Author: Paul Gable

New Developments for Coast RTA Special Committee

Several developments over the last 48 hours have ‘stirred the pot’ regarding deliberations of the Special Committee on Coast RTA formed recently by Horry County Council chairman Mark Lazarus.

The committee, chaired by council member Marion Foxworth, held its first meeting March 17, 2014 with a second meeting scheduled for April 7, 2014.

According to stipulations of fact adopted by committee members at the first meeting, the committee has no oversight of Coast RTA or its management and is limiting its scope to attempting to make a determination of what went wrong with two projects cancelled by SCDOT – a bus sign and shelter project that began in 2007 and a study for an intermodal transportation center begun in 2013.

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Plot to Stop Lindsey Graham Faltering

What does it tell you that the Tea Party’s best candidate to challenge Sen. Lindsey Graham is a former Democratic operative who ran the Michael Dukakis campaign in South Carolina?

Det Bowers officially filed yesterday to challenge Graham. While he is now talking about right wing issues such as illegal immigration, Obamacare, term limits and balanced federal budgets, it is Bowers’ former Democratic associations that reportedly bring hope to stopping Graham.

The thought process is that Bowers will attract at least some of the crossover Democrat vote in the June open Republican Primary that was expected to fully support Graham. It is hoped that this will bring Graham’s vote in the first round of the primary to under 50% forcing a runoff.

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Obamacare Nullification Fails, the Revenge of James L. Petigru

Somewhere James L. Petigru has a little smile on his face today as South Carolina’s latest attempt at nullification of a federal law went down in the S.C. Senate earlier this week.

Petigru, a 19th Century lawyer, legislator, S.C. attorney general and judge, was a leader of anti-nullification forces in South Carolina before the Civil War and critic of secession, yet a well-respected Charleston resident both before and after the war.

When South Carolina voted to secede from the Union in December 1860, Petigru uttered his most famous quote, calling the state “too small for a republic and too large for an insane asylum.”

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Gingrich, Myrtle Beach, Oil and Interstates

Beach Tent Bans Drawing Criticism

The recent beach tent bans deliberated by three local governments in Horry County have drawn criticism from both locals and tourists as more big government intrusion on individual rights.

North Myrtle Beach passed final reading on an ordinance earlier this week banning tents in the peak summer season, May 15th – September 15th. In addition, beach umbrellas may provide shaded area of no more than 9 ft. diameter circle.

Myrtle Beach has passed first reading of an ordinance banning beach tents from Memorial Day to Labor Day while Horry County has passed first reading of an ordinance banning beach tents year around.

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Coast RTA Special Committee Meeting

The first meeting of the ad hoc special committee looking into Coast RTA management practices and funding was held Monday.

The committee was created by Horry County Council Chairman Mark Lazarus to help council determine what level of funding the county should provide to Coast RTA in upcoming years.

Specifically, the committee is looking into the circumstances that caused the sign/shelter project to be cancelled in December 2013 and the suspension of the intermodal center project earlier this year.

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Al Allen Seeking Third Term in Horry District 11

Incumbent Republican Al Allen is looking forward to continuing service to the interests of the people by seeking his third consecutive term representing Horry County Council District 11.

“I have really enjoyed learning how to help constituents and responding to the concerns of the people,” said Allen. “I receive a large variety of calls from people with concerns about how the government affects them and I have worked hard to build trust that I will represent their interests.”

Allen inherited a contentious issue when he was first elected to council – the Aynor overpass.

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HCSWA Singing Flow Control Blues

Horry County Solid Waste Authority officials were singing the blues at a pre-budget workshop earlier this week claiming a loss of $400,000 in revenue next fiscal year because of the elimination of construction and demolition debris from county flow control regulations.

Truth and reality rarely are factors at the HCSWA Hwy 90 headquarters and they are quickly removed if they are. There is nothing to base this $400,000 assumed loss of revenue on, but it’s being put out for media consumption.

And some media outlets in the county will play directly into the hands of HCSWA officials by spreading it.

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Ethics Reform – Not So Fast

S.C. Ethics Commission Sued Over FOIA Request

The S.C. Ethics Commission and its executive director Herb Hayden have been sued by The South Carolina Public Interest Foundation for violating the FOIA law by “responding with a falsehood.”

The foundation, a Greenville based government watchdog organization, and its founder Ned Sloan have been very successful over the years filing lawsuits against government agencies and officials for violating state law.

The lawsuit evolves from an attempt by internet media outlet TheNerve.org to obtain a copy of a letter that ethics commission attorney Cathy Hazelwood sent to Gov. Nikki Haley directing the governor to reimburse the state for travels costs associated with a fundraising event.

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Coast RTA Shelter/Sign Project Moves Forward

Despite the best efforts of the S.C. Department of Transportation to derail it, the Coast RTA shelter/sign project is back on track moving to completion.

The project was originally funded by a $1 million Federal Highway Administration grant to the Waccamaw Council of Governments. The COG awarded the money to Coast RTA to construct signs and shelters at bus stops while requesting SCDOT to handle administration of the project.

SCDOT unfamiliarity with FHWA regulations, with respect to projects funded by FHWA grants, as well as alteration of Coast RTA routes due to financial considerations, caused progress on the project to slow down.

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Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce Names New Leader

The Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce Jeff Smith of Greenwood is the new President and CEO for the organization. He will take the helm on March 31.

“After two months of reviewing resumés and meeting with a number of candidates, we are very excited to welcome Jeff aboard,” said Jenna Jordan with Strovis, who currently chairs the Board of Directors and the CEO Search Committee. “

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