anymore than carrying
on a conversation with passengers sitting in the car and that
is legal..
-- Bob Logan, Little River, SC
Recent
feedback
Ahead on soul
of budget board
A look at how you often learn first about things in SC
Statehouse Report:
|
From Andy Brack in Statehouse
Report, 9/17/06:
"But in November, control of the
board could shift to Sanford if a few things fall into
place. Supporters say that would boost the power of
the governor, which he needs to put his platform into
place. Critics say it would increase gubernatorial meddling
in day-to-day governance, something at which Sanford
hasn't shown to be too adept. And they say if Sanford
controls the board, it could cause college building
programs to grind to a halt and affect how state employees
are hired and fired."
|
From Dan Hoover in the Greenville
News, 9/24/06
"It's
the battle within a battle. And perhaps because the
vote is indirect, with future control of the State Budget
and Control Board at stake on Nov. 7, it's the forgotten
piece in the 2006 election puzzle."
|
 The
best way to get South Carolina news is to augment your morning
paper and TV show with SC Clips, a daily executive
news summary compiled from more than 30 state newspaper and
TV sources. It's delivered every business day and is packed
with news of statewide impact, politics, business and more.
Subscriptions are affordable at $30 per month -- and less
for business subscribers. More: SC
Clips.
How you can subscribe to the full edition
of the report
The above version of S.C. Statehouse Report is the
free edition. Our paid version, which costs about $100 per
month, offer a weekly legislative forecast packed with information
that can keep you and your business on the cutting edge.
Notes veteran lawmaker Sen. Glenn McConnell: "Statehouse
Report gives an inside practical report of weekly problems
with and progress of legislation. It reviews the whole landscape."
In each issue of Statehouse Report, you'll get:
- Hot issue
-- an early peek at weekly commentary on something really
big. Last year, we continually beat other news organizations
in finding major trends in issues, from teacher and budget
cuts to wetlands proposals.
- Agenda -- a weekly forecast of
the coming week's floor agenda
- Radar Screen -- a behind-the-scenes
look at what's really going on in the General Assembly
- McLemore's World -- an early view
of our respected cartoonist Bill McLemore.
- Tally Sheet -- a weekly review
of all of the new bills introduced in the legislature in
everyday language
- Blogroll -- a weekly summary of
the best of South Carolina political blogs.
- Scorecard -- A Thumbs Up and Thumbs
Down of major political/policy events for the week.
- Calendar -- a weekly list of major
meetings for the House, Senate and state agencies.
- Megaphone -- a quote of the week
that you'll find illuminating.
To learn more about subscriptions, contact Andy Brack at:
brack@statehousereport.com
South Carolina Statehouse Report
Publisher: Andy Brack
Editor
Emeritus: Jerry Ausband
Assistant
Editor: Betsy Brack
Phone: 843.670.3996 · Fax: 843.722.9887
Subscription or sponsorship Inquiries: info@statehousereport.com
Have an event for the SC Statehouse Report calendar?
E-mail details to: news@statehousereport.com
or fax to above number.
|
