Haley Watch

Introducing a new, regular DEAD AIR feature, the dreaded HALEY WATCH! Under this title, I will be posting regular updates on the Republican shakedown headed up by South Carolina's new governor. (These posts will be appropriately tagged "Haley Watch" for easy indexing.)

First up, Governor Nikki Haley recently vowed to take away health care from as many people as she can. She's proud of it! This is the official statement her office released at the end of January:

“We have long argued that, among its many other flaws, the national health care law is unconstitutional, something that is now increasingly clear to all. South Carolina must take steps to avoid this unconstitutional infringement – one we do not want and cannot afford. We can improve health care in our state without this massive mandate from Washington, and that’s what our Administration, working with the General Assembly, will do.”

Uh-huh. I posted here with details about how she is enthusiastically looting all public health care systems in the state. So, let us be clear: Haley doesn't intend to "improve" shit.

But wait, what's this?!? From FITSNews, I find the following buried news that I haven't seen anywhere else:

With her state facing an estimated $1 billion budget shortfall, S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley handed out huge salary increases to top gubernatorial staffers on her first full day in office. She also doled out big salaries to newly-created positions within the governor’s office.

Paying attention, Tea Partiers?

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.

And we haven't heard one word about this in mainstream South Carolina news outlets. Why not?

It gets better:

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.

And let me add... FITSNews is a CONSERVATIVE blog, people. A conservative blog.

And let me underline the fact: they ain't happy over there.

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.

If the Left can't get rid of her, maybe the Right will? How ironic would that be?

I can dream, can't I?

Nikki Haley lies on her resume

Nah, say it isn't so!

Our esteemed Governor-in-Waiting, Republican Nikki Haley, seems to have had a few, um, issues during her employment with the Lexington Medical Foundation.

Like, you know, not showing up for work.

FITSnews has the goods:

According to emails published Friday by the Associated Press, Haley’s departure from her $110,000 a year job with Lexington Medical Foundation was far from amicable – and nothing like Haley described it in the press. In fact, it was downright hostile – with Haley bringing in an attorney to negotiate a settlement after she was on the verge of being put on leave for failing to show up for work.

Did they say....Lawyers?!

Was Haley threatening one of those awful, unnecessary lawsuits that cost consumers and taxpayers MONEY?!?! Well golly gee, that is the opposite of what her campaign purports to be about.

And there's more fun where that came from:

According to the foundation director, Haley failed to show up at work for two consecutive weeks – prompting his request that she be placed on annual leave.

Haley wasn’t hearing it.

“I do not choose to take annual leave, nor do I consent to ‘being placed on annual leave,’” Haley fired back at the hospital.

Eventually, Haley referred the matter to an attorney and walked away with a $35,000 severance package and an agreement from the hospital not to do or say anything to embarrass her.

Damn, I wish *I* could lay out from work for two whole weeks and emerge $35,000 richer! (As little Linda Manz reminded us in the film Days of Heaven: "The rich have got it figured out.")

As The (Columbia, S.C.) State newspaper reported last month, Lexington Medical Center created the $110,000 a year job for Haley at the direct request of the hospital’s CEO, Mike Biedinger. This, of course, contradicts previous statements from the hospital claiming that Haley competed “fair and square” for the job and was chosen because of her “connections” and her background in accounting.

Prior to receiving the job, Haley had helped the hospital win approval for its bid to a new open heart surgery center.

When Haley “resigned” her position in April, our founding editor called her campaign manager Tim Pearson. He specifically asked Pearson about rumors he had been hearing to the effect that Haley had been forced out. Pearson assured us that the rumors were false, and said that Haley chose to leave the job so that she could focus her energy on her gubernatorial campaign. Pearson also praised Haley’s work at the foundation.

I am always amazed by the brazenness of politicians' lies. They just look you right in the eye and do it, with nary a single pause or hesitation. (Is it possible this profession attracts sociopaths?)

And PLEASE, can we NOT elect this woman? Pretty please?

Vote for Dr Morgan Bruce Reeves for South Carolina governor!