Sheheen, Haley at odds over several aspects of boosting employment figures

South Carolina's disturbingly high unemployment rate has made the economy and new jobs top issues in the Nov. 2 gubernatorial election.

Republican state Rep. Nikki Haley visited a North Charleston company Wednesday to provide a backdrop for announcing more details of her "less talk, more jobs" approach.

Her rival, Democratic state Sen. Vincent Sheheen, also has detailed ideas for how the state can recruit more jobs, support its small businesses and help areas with the most people out of work.

While many of their ideas sound similar -- reforming the state's tax system, supporting the state's ports and technical college system and strengthening the state Department of Commerce -- there are differences:

What defines them

Haley said Wednesday one of the biggest differences is her support for restructuring the state's Workers' Compensation Commission by folding it into the state Department of Insurance and by ensuring that its damages follow American Medical Association guidelines.

"Under Senator Sheheen, we're not going to see Workers' Compensation reform where we have consistent

guidelines," she said at Charleston Marine Containers.

Haley also has called for medical malpractice tort reform while Sheheen, a Camden lawyer, has not.

Sheheen said Wednesday the biggest difference is his commitment to be personally involved in economic development recruiting. He said Fritz Hollings began such an approach as governor in the 1960s and former Gov. Carroll Campbell perfected it in the late 1980s and early '90s.

"And the result was historically low unemployment in the 1990s," he said. "(Gov. Mark) Sanford and Haley have moved away from that approach in the last decade. I think that's a real defining point."

Earmark philosophy

Sheheen said another important difference is their approach to supporting the port. Sheheen recently called on Haley to join him in asking the state's congressional delegation to ensure that the federal budget includes a $400,000 earmark to study deepening Charleston's Harbor.

Haley, whose conservative base has been critical of earmarks, said Wednesday she will work to get the money but would not join in Sheheen's request. "Whether that money comes through the delegation or not is not where I'm focused. I'm focused on getting the money."

Sheheen said that's unacceptable. "Here she's saying she wants to expand the port but she's not working toward that. That's not acceptable. That's what we've been dealing with, with Mark Sanford for the past eight years."

Creating jobs

While both candidates call for comprehensive tax reform, Haley, a Lexington County resident who has emphasized her accounting experience, singled out the elimination of the corporate income tax as a top priority. She also wants to link municipal and county permitting with the state's to make it easier for businesses.

Haley also is calling for privatizing the state's "One-Stop" workforce centers to give their operators more incentive to match the unemployed with available jobs.

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Sheheen, who is from a mostly rural county, said while the state needs to continue to develop its metropolitan areas, "we also have to begin to pay attention once again to the more rural areas and the higher areas of unemployment. Many of them feel disconnected from state government and disconnected from the Commerce Department."

Morgan Bruce Reeves, who is on the gubernatorial ballot as a candidate of the Green and United Citizens parties, has emphasized creating jobs by pushing for high-speed rail between the state's major cities, building an ethanol plant that would convert sweet potatoes into fuel, and luring a manufacturer of hydrogen cars.

Details of the plans

Republican state Rep. Nikki Haley and Democratic state Sen. Vincent Sheheen have many ideas for improving the state's economy and creating more jobs. Below are highlights from their plans:

Nikki Haley

--Enact comprehensive tax reform that eliminates business income taxes, particularly the corporate income tax, and simplifies the state's tax system.

--Change state permitting processes to consolidate the state's one-stop agency with cities' and counties' permitting operations.

--Limit fine and fee collections by Cabinet-level agencies and push for legislation to limit fines and fees collected by state agencies not under the governor's authority.

--Appoint industry leaders to state boards and councils that affect industries.

--Restructure the Workers' Compensation Commission by folding it into the Department of Insurance.

--Require mandatory, non-binding arbitration and a "loser pays" component to all medical malpractice suits.

--Privatize "One Stop" community work force centers to give their operators more incentive.

--Make state unemployment benefits contingent on completing pre-screening requirements, regular use of "One Stop" centers to find jobs and passing drug tests.

--Strengthen the S.C. Department of Commerce by teaming up with high-profile regional leaders across the state, including bringing technical education leaders into recruiting efforts and bringing permitting agencies to the recruiting table earlier.

--Focus on infrastructure by making sure port, road, rail and air infrastructure needs get priority in future budgets.

--Expand technical education programs.

Vincent Sheheen

--Overhaul the S.C. Commerce Department by ensuring that it is led by an economic development professional, by prioritizing luring jobs to areas with high unemployment, and by updating the state's incentive packages.

--Maximize business at the state's ports.

--Use the state-owned utility Santee Cooper to ensure that the state continues to have low-cost electrical power.

--Promote the state's technical college system by linking it to the state's undergraduate population and employers, and investing more in it.

--Develop a higher-education system that will fuel economic growth by making a larger investment in it, which also will help keep tuition down.

--Educate more nurses and medical staff so the state becomes a destination for Americans looking for the best medical care and build on the state's nuclear energy, wind resources, hydrogen research initiatives and bio-fuel potential.

--Create a Division of Entrepreneurship and Small Business to ensure all businesses, including minority-owned businesses, have an equal chance to get state contracts.

--Create a rural infrastructure bank to provide money for water, sewer and road improvements necessary to attract industry and commerce to those areas, guided by a Commerce Department analysis of rural infrastructure needs vital to job creation.

--Reform the state's tax code to lessen the burden placed on new and existing businesses.

Reach Robert Behre at 937-5771 or at rbehre@postandcourier.com.