Nikki Haley in 2011 Governor's State of the State speeches
On Corporations:
Reduce red tape; time is money
As we focus on lowering our unemployment rate in South Carolina, we will hone in on ways to improve the business environment in our state. Every one of my cabinet directors understands that his or her job is to reduce the amount of red-tape placed on our
businesses. In the business world, time is money--if government is costing our small businesses time, it is costing them money. That's unacceptable. The heart of our economy is and always will be our small businesses. If we give them cash flow, if we giv
them profit margins, they aren't going on vacation--they will use those dollars to hire people, to invest back in our state. And it will be our people, and South Carolina's economy, that benefit. We have spoken some about moving forward with one vision.
To the great credit of those in this room, in the seven short days I have been governor, we have made great progress.
Source: 2011 South Carolina State of the State Address
Jan 19, 2011
On Crime:
Save millions by reducing recidivism
[Let's focus on] reforming our adult corrections system and pulling us out of that deficit. [The SC prison director has done] a tremendous job running our prisons at the lowest cost per prisoner in the nation.
My challenge will be to lower the number of inmates that come back into the system. The cost savings to the taxpayers of this state would be substantial. The immediate savings would be approximately $6 million in administrative costs alone.
But the real dollars will come on the back end, with the reduction of our recidivism rate.The state of South Carolina pays more than $16,000 annually to incarcerate a single prisoner. We spend more each year on a prisoner than we do on a student.
Think of the savings we'll realize if we aren't constantly welcoming back behind bars those prisoners who finish out their initial terms. And think of the cultural impact. It's immeasurable.
Source: 2011 South Carolina State of the State Address
Jan 19, 2011
On Education:
Educate kids not based on where they happen to live
Our children are our future workforce, our future business owners, and even our future governors. The quality we give them now is the quality they will return back to South Carolina, the quality that will define our state long after we're gone. [Let's]
reform the Department of Education. We'll start with the funding formula. We need to educate our children not based on where they happen to be born and raised, but on the fact that they deserve a good, quality education, and they are our future workforce
Source: 2011 South Carolina State of the State Address
Jan 19, 2011
On Health Care:
Let Medicaid buy generics for AIDS, cancer, & mental health
The majority of prescription drugs issued by Medicaid are generic, with three large exceptions: AIDS, cancer, and mental health. We propose that we remove the proviso prohibiting the use of generic medications to treat those three afflictions.
I realize that this may sting pharmaceutical companies, and some lobbyists, but it is an option that will allow us to realize real savings without compromising the quality of care for our patients.
I ask that we strike the proviso prohibiting the HHS Director from setting rates paid to providers through Medicaid.
South Carolina is the only state in the nation that doesn't give our Medicaid director that flexibility, and with all due respect, we can't be the only state that has it right.
Source: 2011 South Carolina State of the State Address
Jan 19, 2011
Page last updated: Dec 04, 2018