SELF-PROCLAIMED “JOBS GOVERNOR” CELEBRATES A COMMAND ECONOMIC TRIFECTA … BUT AT WHAT COST? AND WHAT BENEFIT?
S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley was ebullient on Monday as her Commerce Department rolled out back-to-back-to-back jobs announcements along the Interstate 77 corridor just south of Charlotte, N.C.
According to the governor, more than 7,000 new jobs are coming to the region over the course of the next decade via announcements from three companies – Singapore-based Giti Tires, Charlotte-based Lash Group and Boston-based LPL Financial.
Haley called her economic development trifecta the “ultimate hat trick,” and said the announcements were “the reason they are calling us the beast of the Southeast.”
Critics were quick to point out Haley’s sketchy record when it comes to jobs announcements – as well as the state’s record low labor participation rate (currently fourth-lowest in the nation).
“South Carolina has one of the worst employment-to-population ratios in the country because rather than finding jobs and getting back to work, South Carolinians are dropping out of the workforce,” S.C. Democratic Party spokeswoman Kristin Sosanie said. “Nikki Haley’s serious problems delivering on economic announcements are matched only by her dishonesty and failure to acknowledge what’s really going on for South Carolinians.”
Meanwhile at the other end of the political spectrum fiscal conservatives lamented the tens of millions of tax dollars being doled out to these companies – including one which was merely moving its headquarters seven miles south.
“Okay, so Haley announces all these great jobs,” one North Carolina resident told us. “Except for the tire plant where are the new jobs? Is South Carolina paying money to these corporations just to move across the border? How many folks are going to uproot their families or just commute a few miles further? I’m a North Carolina liberal but this corporate welfare to no benefit for any average working person has got to stop. If South Carolina or North Carolina has an advantageous business climate then let the business pay for the move. Otherwise it is just a gift from the taxpayers.”
Exactly …
Oh, and speaking of gifts from taxpayers … what does one of Haley’s much-ballyhooed “hat trick” of companies do?
“Looked up the Lash Group, and yeah, it helps people get their Obamacare,” one limited government operative told FITS.
Yeah …. no wonder Haley didn’t really want to stop that law.
Times are tight, people. And luring good jobs to the region is vitally important to turning things around. But the best way to accomplish that isn’t through government bribery – it’s through the creation of competitive tax climates that promote fairness and free market growth.
North Carolina gets that … which is why most of the people associated with these three announcements will be Tar Heels, not Sandlappers.
47 comments
“Looked up the Lash Group, and yeah, it helps people get their Obamacare,”
Oh, boo hoo. The group apparently manages patient assistance and copay programs. The horror. The most I’ve found on them regarding Obamacare is little summits they do to discuss the changes it imposes and the like.
North Carolina “gets” competitive tax climates? Maybe the reason they go to North Carolina instead of South Carolina is due to the abundance of a well-educated populace (thanks to well-funded and well-managed K-12 and higher ed) and an already thriving economy? You know, the same reason farmers choose to grow their crops in soil instead of sand?
Your argument fails in that the Lash Group is moving away from the so-called abundance of well-educated populace.
You mean you don’t have to be “educated” to process paperwork for subsidized healthcare?
I don’t know, it seems to me that building an economic base dependent on the finances of the Federal government seems like a solid move to me. NC is really missing out on this one.
Actually they are not. They are moving from the South Park area in Charlotte to Fort Mill. About 10 miles down interstate 77 from their current location. So they get the benefit of NC educated labor and SC tax incentives. It may take some of their current employees an extra 10 or 15 minutes to get to work.
Hmmm…. Moving a few miles for new buildings at taxpayer expense, while most employees remain where they are. Oh, and NO new jobs… just the same ones that were already filled. Corporate welfare at its finest.
Nikki’s only goal is to get OUT of the state at any cost to anyone but her. She knows she has no future here after she leaves the mansion. As long as her actions look good on paper and in her resume she will be happy. She doesn’t care about the consequences she leaves behind. People, help her to get an earlier start on that journey by NOT reelecting her!
Way to go Nikki!
I will take ‘trikki Nikki’ over ‘traitor Tommy Bowe Ervin, apparently a Democrat Party ‘special forces’ operative trying to elect Democrat Sheheen, who with his wife has given the Democrat Party and its candidates thousands of dollars the past few years.
Any word on those 20,000 signatures being ‘dropped’ yet? The law is very clear in regards to fraudulent petitions and signatures (I have no knowledge that ANY of the signatures are illegal/fraudulent) and would assume ‘traitor’ Tommy and the old lady are being very careful.
Man, you really have a hard-on for that Tommy feller. You worried or somethin’?
Nothing personal.Just trying to save America from the pain of another Democrat being elected to serve muslim Obama and his agenda.
I bet Ervin and Sheheen are both nice men.We just don’t need anymore Reid’s or Pelosi’s.
Mark Sanford’s election in SC1 proved that the voters in SC understand that.
Nothing personal.Just trying to save America from the pain of another Democrat being elected to serve muslim Obama and his agenda.
Oh, good…for a minute there, I thought you were nuts.
Lol.
Nuts is being 65 years-old politician and not knowing who the fuck you are or what you believe in.
Loaning your campaign hundreds of thousands of dollars of your childrens/grandchildrens inheritance in hopes that a couple of thousand people will tell you they like you while not making a damn difference in anyone’s life or the community with said campaign.
Yes, that is nuts
I feel ya! We need a good politician that won’t be derelict of office while hiking, being a faithful to his wife and children, and also keeping the tax payer assured everythings groovy. Oh, also follow the laws of domestic orders of the court. Damn right!
He’s faithful to his second wife.
“He’s faithful to his second wife.”
