Sitting down, Tea Partiers?
Six months after signing off on record spending increases passed by the “Republican-controlled” S.C. General Assembly, Gov. Nikki Haley on Friday proposed the largest budget in South Carolina history.
Haley’s proposed executive budget would spend a record $22.8 billion on state government. That total includes $5.7 billion in general funds (i.e. money raised from tax revenues), $8.3 billion in “other funds” (i.e. money raised from fees and fines) and $8.8 billion in federal funds (i.e. money sent from Washington, D.C.).
By Haley’s own calculations, her plan represents a $900 million (4.1 percent) increase over the current FY 2011-12 budget – which she claims falls under her “cap” for government growth. The plan represents a $2.1 billion increase over the FY 2010-11 budget – meaning that Haley, who ran on a platform of fiscal discipline, is presiding over a government that’s growing by more than a billion dollars a year.
Such growth is unacceptable under any circumstances but it’s particularly galling given that South Carolina’s government was already far too big for its britches.
Prior to the last round of record spending increases (pushed through beginning in 2005 by House Speaker Bobby Harrell and S.C. Senate President Hugh Leatherman) – South Carolina ranked tenth in the nation in terms of the government’s share of our economy with 40.5 percent of our gross state product comprised of government spending.
Not surprisingly, the “Republicans in Name Only” who control the purse strings in Columbia were thrilled that Haley isn’t challenging their view that our state’s disproportionately large government should continue to grow.
“You may see this year more things in line with the governor’s budget than in the past,” House Ways and Means Chairman Brian White (RINO-Anderson) told the Associated Press.
On the positive side of the ledger, Haley’s plan provides $61 million worth of corporate income tax relief and $78 million worth of individual income tax relief – although such modest tax cuts are unlikely to do anything to stimulate the state’s economy.
By way of comparison, this website has proposed spending every penny of the estimated $1.1 billion in new money available to state lawmakers this year on individual income tax relief. We’ve also proposed freezing state spending for three years pending an extended bureaucratic review to determine which agencies should be cut, privatized or eliminated.
Nonetheless, Haley praised her proposed spending plan – saying that it made “tough decision(s) just as we do in our homes and businesses every day.”
“This year’s executive budget was a Team Haley effort. This was everybody coming together and saying we’re going to do this – and there’s going to be truth in budgeting,” Haley said.
Obviously we’ll have much, much more on Haley’s budget in the coming days, but in the meantime you can check out her plan for yourself by clicking on the link below …
By Silver Eagle January 14, 2012 at 1:32 pm
Haley’s budget is completely irresponsible. She has been spending too much time following Romney around like a little puppy dog with her nose stuck so far up his butt that you can’t see those ugly clenched teeth. Surely she has swindled enough money to have the money to get her teeth fixed.
By Cicada January 14, 2012 at 7:38 pm
Nikki Haley; wonder what her Indian name is. ANd how about her hair. I am a minimalist but this is going too far. She’s a drudge. How did this woman of Indian descent become Governor? She bought it, that’s for sure. ANd the worst part is there are lemmings in this state that will follow her over the cliff; voting for Romney even though he will NEVER be able to beat Obama.
She has led us down this path too long. I hope you dummies who voted for this fool wake up.
By Chicora January 15, 2012 at 2:41 pm
Hey …she’s just following the money, like a good ho! Romney’s Bain group along with Georgia-Pacific owned by Koch Industries jointly own Unisource Worldwide (with China connections) down in Savannah, Ga. Wonder where the “Savannah River Sellout” came from? That’s probably a good place to start. Just job security for her. Let South Carolians eat cake!!
By A face in the crowd January 14, 2012 at 1:43 pm
What are you complaining about? She is continuing to defund education and offer no pay raises for the fourth year in a row, making sure that South Carolina continues to move backwards in time. She has done more damage in one year than anyone could ever conceive of doing.
By Bonhoeffer January 14, 2012 at 2:21 pm
Nearly 39 per cent of the 22.8 billion dollar state budget will come from Washington. Yet, somehow the federal gov’t., to hear Haley and others tell it, is the bad guy. Go figure.
