SC Dems: Sanford Travel Style Shows GOP Hypocrisy

South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Carol Fowler issued the following statement today in response to a recent analysis of Governor Mark Sanford's travel expenses. According to the analysis the Governor, who bragged about being frugal, often flew first class and stayed at expensive hotels during state funded trips.

"Like many South Carolina taxpayers, I am appalled by these recent findings. For years, Mark Sanford has pretended to be the state's sole-protector of taxpayer money. But in reality, he's been living it up and spending our tax dollars on luxurious accommodations. The money he spent to travel in style and provide the same treatment for State Representative Nikki Haley and State Commerce Secretary Joe Taylor would pay the salary for a teacher or policeman who would make a real difference here in South Carolina. Apparently, fiscal conservatism doesn't apply when it comes to Mark Sanford's personal comfort," said Fowler.

Top Travel Destinations

Top 10 Domestic Destinations: 2009
1 – Las Vegas, NV – 61.4%
2 – Orlando, FL – 60.8%
3 – Kahului (Maui), HI – 39.9%
4 – Honolulu, HI – 36.3%
5 – New York City, NY – 31.3%
6 – Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ – 19.0%
7 – Anchorage, AK – 15.9%
8 – Washington D.C. – 15.0%
9 – San Francisco, CA – 14.8%
10 – Chicago, IL – 13.6%

From Travel Leaders

Do you plan on making a trip to any of these destinations this year? Are you planning a vacation at all?

Teacher of the Year Blog

South Carolina Teacher of the Year Jenna Hallman is recording her experiences this year on a personal blog - Jenna’s Journey.

A science teacher at Calhoun Academy for the Arts in Anderson School District 5, Hallman was named South Carolina Teacher of the Year this past April. As the representative for more than 50,000 teachers, Hallman is participating in a yearlong residency at the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement.

Her activities also involve several other statewide organizations such as Leadership South Carolina and the South Carolina Association of School Administrators' Education Policy Fellowship Program.

“This year I have the wonderful opportunity to visit schools, classrooms, colleges, and universities across the state,” Hallman said. “I am able to talk with teachers, administrators, future teachers and students about a wide variety of issues affecting education in South Carolina today.”

The ambassador says that her travels provide her a unique view of public education in the Palmetto State. Since her tenure began in August, she’s logged more than 11,000 miles.

“I am able to witness first-hand all of the amazing instruction that is happening in classrooms. My blog allows me to serve as a personal tour guide to others who are not able to view education from this vantage point.”

Leaving Darlington

Hey everyone,
It's finally here! I am leaving in about twenty minutes to go to the airport in Charleston...okay maybe like ten. I have been working so long and so hard to get to this point and it's finally here! I will be in Europe three weeks and will try to blog as often as possible. I am visiting Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Great Britain. I am so excited and can't wait to share more!

Ttyl,
Kirby