MELANIE BALOG: Actions speak louder

If all the women who came to hear Gov. Nikki Haley speak Thursday night at Ashley Hall ran for public office, maybe South Carolina wouldn't be dead last in the nation in terms of the number of women in the state Legislature.

But Haley doesn't like it when people bring that up.

"Stop saying that we are a state that looks down upon women," she told Center for Women Executive Director Jennet Robinson Alterman. "This state just elected a female minority governor.

"I want people to look at South Carolina and see how great we are," Haley said. "We need to be positive. I work every day to change the perception of our state."

How do you do that, Alterman asked, because Haley freely admitted that the good ol' boy network still exists.

"You have to tune out the noise," Haley said.

Now, admittedly, this is Haley answering questions about what it's like to be her, to do her job every day.

And she's right, a dose of positivity certainly doesn't hurt. But motivational phrases can take you only so far.

Real women, real problems

The challenge is to translate those phrases into tangible, real world help for a woman who doesn't hold the highest office in the state. Which is what Chelsi Howard asked Haley.

Howard is the community relations administrative assistant for the Charleston County Human Services Commission, a nonprofit community action agency funded by federal and state money. Its whole reason for being is to help improve the lives of low-income and hard-working families by giving them the tools they need to become more self-sufficient.

Howard asked Haley what she would do to help the commission's clients.

"Only in this country can you start with nothing and become anything you want to be," Haley said. "My parents believed that if they worked hard they would be rewarded. And when they get there, they should help the next person over."

Which is a great philosophy. It's one employed by people such as philanthropist Anita Zucker, who also appeared at the event.

But it doesn't actually answer the question.

Making a real difference

Haley seemed interested in Alterman's suggestion that the state look at implementing something similar to the Center for Women's micro-loan program, which gives women loans of $1,000 to $5,000 to get a business off the ground.

She also said she wanted to remove barriers to the expansion of businesses large and small, the latter in response to a question from Charleston County dairy owner Celeste Albers.

Albers is ready to expand, but to add pasteurization to her operation, she's been told by Department of Health and Environmental Control officials she needs a $25,000 water system put in place.

"My goal is to pull as many regulations away as possible," Haley said, and asked for Albers' contact information to be given to her staff.

That sounds promising.

Leaders can inspire and motivate. Haley has a wonderful opportunity to back up that talk with action.

That's something everybody would appreciate.

Reach Digital Editor Melanie Balog at mbalog@postandcourier.com or 937-5565.