NOTE: This story has been updated to include quotes from the governor's spokesperson and statistics regarding job announcements in rural counties.
A group of Democratic legislators blasted Gov. Nikki Haley on Tuesday for yesterday’s announcement that 16 S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) offices would be closing.
The announcement according the House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford (D-Richland), shows that Haley has declared “war on the poor, unemployed and those living in rural communities.”
But Haley's spokesperson Rob Godfrey resisted that characterization: "Governor Haley has a war on unemployment," Godfrey said. "That's why our economy is roaring back and unemployment in our state has gone done to its lowest level in four years. Gov. Haley measures success by how many South Carolinians have jobs, not by how many unemployment offices we have."
According to Rutherford, residents in need of unemployment insurance or employment assistance in those areas will now have to travel up to 50 miles to receive those services without having access to public transportation. Those that have vehicles, they said, can ill afford to pay the extra gas mileage.
The Democrats said the decision to close the DEW offices occurred in areas that need those services the most, since rural areas have some of the highest unemployment rates in the state.
That statement is largely true, as this map indicates.
The Democrats also said the decision comes in light of a request to increase the DEW’s administrative salaries by almost 60 percent and give Executive Director Abraham Turner a raise from $107,000 to $140,000.
Rutherford also said that the move will cause many people in the affected communities to not file for Unemployment Insurance, artificially driving down the unemployment rate. A lower unemployment rate is how many evaluate Haley’s performance. “It shows she’s in re-election mode,” Rutherford said.
Sen. Vincent Sheheen (D-Kershaw), oft-mentioned as a challenger to Haley in 2014, told Patch, ”All of (Haley’s) actions show a disregard for rural areas and that’s what matters, actions, not what she's said.”
In response, Haley's office released the following figures regarding job growth and the rural counties in South Carolina:
|
Announced - Press Release Date |
Company Name |
County |
Announced - Investment in Press Release |
Announced - Jobs in Press Release |
|
1/15/2013 |
Swift Green Filters |
Clarendon |
$3,500,000 |
60 |
|
1/10/2013 |
Kiswire, Inc. |
Newberry |
$15,000,000 |
30 |
|
1/10/2013 |
Bericap USA |
Cherokee |
$29,000,000 |
50 |
|
12/18/2012 |
Albemarle Corporation |
Orangeburg |
$65,000,000 |
20 |
|
12/12/2012 |
Agru America, Inc |
Georgetown |
$19,200,000 |
49 |
|
12/12/2012 |
Agru America, Inc |
Williamsburg |
$19,900,000 |
77 |
|
12/11/2012 |
amFog Farms LLC |
Jasper |
$1,000,000 |
7 |
|
12/7/2012 |
SarlaFlex, Incorporated |
Colleton |
$13,800,000 |
100 |
|
12/5/2012 |
Royce Associates |
Cherokee |
$1,000,000 |
25 |
|
11/29/2012 |
Schaeffler Group USA Inc. |
Chesterfield |
$13,000,000 |
100 |
|
11/29/2012 |
Schaeffler Group USA Inc. |
Chesterfield |
$27,000,000 |
90 |
|
11/21/2012 |
Haddon House Food Products, Inc. |
Chester |
$3,100,000 |
100 |
|
11/20/2012 |
EnviraCarbon, Inc. |
Hampton |
$10,400,000 |
30 |
|
11/19/2012 |
Carolina Fabrication, Inc. |
Abbeville |
$500,000 |
35 |
|
10/25/2012 |
Domtar Paper Company, LLC |
Marlboro |
$30,000,000 |
0 |
|
10/15/2012 |
Pro Towels Etc. |
Abbeville |
$2,500,000 |
50 |
|
10/12/2012 |
Crescent Dairy & Beverages LLC |
Colleton |
$30,000,000 |
60 |
|
9/6/2012 |
BorgWarner Inc. |
Oconee |
|
30 |
|
8/28/2012 |
eCycling International SC, LLC |
Allendale |
$23,000,000 |
18 |
|
8/7/2012 |
Red Ventures |
Lancaster |
|
1000 |
|
8/2/2012 |
A.I.D. Company |
Oconee |
$7,000,000 |
75 |
|
8/1/2012 |
Mercom Corporation |
Georgetown |
$1,000,000 |
30 |
|
8/1/2012 |
Chester Wood Products LLC |
Chester |
$10,000,000 |
20 |
|
7/26/2012 |
ACE Bakery, LLC |
Cherokee |
$18,400,000 |
51 |
|
7/25/2012 |
Gonvarri Steel Services |
Union |
$50,000,000 |
65 |
|
7/9/2012 |
Tobul Accumulator, Inc. |
Bamberg |
$5,000,000 |
50 |
|
7/3/2012 |
Boral Stone Products |
Chester |
$6,000,000 |
3 |
|
5/22/2012 |
Federal-Mogul Corporation |
Orangeburg |
$7,000,000 |
40 |
|
5/2/2012 |
Carolina Canners, Inc. |
Chesterfield |
$20,800,000 |
10 |
|
4/12/2012 |
Diversified Plastics, Inc. |
Dillon |
$2,500,000 |
15 |
|
3/28/2012 |
LowCountry Biomass, LLC |
Jasper |
$16,000,000 |
26 |
|
3/15/2012 |
Rolled Alloys |
Chester |
$3,700,000 |
24 |
|
