With the 9 pm closing of Finlay Park approaching and temperatures plummeting, we struck camp at Sanfordville a little earlier than anticipated this evening. Thanks to everyone who came out. Here's a sampling of responses from around the state, including from Ungov. Mark Sanford himself.
USC graduate student Catherine Fleming Bruce set up a cardboard home to join others who pitched tents to send a message from Finlay Park in Columbia, SC to Governor Mark Sanford.
With just over half a dozen tents on the grass, and less than a dozen people when News Channel 7 was there this afternoon, the protest was organized by Indigojournal.com liberal blogger Tim Kelly. “Sandfordville, Hooverville, during the Great Depression, people without homes, people without job… They formed tent cities because they had no where else to go; so obviously, this isn’t a literal tent city, but we want to remind people this is where we are headed without Governor Mark Sanford taking some leadership,“ said Kelly as his two young children stay out of the cool temperatures and wind in a tent.
The Governor’s response to “tent city:” “People are going to use the different tools within their respected quivers to try and exert pressure. So, you know, a tent city is obviously people trying to make a political point and exert pressure. I understand that…“
Organizers said the group represented thousands of South Carolinians who believe the governor's stimulus stance is a threat to jobs -- especially teaching jobs -- and homes.
Among those stopping by to express support was Orangeburg Sen. Brad Hutto.
"This is just sort of a microcosm of what I hear in my district, is that people don't understand. They don't understand how this money that we're going to have to pay back anyway, it's available to us and he's saying he's not going to take that money. It's just not making sense to people," said Hutto.
"That $700 million is there to keep kids in school, keep teachers employed and cops on the street. Those are all critical functions of South Carolina," said former Gov. Jim Hodges.
