Tag: Myrtle Beach

Gingrich, Myrtle Beach, Oil and Interstates

Accommodations Tax Money Doesn’t Solve Myrtle Beach Policing Problems

Recent changes in state law have made as much as an additional $5 million in accommodations tax money available for law enforcement in the Myrtle Beach area for the month of May.

This money is specifically targeted at providing additional police officers from around the state, and possibly from out of state, to handle crowds during the Atlantic Beach Bikefest over Memorial Day weekend.

Obviously there was insufficient law enforcement in Myrtle Beach during this past Memorial Day weekend when crowds got out of control in the south end of the city.

But, more and better policing is needed in Myrtle Beach throughout the year.

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Where Is Myrtle Beach City Council?

It’s been four weeks since the violence that made national news erupted during the Memorial Day Atlantic Beach Bikefest and Myrtle Beach City Council remains AWOL.

With the city council missing, the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce has stepped into the breach ‘considering’ a curfew and offering to pay for more police next year.

Last time I checked, those considerations come under core responsibilities of local government. They should not be suggestions made on the other side of Oak Street.

But, nature abhors a vacuum and the apparent missing status of Myrtle Beach City Council has created a political vacuum.

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Myrtle Beach Residents: Double Taxation – Still No Public Safety

Myrtle Beach residents began contacting members of Horry County Council this week requesting help with public safety problems in the city.

This is not as ridiculous as it sounds. After all, they are paying for it.

Countywide tax millage is paid by all property owners throughout Horry County. The Horry County Police Department is funded from the county’s general fund whose main revenue source is countywide tax millage.

City residents pay an additional level of taxes (citywide millage, fees and the like). The Myrtle Beach Police Department is funded from the city’s general fund whose main revenue source is the additional citywide tax millage.

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Atlantic Beach Bikefest, Money and Myrtle Beach

Much has been made about the extra money from accommodations tax that will be available to purchase the services of extra police for next year’s Atlantic Beach Bikefest.

Thanks to quick work in the General Assembly, approximately $2.3 million dollars will be allowed to be diverted from tourism marketing and promotion to law enforcement costs next year.

I have even heard some talk about some of that money being used for private security firms, such as Blackwater Security, if a few additional changes can be made to state law to allow it.

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SCGOP In-Fighting

Nikki Haley Says Time for Memorial Day Black Bike Festival to End

In town for an annual Hurricane Preparedness Conference, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, referring to the Memorial Day Weekend Black Bike Festival, “It’s time for that festival to come to an end.”

Haley said the state can let the people of Atlantic Beach know “we will help them with tourism, we will help them in any way to strengthen their community, but we are not going to promote any events going forward that do any harm to the citizens of South Carolina and that’s exactly what happened…”

Haley made her comments at a press conference held after a one hour meeting with Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes, Horry County Council Chairman Mark Lazarus and other officials from around Horry County.

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Gingrich, Myrtle Beach, Oil and Interstates

Myrtle Beach Mayhem – It’s the Economy’s Fault

Myrtle Beach city officials finally got on message yesterday about the murder and mayhem that occurred in the city over Memorial Day weekend – Officially – It’s the Economy’s Fault.

The story goes, ‘because S.C. cities and counties that usually send officers to help on the Grand Strand during biker weekends are stretched tight budget wise, because of the poor economy, they couldn’t send any help this year.’

The fact that Myrtle Beach cut the $150 per diem it pays to these outside officers out of its budget for this year probably was a factor also.

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VA BENEFITS APPROVED FOR THE PITTSBURGH INSTITUTE OF AERONAUTICS – MYRTLE BEACH CAMPUS

May 23, 2014 (Myrtle Beach, SC) – PIA is proud to announce that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has approved the Myrtle Beach campus to receive VA benefits.

Veterans interested in PIA’s Myrtle Beach campus can now utilize the various benefits received from their service to support an education in aviation maintenance. Campus Director Peg Jackson believes this will serve as a great opportunity for local veterans.

“We’re excited for the Myrtle Beach campus to be an avenue for local veterans interested in a quality, hands-on education,” Jackson said.

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Congratulations Myrtle Beach Or is it Murder Beach?

Regardless, congratulations are in order to my former hometown’s elected and tourism officials. You managed to get yourselves some national headlines over the weekend, but for all the wrong reasons.

You honestly cannot be surprised can you?

I mean, after all, there were how many shootings again in our “quiet, little sleepy tourist town?”

There’s been how many women who have gone missing in recent months?

There’s been how many guns pulled on people at various establishments?

And, before we go any further, let’s clear up a few potential misconceptions.

This has nothing to do with black bike week, Harley bike week, black people, white people or gun issues.

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The Governor’s Race and Casino Gambling

The desire for casino gambling has never left the minds of certain players along the Grand Strand.

In 2009, this group put its initial support behind Gresham Barrett in the governor’s race. Remember the $85,000 funneled to Barrett that was part of Coastal Kickback?

It only takes the signature of the governor on an agreement with a Native American tribe to bring casino gambling into the state. Both state and local governments are not part of the process.

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Near Miss on RIDE III for Carolina Forest

Residents of Carolina Forest should be aware of how nearly they were cut out of the RIDE III decision making process before it even got started.

Horry County Council approved, at last week’s budget retreat, a process that would have cut out a citizens’ committee from the project identification phase of the RIDE process in favor of county and city staffs making up the initial list of projects.

Fortunately, after a short break, council reconsidered what it had approved and amended the process to put the citizens committee back in.

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