A colleague pointed out to me where I could send my suggestions to Nikki’s “Fiscal Crisis Task Force.” So I went there, and right above the form, I saw this quote:
“This movement was never meant to be about a person.
It was never meant to be about an election.
This movement was about how we take our state and country back.”
Governor-elect Nikki Haley on election night
That immediately chased any suggestions I might have out of my mind, so instead of suggesting, I sent a question:
Who are we taking our state and country back from again? I’m still confused on that point…
Knowing the answer to THAT would help me know what to say.
My second favorite thing about this page was:
We need your help in reforming our state government.
Please send us suggestions below. We’d love to hear from you.
Really? You mean, you don’t know what needs doing, or how to go about it? And you think asking the average guy out there is the way to figure this out? I mean, I knew you’d gone populist, but really — have you ever gone out and conducted actual man-on-the-street interviews? I have. Do it once, and it will cure you of your delusions forever.
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I don’t understand how Nikki Haley can “take back our government!”
Doesn’t she realize that the Republican party is in control of the South Carolina General Assembly and not Nancy Pelosi Democrats?
Oh, those in the General Assembly aren’t your kind (Nikki Haley) of Republicans?
What then are your kind of Republicans?
Oh, wait — in light of the “historic” nature of Nikki’s election (SURELY you’ve heard, over and over, how very very historic it is), I should have linked you to THIS woman-on-the-street video that focuses on women’s history…
Don’t thank me; I’m glad to help.
and, Ralph, not only are the Republicans now in control of SC,they have been for at least 8 years now–but I guess even the Republicans don’t represent “real people.”
Can we ‘take back’ our state from her?
It doesn’t matter who we’re taking it back from, as long as we’re taking it back from “someone.”
I call it the ol’ bogeyman syndrome.
I had the same questions during the campaign.
Mark Sanford, Nikki’s buddy, has been governor for 8 years. Republicans are firmly in control of the General Assembly and have been.
Nikki just says it- she knows most folks aren’t going to think about it that hard- especially in South Carolina.
ahhh–WE are taking it back from THEM!
Self vs. other.
How Freudian.
NPR did a piece on Nikki yesterday morning. The story is here: http://www.npr.org/2010/11/18/131428112/in-s-c-sanford-s-shadow-looms-over-new-gov-haley
It’s interesting that she is asking for suggestions on the fiscal crisis on the webpage you cite, because in this story she presents herself as if she is the God Given solution to all SC’s budget woes. Here is a quote that almost made me wreck my car, the arrogance is so galling. She is talking about how she will deal with the legislature on budget issues.
“I think it’s all about communication,” she said. “It is about me giving them guidance — giving them leadership on what the problems are and then giving them leadership on what the solutions are. It’s really not up to me to judge how Gov. Sanford did. It’s very much about how Gov. Haley’s going to handle it.”
So clearly there are no adults with brains in the legislature who have any clue what the problems are or what the solutions could be. Our problem so far has just been that we didn’t have Nikki Haley to illuminate the problems and solutions for us. Wow, I feel so relieved now.
I wish I hadn’t read that. I was already at nausea. I’ve gone over now….
yeah —urp!
I’m sure the boyz in the Legislature will be so happy to hear from little Nikki–or else, don’t forget–she’ll burn them.
I went on the Governor-elect’s site and suggested the following:
I would like for we the people of South Carolina to take back our state government from the neo-Confederates who took it over in 1961 when, in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, they flew the Confederate flag for Civil War Centennial Week and then continued to fly it after the week was over and ever since.
I’ve been working on my messaging, and now I’ve got a new sign and slogan: Today is NOT Confederate Memorial Day.
With this message I’m attacking the problem — where, when and why our state legislators fly the Confederate flag — and no one can misconstrue my slogan as an attack on the flag itself.
Thus I’m saying, let’s fly the Confederate flag only on Confederate Memorial Day. Doing this completes the 2000 compromise with clarity. Doing this makes it indisputably clear WHY we fly the Confederate flag: to honor the Conferderate soldiers.
Doing this puts us squarely in line with what North Carolina does regarding the Confederate flag and the Confederate holiday. We must put our state on an even playing field with our neighboring states if we want to compete against them for jobs and businesses.
First, sorry for all the hypertext in the last comment. Second, for completeness, here is the response I received from the Haley Transition Team:
Mr. Rodgers,
Thank you for contacting the Haley administration. We will pass along your suggestion to the appropriate person.
Thank you,
The Haley Transition Team
I reminded Governor elect Haley’s task force on the deficit that governments can raise revenue and reduce deficits by encouraging every taxpayer to pay his/her taxes on time.
Ohh–John Wilde–you are naughty!
We could also save tax dollars by NOT loaning 9.2 million to Patriots Point to refurbuish old war relics.
http://www.thestate.com/2010/11/27/1580440/uss-laffey-repair-loan-default.html
How is it that the Legislature can always find money for this kind of useless activity but cries like little babies when Sanford vetoes one of their line items?
As long as there is one kid in South Carolina going to bed hungry, there shouldn’t be a single dime spent on the Hunley or Patriots Point.
And in this article in The State this weekend extolling the virtues of developer Alan Kahn, we see that Mr. Kahn:
“And Kahn failed to pay county property taxes for parts of the Village on time this year – blaming businesses that were slow to pay rent during the recession. Those taxes were paid in August, nearly seven months late.”
http://www.thestate.com/2010/11/28/1580701/kahn-means-business.html
Did the county stop doing business with Kahn during that time? or was he considered some type of incompetent businessman? Not in the eyes of The State. Hypocrites to the end.
Ms. Fenner, please. I’m not being naughty. I’m trying to be helpful.
Furthermore, I got an e-mail from someone who assured me that my suggestion would be passed on to the Haley Task Force. I trust, as a public spirited citizen, that it will receive due consideration.
@ John Wilde–in fact, as it was observed when E.W. Cromartie and Henry McMaster were revealed to be tax delinquents, people who pay their taxes late, and thus incur penalties, are doing the rest of a favor.
Now *I* would suggest to Haley and McMaster that the best way to cut their taxes would be to pay them on time! 😉
Ms. Fenner is right: government does collect more money is fines are paid on overdue taxes. However, I wonder if the fines pay for the hassel and expense of running down tax delinquents.
I think these people just eventually pay up– no tracking down….and the penalties are decent chunks of money….