Gov. candidate Haley: We can fix S.C. budget

Gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley appeared in Aiken on Thursday championing total reform of the South Carolina tax system.

Haley, R-Lexington, a three-term state representative, is running for the much-sought-after position of S.C. governor.

In her first political push through Aiken, the Bamberg native and former accountant laid out the broad strokes of a plan to reform the state's current taxation model and demanded that any money spent be thoroughly audited.

"I want to see complete tax reform. I want us to look at every single tax, every single fee - because a fee is a tax - and every single exception," she said. "And the first thing I want us to do is eliminate small business income tax."

Haley's campaign is not promising the traditional shake-up but is more about reducing current spending to rubble if it is not up to spec, she said.

"Everybody's looking at ways of bringing money in; what we need to look at is how we're spending the money," Haley said. "We need to prioritize our spending - we need to make sure every one of our agencies is audited and make sure that all these programs are happening and that these people are working for the people of this state. A lot of them are archaic, and they need to be phased out."

The Republican said that by trimming the fat of what she sees as outdated programs, the state can balance the budget and eliminate personal and small business income tax.

"When you give businesses profit margins - when you give them cash flow - they hire," she said. "My goal is that we continue to hire people and continue to bring jobs into South Carolina."

Haley is garnering support in a race filled with powerhouses of Palmetto State politics, including Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, Attorney General Henry McMaster and U.S. Congressman Gresham Barrett.

Aiken Republican Club President Tony Coffaro said at Thursday's event that Haley is his choice of candidate.

"I think it's a great thing that she is here in Aiken, visiting downtown Aiken," Coffaro said. "We've got a lot of problems down here; a lot of stores have closed. I think that she is a very viable candidate. I think she's fantastic. She answers questions, and she answers them correctly. She's got the ability to work with people to get things done."

Contact Mike Gellatly at mgellatly@aikenstandard.com.