Politics

Gingrich, Myrtle Beach, Oil and Interstates

Will Myrtle Beach Election Heat Up?

One more holiday shortened week remains for filing of candidates in the upcoming Myrtle Beach city elections.

Last week, the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce’s Grand Strand Business Alliance PAC sent out an expensive looking mailer supporting its ‘Dream Team’ – the four incumbents running for re-election.

The easiest way to win an election is to discourage challengers from filing and everybody understands now, if anyone doubted, that the Chamber, through the GSBA, will again be a strong player in the city election.

You would too if three of these incumbents steered approximately $70 million in public money into your budget.

Continue Reading →

Chambergate Investigation Still on Track

David Wren of the Sun News reported yesterday that the Chambergate investigation into 2009 political donations, by a host of local LLC’s that had no income, was continuing.

The article stated an investigator with the IRS had confirmed the investigation was ongoing into political donations by these LLC’s whose principals have ties to the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.

According to Wren’s article, the investigator contacted the Sun News last week requesting documents the paper had obtained regarding the political donations.

This report confirms rumblings we have been hearing for some months now that the investigation was continuing and indictments from a federal grand jury would be coming down in the case.

Continue Reading →
Awendaw Ethics Violation

Violating S.C. Ethics Law in Awendaw

Candidate filing for the upcoming November 5, 2013 municipal elections for the Town of Awendaw city council opened August 22, 2013, and already there appears to be a violation of the S.C. Ethics Law.

The controversy hovers around candidate and current Mayor Pro-Tem Miriam Green and a recent article about her in the official “Town of Awendaw Newsletter”.

The newsletter is produced, printed and mailed by the town using taxpayer dollars to pay for the costs.

Its lead article in the September 2013 issue, which hit the mailboxes of Awendaw residents about the same time that filing opened, was about a community auditorium at the new Berkeley Electric Coop Service Center in Awendaw being named for Green, a 35-year employee of BEC.

IF the article had stopped right there, it would have been fine. However, it went on to praise Green for serving “her community well” and providing “jobs for many Town residents.”

Continue Reading →

Adult Entertainment and Carolina Forest

Adult entertainment locations will be the topic of discussion at the Carolina Forest Civic Association Wednesday night.

Scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the Carolina Forest Rec Center on Carolina Forest Boulevard, the meeting will allow Carolina Forest residents to be briefed on how they are facing the “Fork in the Road.”

Carolina Forest has become ground zero on the clash between quality of life for residents of one of the fastest growing spots in the county with tourism interests if the county’s new adult entertainment ordinances receive third reading approval.

Continue Reading →

Disparity in Treatment – Coast RTA vs. MBREDC

Watching the last several months of county council deliberations, one must wonder why there is such disparate treatment between Coast RTA and the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation by our elected officials.

The MBREDC was at county council Tuesday night pushing its $60 million, 15 year funding proposal with a presentation on how the money would be used to try to entice businesses to the area.

A resolution to restore Coast RTA’s FY 2014 fourth quarter funding was pulled off the county council agenda.

Continue Reading →

Horry County Council vs. Staff

There seems to be a growing trend in Horry County that is prevalent throughout the nation. Government staff is working against Horry County Council members, and in its own interests, instead of working for council to institute policy decisions.

Helicopter amusement ride leases, adult entertainment regulations, solid waste actions have all recently had instances where county staff pushed its own agenda against the wishes of council and the better interests of the county in general.

A recently renegotiated lease with Huffman Helicopters, in which staff was directly instructed to include designated flight patterns to limit flight patterns over residential areas is missing the key inclusions.

Continue Reading →

Second Reading of Adult Entertainment Ordinances Passes

Horry County passed second reading of its new adult entertainment ordinances at its regular meeting Tuesday night bringing its day in court closer.

Passage of third reading seems assured next month and as council chairman Mark Lazarus said, the next day he expects the current adult entertainment establishments operating in the unincorporated areas of Horry County to be in Florence filing for injunctive relief.

While all of the current adult entertainment businesses will be out of compliance with the new ordinances, adult entertainment will not be removed from the unincorporated areas.

Continue Reading →

Brenda Christy and Myrtle Beach’s Retire/Rehire Policy

Last week we reported on the publication of “Superlative Soul or Nefarious Soul” a book by former Myrtle Beach Police Department officer Brenda Christy.

Christy’s book documents her experiences in the department leading to, and after, her filing a sexual discrimination and harassment lawsuit against MBPD and the city including the resulting retaliation directed at her.

Creative memory during depositions, changed stories as time went on and the creation of documents to bring clouds on Christy’s performance were all part of the formula to help the city beat Christy’s charges.

Continue Reading →
Horry County Adult Entertainment

Regulating or Just Relocating Adult Entertainment?

As Horry County Council prepares for second reading Tuesday night of its proposed ordinances on adult entertainment establishments, it is important to consider just what changes will result.

The new ordinances will change regulations concerning the site, manner and time of operations of adult entertainment establishments, in the unincorporated areas, but will not eliminate their existence.

This is an important point – there will still be adult entertainment establishments in the county. Not only will those operating within the city limits of Myrtle Beach and Atlantic Beach be unaffected by any changes, but also areas in the unincorporated county will be wide open for adult entertainment.

There seemed to be confusion about this at the recent county council ad hoc committee meeting on the new ordinances. Several preachers presented petitions to or addressed the committee urging members to do their part in helping rid the county of these types of businesses.

Continue Reading →

Making Adult Entertainment Go Away – NOT!

Horry County’s proposed adult entertainment ordinances will have second reading at the August 13, 2013 regular meeting of county council. There is no public review listed on council agenda, so that, presumably, will occur at third reading.

The ordinances were subjected to scrutiny at a recent county council ad hoc committee meeting with the Tennessee attorney Scott Burgthold on the phone to answer questions from committee members. Bergthold is the ‘specialist’ attorney the county has contracted to help with the ordinances and the expected lawsuits that will result from adoption of the new proposed ordinance provisions.

During the meeting, Bergthold outlined his legal approach to defending these ordinances in court and referred to a four year court battle (2003-07) in Daytona Beach, FL, which he won.

However, if you Google strip clubs in Daytona Beach today, you will see that many adult entertainment clubs are still operating, quite legally, six years after the case was settled giving court approval to the ordinances.

Continue Reading →
1 … 95 96 97 98 99 … 117