Nikki Haley: Don’t Bail States Out, Struggling Areas Should ‘Tighten Up’ And ‘Manage’ Better

Former South Carolina Governor and former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is in hot water on social media. She decided that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) had the right idea when he suggested that the federal government should not bail states out in times of crisis.

Haley echoed his sentiment, saying:

“States should always plan for a rainy day just like any business. I disagree that states should take Fed money or be bailed out. This will lead to taxpayers paying for mismanagement of poorly run states. States need to tighten up, make some cuts, and manage.”

That statement comes via Twitter, and the backlash was immediate. Haley was reminded that states are getting federal money as we speak, and will likely continue to do so. The same is true of privately run businesses.

Haley was also reminded that South Carolina, which she was once the chief executive of, gets roughly $5,000 per resident from the federal government every single year — pandemic or not.

Here are just a few of the tweets that came her way as a result of these statements:

Big businesses got bailed out and individuals got free money with no strings attached, whether they were spending it on white collar crimes or drugs. But sure, firefighters and police officers and transportation workers should have to suffer. You’re a ghoul.

— Ben Yelin (@byelin) April 23, 2020

you already bailed out wall street, why not leave the teachers and firefighters twisting in the wind?

— Michael Tae Sweeney (@mtsw) April 23, 2020

So do you disagree with giving money to businesses right now, as the President and Senate are doing? Should they have saved for this rainy day?

— Every Billionaire Is A Policy Failure (@DanRiffle) April 23, 2020

Statements and ideas like these understandably enrage the American public, because they are the very definition of elitism and crony capitalism. Certain segments of the GOP constantly remind hardworking Americans that it is Wall Street and big business and powerful interests that matter to them, not everyday hard-working Americans and real small businesses.

Political interests will always come at the expense of the little man, but at least  Haley, McConnell, and others are reminded of their hypocritical corruption – even if it is just via Twitter.