“TEA PARTY” GOVERNOR DEFENDS BIG BUDGET, GOVERNMENT-RUN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS
S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley – who campaigned as a Tea Party hero willing to stand on the side of small businesses – trumpeted the “benefits” of her big government approach to economic development on Wednesday night during her 2012 State of the State address.
“The state of the state is surging,” Haley said in her second major policy address, touting the fact that her Commerce Department has created 20,000 new jobs and attracted $5 billion in capital investment during her first year in office.
Haley didn’t mention the amount of taxpayer-funded incentives shelled out to create those jobs, however – nor did she discuss how those incentives were shifting the Palmetto State’s tax burden onto small businesses. And while Haley acknowledged that there was plenty of work left to be done in an effort to lower the state’s 9.9 percent unemployment rate – she doesn’t seem especially eager to embrace free market solutions in an effort to accomplish that objective.
In fact, her plan is the creation of a new government-funded program to better train South Carolina workers.
“It is our responsibility to know that the left hand is talking to the right,” Haley said in rolling out a new workforce training program that she says will ensure that every dollar spent on workforce education goes toward its intended purpose.
Haley has proposed a few modest tax cuts in her 2012-13 executive budget – although nothing resembling the substantial, broad-based relief that’s necessary to stimulate expanded consumer activity, sustained employment growth and higher income levels.
Instead, Haley wants to spend almost every penny of the estimated $1 billion in new money coming into Columbia this year.
In defending her executive budget – which would spend a record $22.8 billion on state government – Haley said that the additional $1 billion “isn’t really growth, it’s us being honest about what it costs to run state government.”
Wow … never thought we’d ever hear a “Tea Party hero” say something like that.
Haley later said that she supported cutting government, “but we need to be smart about it.”
By way of comparison, this website has proposed freezing state spending for three years pending an extended bureaucratic review to determine which agencies should be cut, privatized or eliminated. We’ve also proposed spending every penny of the estimated $1.1 billion in new money available to state lawmakers this year on individual income tax relief.
Free market versus big government … the choice is yours, S.C. General Assembly.
It’s worth noting that Haley did reiterate her support for several structural ideas that we have been advocating for years. For example, she reiterated her desire for lawmakers to let the public choose whether governors and lieutenant governors run on the same ticket – as well whether governors should be permitted to appoint their education superintendents.
In fact, we implored lawmakers to pass both of these reforms (which were originally proposed by former S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford) last session.
We also agree with Haley that the S.C. Department of Transportation (SCDOT) commission should be scrapped in favor of a pure cabinet agency – although it’s clear that Haley’s pick to lead the agency has been a disaster.
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By Holy Hypocrites Batman! January 18, 2012 at 8:50 pm
Personally, if she could carry through on some of those plans I would say great. I disagree with your position on the size of state government-but opinions and assholes, whatever. However-we have yet to really see the her follow through on anything she said-talks a good game but that is about it.
Also, I strongly disagree with giving this idiot any more control. She has used what she does have very poorly (think LLR, overpaid teenaged staff, etc.) and she does not have the morals, ethics or smarts to be governor, much less a powerful governor.
I never would have voted for her before the scandals started emerging-because she was Sanford’s pick-and I had no respect for him. He was arrogant, “my way is the only way” and got nothing done because of his overwhelming arrogance and bad attitude-even when he had a good idea, and he did have many of them. I foresaw just a continuation of a term of nothing being accomplished if his hand-picked made it. And so far, I was right, but honestly, not for the reason I thought. Rather, because she is mouthing and playing, not leading. And you want her to have more control???? Really????
By Silver Eagle January 18, 2012 at 8:53 pm
THE worse speech I have ever heard. It was like an 8th grade graduation speech. AND Haley wrote it herself – don’t know if I would claim that. Horrible speech!
By RecallNikki January 19, 2012 at 9:27 pm
Horrible speech, horrible woman and horrible governor.
By Alwaysamazed January 18, 2012 at 8:54 pm
I gained a better appreciation of Obama reading a teleprompter after watching her tonight, what a horrible job, left, then right, then left, waiting for the screen to load and leaving pauses with that stare. A college freshman could have done a better job than that.
By Burb-ite January 18, 2012 at 8:55 pm
I was looking for the speech on regular TV and could not find it. The locals must have pre-empted it for regular programing – Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!! Must be what happens when you don’t watch local television!!!
By Silver Eagle January 18, 2012 at 9:01 pm
If it hadn’t been for ETV – the speech would not have been on TV – I find that very ironic since Queen Haley screwed over ETV in the last budget cycle and screwed the legislators that supported it.
By Holy Hypocrites Batman! January 19, 2012 at 6:37 am
What else could poor old ETV do? Remember, it is the time of year when they can expect to be screwed again. Have to grovel however they can…..
