Tuesday, April 22, 2025
The proposed dissolution of the Horry County Airport Advisory Board currently being considered by Horry County Council is a mistake.
This has not always been my attitude.
From the late 1990’s through approximately 2008, the board was a rubber stamp for some of the worst decisions made by Horry County Department of Airports staff.
In case you missed it, WMBF News did an excellent in-depth investigation into possible drug cartel and terrorist money being funneled through Horry County.
It comes from the lack of state regulation, actually the refusal of the SC General Assembly to apply any regulations to the money transfer services business.
According to the report, there are over 3,000 of these money transfer services businesses operating in Horry and Georgetown counties alone. Much of the money transferred out of the state is going to drug cartels and terrorist organizations.
South Carolina is alone among the 50 states in failing to regulate this industry.
While it looks like a bill to ban the tattooing and piercing of dogs and cats will successfully pass the SC General Assembly into law this year, our legislators can’t be bothered with looking at an industry that allows a lot of our money to be passed to organizations no “red” state should support.
The SC General Assembly turned its attention back to passing a road funding bill this year, but the devil is in the details.
The bill, which began as H. 3579, was set for special order yesterday after a compromise was reached in the SC Senate to move it to priority status for debate.
Much changed since its original version, the bill contains the three elements Gov. Nikki Haley said was needed to avoid a veto – sort of.
The current plan raises the state gas tax by 12 cents per gallon and allows it to be adjusted for inflation in future years. Increases in license and registration fees and raising the sales tax cap on car sales are also included bringing the estimated rise in revenue to approximately $800 million per year.
The bill proposes a decrease of 1% in the state income tax spread over five years. However, the reduction in tax rates would be suspended in any year the projected growth in state revenue is less than 4%.
If the rate is lowered over five years, the estimated tax cut is $700 million.
From 2003-2013, South Carolina’s annual average growth rate was less than 2%, making the possibility of income tax reductions less than certain.
Finally, the bill makes some changes in how the SC Department of Transportation commission is appointed.
While the bill would probably allow for some improvement in funding road maintenance and repairs, it now appears to be more political nonsense than a real effort at fixing the state’s roads.
At its regular meeting May 11, 2015, the Horry County ZBA (Zoning Board of Appeals) reversed a decision to allow DT LLC to accept third party C&D debris for crushing at its Pine Island site.
The board voted 5-3 at its April 13, 2015 meeting that an “acceptable accessory use of the applicant (DT LLC) made the acceptance of outside (third party) loads of recoverable materials” permissible.
The April vote overturned a decision by the Horry County Zoning Administrator that accepting third party recoverable materials was not an acceptable accessory use.
Increased numbers of bond hearings are being planned for as the Atlantic Beach Bikefest over Memorial Day weekend draws near.
Part of planning for the weekend includes special bond hearings beginning at 6 a.m. Friday morning and convening every six hours thereafter through Sunday night.
The only conclusion that can be drawn from these preparations is that many more arrests are expected this year.
By Paul Gable
The US 2nd District Court of Appeals ruled this week the bulk collection of telephone data by the NSA (National Security Agency) is unlawful.
This decision not only overturned an earlier decision by a US District Court, but also demonstrates how out of touch the Obama White House is with what is legal in surveillance programs as is Sen. Lindsey Graham.
The ruling gives credence to a 2014 independent report from the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board that called the collection program illegal and said it should be ended.
The report said the bulk telephone records program lacked a viable legal foundation with “serious threats to privacy and civil liberties” with only “limited value.” The report also called for NSA to purge its files of these records.
The appeals court said the NSA collection exceeded the provisions of Section 215 of the Patriot Act, which is up for reauthorization before it runs out at the end of this month.
However, the court did not rule an end to the NSA domestic collection program, preferring instead to allow Congress an opportunity to make changes in the program.
Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is pushing to reauthorize Section 215.
But, the court, in its decision, concluded, ““We hold that the text of section 215 cannot bear the weight the government asks us to assign to it, and that it does not authorize the telephone metadata program. We conclude that to allow the government to collect phone records only because they may become relevant to a possible authorized investigation in the future fails even the permissive ‘relevance’ test.”
If Congress reauthorizes the Patriot Act provisions, we could see harsher court rulings result.
Frankly, it’s time someone reigned in Congress and its stomping all over the civil rights of American citizens. This ruling, at least, allows us to conclude that the 4th Amendment to the US Constitution is not dead.
“Those who surrender freedom for security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.” Benjamin Franklin
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Delleney (803)734-3125 [email protected] May 7, 2015 Speaker Lucas Reacts to Senate GOP Infrastructure Plan (Columbia, SC) – House Speaker Jay Lucas (District 65-Darlington) issued the following statement in response to the Senate Republican Caucus’ newly created infrastructure plan. “The Legislature has an obligation to the […]
The South Carolina Senate Republicans are announcing a comprehensive plan on Department of Transportation (DOT) reform, fixing South Carolina roads and cutting income taxes.
SC Treasurer Curtis Loftis extends the following letter to his South Carolina constituents.
Loftis has been a watchdog and critic of SC pension fund investment since he first assumed the office of Treasurer in January 2011.
While the fight has been difficult, Loftis is making some headway in lowering pension fees paid by the SC Retirement System Investment Commission and raising the investment percentage realized.
The letter from Loftis:
Hi,
I’m passionate about protecting South Carolina’s money. Actually, it’s your money and the State should manage it with care.
You wouldn’t overpay for a service or accept poor investment returns and neither should the State. Unfortunately, the penalty for the State’s mismanagement of money is that you must pay higher taxes and employee contributions.
I was featured in the financial section of Sunday’s New York Times concerning the best ways to manage and protect your money. Please take a few minutes and give the article a read – it is important to me that you see my efforts on your behalf.
As the custodian of the State’s funds, making sure your money is protected and properly managed is my first priority. It’s what you elected me to do…and I am on it!
The Horry County ZBA (Zoning Board of Appeals) is currently at the center of a growing controversy centered on the Pine Island community.
After hearing testimony over three months, the Horry County ZBA overturned a ruling by the Horry County Zoning Administrator with respect to DT LLC, a long time business in the Pine Island area owned by the Thompkins family currently run by Dennis Thompkins.
Normally members of the public are unaware of a zoning board of appeals decision unless it directly affects their property. The Horry County ZBA has quasi-judicial duties that require those speaking on either side of an issue to be sworn in.
Speak Up…