Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Furnishing for the future: Endowed chair program has been good for South Carolina

We’re puzzled by Gov. Mark Sanford’s estimation of the effectiveness of endowed chairs for research, especially considering his usually forward-thinking positions on technology and economic development.

Last week, Mr. Sanford encouraged House lawmakers to reconsider a proposal that removes the cap on lottery proceeds for the Centers of Economic Excellence program. Since its inception in 2002, the program that helps attract innovative thinkers and researchers to South Carolina has received $180 million. When the program was established, it was limited to receive no more than $200 million by 2010.

Part of Mr. Sanford’s criticism is that the program has “failed to raise private investment,” yet the requirement that the schools, including Clemson University and the University of South Carolina, must raise matching funds seems to contradict that assessment.

In addition, according to a report in The State, Clemson University’s $18 million in endowed chair funds attracted $200 million in additional investment for research.

Jay Moskowitz, formerly of the National Institutes of Health, and one of 15 endowed chair researchers who moved to South Carolina, says “cascades” of people are coming to our state to advance the cause of research.

(We wonder sometimes if Mr. Sanford publicly opposes something that he really wants to pass. As has been the case so many times in the last few years, lawmakers disagreed and the House has approved its proposal to lift the cap and allow the legislature to decide how much money the program will get on an annual basis.)

We also find confusing Mr. Sanford’s reasoning that lawmakers should put the money toward health care instead of funding research when one of his continuing battles is what to do with the proceeds from a possible increase in the state’s cigarette tax. Instead of dedicating it to health care needs and efforts to reduce smoking in South Carolina, Mr. Sanford’s latest proposal is to use the proceeds to allow for a reduction in income tax rates or a flat-tax system.

Before the lottery became official in South Carolina, we questioned whether endowed chairs were the best use of funds. But it’s clear that transforming our state into one that is in the forefront of research into health care, automotives and other economic development opportunities could not have gotten this far without the financial boost from lottery proceeds.

For once, South Carolina is thinking not just about what next year might bring but what could develop in five years or 10 years or even 20 years in the future as a result of research efforts right here at home.

That should not be discouraged.