If you watched and listened closely to the first two debates between South Carolina gubernatorial candidates Vincent Sheheen and Nikki Haley I find it hard to believe that you could support the Republican in this race. Here’s a summary in case you missed the debates.

Nikki Haley is all about corporations she is fully supportive of eliminating the corporate income tax despite the fact that South Carolina’s budget  is hundreds of millions of dollars short and running a deficit. She brags about South Carolina being a right to work state and vows to keep the unions out. She wants tort reform and reform of the workers compensation system.  Haley demonizes Vincent Sheheen’s work as an attorney representing individuals in property and labor disputes against the state. She apparently supports those who would force South Carolinians to knuckle under to the government and or employers that wronged them.  I wish someone would explain to  Haley that it is indeed possible to serve as a state senator and represent your constituents in the district in the legislature and also serve as an attorney representing individuals suing the state over property and labor disputes. She doesn’t seem to comprehend that this is not unethical or illegal. I find her lobbying work for a hospital system far more questionable. The fact that Haley was a paid fund raiser for the Lexington Hospital System would seem to be flat out influence peddling, trading in her status as a state representative to raise money for a corporate entity. Apparently she wasn’t a very dedicated fund raiser since she was asked to leave her position reportedly because she didn’t show up to perform her 10 hours of mandatory office work.

Haley calls poverty in South Carolina a cultural issue-a disturbing reference to the bigoted theory that poverty in certain social classes and races is due to their failings as parents and individuals. For solutions to South Carolina’s most serious issues including public education, poverty and hunger Haley calls for a faith based solution. I find the notion of farming out these problems to religious organizations disturbing. First of all churches across the state are already doing their best to provide a safety net for the impoverished.  Sheheen calls the solution to poverty in South Carolina a combination of jobs and education. Sheheen understands the role of government in providing leadership on societal issues and making sure that there is a safety net for the poor.

Nikki Haley says South Carolina doesn’t have the money to fund K-4 education but fully supports the creation and funding of mandatory drug testing for those receiving unemployment benefits.  Drug testing is an expensive undertaking and subject to litigation, millions of dollars would be needed to create and manage this system. I guess it’s all a matter of priorities. In response to the need for an improved public library system in South Carolina, Haley suggests corporations be offered naming opportunities if they fund construction of the libraries. Haley is all in favor of turning the state’s public education system over to ‘faith based’ groups and seems determined to defund the state education department. When asked about further budget cuts facing South Carolina’s state agencies, Haley responds that she will study the matter to determine “what do we have to have?”  She seems to support the further dismantling of our infrastructure through budget cuts, rather than look for sources of revenue.

There’s a fundamental disagreement between the two candidates about the core functions of government. Be assured if Nikki Haley is the next governor of South Carolina, we will not have an advocate for increased funding of public education, we will face further erosion of unemployment compensation, workers rights and face the prospect of the privatization of many government services including public libraries and education.  South Carolina will also have a supporter of school vouchers at the helm. I would describe her political philosophy as Libertarian, which begs the question why do people who hate the government want to be part of it?

The candidates have a sharp disagreement about Act 388, the destructive bit of tax reform that destabilized funding of public education in South Carolina shifting the burden from home owners to businesses. Nikki Haley voted for Act 388 and continues to describe it as an effective property tax cut for homeowners. In the ETV debate this week, Haley contended that the $180 million shortfall in education funding between 2009 and 2005, following enactment of Act 388 was because the state education department didn’t cut administration costs. The glaring falseness of this statement prompted the ETV moderator to point out that this statement was disingenuous if not flat out wrong.

Haley is big on talking points. She’s always talking about being a business woman and an accountant and running the state like a business. The trouble is her business philosophy seems rooted in myth. She repeatedly contends that the best decisions are made in the most difficult times and that in business you never cut the pay of the workers, management cuts their own pay first. I wish this were the truth but the facts are that last hired-first fired is a credo that runs through every business. Corporations have repeatedly demonstrated their allegiance to stock holders and stock prices and not to workers.  CEO’s take millions in bonuses after laying off thousands of workers. So while her theory sounds nice its bullshit.

The final reason you should fear Nikki Haley is this. For the last 8 years South Carolina has been nominally led by a Libertarian thinly disguised as a Republican, iconoclast, ideologue who would rather try to humiliate and shame the legislature than work with them. Governor Sanford would rather be right than do what’s right for the good of our state. Nikki Haley is Sanford’s anointed successor. She was one of his only friends in the legislature.  When asked how she intended to work with the legislature if she became governor Haley responded that “it’s not about patting backs and making friends,” in other words I don’t want to make friends or try to gain their mutual respect in order to negotiate legislation and further an agenda that would be beneficial to our state and its people. She talked about praising the legislature when they did what she wanted and scolding them when they were wrong. We don’t need a mother figure, we need a leader. We need a politician who’s proven he can work with the opposing party and further legislation that will help our state. We need Vincent Sheheen.  He opposed Act 388, supports comprehensive tax reform, K-4 classes, and stabilization of educational funding, supports effective school administration through the education department and wants to focus on job creation immediately upon election.

Sheheen has proven that he can work effectively with Republicans. He’s co-sponsored numerous bills with the majority party including tax and tort reform. He has a legendary name in South Carolina politics and that’s not a bad thing. He has been mentored by experienced and successful political leaders in his family. Nikki Haley has sponsored one bill in her legislative career. The bill allowed hair braiders to work in salons without required licensing by the state. That’s the sole high water mark of her tenure in the state house.

Look beyond the commercials and listen to what the candidates are telling you, and then decide. This is important; our state’s future is at stake. Elect a leader not another ideologue.