Let’s all welcome Henry McMaster to the 2010 gubernatorial contest. Or, if you won’t, I will.
I like Henry. For a guy who was our fourth choice for attorney general back in 2002 (we endorsed Jon Ozmint in the primary, Larry Richter in the runoff and Steve Benjamin in the general), I think he has turned out very well. This is partly by comparison with his predecessor, but on the whole I think Henry’s done well.
Then there was the fact that Henry backed John McCain through thick and thin. In the darkest days of his quest for the GOP nomination, when everybody was saying he should quit, Henry was proud to stand up and support the senator from Arizona. And since McCain was to me the only guy in the GOP contest worth considering, that counts for a lot with me.
For me, those two considerations — the job he’s done as AG, and his sticking with McCain when almost no one else would — more than cancel the qualms I had about Henry back when he was best known as a party chairman who regularly traded partisan silliness with his counterpart Dick Harpootlian.
At this point, Henry seems clearly the strongest candidate on the GOP side — especially after my interview with Gresham Barrett early on gave me the strong impression that he hasn’t even thought about what he would do as governor, and nothing I’ve heard since has disspelled that.
Not that Henry is chock full o’ specifics yet, either. And this seems to be an occupational hazard for Republicans. They know they have to live down the disaster that Sanford has been, but they are fearful of alienating the support that the governor continues to enjoy, bizarrely, among the GOP rank-and-file (which is to say, among Republicans who don’t actually have to deal with the guy, which is always where his greatest support has lain).
So they tiptoe. So we have Henry, in the video above, speaking vaguely, and awkwardly, about how “there’s been too much dishonesty and too many scandals…,” implying he’d get us away from all that. But what dishonesty? Which scandals? What is it that YOU, Henry McMaster disapprove of? Let us know where you stand. We all disapprove of “scandals” and “dishonesty,” but tell us where you see those bad things, so we can decide whether we approve of YOU.
The State seems to believe the “scandals” Henry refers to have to do with Sanford. But I don’t know that — not until Henry SAYS that’s what he means. And if so, he needs to go further: Which aspects of the governor’s behavior does he find scandalous? His affair? His use of the state plane as a personal taxi when he’s telling state employees to double up in hotel rooms? How about the fact that as governor he does not govern, in the sense of taking responsibility for the course of our state? Is that scandalous? And if so, why?
Beyond that, his initial platform seems remarkably like that of uber-Democrat Dwight Drake: Jobs. Again, not exactly a controversial position, not a defining trait, not a chisel that will help sculpt a clear image in the voter’s mind.
So I go into this inclined to like Henry, but wanting to hear more.
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In fairness, apparently Henry DID get somewhat more specific about the “jobs” thing in his official kickoff press conference today… enough so that we now know that, unlike our current governor, Henry does believe that our public schools and colleges (at least the technical colleges) have a role to play in developing our economy. Unlike Sanford, he is at least not an OPPONENT of investing in the knowledge economy.
So we have a little more to go on than we did this morning. That’s a good start…
Oh, Man! Somehow, when I saw it on TV and even when I looked at it again before imbedding it above, I missed the very beginning when Henry blames the loss of jobs in South Carolina on Barack Obama!
Oh, come off it, Henry! The guy just got here, this is the situation that existed when he took office, and you’re blaming HIM? That is beyond lame. That is the kind of partisan crapola for which Henry was known as party chairman (not that he was any different from any other party chairman in that regard; it’s an occupational illness).
That’s just disgusting, and inexcusable. If he wants to be taken seriously by any of us swing voters who would be essential to winning in the fall, he needs to drop that garbage right now.
No, I’m not asking him to blame it on W. Or on the Democrats who held Congress in his last two years. Or on Mark Sanford, or on the Republicans who have controlled the State House for a decade. Frankly, I think BLAMING any politician or party for the megatrends that led to me and millions of others losing our jobs is ridiculously facile.
But if you ARE going to blame someone, Obama would be pretty close to the back of the line in eligibility for that dubious honor. Except, of course, if you couldn’t care less about the truth, and care only about appealing to the basest partisan attitudes in your own party (“Obama equals BAD… ooohhh”). This is even cheesier than the Democrats acting last year like electing McCain would be like electing W. a third time, which was thoroughly disgusting…
I espected better than this from this guy.
Public education only has effect on jobs when the students stay in school and learn some core skills in math, reading and writing.
The first order of business is to make education attractive to those now dropping out. The answer is not in punitive measures, like denial of driver’s licenses. The answer is in making education more attractive and interesting.
College is another matter.
Too many of the students in college now don’t belong there. They belong at work, or in a genuine technical program, learning a trade.
Many of the black colleges are a fraud, just diploma mills which rob their students and leave them in debt or the taxpayers in debt.
South Carolina has a serious brain drain of the top students. Without the top talent to create business, there will be no new jobs, except government make-work. This state desperately needs to reform its anti-business climate, including its broken, corrupt tax structure.
It is not the jobs that are important. It is the paycheck. The only economic indicators that most people care about are the numbers on their paycheck stub.
