Were Sanford’s ‘reforms’ all for show?

Shortly after Gov. Mark Sanford revealed he’d had an affair with an Argentine woman, this blog dedicated a post to the idea that although the governor had failed in terms of upholding his marital vows,  his vision for improving South Carolina was still cogent.

Apparently, though, while Gov. Sanford’s ideas regarding fiscal responsibility and transparency do indeed make good sense, they also appear to be little more than window dressing for the South Carolina chief executive, if media reports are accurate.

According to The Charleston Post and Courier, Sanford, who once criticized other state officials for costly travel, charged the state more than $37,600 for one first-class and four business-class flights overseas since November 2005, expense records show. Other state employees flew in the back of the plane at a fraction of the price, according to the documents.

Greenville News silent again on TSFG

The Gannett media chain has long had a reputation for being willing to sell out its ethics to keep key advertisers happy, and it’s difficult to draw any other conclusion after reviewing its recent coverage of The South Financial Group.

Late last week, the Greenville-based financial services entity, the largest bank company based in South Carolina, filed information with the US Securities and Exchange Commission that founder and former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mack Whittle had formally resigned from the company’s board.

The State newspaper in Columbia, owned by McClatchy Co., had the storyTuesday, but by week’s end, there’d yet to be a peep out of The News about Whittle leaving the company he’d helped birth.