Author: Paul Gable

AvCraft Incentive Funds on Hold

By a 9-3 vote, Horry County Council reconsidered its decision to give $100,000 of incentive development funds to AvCraft Technical Services at its regular meeting tonight. Included in the motion was a requirement for the company and the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation (MBREDC) to come before council’s committee of the whole next week to justify why AvCraft should receive the funds.

AvCraft was specifically requested to provide a presentation to the committee of the whole that includes its new business plan as well as justification why its current promise to provide new jobs will have a different result than its three similar promises in the past which have resulted in no new jobs. Rather than just saying it will create new jobs, AvCraft will have to prove to council members it has a solid plan to justify that position.

In addition, council voted 12-0 to delay third reading on a new lease for AvCraft. That decision will also be made after next week’s committee of the whole meeting.

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Harwell Exits 7th District Race

By Paul Gable
Grand Strand Daily has learned that Myrtle Beach business woman Debbie Harwell will announce later this afternoon that she is withdrawing as a candidate for the new 7th Congressional District seat.

Harwell, considered to be one of the strongest candidates in the field due to name recognition, organization and contacts throughout the new district, is withdrawing due to family medical issues.

Her husband, former S.C. Supreme Court Judge David Harwell (79), was hospitalized in December for several serious medical conditions.

“It is with great regret that I must remove my name from consideration as a candidate in the 7th Congressional District race,” said Harwell in a statement.

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Reconsidering the AvCraft Bailout

Horry County Council could vote to reconsider the $100,000 economic development incentive package it approved at its December 13, 2011 regular meeting, according to an article published yesterday in the Myrtle Beach Sun News by reporter David Wren.

Council members voted to approve the incentive package for a code named business and did not realize the recipient was AvCraft Technical Services until publicly announced two weeks after the vote. After AvCraft was announced as the recipient in a press conference, some council members became incensed.

Since the controversy erupted, Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation chief executive Brad Lofton and Mike Hill, Chief Operating Officer of AvCraft, have joined council chairman Tom Rice in trying to spin that the current version of AvCraft is a new company, not the same old one that has consistently failed to add new jobs to the area.

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The AvCraft Bailout, No Strings Attached to $1.25 Million

Washington, D.C. politicians have nothing on Horry County Council members when it comes to bailing out business.

In an attempt to help AvCraft Technical Services, Inc. become profitable, county council reduced the rent on three hangars occupied by the company at Myrtle Beach International Airport by approximately $1.25 million over a five-year period.

Third and final reading of the lease agreement, Ordinance 53-11, is scheduled for the regular meeting of Horry County Council Tuesday night January 10, 2012. The lease is between Myrtle Beach International Airport and KNH Aviation Services, Inc. the holding company for AvCraft assets.

However, while final approval of the lease awaits council action Tuesday, according to the Horry County Public Information Office, AvCraft has been paying the lower rent since October 2010 through a space use agreement between the airport and the company.

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Viers Arrest Terminates Candidacy

S.C. Rep Thad Viers, an early announced candidate for the 7th Congressional District seat, is pulling out of the race due to his arrest on first degree harassment charges of an ex=girlfriend today. He also announced he would not seek re-election to his current office due to the incident.

Viers turned himself in to Myrtle Beach police this afternoon. The question is how did Myrtle Beach become the agency of record? Viers does not live in Myrtle Beach, the ex-girlfriend reportedly lives in Charleston and the harassment took place via cell phone and internet.

According to reports, the ex-girlfriend told police she had broken off her relationship with Viers last June and had repeatedly asked Viers to stop harassing her.

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Romney Visits Conway Tomorrow

Holding a 43 percent to 14 percent edge over second place Ron Paul in recent New Hampshire polls, Mitt Romney is making a trip to South Carolina beginning today.

Needing to demonstrate a strong showing in a socially conservative evangelical state, Romney will begin his visit in Charleston this afternoon. He will be accompanied by S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley and 2008 Republican nominee John McCain who endorsed Romney yesterday at an event in New Hampshire.

Romney, Haley and McCain will appear at a “grassroots rally” at the Peanut Warehouse, 107 Main St., Conway tomorrow morning beginning at 7:45 a.m.

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Santorum, Romney in Iowa Dead Heat

In the closest voting in Iowa Caucus history, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum finished in a virtual dead heat last night. Romney polled 30,015 votes to Santorum’s 30,007, or 25 percent of the vote each.

Ron Paul took third place with 21 percent of the vote. Newt Gingrich limped out of Iowa in fourth place with 13 percent after leading the polls just two weeks ago.

Rick Perry polled just 10 percent for a fifth place finish and may be on the way out of the race for the nomination. Perry told his supporters he was returning to Texas to “reassess” his campaign rather than moving directly to South Carolina as had been planned.

Michelle Bachmann polled five percent of the vote and Jon Huntsman polled just under one percent.

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Kelly Payne on the Ground in Iowa

South Carolina high school teacher and political activist Kelly Payne donated part of her Christmas vacation to work in Iowa as a volunteer for the Michelle Bachmann campaign.

“I was excited they felt comfortable enough with me to ask me to help,” said Payne. “I pitched in and did whatever was needed.”

A social studies teacher at Dutch Fork High School, Payne also teaches a government and civics elective class that has drawn statewide attention. She created IT Kids, turning her classroom into one of the top political forums in the state with many legislators and top officeholders, across the political spectrum, giving her students an up close and personal view of state government.

“I will be bringing my experiences in Iowa back to the classroom so my students can share in the experience of grassroots politics,” said Payne.

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Illuminating the Light Bulb Ban

Maybe you’ve heard that the federal government has outlawed the incandescent light bulb effective Jan.1, 2012. Well, that’s not quite correct. Here’s what’s really happening: A planned phase-out of today’s general service 40W, 60W, 75W, and 100W incandescent bulbs.

The funding to enforce these standards has been blocked in the giant 1,200-page omnibus-spending bill that was recently signed into law by president Obama. This is the result of uninformed propaganda set forth by talk radio pundits and the new ‘I hate government’ movement.

But don’t plan that the old bulb will be manufactured any time soon. The DOE rules go into effect in 2012 and lighting companies have already phased out the manufacturing capabilities of their inefficient light bulbs.

The law was passed in 2007 as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) a sweeping, 300-plus-page energy bill passed by the 110th Congress—effectively bans the 100-watt incandescent bulb. In addition new efficiency standards were established for appliances, residential, commercial and industrial buildings. Light bulb efficiency was only one part of the law.

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Jobs, AvCraft and Rice for Congress

Reflecting further on Thursday’s announcement that the county and the state would combine to provide AvCraft Technical Services, Inc. with $200,000 of new incentives, I am offended. I can’t help but ask just how stupid county council chairman Tom Rice, Gov. Nikki Haley and officials of the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation think the citizens of Horry County are!

“I am thankful for the company’s commitment to Horry County and proud of our economic development team for this terrific announcement.” – Rice.

“It’s another great day in South Carolina, and we are going to celebrate AvCraft’s decision to expand and create 150 new jobs in Horry County.” – Haley.

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