There are three economies:
Production economy – The production of goods and services that operates 24/7/356. Many of these activities occur indoor. Production is the execution of repetitive tasks and make those jobs the most likely to be exported overseas. It is one of the best ways to employ large numbers of people with lower levels of education and training, and it take up a lot less land that farming.
Seasonal economy – Geographically bound, and dependent upon weather and the environment. Many of these activities occur outdoor, such as farming, tourism, & construction. (We import a lot of workers for this.)
Government economy – Self explanatory. This seems to be the growth area, especially with new government programs.
None of these candidates will enact policies unless they recognize and appropriately address these three economies.
JK
Oops….
Last sentence should read:
None of these candidates will enact successful job creation and economic policies unless they recognize and appropriately address these three economies.
JK
One of the leading tech-blogs (TechCrunch) doesn’t exactly give McMaster a ringing endorsement:
(I think the url title pretty much gives it away)
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/08/24/henry-mcmaster-runs-for-governor-of-south-carolina-god-help-those-people/
The first sentence reads: “Well, it’s all official now. The next moron to run South Carolina (current moron here) may well be Henry McMaster, the disgraced Attorney General of that fine state. “
Hmmm. That makes my criticism sound like hugs and kisses by comparison. Seems to be someone who didn’t like what Henry did with regard to Craigslist, although it’s hard to tell because I had trouble scrolling down through that site on this Mac I’m using today…
Personally, anything Henry wants to do to Craigslist short of summarily drawing and quartering Craig is OK by me; I’m not emotionally invested in the subject.
There is no “government economy”. Government produces nothing. It is overhead, like the accounting or security department at a factory.
Government in South Carolina was too big 30 years ago, and has been growing faster than the free market sector which pays the taxes to support government. That disparity of growth rates can only continue so long, and we are past the end point. That is the primary we went into a recession and why we will remain in recession until government is reduced.
He’s for family values and he knows Ronald Reagan!?
That’s enough for me!
LOL at the Republican blueprint for success.
The Reagan mantra?! Good lord, that reminds me of Clemson crying for Danny Ford 20 years after he left. That is all they have to offer, isn’t it.
Reagan proved to be a better actor once he got into office.
Anyone replacing Jimmy Carter was automatically a hero.
The same is true of the next President who comes to clean up Obamanism.
Lee Muller incorrectly says:
“There is no “government economy”. Government produces nothing. It is overhead, like the accounting or security department at a factory.”
Government employs people, government purchases goods and services, government spends and spends and spends money. The government is indeed a significant factor in the overall “economy” and entire industries exist as part of the Government economy.
Military contractors are an example of the Government economy because they would not exist without the Government as a customer. In this case, government in not merely “overhead, like the accounting or security department at a factory.” It is the reason that the defense contractor build their factory.
Schools produce lunch. They provide a lunchtime product and service to millions of school children every school day. PK through Grade 12 children comprise 15-20 percent of the population of a community, or about 1 in 6 people. School drive a tremendous amount of economic activity in everything they do. Just consider the amount of bus and automotive fuel consumed in just transporting kids to and from school, 180 days a year.
The U.S government is the worlds larges purchaser of goods and services. They makes then part of the government economy, a system for the production and PURCHASING of goods and services. (You cannot have and economy without customers.)
JK
Government produces very little.
Good government is supposed to just be overhead, keeping the peace.
Bad government try to produce goods and services, and do an inferior job to that of the private sector. Anytime you see government providing a service that the private sector also provides, or used to provide, you should question how and why the government got into this business.
Government providing goods and services is socialism, a reactionary system promoted by aspiring dictators and sold to the lazy on the premise they will get a free ride, or at least a subsidy of those who are smarter and work harder.
Among those promoting new and expanded roles for the federal government to control our lives, it has become a vogue to claim that “the military is socialism that works” or other such nonsense.
National defense is a defining role of every government. It is not inherently socialist. It may serve socialism, or it may serve to protect individual liberties, which includes free market capitalism.
The USA has the most powerful military in history because it is a civilian volunteer force, harking back to the days of universal volunteer service in the militia. Its weapon systems are conceived and developed in the free market, by competing contractors.
All socialist military systems have proven incapable of keeping up with our advances in weapons and command, much less developing anything new and ahead of ours.
The only one which ever came close was socialist Germany under Hitler, which used the fascist system to allow individuals and companies to compete with new proposals. Nazi Germany was constructed on the foundation of an advanced technical free market economy, with a very educated populace.
Lee Muller says:
“Government produces very little.”
True for goods but they produce a tremendous amount of services that your taxes finance. But, none the less, it is now a significant proportion of the American economy. This is not at all surprising that so many people are dependent upon government. Most people are dependent upon others, whether private sector or public sector employers, to give them a job and a paycheck.
Defense contractors do not operate in a “free” market. It is a regulated market. A truly free market does not support “cost plus” contracts.
Most of the “services” provided by government are not necessary and not wanted, especially by those paying the bills.
There will always be freeloaders who will want any mediocre service as long as it is free to them – look at Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, PelosiCare, and government schools.
Government adds no value. It creates no wealth, as a private service provider does. All government can do is transfer wealth from the producers to the freeloaders, and destroy some of it in the process.
