[jeffkrol]

Lawmakers appropriated $1.8 million to the governor’s office for the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2010. It is unclear exactly how much of that money has been spent, although Haley has committed to paying 17 people a total of $1.2 million over the next year.

Whereas Sanford’s office had eight employees making $50,000 a year or more, Haley’s office has twelve – and all of them are being paid more than their predecessors.

Ironically, Haley claimed on Tuesday that she had “streamlined” the governor’s office.

“We’re living within our means and we’re not borrowing from other agencies, which was done in the past,” Haley told reporter Jim Davenport of the Associated Press, who compiled the information.

Giving her stated advocacy for limited government, the fact that Haley would create new staff positions and dole out these sorts of salary increases in any budget environment is startling. Given the current budget situation in South Carolina, it’s absolutely galling.

These new expenses are totally unnecessary – and totally inconsistent with what Haley campaigned on.

Oh well … at least we know now why Haley (who built her campaign around transparency in government) refused to publicly release salary information during her transition.

Gotta just laugh...................

Haley started things off by giving her new chief of staff, Tim Pearson, a 27.5 percent pay raise. Pearson will make $125,000 a year – or $27,000 more than Scott English made while serving as chief of staff to former Gov. Mark Sanford.

Pearson will also have a full-time assistant who makes $60,000 a year.

Haley’s deputy chief of staff for communications and legislative affairs – Trey Walker – will be paid $122,775 a year. That’s a 42.3 percent increase over the second-highest paid staffer in the Sanford administration.

Haley’s top lawyer, Swati Patel, will be paid $102,000 a year – which is a 36 percent increase over the $75,000 a year that Sanford paid his top lawyer.

Haley Approves Huge Salary Increases :: FITSNews
Anyone paying attention in SC????
http://www2.scnow.com/news/2011/jan/19/column-south-carolina-again-faces-gre...y--ar-1361462/

By S.C. Sen. Yancey McGill
Being a member of the Senate Finance Committee will be a great challenge this year. Declining revenues have forced the state to cut $2 billion from its budget during the last few years. This year, we will have an additional $428 million to play with, but we’ll need all of that windfall and more to cover rising education and health-care costs. The state faces around $829 million worth of unfunded liabilities, including expiring federal stimulus aid, rising Medicaid costs and state agencies that can’t provide necessary services after years of crippling budget cuts.

The following is the complete text of the Democratic response to Governor Nikki Haley's State of the State Address, delivered January 19, 2011:

Good evening. I am State Senator Brad Hutto from Orangeburg. For the last decade things haven't changed, Republicans have absolutely and totally controlled state government and public policy in South Carolina--from the governor's office to the overwhelming Republican majorities in the legislature.

During that time, our state has listened to the same old rhetoric and recycled ideas- over and over again. And just look where it has gotten us.

-We've seen financial waste and abuse, over and over again.

-We've seen the same political hacks appointed to positions of power, over and over again.

-We've seen – record high unemployment, a public education system in crisis, sick and elderly being denied care, and embarrassing news stories about many of our state's leaders, over and over again.

Basically, the only thing that seems to change are the names in the never ending scandals that one party rule has brought us.

If you like what you've seen in South Carolina's government over the last decade, then you should be happy.

http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13871575

---

Last edited by jeffkrol; 01-19-2011 at 06:15 PM.

[mikemike]

I thought this was going to be a thread about Nikki Haley coming out of the closet as a lezzy. That would have been an interesting thread, this one is kind of boring though.

I wish my state or city had as few people working for the governer or even the mayor. The mayor of NO's top 10-15 lieutenants make 100K+.

[jeffkrol]

OK if that wasn't fun enough how about this de-stimulus.......

Cuomo may lay off more than 10,000 state workers

Cuomo may lay off more than 10,000 state workers - Albany - The Buffalo News
more unnecessary pain.......

[mikemike]

OK if that wasn't fun enough how about this de-stimulus.......

Cuomo may lay off more than 10,000 state workers - Albany - The Buffalo News
more unnecessary pain.......

As long as he gave them a huge pay raise in their last year so that their pension gets juiced. Thats how public sector jobs work in NY State, right?

[jeffkrol]

As long as he gave them a huge pay raise in their last year so that their pension gets juiced. Thats how public sector jobs work in NY State, right?

Feds should be bailing out states.. pay cuts maybe layoffs... NOT.... refer to MMT
or the cute article of getting China to buy state bonds.....
Why don't all the states lay off MILLIONS of people, THAT should fix the economy......
AND certainly improve the American spirit........

"It's obviously going to be an extreme amount of pain and suffering for families across the state," said a Republican senator on Wednesday evening. "The dark days of the '70s have returned

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704590704576092801256486430.html

[Jodokast96]

It sure as hell will hurt, but damn, you can't have the government employing everybody.

As far as Haley, if she screws it up, out with her too.

[Ratmagiclady]

I thought this was going to be a thread about Nikki Haley coming out of the closet as a lezzy. That would have been an interesting thread, this one is kind of boring though.

So you thought you'd spice it up with a little homophobia?

[jeffkrol]

It sure as hell will hurt, but damn, you can't have the government employing everybody.

Though it is not a desirable outcome that statement is as close to false as you can get... The gov could employ everyone....... some feel the gov has already hired all workers at GM.....

[deadwolfbones]

So you thought you'd spice it up with a little homophobia?

Not really sure how that qualifies as homophobia...

[JohnInIndy]

Though it is not a desirable outcome that statement is as close to false as you can get... The gov could employ everyone....... some feel the gov has already hired all workers at GM.....

Sure everyone can work for the government. Look at Cuba. Everyone works for the government there.

[mikemike]

So you thought you'd spice it up with a little homophobia?

???

I was thinking it might be a story about how she joined the club of openly gay politicians like Barney Frank and Jim McCreevy.

[Parallax]

Feds should be bailing out states.. pay cuts maybe layoffs... NOT.... refer to MMT
.........

Good idea as long as the unions aren't involved. Camden tried that, but it seems the unions figured it was better to have unemployed fire fighters and police instead of slightly lower paid employees. Story here.

[mikemike]

Good idea as long as the unions aren't involved. Camden tried that, but it seems the unions figured it was better to have unemployed fire fighters and police instead of slightly lower paid employees. Story here.

Camden is a safe Rockwellesque community, right?

[Parallax]

Camden is a safe Rockwellesque community, right?

Correct. Could be worse. One of the reports I heard said it only had the second highest crime rate in the country.

[Tom S.]

Good idea as long as the unions aren't involved. Camden tried that, but it seems the unions figured it was better to have unemployed fire fighters and police instead of slightly lower paid employees. Story here.

Not quite right. Since it was voted on by the rank and file, the Union didn't decide anything, the members did. Nor does the article state what was offered. The cuts may have been so severe the rank and file felt they were better off rejecting them. Take Delphi Corporation where "slightly lower pay" meant giving up all their benefits and having their pay reduced to less than a third of what they were making. Would you accept an offer like that? Perhaps the police and firefighters are hoping that the negative publicity will force the city to negotiate more fairly, but without knowing the facts, I can't say.