That is what Newt Gingrich’s second wife thought . . .
I am assuming you are talking about Sanford? I was not.
Sanford won.Get over it.One may not agree with Sanford’s personal behavior in the past however he was certainly a better choice than self identified socialist Elizabeth Colbert Pelosi Busch.
Just like Haley is a better choice than Ervin and Sheheen. We know Sheheen is a Obama/Pelosi loving Democrat. We know ‘traitor’ Tommy was a dem , than a rep , now apparently a self-identified independent rino rep. After he loses this election I guess he could run as a Green Peace Party candidate? Why not try em all to see if he can fool anybody? :-)
Mark Sanford’s election in SC1 proved that the voters in SC understand that.
Sorry, my bad…
… Why not try em all to see if he can fool anybody?…
Okay, it DID work for Sanford…:)
I love this guy.
He IS the Republican Party
Keep it comin!
So… Morals are rooted in sand? I do love it when you go full “tribal” on us. Give us some more of that Muslim/socialist/Marxist stuff. Really gets the blood moving in the morning.
Nope-Talking about Ervin. Born again I guess after he told his first wife he wanted a divorce.
You’d take one in the mouth as long as it has (R) on it.
What is more scary is a governor behaving like a child by posting on a political blog when she should be conducting the business of the state.
Sandi’s mouth ain’t round for nothin’.
Whenever the Gypsy Queen and her ruddy faced dwarf Commerce Chief make job announcements I get a picture in my head of corporate executives armed with AK 47’s standing around a barrel labeled South Carolina Taxpayers firing away at will
You mean some liberal North Carolinian isn’t happy that companies are relocating to South Carolina?! Never has there been a more neutral person for who we could ask for an opinion.
I’m OK with companies moving wherever they want, just not with tax dollars being used to entice them. My main point is that moving a corporate headquarters a few miles has little economic impact other than the government handout to the company. I doubt these moves will have any real impact on NC – the only ones really impacted are the SC taxpayers who will be footing the bill for years to come. They’re all yours!
I’m sure you understand that this is a typical practice done in all states to draw corporations, right? Or are you really this dense? Tax breaks expire after 5-10 years, depending on the agreement. And glad to see you drop the “anti-taxation” cover and show you’re just another liberal that wants to tax everyone and everything.
Yes I understand tax breaks. My point is SC wasted it’s money at least with the relocations claiming these are all new jobs is absurd. For most of them it’s just a matter of employee reprogramming their GPS. In the York Mecklenburg metro area it’s almost irrelevant where the corporate headquarters is located. The benefits are spread out through the entire area not just SC. If you are going to use tax breaks use them for real new jobs such ás the tire plant
Tax breaks are just giving the corporations their money back to spend the way they want. It does not cost the SC taxpayer anything. Right?
Why is it so hard to comprehend that they now pay SC taxes
ok, Will, is that you Fits? It ain’t all about the taxes.
Tax breaks to corporations, how evil South Carolina is, sure glad we’re the only ones?
http://taxfoundation.org/blog/monday-map-state-business-incentives
Hmm…..where is Lindsey Graham’s help on this announcement..? Tim Scott…?? James CLYBURN…??
These “jobs” announcements do nothing for our state’s ENERGY production..?
…or LANDFILL closure….??
Well…..looks like we are STILL slaves to fossil Oil……..and boots on the OIL ground..!!
You want fries with that?
I’m happy for the folks in Chester, Lancaster, and Fairfield Cos. that the jobs are coming to. However, I hope that these companies have not been let off of the hook tax-wise. The small “mom and pop” businesses have to pay taxes and provide a few jobs for workers, but they have to pay taxes, and so should the big outfits – just a small businessman’s opinion!
Really, I hope this is a boon for the mom ‘n pops. I use locals as much as I can, as long as they aren’t trying to rip me off.
We the taxpayers are paying for these jobs so Haley can get re-elected. Dont buy into her BULLSHIT! !
Roger you ain’t paying for shit. Please itemize exactly how YOU are paying for these jobs.
Dumbass.Bigger dumbass than Smirks who is fucking clueless on EVERY subject.
Fuck you!!!! Tell Haley we said hello loser while you are filling her papers I means shedding her emails.
Chester county got 2 big annoncements in as many years – jones hamilton, a maker of muratic acid, and Giti tires, a manufacturer of OTR truck tires.
These corporations are both considered *major* air polluters.
And what about air monitoring?
“Self-regulating” dhec says….AND DHEC says Department of Air quality will compute the ambient air quality by averaging the metrics read from air stations 100’s of miles away.
Thats right – major air polluters installed in a community with sky high lung cancer rates, and DHEC admits that no air monitoring in the “hot zone”.
I’m all for jobs, but if the financial crisis, PCB’s, Enron, or BP have taught us anything, its that oversight is critical.
In this case, DHEC has purposefully decided to be as blind and deaf as they are dumb.
I’m sure DHEC, at least below the appointed position level, has been directed to look the other way by the Govna’s office and her minions.
Uhhh…. lemme tink about dis…. dey movin’ to 77, just south of the border. Do dat mean only SC folks gets de jobs?
The bullshit-o-meter is pegging.
No but they pay SC income tax.
I didn’t know that. But, they spend their money in NC. They buy NC lottery tickets, liquor, beer, groceries and pay NC strippers. Well, ok, maybe they do buy SC strippers. Last strip club I frequented in NC only had a pregnant, one-legged woman… interesting, to say the least.
7,100 jobs over 10 years? Really? Bet we don’t see 25% of those…
Aww, poor Will. Good news for this state always makes him sad. Especially when the object of his affection is involved. Sorry she turned you down, baldy.