NIKKI HALEY’S ADMINISTRATION UNDER THE MICROSCOPE … AGAIN
That didn’t take long …
One day after this website reported exclusively on a riot at the S.C. Department of Juvenile Justice (SCDJJ), state lawmakers are launching an investigation into the troubled agency … which is part of governor Nikki Haley‘s cabinet.
The investigation will be conducted by the S.C. House legislative oversight committee – which is chaired by S.C. Rep. Weston Newton.
Sources close to the committee tell us Newton has already sent a letter to Haley informing her of the upcoming investigation – and that hearings will be scheduled soon.
Does Haley care? Um … probably not. Her mind is elsewhere.
But there are clearly serious problems at this agency … and lawmakers want to take a look under the hood to see what’s going on.
Problems in Haley’s cabinet are nothing new: Various scandals forced the resignations of multiple cabinet directors during her first term in office – including Abraham Turner at the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (SCDEW), Jim Etter at the S.C. Department of Revenue (SCDOR), Robert St. Onge of the S.C. Department of Transportation (SCDOT), Lillian Koller of the S.C. Department of Social Services (SCDSS) and Kela Thomas of the S.C. Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services (SCDPPPS).
Each of these “leaders” went down under duress … and several of them lost their jobs thanks to scandals originating on this website.
Anyway, stay tuned … Newton’s committee has broad statutory authority, subpoena power and the ability to attract significant media attention.
24 comments
In this photo Weston Newton discusses the pending investigation with his brother Figgy Newton, noted investigator of fruit filled cookies… http://s12.postimg.org/ashwkqlq5/fig.jpg
SC Overweight Commission will investigate – there – it’s fixed.
lol…”A” for effort, but “D” on execution.
Her, it’s not bad for five minutes with Microsoft paint…
“D” is still passing in my places.
The real news is:
What, if any, are successful Haley Appointments????
Here are two.
Cheryl M. Stanton — SC Department of Employment and Workforce
Bobby Hitt — South Carolina Department of Commerce
I’ll drink to that!
Hitt was forced on Haley by the Legislature.
She did not want him.
Stanton, OK, I’ll give her one out of all the debts. in the State: One.
Nikki ought to prepare by watching Orange is the New Black. Besides, there are plenty of girl on girl scenes she might like.
Cheryl M. Stanton — SC Department of Employment and Workforce
Bobby Hitt — South Carolina Department of Commerce
She’s appointed some hotties.
Most of Haley’s appointees—like the con back-stabber herself—thought they would make hay
But just like flag-ripping Haley and RINO Joe Wilson they actually are ALL soon going…away !!!
what about Sweaty Patel Esq.? He still around?
thas a lot o’ three martini lunches right thar
When was the last time a legislative investigation produced meaningful results and accountability? Ditto congress? This is not a rhetorical question. I really don’t know because it has been so long, perhaps decades.
Judge Byars did a great job at DJJ. The problem with cabinet form of government is you get political hacks who have no experience or desire to lead the agency that are intended to lead. There have been a few exceptions such as Judge Byars and DAODAS Director Bob Toomey.
10+++++ on your assertion regarding the cabinet form of government. As designed, the Governor should appoint the most qualified applicant for the position of agency director as it is a very difficult job in and of itself. When you add meddling know-it-all legislators with their different agenda’s in the mix, its damn near impossible. Since the inception of the cabinet agency system, most Agency directors, not all, that were appointed had some type of personal or financial relationship with the governor that appointed them. Rarely has the individual been qualified. IMO, that is the main reason there are so many state agencies are in disarray.
I don’t think the wholesale – wholesale – appointment of political hacks started so much at the very inception of the cabinet system, but with Mark Sanford – when he was interested – and accelerated to breakneck speed with Nikki Haley, where many of the appointees have been located at the bottom of the barrel.
And, don’t forget that Mark left 600 – SIX HUNDRED – vacancies on boards and commissions that enabled Nikki to pack the DHEC and the SC State Ethics Commission boards. That enabled her to instruct the DHEC Board to hire her hack Catherine Templeton and her appointees to run off Cathy Hazlewood from Ethics and cut off Herb Hayden’s balls.
I can’t argue against that point. Certainly the level of incompetence among the appointees reached new heights with Sanford’s appointees. And the thing that aggravated the hell out of me was that he (Sanford) just didn’t give a rat’s ass.
100+
There are some DJJ employees who don’t agree with your assessment of Judge Byars and his effectiveness. But, The State newspaper sure liked him.
And, it may have changed since I retired, but why does it matter what a DAODAS state director does when each county director is hired by a county board appointed by the local Boss Hogg?
There are always disgruntled employees notater who is in charge. Not all county boards in the DAODAS system are appointed by county council or county administrator. And the DAODAS Director has great influence on the direction the system takes as a whole. My point in my original post is we need professionals at each cabinet level agency who understand the the services needed and have a vested interest in making the agency great instead of a political hack looking to earn another notch on their belt buckle.