Presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks to supporters at Twin Barns Brewing Company in Meredith on Nov. 29. Courtesy photo

MEREDITH – During her recent visit to the Lakes Region, presidential candidate Nikki Haley reminded supporters of the uncontrolled government spending being driven not only by President Joe Biden, but by Republican officials as well.

“I don’t need to tell you how bad things are, you feel it when you go to the grocery store,” she said during her Nov. 29 Town Hall at Twin Barns Brewing Company in Meredith. “Electricity and groceries are up 25 percent, our Republicans did that to us.”

Haley said that last year alone, Republican officials spent $30 million on the Honors College at the University of Vermont, $10 million to demolish the Polaris Hotel in Fairbanks, Alaska and $7.7 million to renovate the Montrose County Courthouse in Colorado.

“Sixty percent of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck,” she said, adding that Social Security and Medicare are expected to go bankrupt by 2033.

Haley also said the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Relief Package was passed “with no accountability” and as a result, 100 million Americans are now on Medicaid and another 42 million are on food stamps.

“That’s a third of our country,” she said.

If elected, Haley said she would eliminate the federal gas and diesel tax and veto any bills that would further irresponsible spending.

“That will save us trillions,” she said.

Haley said she would also implement permanent tax cuts for small businesses.

“Small businesses are the heartbeat of our economy,” she said.

In addition to having term limits, Haley said she would require mental competency testing for government officials who are over the age of 75.

“The Senate is now the most privileged nursing home in the country,” said Haley. “These are people making decisions on our national security.”

Speaking about her prior political experience, Haley said that in 2004, she ran for a seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives and defeated longtime State Rep. Larry Koon in a runoff election. At the time, Koon was the longest-serving member of the House.

“When I got to the State House, my biggest goal was how to support small business,” she said. “That was my fight, that was my focus.”

She also sponsored a bill to bolster transparency.

“Anything important enough to be debated on the floor of the House or the Senate is important enough for people to know how their legislators voted,” said Haley.

However, she was told by then-Speaker of the House Robert Harrell to disregard the bill.

Yet, Haley refused to be silenced and moved forward — it was a costly decision.

“I didn’t put the bill away and they stripped me of all my seniority,” she said. “They took me off all of my committees, no one would hear me speak, I could file a bill and no one would co-sponsor — so I ran for governor.”

As it came to pass, Haley’s bill was ultimately signed into law. Now, there must be a recorded legislative vote of everything, including the budget, that is debated in the House or the Senate.

“On the day of the bill signing, I blasted throughout the State House Pat Benatar’s ‘Hit Me With Your Best Shot,'” she said.

When she became governor in 2011, Haley said South Carolina’s unemployment rate was at 11 percent and thousands of residents were on Welfare.

“South Carolina was the butt of the jokes,” she said.

During her time in office, Haley signed deals with Boeing, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and five international tire companies. In doing so, she brought the unemployment rate down to four percent.

Haley said that by the time she left office in 2017, South Carolina was no longer a joke. Rather, it was known as the “Beast of the Southeast.”

As of Nov. 28, the national poll from The Messenger/HarrisX showed Haley with seven percent of the vote in the Republican primary. This puts her in third place behind Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has nine percent and former President Donald Trump, who has 68 percent.

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