This website recently exposed how S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley’s “ethics commission” was full of seats that were either vacant or filled by individuals whose terms had expired.
Missed that story? Click here.
More recently, we highlighted how Haley is using the “holdover” status of appointees whose terms have expired as political leverage – to keep her out of hot water when she violates state ethics law. Apparently this pattern of self-serving dereliction of duty extends far beyond Haley’s ethics commission, though.
According to a new report in The (Charleston, S.C.) City Paper, Haley has failed to fill nearly 600 appointments to various boards and commissions across the state – positions Haley’s own website says “provide important advisory, regulatory, and policy-making services as part of South Carolina’s government.”
Wow …. that’s a big number for a governor who has been in office nearly three years.
“She spends too much time prancing around on the national stage than doing the grunt work of being governor,” one reformer told The City Paper.
In Haley’s defense, a lot of these boards and commissions are totally superfluous or duplicative. Others represent wasteful efforts by the S.C. General Assembly to meddle needlessly in the affairs of the executive branch.
But Haley has offered no plan to do away with unnecessary boards and commissions. Also, several of her appointees to key boards – like the S.C. Retirement System Investment Commission (SCRSIC) – have fought aggressively against reform.
Haley campaigned in 2010 against the “good ol’ boy” government – vowing to shake up the status quo and bring “transparency and accountability” to state government. This is yet another example of her complete and total failure to do so …
7 comments
The big ? on everyone’s mind is:
Is it a two handed hold over? Or is one sufficient?
The story. Tag = “boring but important,”
Gov. Haley has neglected to appoint nearly 600 positions on state boards and commissions
http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/TheBattery/archives/2013/09/12/gov-haley-has-neglected-to-appoint-nearly-600-positions-on-state-boards-and-commissions
The list of vacancies and hold overs.
http://www.scsos.com/forms/boardscommissions.pdf
List of Expired Terms and Vacancies of Statewide and Multi-County Boards and Commissions as of July 2013
*The following is a list of terms that have expired or are vacant based on the information that has been provided to the Office of the Secretary of State. The terms listed below may or may not be vacant. Many statutes allow members to serve until the successor is
appointed and qualified. Therefore, some of those listed below may be positions that are still being served by a person whose term has expired. Please contact the appointing authority if you are interested in serving on a board or commission below. Positions on
boards that have not provided information to the Secretary of State’s Office as required under S.C. Code §1-1-1310 are denoted by the phrase “no information provided to the Sec. of State”.
For boards that are important and prestigious and whose campaign-donating applicants seek — well, those board seats she fills quickly.
Hypocrite.
Might be best to leave the seats unfilled. Just look at the ones she has filled with her cronies. How many millions will the TB lawsuits cost the state?
So, is she following in Mark’s footsteps?
The reason she was able to do what she did at DHEC and DNR who knows how many others was because he let all of HIS appointments go unfilled, too. How many of these 600 vacancies are those Sanford let expire?
Once again, GOP executive, managerial incompetence shines through…a pattern, maybe?
Too true
This is simply a function of capitalism. Haley has set a price (campaign donation) for each seat according to its importance. Problem is she is a lousy business person and she set the price to high thus the unsold seats.
I suspect she and David Wilkins are looking for solutions to this problems. Lowering prices is out of the question so I am sure she is looking for a government subsidy.