Author: Paul Gable

Internet Sweepstakes Ban Passes SC House

A bill South Carolina legislators say will close the current loopholes in state gambling laws making internet sweepstakes games illegal is awaiting Gov. Nikki Haley’s signature to become law.

After failing to pass a similar bill last year, legislators wasted no time in this new legislative session getting the ban in place.

The legislation clarifies what has been a messy situation throughout the state where the games were considered illegal in some jurisdictions and legal in others. In Horry County it was both with Myrtle Beach allowing the games, until SLED raids closed several parlors in the city recently, while the games were considered illegal in the unincorporated areas of the county.

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Flow Control Debate to Senate Committee

The debate on whether the Horry County Solid Waste Authority should be allowed to continue a flow control monopoly over garbage generated in the county will move to the S.C. Senate Medical Affairs Committee March 21st.

Legislation called the ‘Business Freedom to Choose Act’ has already passed the S.C. House in this new legislative session. It is now up to the Senate to see if it will join the House in making a government established monopoly illegal.

The SWA will have Executive Director Danny Knight and Government Affairs Director Mike Bessant in attendance at the committee meeting to speak for maintaining the monopoly.

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SC 1st Congressional District, Sanford and …?

The first step in Mark Sanford’s political ‘Phoenix rising from the ashes’ act finally will be taken tomorrow in the first round of voting tomorrow in the SC 1st Congressional District special election Republican Primary.

Sanford seems a shoe-in to get the 35 percent ‘forgiveness’ vote, but who will accompany him into the second round runoff?

A quick look at the other top candidates from the remaining 15 Republicans in the race gives no quick answer.

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SCDNR Delays International Drive Again

Since International Drive was first proposed, the S.C. Department of Natural Resources has thrown one roadblock after another in the way of the project.

Issues with red cockaded woodpeckers, right of way disputes, bear crossings and chain link fences have all been overcome only to find now the DNR has teamed with the Army Corps of Engineers to discover wetlands that have to be mitigated before permanent road construction can begin.

Two absolutes I quickly learned after moving to Horry County 30 years ago were: there is no such thing as a conflict of interest for politicians and there are no wetlands in Horry County. These were written in stone as the county was transformed by development.

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Paying for Special Election Campaign Pledges

The two candidates in a special election primary runoff for the Republican nomination for Horry County Council chairman spoke of the need to continue to address the same issues that brought them this far.

With those pronouncements in mind, Mark Lazarus and Al Allen, the two surviving candidates, owe some explanations to the voters how they will pursue their earlier pronouncements without raising taxes.

Both were very vocal about re-instituting county paid health insurance for retired county employees. County council voted to phase this coverage out as a benefit too costly to continue.

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SC 1st Congressional District Race Heats Up

The race for the Republican nomination for the SC 1st Congressional District is heating up as the first round of primary voting approaches quickly.

A new ad hitting political newcomer Teddy Turner hard is making its way around television and the internet. The ad attacks Turner’s business failures and political agenda. It was paid for by the Chip Limehouse campaign.

View ad here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfTDTGODe68

The battle between 15 of the 16 Republican candidates is for second place and a chance at strong front runner Mark Sanford in a primary runoff.

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Lazarus, Allen Into Primary Runoff Election

Mark Lazarus and Al Allen are heading into a primary runoff election for the Republican nomination in the special election for Horry County Council chairman.

As there is no Democratic candidate, the runoff, scheduled for March 26th, will inevitably decide the next council chair although a formal general election will be held April 30th. It is not expected any candidate can mount a write-in campaign to knock off the Republican nominee.

Lazarus, a former council member from District 2, jumped into the early lead and held between 37 – 41 percent of the vote total throughout the night, finishing with 40.79 percent.

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Money in Politics, Influencing Elections

A special election for Horry County Council chairman this week and in the S.C. 1st Congressional District next week brings to the front the influence of elections by money in politics again.

Some startling statistics track over a period from 1974 – 2010 for Congressional elections and 1976 – 2008 in Presidential elections.

In 1974, total campaign spending for the House of Representatives was $44 million. By 2010 total campaign had reached $929 million, a factor of 20 times.

Senate campaigns in 1974 totaled $28.4 million while by 2010 that number inflated to $568 million, another 20 times expansion.

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Threats, Intimidation and Censorship

Every so often, especially in Horry County, threats and intimidation are used in attempts at censorship of the press.

You be the judge if the following qualifies.

For those of you wondering what happened to the story about Mark Lazarus and the Good Ole Boys the following e-mail string between Wrenzie Rice and myself should be self explanatory.

Paul Gable

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Elizabeth Moffly Slams Good Ol’ Boys Network

First Congressional District Republican candidate Elizabeth Moffly scored big at the expense of her Congressional race opponents when she slammed the Good Ol’ Boys network that has controlled politics in South Carolina for too long.

Moffly, the only woman among 16 Republican candidates in the March 19th primary, told it like it is about her top competitors in the race in a You Tube video that complements her “Good Ol’ Boys” radio ad.

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