3/9/2012 |
Belk, Inc. |
Union |
$4,500,000 |
124 |
|
3/6/2012 |
Jones-Hamilton Co. |
Chester |
$29,000,000 |
15 |
|
3/1/2012 |
GSE Lining Technology |
Williamsburg |
$5,000,000 |
24 |
|
2/21/2012 |
Southern Paint & Powder Coating Inc. |
Chesterfield |
$845,000 |
13 |
|
2/16/2012 |
Martech Research |
Lee |
$4,650,000 |
60 |
|
2/8/2012 |
Ring Container Technologies |
Chester |
$7,890,000 |
18 |
|
1/10/2012 |
Crown Casting, Inc. |
Greenwood |
$16,000,000 |
50 |
|
12/22/2011 |
Climax Global Energy |
Barnwell |
$5,000,000 |
20 |
|
12/14/2011 |
SafeRack, LLC |
Georgetown |
$9,000,000 |
58 |
|
11/30/2011 |
A&K Textiles LLC |
Barnwell |
$150,000 |
120 |
|
11/22/2011 |
GKN Aerostructures North America |
Orangeburg |
$38,000,000 |
250 |
|
11/21/2011 |
Global Energy Franchise |
Cherokee |
|
200 |
|
11/17/2011 |
BASF Corporation |
Oconee |
$60,000,000 |
25 |
|
11/10/2011 |
Gestamp South Carolina, LLC |
Union |
$57,000,000 |
100 |
|
11/1/2011 |
Sasco Safety |
Barnwell |
$1,900,000 |
25 |
|
11/1/2011 |
Alucoil America Corp. |
Clarendon |
$5,000,000 |
18 |
|
10/25/2011 |
The Doc Depot, Inc. |
Barnwell |
$250,000 |
50 |
|
10/19/2011 |
NK Newlook |
Barnwell |
$5,000,000 |
212 |
|
10/6/2011 |
Continental Tire the Americas LLC |
Lancaster |
$2,866,000 |
80 |
|
10/6/2011 |
Continental Tire the Americas LLC |
Lancaster |
$1,134,000 |
0 |
|
10/5/2011 |
Universal Trade Solutions Inc. (UTS) |
Orangeburg |
$10,000,000 |
100 |
|
9/30/2011 |
Item Southeast |
Greenwood |
$1,500,000 |
10 |
|
9/29/2011 |
Dillon Furniture Manufacturing Co. |
Dillon |
$2,600,000 |
107 |
|
9/6/2011 |
Innovative Composites International Inc. |
Orangeburg |
$9,300,000 |
300 |
|
8/31/2011 |
5-STAR USA, Inc. |
Marlboro |
$25,000,000 |
1000 |
|
8/3/2011 |
Schaeffler Group USA Inc. |
Chesterfield |
$10,000,000 |
100 |
|
7/21/2011 |
Masonite International (Lifetime Doors) |
Bamberg |
$14,000,000 |
159 |
|
7/5/2011 |
Daniel Defense, Inc |
Jasper |
$5,300,000 |
100 |
|
6/14/2011 |
Elliott Sawmilling Company, Inc. |
Hampton |
$800,000 |
15 |
|
6/6/2011 |
Le Creuset of America Incorporated |
Hampton |
$3,600,000 |
25 |
|
4/28/2011 |
Textile Trends LLC |
Union |
$440,000 |
100 |
|
4/27/2011 |
ECAPS Corporation |
Marlboro |
$3,400,000 |
150 |
|
4/13/2011 |
ESAB Welding & Cutting Products |
Union |
$19,000,000 |
100 |
|
4/8/2011 |
Be Green Packaging LLC |
Jasper |
$7,300,000 |
175 |
|
4/5/2011 |
CollinsCraft Corporation |
Oconee |
|
20 |
|
3/16/2011 |
Guardian Industries Corp. |
Chester |
$45,000,000 |
50 |
|
3/16/2011 |
3V Incorporated |
Georgetown |
$15,000,000 |
30 |
|
3/2/2011 |
Boysen USA, LLC |
Cherokee |
$6,000,000 |
15 |
|
1/25/2011 |
Altera Polymers LLC |
Oconee |
$4,000,000 |
75 |
|
1/20/2011 |
Carolina AAC LLC |
Marlboro |
$16,000,000 |
36 |
Haley's office also noted the following:
Increased outputs in rural communities and with agribusiness projects (2011 + 2012)
More than 20 percent of South Carolina’s labor force lives in rural counties. Commerce’s emphasis on specific targets for rural communities has resulted in 5,700 new jobs recruited to rural areas, nearly 25% of the jobs announced.
Commerce hired an Agribusiness project manager to focus exclusively on recruiting jobs and investment related to agribusiness. This position was made possible through a partnership between S.C. Commerce, the S.C. Department of Agriculture and the S.C. Forestry Commission. Agribusiness projects makes up 12% of our current workload at S.C. Commerce. This compares favorably with the number of projects in the automotive, metal fabrication, plastics and office and headquarters sectors. Since January 2012, Commerce has closed 16 Agribusiness projects with a capital investment of $210,350,000 and 738 jobs.
Community Development Block Grant Program
Through the Community Development Block Grant program, Commerce awarded more than $43 million in grants to communities around the state for economic development, workforce development and infrastructure needs.
The Governor will host the 23rd annual Rural Summit in March 2013
The Governor and Commerce will host rural and economic development leaders from across South Carolina next month for the 23rd annual South Carolina Rural Summit, presenting a program that will challenge attendees to improve local communities. Rural community leaders, economic developers and state officials will share ideas, experiences and practical knowledge to improve rural South Carolina. Gov. Haley will give the keynote address and preside over the Rural Summit awards ceremony.
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