The problem is, South Carolina's state government is very screwed-up (and I say this as someone who lived there for seven years and absolutely adores the place). Local municipalities couldn't do ANYTHING without massive interference from the legislature until maybe thirty years ago--"home rule," cities and counties actually being able to do things without their state legislative delegations meddling, is a radical and recent concept there. The General Assembly is still pretty bloody "imperial" itself, despite the fact that it's ostensibly GOP-dominated.
Mark Sanford has been slamming heads with the General Assembly nonstop for over four years now trying to get them to control pork, and he hasn't always won. And despite his efforts, taxes there are higher than you'd think. It varies by city/county/school district, but our cars' property taxes were obscene living around the Columbia area, and the state income tax was quite high. The sales tax was low, though.
The people, even a lot of the liberals, really do have an independent and ornery streak in them that's fantastic. South Carolina catches so much crap in the dominant media, painted as some sort of backward, inbred, hick, poverty-stricken place, and it's not. It's a great place to live, provided you're not looking for New York or Los Angeles.
}:-)4
From what I understand, Mark Sanford is the only hero among governers. He has butted heads with spenders to the tune of billions and has so far won. Am I wrong?