Author: Paul Gable

Horry County Adult Entertainment

Stripping Away Adult Entertainment

The Horry County Ad Hoc Committee on Sexually Oriented Business Legislation meets Thursday with the probable result that committee members will forward the county’s proposed new adult entertainment ordinance to full council with recommendation for approval.

The new ordinance, written by an attorney from Tennessee who specializes in this type of ordinance, would govern the 11 adult entertainment establishments, eight strip clubs and three bookstores/novelty shops, in the unincorporated areas of the county. It would establish new setbacks and minimum distance requirements from such things as schools, churches, houses, other adult establishments and the like.

If the new ordinance is forwarded as written and council approves two more readings of it (it has passed first reading already), all 11 of the current establishments in the unincorporated county areas would be out of compliance and subject to being closed.

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Illegal Candidates in SC Senate District 42?

The filing for SC Senate District 42 in the Charleston area has 6 of the 9 candidates in violation not only of the law that got over 200 candidates removed from the ballot in May of 2012, but also in violation of the amendments to the law passed June 2013.

The Republican and Democratic parties received the filings and certified candidates in violation of S.C. Election Law.

Apparently the South Carolina Ethics reform known as Equal Access to the ballot or ACT 61 was just a Photo Op for the Governor and propaganda for the Legislature. Ethics in government continue to be just a campaign issue.

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MBM Fundraising for Mayor John Rhodes

Fundraising efforts for Mayor John Rhodes 2013 re-election campaign have begun among members of the Myrtle Beach Mafia.

According to sources familiar with the effort, money raising calls as well as the establishment of a fundraising network of phone chains began Friday.

Rhodes as well as incumbent city council members Wayne Gray, Randal Wallace and Mike Lowder will be on the 2013 election ballot. Keith Van Winkle has announced he will challenge for a seat on city council and we are hearing former council member Chuck Martino is strongly considering another run.

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Lindsey Graham in the Bullseye

A new super PAC was launched this week in South Carolina with a goal to defeat Sen. Lindsey Graham in his bid for re-election in 2014.

Formed by the grassroots non-profit political organization Carolina Conservatives United, it will be calling on conservatives within the state to defeat Graham in the upcoming 2014 election.

“We never know which Lindsey Graham will show up in Washington each day,” said CCU Chairman Bob Carroll in a press release. “He’s more likely to side with liberal Senate Democrats on important votes than with Senator Tim Scott or the South Carolina Republican Congressional delegation.”

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Alan Clemmons for Mayor?

The name of S.C. Rep. Alan Clemmons (R-107) keeps popping up in discussions and polls connected to the upcoming mayoral election in Myrtle Beach.

There has been no word from Clemmons, official or otherwise, that we know of at this point, but where there’s smoke, there’s often fire.

That Clemmons would be a logical candidate makes political sense. He is a native of Myrtle Beach who has represented House District 107 since it was created prior to the 2002 elections. Much of his district is located within the city limits of Myrtle Beach, so a large voting base is already used to casting ballots for him.

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Coast RTA vs. MBREDC Funding

While attending a meeting with several Coast RTA officials nearly a month ago, I was asked several times if I had an explanation for why funding from Horry County for Coast RTA is treated differently than funding for the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation.

I had no other answer than the potential political clout of MBREDC board members compared to that of Coast RTA board members.

In the current fiscal year budget, Coast RTA is budgeted to receive $1.055 million from Horry County with some questions remaining about the upcoming May 1, 2014 fourth quarter payment of approximately $263,000.

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Changing Dynamics on Horry County Council

Changing dynamics among members of Horry County Council could have important impacts in the next several months on several important issues.

Nothing in politics happens in a vacuum and the recent vote on a resolution regarding Huffman Helicopters is expected to have some effects on issues such as adult entertainment, the Horry County Solid Waste Authority and possibly Coast RTA.

The proposed adult entertainment ordinance will be first up with a meeting of a special Ad Hoc Committee to discuss the issue. The meeting will take place August 1 with more than the six council members appointed to the committee expected to attend.

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Curtis Loftis and SCRSIC Dysfunction

Early reporting on a recently released report by S.C. Inspector General Patrick Maley heralds no criminal wrongdoing at the S.C. Retirement System Investment Commission (SCRSIC) but acknowledges a dysfunctional relationship with S.C. Treasurer Curtis Loftis.

The report was generated three months after Loftis sent the Attorney General’s Office a 37 page complaint listing multiple potential misconduct “red flags” at the commission over a several year period.

While the report claims no criminal misconduct, it acknowledges a toxic relationship between Loftis, a statutory member of the commission, and remaining commission members.

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Sen. Lindsey Graham and Stupid Speak

I know Sen. Lindsey Graham is in re-election mode, but is it really necessary for him to attempt to redefine “stupid” in political speak?

After telling us he was “glad” the National Security Agency was collecting phone records on millions of American citizens and advocating raining cruise missiles down on Syria, Graham’s latest oral gem calls for a U.S. boycott of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia if the Russian government does not deny former NSA contractor Edward Snowden asylum.

Snowden’s the guy who told The Guardian newspaper about the NSA spying efforts on American citizens.

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SC Senate District 42 Special Election Antics

South Carolina elections never fail to produce drama and the special election to fill the SC Senate District 42 seat, vacated by the resignation of Sen. Robert Ford in May, looks to continue this tradition.

Ford resigned his seat during a May 2013 Senate Ethics Committee investigation into his alleged misuse of campaign funds for personal expenses and failing to report expenses, donations and personal loans.

Ford, a Democrat, served 20 years in the SC Senate representing what is considered a safe Democratic district.

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