The Governor's new job

For the second Sunday in a row, The State has given us first hand information regarding Governor Nikki Haley and her administration.  As a result of last week’s story, I formerly requested that the Governor and her economic development team meet with the South Carolina Small Business Chamber’s Board of Directors to discuss developing an agenda for promoting small business economic development.  (I have not received a response from the Governor’s Office as of yesterday.)

Jeff Wilkinson’s story yesterday revealed even more reason for the Small Business Chamber’s Board to meet with the Governor.

The story is about how South Carolina secured a commitment from Continental Tire to build a $500 million manufacturing plant here with an anticipated 1600 workers.   A $31 million infrastructure grant was a key to the deal.  Governor Haley told the reporter that grants for infrastructure were “a function of government”.  Surely this means that she supports the President’s call to create a national infrastructure bank in his American Jobs Act.

But there was even more interesting information about the Governor in the story.

“Haley said she gave company officials her cell phone number, telling them, ‘When you move to this state, I will become an employee of your company. I’m going to do everything I can to make sure you are successful.’”

The Governor also told the reporter, “I know if I can make sure those companies have cash flow and profit margins, they are going to hire more of our people. That is what this is all about: Jobs.”

These comments obviously raise some questions.

Does the Governor see her role as being the “employee” of big corporations?  What about the real job creators, small businesses, that she and every other politician like to pledge their loyalty?  When the interests of big corporations clash with the interests of small business, whose side will she be on?  And what do small businesses have to do for the Governor to say that she is our employee (to say nothing about the rest of our citizenry)?  What is the Governor doing to make sure that the tens of thousands of small businesses in our state have cash flow and profit margins? 

Final question—can I get the Governor’s cell phone number?