By Smirks January 16, 2012 at 10:10 am
Scumbag red states: Complain about welfare recipients, are welfare recipients.
By Skidmarks January 16, 2012 at 12:34 pm
Bitch about the federal deficit. Squeal for more money. Fools the Tea Buggers every time. Without that fed money, SC would be Haiti North.
By Bogart January 14, 2012 at 2:48 pm
And…..she will be re-elected for another four years…this is after all So Carolina.
By Dr. (Well I'll Be) M.D. January 14, 2012 at 4:13 pm
OH NO SHE WON’T EITHER…BUT SHE MIGHT SPEND WHAT WOULD/COULD BE HER SECOND TERM IN PRISON!
By RecallNikki January 15, 2012 at 7:14 pm
Dr…I hope you are right about prison time coming.
By Robert Hagwood January 14, 2012 at 3:43 pm
Haley is a caricature of what is wrong with the mindset of many of the voters in this state. They will blindly beleive anything spoken by someone with an (r) by their name and will support them to the end – willing to go down with the ship.
I cannot blame Haley from many of her governing related shortfalls. The voters are the ones who either knowingly or negligently (more like recklessly) elected someone completely unqualified, unmotivated and morally defunct.
By jimlewis,owb January 14, 2012 at 3:50 pm
To those active and retired state employees/teachers the Queen of Death thanks you for your sacrifices to her record setting multi billion dollar budget:
1) you will pay more for your insurance coverage
2) you will receive less benefits from your insurance coverage
3) you will pay more into your retirement plan
4) you will receive less benefits from your retirement plan
5) you will work harder, take home less pay and pay more out before you can even think about retirement
6) your fellow agency heads, legislators, solicitors, judges, police officers and all gubernatorial appointed positions that fall under special retirement plans or the executive compensation system will continue to receive raises and salary adjustments within their pay range because they are, well special.
And just think, y’all thought the Queen of Death was a Conservative Republican. Bless your heart. At a minimum the worst of the Yellow Dog Democratic Governors threw out an occasional dog biscuit.
Roll on Queen of Death, damn you roll on!
By Cid January 14, 2012 at 7:29 pm
Yeh but she is agin abortion!
By RecallNikki January 15, 2012 at 7:16 pm
Or so you think CID.
By Smirks January 16, 2012 at 10:17 am
“Yeh but she is agin abortion!”
One unplanned pregnancy from an extramarital relationship will change that.
By Poptart January 19, 2012 at 9:27 pm
I’m a cop, and I haven’t got a raise since 2005. By the way, that ten percent raise covered the cost of insurance going up. Please don’t paint everyone with such a broad brush because honestly, I don’t feel very “special” as you say.
By Steve January 14, 2012 at 3:55 pm
How can you complain Sic? These are all Tea Partiers that signed the Norquist pledge. You must be mistaken; with the Tea Party in charge of the entire State House, all must be right with the world. Just move along; nothing to see here.
By SCBlues January 14, 2012 at 5:40 pm
Bogart’s comment is correct – she will be re-elected again – she has the all important “R” after her name – and that is all the sheeple of South Carolina care about.
By Ken E. January 14, 2012 at 8:14 pm
The only way she doesn’t get re-elected is by a challenge from the right. Curtis? Maybe. Davis? God, I hope not.
By Cid January 14, 2012 at 8:48 pm
If we cut taxes we will create jobs
Nikki Haley advertisement 2010
I mean with original thinking like that
How could she not be elected!
By Professor Z January 14, 2012 at 9:38 pm
So far I give the Gov. Fs!
1-Flippedout
2-Fornicating
3-Fradulent
4-Failure
By Ken E. January 14, 2012 at 9:44 pm
I predict right now that the budget proposed for 2013 will be larger than the previous budget, which was larger than the previous budget, which was larger than the previous budget, etc.
I also predict that the headline on FITSNews will be:
Nikki Haley Proposes SC’s Largest Budget Ever
I further predict that FITS will mention a tax-payer refund program no less than 50 times in the next year.
