Resources taken from ETV, arts not enough to solve financial crisis
I am not afraid to admit when I'm confused. There are just some things I cannot understand, like particle physics, South Carolina's weather and why I am single. During these moments of confusion, I take a breath. I admit that I am not seeing things clearly, and I move on with my life. So, here it goes: Gov. Nikki Haley, you have confused me. And, if I am not totally ignorant, you are confusing a good portion of your state.
I sympathized with Haley when she took office. She came into Columbia when former Gov. Mark Sanford's shadow still made us all cringe. The governor's office needs to restore its respect, and I truly think that, despite her Tea Party support, she can do it. She came in talking about an issue few really wanted to mention: cuts to spending. She knew how important it was to her supporters, and her opponents have learned that the budget is an animal that can no longer be caged and ignored. These cuts will, for better or worse, steer Carolina into the coming years.
So, where has Haley made these cuts? The first threat came to ETV and the Arts Commission. Reform in spending may very well be needed for both organizations, but both still create jobs and garner federal support within the state. After that, what's left? Haley seems to have proudly announced a balanced budget for the state's Department of Social Service. Part of this cut simply includes a better look at the agency's books (the deficit ended up being $12 million, instead of $29 million, after such a look). And the other part came in cuts to monthly welfare benefits, which, despite whatever Andre Bauer-like opinions you may hold against those on welfare, will definitely leave people hurting. And last, but certainly not least, there is a move to nix $31,000 from the funds used to finance Holocaust education.
Let's look at this from context: The state's budget deficit is $854 million. To put this in perspective (and, like any good journalist, to scare you out of complacency), that figure is a little more than two and a half times the U.S. population. As my Alabama acquaintances would say, "That's a chunk of change."
Why is Haley's administration going after such small and contentious issues? This Holocaust funding might pay for one teacher's yearly salary – just one. Yet cutting such a program would rob teachers of a resource and cause emotions to flare across the state. As the Statehouse saw just this week, the Arts Commission wins its fair share of supporters as well. When I heard Haley's promises of controlling the budget, I readied myself for honest and fair cuts. I readied myself for a sacrifice that I could trust would be rewarded with this government's future stability. I did not ready myself for the ridiculous. These issues are not the heart of South Carolina's budget problem; no one's confused about that.