By Cid January 18, 2012 at 9:05 pm
Yeh but she’s got an “R” by her name
Gotta stop them damn Democrats ya know?
Where’s “t” when we need him?
By MF January 18, 2012 at 9:30 pm
What did she say about shutting down the state’s whorehouse?
By BS January 18, 2012 at 9:38 pm
Amazing….just 2 sentences to cover selling off 3000 state school buses, 47 School Bus Maintenance Shops and putting 2-300 state employees on food stamps and unemployment.
These are the underpaid state employees who have maintained the antique school buses provided by the state Legislature, even though state legislatures signed into law a 15 year replacement cycle.
Inspite of this, school bus shop employees have maintained these buses in a safe manner for the past 30 years, for just 12-18 cents a mile. When was the last time a school bus experienced a mechanical malfunction that killed a student? If you cannot remember….this is the reason why.
Private, for profit contractors will need to make a 30% profit above these costs to remain in business. Transportation contracts will increase every year.
Safety will be another concern. A private school bus maintenance contractor working for the State Department of Education allowed many of the buses in his care to operate with bald tires.
Also, service to students will deteriorate. Bus stops will be placed much farther apart exposing our children to increaased risks from predators, speeding vehicles, dogs, and criminals. If you thought 3/10′s of a mile was too far for a 1st grader to walk….just wait til the school districts and private contractors manage the transportation system!
But it’s all OK because the school districts can raise your taxes!
So,…..just remember who is paying those private contractor profits….and who is paying for those shiny new buses……..
Yes…it’s you….the TAXPAYER.
By Holy Hypocrites Batman! January 19, 2012 at 6:40 am
When Sanford started talking about privatizing the state fleet when he took over, it was a commonly known fact that some big RINO from the Campbell administration wanted the contract for state fleet. I wonder which RINO is in the background here trying to get the bus contract?
By hhuuhh?? January 19, 2012 at 4:27 pm
Yes, Lord. She’s looking for some big bucks for this deal.
It needs to be stopped now.
We KNOW bus contracting costs more in the Charleston District.
The Tom Davis clowns in Beaufort say they don’t know if their contracting costs more, less or the same — and you know that’s a lie.
The proliferation of private contractors only brings one scandal after another and more good money thrown after bad. Just look at Blackwater/Xe, Halliburton and read the Washington Post.
By Sick of Pandering January 18, 2012 at 9:48 pm
Hey! Don ‘t forget that all the bus drivers in those private school buses are union members. She did say that she did not support unions, right? Only Haley could be against unions and for companies that hire union workers. The woman has got to GO!
By follydude January 18, 2012 at 11:16 pm
… yes!
we must have a Department of Administration!!!
what audacity for a “TEA Party” governor.
sorry, folks.
a Conservative, you did not get.
By Capt Howdy January 19, 2012 at 12:45 am
The hypocrisy is astounding. The State of the State was bad. The following is worse.
“We all have to admit she’s done a great job of creating jobs in South Carolina,” said Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler, R-Cherokee link to the State.
Or maybe we should face the truth. Selling the “seller” Mr. Senator?
Liars. God is watching you.
By Dr. (Well I'll Be) M.D. January 19, 2012 at 8:00 am
Harvey Peller is a worm that will sell his soul for a slug! What a 100% bonafide chump!
By RecallNikki January 19, 2012 at 9:30 pm
Ask the question of why Peeler is all up her ass.
By RINO January 19, 2012 at 5:40 am
I liked the WIS touch of inserting Sellers’s rebuttal during the middle of Nikki’s speech for a few minutes, and then cut back to Nikki. Nikki didn’t mention voter ID or immigration. She is not a public speaker. She could have been done in 10 minutes without all of the introductions.
By eggaday January 19, 2012 at 7:57 am
she droned on and on didn’t she?
I heard nothing but sound bites.
Not a whole lot of applause, really.
By Skidmarks January 19, 2012 at 8:40 am
Nimrata’s budget is called Hindoo Economics.
By south mauldin January 19, 2012 at 9:37 am
When she introduced her loser husband and said how proud she was of him and his service to the country, I almost puked. When he said he was the coolest first husband in the nation, I did puke.
This bitch is an embarrassment to this state, but the goobers that voted for her are too stupid to even understand that.
By cash January 19, 2012 at 9:49 am
What drug is Peeler on, or is he just delusional? Maybe someone has some dirt on him. I did not vote for Obama, but I will vote Obama 2012 if her endorsed candidate, Romney, is chosen.
By RecallNikki January 19, 2012 at 9:31 pm
Me too
By Is this SHIITE for real January 19, 2012 at 11:35 am
That speech was written by someone intellectually delayed, or a child.
By cash January 19, 2012 at 11:45 am
Don’t you mean a “little girl”?
By RecallNikki January 19, 2012 at 9:33 pm
Maybe her receptionist that piloted her “it’s a great day in SC” wrote her speech. Haha- too funny.