Author: Paul Gable

Dems Schedule Candidate Events

Horry County Democratic voters will get three chances to hear from the candidates for the new 7th Congressional District across the next several months.

The four announced Democratic candidates, Preston Brittain, Gloria Tinubu, Parnell Diggs and Ted Vick will be at a reception commemorating Black History Month Saturday February 25th. The reception will be held at the Mason Temple C.O.G.I.C., 1501 7th Avenue, Conway beginning at 6 p.m.

The reception will offer the opportunity to sample recipes from the Horry County Democratic Party cookbook, meet the guest of honor, Mother Laura Grate who is 104 years old, and meet and speak with the candidates.

Prosser Added to NRCC ‘Young Guns’ Program

– The National Republican Congressional Committee named former Sanford Cabinet member Chad Prosser to ‘On the Radar’ status with the National Republican Congressional Committee’s Young Guns program in South Carolina’s new 7th Congressional District. Prosser rose to this level in less than one month of campaigning, an impressive feat showing the momentum his campaign has generated.

In only a few weeks since announcing his candidacy, Chad Prosser has established a district wide network of financial supporters, which will ensure that Chad has the resources necessary to communicate his message to voters across the district. “The NRCC’s Young Guns program is a great program that supports candidates to ensure that the best Republican candidate makes it through to the general election,” said Prosser. “I am honored to be included in this program, a step that further validates the momentum we have generated less than a month into this race.”

The Horry County SWA and Mis-information

A meeting today between Horry County council members and members of the Horry County Legislative Delegation evolved through many points of discussion, reached no consensus on the issue of flow control of the county’s waste stream, but did address charges of mis-information about proposed state legislation.

The flow control issue is currently being debated at the state level as Senate Bill 514 makes its way through the legislative process. Horry County currently is the only county in the state to mandate flow control of its waste stream by county ordinance 02-09. The ordinance requires that all waste generated in the county must be disposed at the Horry County Solid Waste Authority landfill on Hwy 90, giving the SWA monopoly control over the county’s waste.

The state legislation, if enacted, states that an ordinance “is void to the extent that a county ordinance restricts solid waste disposal at a permitted site outside a county’s boundaries or impedes a recycling program.”

A Statement from Mallory Factor

Mallory Factor released the following statement yesterday regarding the South Carolina State Employee Retirement System.

Like many South Carolinians, I have become increasingly concerned about thefinancial performance of our State employees’ retirement assets. As an experiencedfinancial executive, I wanted to help improve that performance. That is, after all,how I have made my living for over 30 years. I have been successful at it; and I have always, always operated above-board and lawfully.

Sadly, the issues related to financing South Carolina’s retirement system are nowembroiled in politics to a degree that is very unhealthy for the State’s many currentemployees and retirees. Change is always bitterly resisted by those who benefit
from the current system.

Flow Control Divides Horry County Pols

Internecine warfare among politicians over the issue of waste stream flow control is the current dominant issue of political discussion in Horry County.

The most recent round of the verbal battle over flow control began at last Tuesday night’s county council meeting when council voted 11-0 to support a resolution that urged state lawmakers to drop legislation that would allow free market capitalism in the waste industry and, instead, allow flow control, which is really monopoly government control, of the garbage generated in the county and the state.

A new round of flow control discussions took place at yesterday’s Committee of the Whole meeting of Horry County Council and will again be a subject of discussion when council holds a joint meeting with the Horry County delegation of state legislators Friday.

Tax Credits for School Choice, Dividends for All

More than 15,000 low-income students attend private schools in South Carolina. Their parents scrimp and save. They make sacrifices. They’ve put their children’s education at the top of the family’s financial priority list.

Those parents also pay taxes. More than $8.5 million this year in state income taxes alone.

Much larger than their contribution to the government coffers is the sum they save other taxpayers. If those 15,000 students enrolled in public schools and were funded at the rate of the existing public school students, it would cost state taxpayers more than $72 million. Taxpayers below the $35,000 income class would not pick up that slack; it would be borne by those with deeper pockets.

I&R Committee Hears Railroad Update

The Horry County Infrastructure and Regulation Committee heard an update on the Carolina Southern Railroad last week as the railroad looks to restart service.

Carolina Southern voluntarily shut down operations August 30, 2011, after new Federal Railroad Administration regulations identified issues with bridges along the railroad’s lines.

“We have put millions of dollars into bridges over the last couple of years,” said General Manager Jason Pippin. “However, we still have issues with three strategically located bridges that are keeping us from running.”

Hate Has An Evil Face

hate has an evil face

a putrid taste
it reeks of weakness
and is such a waste
of human potential
even the sound of the word
has such a harsh tone to it

hate is a cancer on
the face of mankind
it creates havoc
destroying everything
in it’s way
yes, hate has a very evil face.

— by Faith Elizabeth Brigham

Open Letter to Horry County Council

The following letter was sent in e-mail form to all members of Horry County Council by an Horry County resident and taxpayer. A copy was provided to Grand Strand Daily. The author expresses his experiences through the years with applying for a job at our newest economic development incentive recipient AvCraft.

Dear Sir or Madam

My name is Andy McCormack and I have been a resident and tax payer of Horry County for 14 years, I have owned a home in Horry County for 13 years and I have 26.5 years as a skilled aircraft painter and 3.5 years of aircraft wire harness fabrication/installation experience. In 1996 I received my permanent residency visa from US immigration based on my skills and experience as an aircraft painter.

Horry County Police Changing at Top (Updated 2/10)

With the SLED investigation of the Horry County Police Department complete and the Attorney General’s Office finding nothing of prosecutorial merit in the findings, the Horry County Police Department is now in position to move on to a new beginning.

With the investigation exonerating the police department and its evidence handling procedures, Chief Johnny Morgan will soon announce his retirement. Sources tell Grand Strand Daily that Morgan has been in the process of cleaning out his office and was just waiting for the investigation to be completed so he would not retire under a cloud of suspicion.

According to sources close to the department, Assistant Chief David Beatty’s days are also numbered. Beatty is rumored to not be the choice to replace Morgan and he has been applying for positions in other departments around the state.