Six politicians who want to be South Carolina's next governor took the stage tonight to debate the future of higher education.
The debate, sponsored by the S.C. Commission on Higher Education, was at Winthrop University's McBryde Hall in Rock Hill. Participating in the forum were: Republicans - Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, state Rep. Nikki Haley of Lexington and state Attorney General Henry McMaster; and Democrats - State Sen. Robert Ford of Charleston, state Superintendent of Education Jim Rex and state Sen. Vincent Sheheen of Camden
U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett was unable to attend because he had a jobs vote in Washington, D.C.
About 200 people filled two-thirds of the seats, including a host of York County political figures such as Rock Hill Mayor Doug Echols, Solicitor Kevin Brackett and state Rep. Gary Simrill.
Here are excerpts from the debate:
First question: State funding to colleges and universities have significant cuts. Is it appropriate for public colleges to aggressively seek out of state students to help make up for shortfalls?
Bauer: Absolutely, it brings diversity. We want the diversity. We want people from all walks of life and from all over the world coming to our institutions here in South Carolina. ... It's a way for us to market our great state.
McMaster - Leave up to presidents and boards of each institution. I believe we've got to get our state back on the road to prosperity.
Haley: We need to make sure we educate our own students first, not out of state students. ... We need to make sure accountability measures are in place to see why we're taking out of state instead of in state.
Sheheen: Accessibility and affordability to our students. We can do both, but we have to focus on the paramount importance, which our students.
Ford: If we're going to put South Carolina first, then we need to do that. His said plan to add $50 million per year to higher education will help support SC students.
Rex: We have a train wreck here in South Carolina. We're talking about funding education at higher education at the 1984 level. There won't be enough capacity to support own students, much less out of state folks, if current economy continues. .We want out of state students, but we don't want to do it to the exclusion of our students.
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Question 2: How, when state funding is removed, how do you keep tuition low and increase academic quality?
Ford: Again says his plan to add $50 in funding will help.
Haley: If we reduced our retail commission for lottery from 7 to 6 percent we would add $10 million to higher education.
Sheheen: It's a question of priorities. "It will take time."
Bauer: We're going to have to prioritize. ... I see escalating football coaches salaries going up in these tough times.
Rex: We're not talking about $10 million here, $2 million there. We're talking $100s of millions. The answer is comprehensive tax reform. The short term solution is raising the cigarette tax to the national average (met with a round of applause). We're talking about a 30-cents increase that would add $240 million to our economy.
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Question 3: Would you favor using cigarette taxes to fund higher education?
Haley: It's not what you pay, it's how you spend that matters. Cigarette tax is a band-aid. We need to look at every single tax, then look at how we prioritize spending. Not just education, but across the board. ... If higher ed, needs money then show us why?
Sheheen: There's no excuse not to raise cigarette tax. It's the lowest in the nation. The cigarette tax should go to health care.... any excess should be put into education.
Bauer: Would not support raising the tax to fund education. If you want revenue for long term, don't look at short-term taxes, he said.
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Question 4: Would you support tuition caps?
Sheheen: Tuition caps not the answer right now. The most import issue in higher education today is the affordability for students.
Haley: Look at accountability standards on in state vs. out of state. Then decide on tuition caps. Caps is not fair to everyone.
