That's Our Nikki: She's Just Like Us, Only Not So Much

Nikki Haley ran for governor telling us that she understands our pain about big government and taxes and how hard it is to survive in this economy. Even when the news broke that Nikki Haley failed to pay her own income tax, on several occasions, until the state threatened to put a lien on her family business,she told us she understands how sometimes you don't have the money to pay your taxes because times are so hard. She said she was one of us.

Strange, that now that Nikki Haley is the governor-elect, that "just like you" mantra seems to have disappeared,. and suddenly Nikki Haley is just like every other wealthy Republican who buys their way out of following the rules.

See, when Nikki Haley and her family move into the Governor's Mansion next month, this will put her children in a different school district, and Nikki doesn't like that. Now, she could stay in her family home in Lexington County and her children won't have to change schools, but, hey, why do that when the state gives you a free house for the next four years?

So, Nikki is jumping through some hoops to keep her two children enrolled in their Lexington 1 schools. Rob Godfrey, Nikki's mouthpiece, says: “The Haley family is working closely with Lexington District 1 to ensure both that their children can remain with their friends and teachers in the public school district they have called home since their first day in kindergarten and that the family is in compliance with all rules and laws set by the district.”

In "compliance with all rules and laws"? In order to keep her children in Lexington 1 schools, however, the Haleys must make some changes in order to meet that district’s attendance policies since their primary residence will be at the Governor’s Mansion, not within Lexington 1. They must:

• Have one piece of property per child, valued at $5,000 or more, put in each child’s name. For example, they could transfer the deed of their home in the Governors Grant subdivision in Lexington 1, which the Haleys have said they will keep, to one child and buy other real estate, valued at $5,000 or more, within the school district for the other child.
• Pay Lexington 1 the difference annually between the taxes paid on the property owned by the children and the district’s cost to educate each child. Last year, it cost Lexington 1 $1,886.05 in local dollars to educate each child per semester. That would work out to more than $7,500 for the two Haley children minus the tax on the transferred property. If payments are not made within a reasonable time, the children can be removed from the school.

 The Haleys have until the beginning of next school year, 2011-2012, to meet the requirements. Since the Haley children will not move out of the Lexington 1 district until next semester, school district policy allows them to finish the school year in the district.

See, she's just like us, except when it comes to sending her children to school, and then she's just like every other politician who has come down the pike. She can't pay her taxes because times are hard, but she can pay $10,000 for two pieces of property, in her children's names, plus tuition, to keep her kids happy.

That's our Nikki: just like us, only not so much.

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