I feel like a fish out of water. Only blogging a couple of times in the past three weeks has left me wondering where to start and what to say. The end of November and the entire month of December were incredibly busy weeks, and I have so much “material” that I’m having a bit of a dilemma deciding where to start. Hmm. Think I’ll start with today and work backwards.
Today, the primary thing on my mind is Governor Sanford’s decision not to borrow the money needed to provide benefits for the 77,000 laid-off south Carolinians. The money is there, and the feds are willing and ready to lend it, but the governor says NO WAY until the SC Employment commission agrees to provide him with information about how it administers benefits and then submit to a review by the Legislative Audit Council.
There’s nothing I can say here that hasn’t already been said by those far more eloquent than I. Check out today’s The State and read the editorial on page A6. Yes, I know that there are those who misuse funds and those who are able-bodied who do not work. Still, what I keep thinking about is how easy it is to “play chicken” with unemployed South Carolinians when you live in the big house on the hill and NEVER have to worry about paying the mortgage, keeping the electricity on, buying groceries, taking your child to a doctor, putting gas in your car, and so forth. Neither, in fact, do the legislators; even after these “esteemed” individuals leave Columbia, they’ll continue receiving stipends, most of them more grand than the average working Joe or Jane.
Please, Governor Sanford, request the money. A cold, hungry, sick child needs milk and medicine.
mom's musings 
It was a very scary day yesterday until we heard that he was going to sign and still I feel kind of sick to my stomach. The ESC was willing to submit to the LAC, but there were things legally that had to be done by the Legislature. Hopefully, all will be well and I’ll never have another week like this past one at work (ESC office) again.
Kristi, I hope there's not another week like that again either. I personally know a couple of people who lost their jobs in November and December, and these people and their families have been really sweating it. It's not as if they're slackers; they're hardworking Americans who were caught completely unawares by the pink slips.