Defense contractors have for most years operated in a free market. Cost-plus bidding came about during the high inflation of the Carter administration, and is used on projects where there specifications are uncertain, or just being formulated.
Even Halliburton, slammed with the lies about its “no-bid contract”, was only administering the bidding process for all the thousands of competitive contracts for work in Iraq.
You’re welcome for today’s lesson, paycheck. (I suppose that would be a government check, in your case).
There are three economies:
Production economy – The production of goods and services that operates 24/7/356. Many of these activities occur indoor. Production is the execution of repetitive tasks and make those jobs the most likely to be exported overseas. It is one of the best ways to employ large numbers of people with lower levels of education and training, and it take up a lot less land that farming.
Seasonal economy – Geographically bound, and dependent upon weather and the environment. Many of these activities occur outdoor, such as farming, tourism, & construction. (We import a lot of workers for this.)
Government economy – Self explanatory. This seems to be the growth area, especially with new government programs.
Currently, that is just the way it is. This makes no statement regarding how good or bad each are. I agree with you that government is too big and consumes too much of our paychecks.
Lee Muller incorrectly says:
August 26, 2009 at 5:15 pm
“Defense contractors have for most years operated in a free market. Cost-plus bidding came about during the high inflation of the Carter administration, and is used on projects where there specifications are uncertain, or just being formulated.”
The defense market has never been a “free market.” It has always been, and always will be a highly regulated competitive market, and prime pork for politicians to bring home to their political subdivisions. With industry consolidation and $billion projects that one company cannot handle, it will continue to become even less “free.”
Your own words explain why the defense industry does not operate in a “free market.” No company could afford the risk or stay solvent without heavy government subsidies to fund “projects where there specifications are uncertain, or just being formulated.”
Lee Muller says:
August 26, 2009 at 5:12 pm
“Most of the “services” provided by government are not necessary and not wanted, especially by those paying the bills.”
Are you including the VA Hospitals that serve the Veterans who were willing, and almost paid the ultimate price, for their service to defend our nation? Are they the “freeloaders” you speak of?
Do you have a relative that is living out their last days in a nursing home or assisted living center? Are they the “freeloaders” you speak of?
When people insist on boiling down issues to a single number or an angry sound bite, they miss the point, miss opportunities, and just don’t learn.
paycheck,
It is obvious why you are ashamed to use your real name on your posts – you seem to be totally unfamiliar with basic economics and the premises of limited government on which this nation was founded.
Government is inferior to free markets in providing goods and services which individuals want.
If government could create more wealth than it consumed, all the previous monarchies, dictatorships, socialist empires, and democratic city-states would not have run out of money and collapsed.
Your offering up a few poor examples of where you think government has succeeded as evidence that government can run everything, is pathetic.
There are three economies:
Production economy – The production of goods and services that operates 24/7/356. Many of these activities occur indoor. Production is the execution of repetitive tasks and make those jobs the most likely to be exported overseas. It is one of the best ways to employ large numbers of people with lower levels of education and training, and it take up a lot less land that farming.
Seasonal economy – Geographically bound, and dependent upon weather and the environment. Many of these activities occur outdoor, such as farming, tourism, & construction. (We import a lot of workers for this.)
Government economy – Self explanatory. This seems to be the growth area, especially with new government programs.
Currently, that is just the way it is. This makes no statement regarding how good or bad each are.
As I previously stated, I agree with you that government is too big and consumes too much of our paychecks. To shift away from, and decrease the influence of the government in our economy, you must first quantify exactly how big it is, and in what areas of the economy it has the most influence. You can then develop more effective strategies to shift towards the private sector production and seasonal economies, based upon local, economic parameters and population characteristics.
It is quite a straightforward process to lower the unemployment rate 1% with no federal stimulus money. In South Carolina, that would be more than 20,000 jobs. Nationally, that would be approximately 1.5 million jobs. You may review my analysis of per capita economic activity that would lower the unemployment rate 1%, on my blog.
To create a specific number of jobs, you must first calculate the amount of money required to pay those wages. For most, people the only economic indicators that count are the numbers that are printed on their paychecks.
http://paycheckeconomics.wordpress.com/
JK
The government SECTOR of the economy only exists because of the production of wealth by the private sector.
Government cannot create jobs, except by removing money from the private sector, and destroying jobs there.
Government is too big when it it acts outside its role of keeping the peace and enforcing honest dealings in the free market. It is not the proper role of government to provide housing, food, clothing, medical care and transportation to people who are unwilling to pay for it.
With a small government, the private sector will create more than enough abundance of wealth for charity to take care of the small number of people who are truly incapable of taking care of themselves, and do a much better job of it than bureaucrats whose primary motivation is enriching themselves by keeping the poor dependent on their handing out taxpayer money.
Mr. Kappler,
All your graphs are nice, but you need to DESCRIBE your proposals, tell how it would work, and what obstacles it must overcome.
Why do you think the private economy is not already creating local jobs?
Could it be that many of the unemployed do not know how to work, or do not want to work?
Could it be that local, state and federal meddling discouraged employers from hiring, and investors from investing in business growth?