By Dr. Hannibal Lector January 15, 2012 at 9:26 am
Enough of this. Where are the Nikki & Candice butt shots?
By Old Bike Dude January 15, 2012 at 9:26 am
I’m so fed up with Nim and her Nimbots that I’d consider voting for a communist Rastafarian just to reset the machine.
By Penny January 15, 2012 at 11:58 am
This is lame. Sex sells. We want Nikki sex, Candy sex, Eleanor sex, you know…..this is a soft porn site afterall.
By HarleyD January 15, 2012 at 12:18 pm
The sad hoot-owl cartoon character with bow-tie in “casket” position with round glasses looks very subservient so I presume he works for Pearson. The other character, also in “casket” position, with no tie, looks like he was just electrocuted. The third guy, on the right, seems curious, intent on reading the governor’s speech. The lady in blue looks polite and normal and the Guv looks fine. Overall, this is one weird photograph.
By Jake January 15, 2012 at 1:06 pm
Remind me who the dumbasses that run this site endorsed for governor?
By Cid January 15, 2012 at 1:17 pm
That would be Nikki Haley
“if we cut taxes,we will create jobs”
By Nikki "Lazarus" Haley January 15, 2012 at 2:08 pm
Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.
We’ve got room for them in South Carolina:
Burger King
McDonalds
Hardees
Pizza Hut
Arby’s
Taco Bell
Krispy Kreme
Wendy’s
Bessenger’s
Chick-fil-A
By Ima January 15, 2012 at 2:34 pm
I’m sure the story will be up here shortly, but what are the odds that Catherine Templeton has a lock on the commish. position @SC DHEC? Is Nikki pulling her bud out of one fire so that she can go start another?
By What The Cat Drug In January 15, 2012 at 5:36 pm
Word on the street has it that there is a bit of difficulty or at least slowness in lining up enough support in the senate for her confirmation. Thus it may take a while. The other two may just be for show.
But who knows for sure?
By Fabio Ligussi January 15, 2012 at 3:00 pm
Read below.
Catherine has three little children to whom she is dedicated, and admits she is “house-bound.” She is also very much into daily yoga classes at her spacious Mt. Pleasant home. She enjoys a 55-gallon fish tank with huge exotic fish that her friends say “bring peace to all.” In the summertime she is very much into her pool with her little kids and her girlfriends. She is very dedicated to her $1,500 Espresso machine, and the girls call her “La Barista.”
Given all these reasons for remaining at home and technology’s ability to manage “remote” these 4,400 DHEC staffers, Nikki will CERTAINLY promote her to this new position.
Ciao.
From The State, January 14, 2012:
A mother of three who grew up in Irmo, Templeton is a Wofford College graduate with a law degree from the University of South Carolina. She has been caught up in several controversies at the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, including laying off about four dozen workers and being sued.
She also has assisted Haley in the governor’s fight against a National Labor Relations Board complaint against Boeing. The NLRB said Boeing opened an aircraft plant in North Charleston in retaliation against union workers in Washington state, where Boeing has maintained manufacturing facilities. She also has drawn scrutiny because she never moved to Columbia from Mount Pleasant. She said she would not move to Columbia if picked for the DHEC job.
While she has enjoyed working at the labor department, Templeton said she decided to seek the job upon realizing the impact DHEC has on most South Carolina citizens.
By Will Heads Roll? January 15, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Templeton could readily find a lot of post-TERI hire-backs who would have a hard time justifying their positions and additionally be easy to remove without a fuss. The bloated management at many levels might especially have a bunch of tempting targets.
By Ima January 15, 2012 at 5:34 pm
Maybe this could be part of the agency’s big push to open up all of our apps for anytime, anywhere access. What should a new commish have to commute to Columbia. Manage by Go-To-Meeting, Adobe Connect, etc.
Something interesting to ponder too… you know DHEC wants to make all of its apps available “anytime, anywhere.” That would include apps with access to very confidential health records. Wonder if PTT is going to help make sure that any potentially embarrassing records regarding STD exposure just disappear.