Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer discussed a wide range of issues during an interview with The Gaffney Ledger Friday. Imagine Gaffney Police officers and Cherokee County deputies driving BMW police cruisers.

Or how about every government-owned vehicle in South Carolina riding on Michelin tires.

Neither would be a luxury as far as Lt. Gov. André Bauer is concerned, as long as the costs were competitive with what other manufacturers could offer. Rather, such government purchasing practices would support businesses that have chosen to set up shop here, create jobs, and grease the wheels of a revolving money cycle that would stay in South Carolina.

And if you want more ideas on how to create jobs, save money and fix South Carolina government, Bauer says he has plenty more.

The lieutenant governor made a stop in Gaffney on Friday in the midst of a multicounty tour through the Upstate that saw him stopping at unemployment offices and businesses. Bauer, 40, who has been lieutenant governor since 2003, is widely expected to seek the governor's office next year. He has not yet made any formal announcements, however.

While Gov. Mark Sanford's marital troubles have been making all the headlines in Columbia, Bauer says that no matter where he goes, South Carolina residents really want to talk about three things: "jobs, jobs and jobs."

And Bauer believes there's a lot of things South Carolina can do better to attract new companies, bolster existing ones, and put more people to work.

Among the projects he supports the most are the expansion of the coastal port system and the use of the South Carolina coast not only for the shipping of South Carolina goods but for the receiving of raw materials that can be processed here and turned into finished goods. He also sees major possibilities in using the South Carolina coast as a hub for major cruise ship lines.

Aircraft shouldn't be left out of the equation either, believes Bauer, who is a pilot himself. He thinks South Carolina can become a center for commercial aircraft maintenance.

Not much can happen operating under the status quo, however.

"We (as a state) have to incentivize businesses to make them grow," he said.

A small business owner himself, Bauer said he's sitting on a piece of commercial property without any immediate plans to develop it because of all the bureaucratic red tape, permitting and fees imposed on development.

"What we've been doing (in South Carolina) is to de-incentivize business," he said.

That's why everyone involved, from the regulatory agencies to government, need to be able to streamline the process and sit down together to make it easier for businesses to expand or relocate to South Carolina, he said.

And South Carolina has a lot going for it to make it attractive for business development, he believes, from its transportation systems to its workforce and low costs. And if the busi- nesses of the future need certain skill sets in workers that aren't currently available, Bauer said South Carolina has to show it has the ability to provide the necessary training.

"We've got to make ourselves attractive," he said.

Bauer also believes that South Carolina needs to reward the businesses that already are here, hence the idea of BMW police cars riding on Michelin tires. Both companies are major employers in the Upstate.

He said he personally feels pride whenever he's visiting another state or foreign country and sees a BMW sport utility vehicle on the road.

"I say, 'That's made in South Carolina.' I'm proud a quality product like that, that's perceived of high value, is made in South Carolina."

While Bauer's time at The Gaffney Ledger was fairly limited, he discussed a wide range of issues such as his opinions on state budget cuts — which he feels should have been targeted after careful consideration as opposed to across-theboard — the need to reorganize some state departments, and ways the state could save money.

For instance, why do school districts pay an architect each time a new school is built? Bauer believes there's nothing wrong with having a Wal-mart-like template in place, where each new school would be based on the same small, medium or largesized plans that could be repeated elsewhere.

A supporter of alternative energy, Bauer threw out another idea that he thinks could be a boon for job growth in the future. Make "green" businesses or those that manufacture "green" products exempt from South Carolina corporate taxes, he suggested.