Because South Carolina doesn't need more press
 

But then here it is...




COLUMBIA, S.C. -- When things looked their darkest for Gov. Mark Sanford -- when he was in danger of being impeached for running off to Argentina to see his mistress -- his best insurance policy may well have been South Carolina's lieutenant governor, Andre Bauer.

Lawmakers knew if they removed Sanford, they could end up helping Bauer, a fiercely ambitious Republican with a reputation for reckless and immature behavior.

Now Bauer has folks shaking their heads again, after he likened government assistance to the poor to feeding stray animals.

At a town hall meeting Thursday, Bauer, who is running for governor in his own right now that Sanford is term-limited, said: "My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed! You're facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don't think too much further than that."

Democrats and others railed at him.

"I am disgusted by these comments. They show an unbelievable lack of compassion toward the unemployed workers in our state who are hurting during these hard times," said state Sen. Vincent Sheheen, a Democrat who is also running for governor. "His comments were immoral and out of line."

South Carolina schools Superintendent Jim Rex, another Democratic candidate for governor, called Bauer's comments "reprehensible" and said he should apologize.

Bauer said Monday that he regrets his choice of words but that government should expect welfare recipients to try to better themselves. He wants to require them to take drug tests and attend parent-teacher conferences if they have children in school.

A child of divorce who benefited from free lunches himself, Bauer insisted he wasn't bad-mouthing people laid off from work in the recession or advocating taking food from children, but rather emphasizing the need to break the cycle of dependency.

"Do I wish I'd used a different metaphor? Of course I do," the 40-year-old said. "I didn't intend to offend anyone."

Bauer has long been a love-him-or-hate-him figure in South Carolina politics. A nonstop campaigner and self-described workaholic, he was the youngest elected lieutenant governor in the country when he first won the No. 2 spot in 2002 at age 33.


http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2010/01/...cians_wel.html

Sadly, in its fullness I understand where he is coming from, and I could also see why some would find what he said offensive. Some things like that, you only say aroud small company, not in a speech.

When it comes to getting the poor off their butts and into jobs, starvation is an excellent motivator.

But starving children don't make good press no matter how you try to spin it.

Not to mention that the average poor person and person on AFDC is either underemployed/underpaid or quite actively looking for work.

The lazy ass poor person who won't look for a job is a relative rarity and farce that is based on racial and social class stereotypes (moreso the former than the latter).

Oh and LOL @ his comments. A lot of people have said something similar to what he has said. However, as a politician, he has to know that there are things he should only think or say in private.

Couldn't agree more.

^^this

Oh, I think it's damned hilarious. BUT! He can't stay stuff like that. Maybe he thinks he can get away with it because his boss is Looney Tunes.

There is no such thing as being underpaid.

You agree to work for a certain wage. If you are underpaid, you have a valid complaint for the labor department. And as far as social class stereotypes are concerned, they're mostly accurate. If you learn a trade/value your education, you generally aren't going to end up in a lower class situation. For those that ended up there due to their own efforts (or usually lack thereof), I feel zero pity.

Thank God for quantitative and qualitative research.

This doesn't contrast what I said.

Yes there is. You "agree" to work for that amount of money because if you don't, you won't get the job. And then that poor sap will have jackasses like you bitching for them to get off their "lazy ass" and get a job.

Yep. Thank God for quantitative and qualitative research.

And if they had done well in high school or learned a trade, they just wouldn't be in that situation, now would they?

Seriously, Kevin, this is like a 200 level course.

I definitely chuckled.

Kevin, your naiveté is showing.

It's better to be working and "underpaid" than sitting around collecting tax payer's money because you feel you're "worth" more money. Sure, I'd love to be making more than I am and I feel like I deserve it, but that doesn't mean I'd quit my job because I feel "underpaid."

College grads can get on welfare too ya know...I know of 2 right now.

I haven't seen anyone suggest otherwise.

This was also discussed in that "men are marrying..." thread.

In many people's minds it is all or nothing.

It's like we can't discuss inequality without retorts that really go without saying.

I had heard about food stamps, too.

If you consider unemployment to be welfare, I know of a whole lot more than that. Guys with MBAs (ex husband for one), mechanical engineers, chemical engineers, PhDs in chemistry, network administrators, bankers. The ranks of the unemployed are most definitely not limited to the uneducated.

When will politicians learn that they can't say whatever's on their mind? You put yourself in public office, you lose the right to go off on these tangents.

This is a whole other topic, and it's not completely related to poverty, so I hesitate to even get into it. But there is definitely a such thing as being "underpaid." Saying that no one is "underpaid" is at the least an overbroad statement, and I think you know that.

Not really. We have a minimum wage. If someone's paid below that, they're underpaid. If they're paid more than that or at that, then they are paid what they agreed to be paid. If they're not being paid what they agreed to be paid, then they have a valid complaint for the Department of Labor. They may consider themselves underpaid, but that's a matter of opinion, not a matter of quantifiable fact.

And as far as being unemployed, I don't see how it isn't the worker's fault? Or that it should be up to the employed to subsidize the unemployed. Poor savings/spending habits, choosing to work in a doomed industry, etc. These are all personal choices or at the very least, they are gambles that turned out poorly. That's part of life in a non planned economy.

Heck.. my investment account was doing awesome until the market crash. Now it's mediocre. Those investment decisions were my choices as well. It's not my fault the market crashed. Maybe I should be receive government subsidy as well for my investment losses?

Which is a quite different thing from saying that there is no such thing as being underpaid.

A worker gets laid off or his company goes out of business, that worker looks high and low everyday for a job -- any job -- but can't find one because no one is hiring, and it's the worker's fault he's unemployed? Seriously?

I'm all for taking personal responsibility into account, but sometimes things can be son out of someone's control that personal responsibility doesn't enter into it.

And the "they chose to work in a doomed industry" argument is just plain specious. Feckless (I love the chance to use that word) even.

Qu'ils mangent de la brioche.

I thought being underpaid could be quantified by taking a median compenesation rate for someone in your position or a comprable one in your area. If you are below that, you are underpaid.

There are several companies here who have cut pay by 4-10%. When that happens, you are definitely underpaid. Unless you were overpaid before.. but who is overpaid besides pro athletes and actors????

If he was going that route, he should have just went the whole way with it and advocated a TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) program.

This guy reminds me of my ex-ex boss's giant douchebag of a son. Barf.

Bank CEOs? Insurance Company CEOs?

Executive assistants are definitely paid very high in respect to their level of education. Yeah, some have very demanding bosses, but still.

Yep, yep.. sort of. At least they have quite a bit of responsibility too though.

True, some are. Some aren't. It probably depends on the industry/company. That's about a $15 an hour job at my work.