Sanford's Hiking Trail Got Stimulus Money He Opposed

Gov. Mark Sanford has spent a good part of South Carolina's past legislative session railing against, and even actively turning down, portions of Barack Obama's stimulus package. And when the session ended with Sanford losing his fight to reject $700 million in federal stimulus cash, he abruptly disappeared. Few people knew where he went.

Several days later, it was revealed that the 2012 presidential hopeful was in the midst of a mind-clearing jaunt through the Appalachian Trail, hoping to do some writing after a stressful few months. But even removed from South Carolina politics, the governor couldn't escape the stimulus.

The economic recovery package enacted by Obama includes money that will help improve the trail on which Sanford has been hiking.

In late April, the U.S. Department of Interior said that $750 million in stimulus cash would be spent on more than 750 projects at national parks across the United States. The total included $650,000 for enhancing the Appalachian Trail. News reports show that $25,000 of those funds will be dedicated towards relocating two miles of the trail in Virginia. How much money will go to the Georgia portion -- where Sanford likely is -- isn't immediately clear.

So even as Sanford enjoys the scenic beauty of the woods, he hasn't removed himself too far from the national political debate. And if the public relations fallout from his sudden disappearance becomes problematic, he can always say he was doing first-hand research on the impact of the stimulus.

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Comments

[littlechuckie]

LOL

[Salome]

Ha ha ha! The Federal Government has always played an important role w/r/t the Trail:

"After years of work on Congress by ATC and its members and with the strong support of President Lyndon B. Johnson, the A.T. became the first complete national scenic trail in October 1968. The National Trails System Act provides for protection, financial assistance, and land acquisition not only for the A.T., but also other yet to be formed national trails."

http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.mqLTIYOwGlF/b.4914753/k.C511/History.htm

[LCLiberal]

This is just too delicious...

http://www.political-buzz.com/

[JulieSA]

So Sanford can't use any facility that will someday receive stimulus bill money? Or what?
Sorry, but I don't get the point of this column.

[CitizenJ]

Not that you have a history of "getting the point", but the point is the irony of his using a trail that he opposes improving.

[Cloball]

No. It's called irony.

[SomewhereInTX]

You obviously don't understand irony.

[damilitantone]

The point is that he was using a trail that would most likely only be maintained through the very stimulus funds that he opposes. It's called irony.

[damuho]

It's called irony and with the repubs it's a common thing to happen.

[afgail]

Does anyone but me suspect that a wide stance tryst is his guilty litte secret?

[skymuffin]

t e a bagg ing.

[Mark Twaine]

The little squirrel was just burying his acorn.

[greenie 61]

Maybe Sanford can write a contributing article for Young Miss magazine under their "Was My Face Red" section.

[Aabby]

I love it! Good work! ;-)

[RevRayGreen]

poetic justice.......$100 says he wasn't hiking.

[Grunty1]

Of course he wasn't, but its still ironic.

[live]

you wont get anyone to take that bet. we all know he wasnt hiking with the naked people

[Mark Twaine]

Would you like to see a picture of him hiking the trail this past week? I would too.

[Imzadi]

Oh, the irony. Do you think he knows?

[WindySailor]

Sanford went on the trail to share some stimulus with a feral hog.

[bedfordny]

LOL!!!!

[Grunty1]

Ah, the irony.

[TrenchCoat]

This is hilarious!

[Patti Wolf]

"How much of that money goes specifically towards the South Carolina portion of the trail isn't immediately clear." The Trail doesn't go through SC!

[MossyOak]

Nice job of misquoting the article.

[MisterHands]

Too much A.ctivia this morning?

"How much money will go to the Georgia portion -- where Sanford likely is -- isn't immediately clear."

[Aabby]

You can't read. 'How much money will go to the Georgia portion -- where Sanford likely is -- isn't immediately clear."

[liviapeacock]

It said Georgia, NOT So Carolina.