Politics

In the Center of the Transgender Storm – Update

The Horry County School Board is trying to work its way out of the center of a transgender storm regarding bathroom usage in schools.

After the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals recorded a 2-1 decision in the case of G.G. v. Gloucester (VA) County recently, a student who had been suspended for one day for using a school bathroom not of the student’s “birth-assigned sex” threatened to sue Horry County Schools.

The student is represented by the Transgender Law Center of California, which sent a letter to the school district threatening the law suit.

Just in the last several days, Horry County School Board members and Superintendent Rick Maxey received an email with two attachments from an attorney of the Alliance Defending Freedom, a Scottsdale, Arizona headquartered organization with a branch in Georgia.

The subject of the email is: “Schools Are Not Legally Required to Allow Students to Use Opposite-Sex Restrooms, Showers, and Changing Rooms.”

One of the email attachments “explains the recent decision in the case of G.G. v. Gloucester County School Board and dispels the myth that, following the decision, schools are required to allow students to use the restrooms of the opposite sex,” according to the email.

My first thought was why do a law center based in California and a non-profit organization headquartered in Arizona want to get involved in Horry County?

My second thought, an answer to the first, was so that these two organizations can bring their causes into the national spotlight, using Horry County to test the Fourth Circuit ruling. You know, the old 15 minutes of fame or, in this case, maybe 15 years of fame for these organizations.

Do we want our school board to get in the middle of a national legal fight over transgender rights, equal protection, Title IX, discrimination and the like or do we want them concentrating on educating our children?

Remember, any public money spent on fighting lawsuits is money taken away from our children’s education. And we certainly don’t want to have to raise taxes just to be the center of national media attention.

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Transgender Bathroom Issues Hit Horry County Schools

(Above Shanda Allen with husband Al Allen)

Over the past 48 hours, Horry County has literally exploded in comments about transgender bathroom usage in Horry County Schools.

The Horry County School Board has been the focus of this deluge of communications, mostly by parents opposing transgender students being allowed to use the bathroom of their choice.

Last week, a three judge panel at the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a 2-1 decision, in G.G. v. Gloucester County School Board, that a Virginia school discriminated “on the basis of sex” in violation of Title IX when it barred “G.G.,” a “transgender boy” (a girl who identifies as a boy) from using the boys’ restroom.

Previously, the school had allowed the student to use either the girls’ bathroom or one of the school’s single stall bathroom units created by the school to accommodate transgender students, but open to usage by all students.

Forcing the student to use a common area bathroom with a gender she didn’t identify with or to use a special single stall bathroom was determined discriminatory by the panel of judges.

The Horry County School Board faces the same type of situation with a transgender boy who was suspended from school for using the boys’ bathroom.

After the suspension, Horry County Schools was notified in a letter from the Transgender Law Center that it faced a lawsuit if students were denied usage of the bathroom of the gender with which they identify and live as on a daily basis.

Earlier this week, Horry County Schools released a statement, “The District maintains the privacy of all of its students. The District seeks to accommodate the individual needs of its transgender students in compliance with the law, including Title IX. We will continue our efforts to ensure a welcoming school environment for all students.”

That statement opened a deluge of communications from parents concerned with the idea of students of one gender using the bathroom of the opposite gender regardless of the gender with which the individual identifies himself or herself.

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Press Release: American Execs Tried To Cut Off Al Qaeda Funding Pre 9/11

The news media is filled with reports that the “Saudi kingdom’s involvement was deliberately covered up at the highest levels of our government. And the cover-up goes beyond locking up 28 pages of the Saudi report in a vault in the US Capitol basement. Investigations were throttled. Co-conspirators were let off the hook.” Fox News, Huffington Post, Miami Herald, New York Post, Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Beyond the contents of the 9/11 report allegedly implicating Saudi involvement in the funding of al Qaeda, is the documented information on how the United States Justice Department’s vaunted NCIC system was used in the attempted murder of United States business executives who were unwittingly shutting off Saudi funding to al Qaeda. For the past fifteen years, the surviving business executives have spent their lives to get to the truth of why they were targeted and why the United States Justice Department was actively involved in protecting the perpetrators.

During the fifteen years, they have uncovered links and concrete irrefutable documentation of the involvement of an Assistant Director of the FBI, the office of United States Senator Lindsey Graham, the United States Justice Department, the head of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and a Director in the Office of Homeland Security. The internal documents from the individuals and/or the agencies involved detail how these individuals’ lives were destroyed by illegal actions of the government under the guise of National Security to keep the secret of the Saudi financial involvement in 9/11 from the American public.

Millions of dollars of government funds were used and are still being used to stop this action from reaching a truly independent review in Federal District Court. The local political and geopolitical interest supersedes the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution because of the perceived impact of exposing documentation of both our governments’ actions against the public to protect Saudi interests tied to the funding of the attack on the United States on September 11, 2001 and the Saudis funding 9/11.

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Potential Buyer Looking at PTR Industries

(Above Gov. Nikki Haley with a special edition assault rifle presented to her by PTR Industries}

A firm from New York state is reportedly looking at the possibility of buying PTR Industries, a deal that could save the company’s operations at Horry County’s Cool Springs Business Park.

PTR Industries was recruited to relocate from Connecticut to Horry County in 2013 by the Myrtle Beach Regional Development Corporation. This was touted as a major coup by MBREDC as Horry County was a successful bidder over several other states in landing PTR Industries.

A package that included an approximately $1 million upgrade of a county spec building at Cool Springs Business Park and incentive based job creation credits was put together by MBREDC and the SC Department of Commerce for PTR Industries.

The company brought approximately 21 workers with it from Connecticut and promised to create an additional 145 jobs in Horry County within three years.

PTR Industries commenced operations in Horry County in January 2014 and hired approximately 28 additional employees in the first months of its operations.

However, it quickly fell behind in its rent payments to Horry County for the Cool Springs Business Park building that is its headquarters and manufacturing location. One week after a Grand Opening celebration, in July 2014, that included appearances by Gov. Nikki Haley and local Congressman Tom Rice, PTR Industries laid off some workers and instituted a 10% across the board pay cut to those remaining.

Since then, PTR Industries has struggled. According to several sources, Horry County Council restructured its rent deal with PTR Industries last fall in order to help the company become current.

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Presidential Primary Home Stretch

After sweeping five presidential primaries in big fashion last night, I think Donald Trump can tell the fat lady to start warming up her voice.

After six straight overwhelming primary wins, Trump has at least entered the home stretch to the Republican presidential nomination while rivals John Kasich and Ted Cruz are fading fast.

Cruz certainly demonstrated to Republican delegates to the national convention why he shouldn’t be the party’s choice with one second place finish and four thirds.

Cruz had a new excuse yesterday for his poor showings – It’s the media’s fault. Coming from a man who’s often wrong, but never in doubt, such a statement is not unexpected.

Cruz was in Indiana yesterday campaigning among the voters he predicts will be the stoppers to Trump’s nomination run.

Outside his own state of Texas, Indiana is a state that could buy into Cruz’s nonsense. After all, it’s only two years ago that Republican voters chose Richard Mourdock over long-time incumbent Richard Luger in a primary for the Republican nomination for the Senate.

Mourdock went on to snatch defeat from almost certain victory in this red state with the brilliant statement ‘if a woman becomes pregnant through an act of rape, It’s God’s Will.’

Kasich should be ashamed of himself for even thinking of joining is some type of collusion with Cruz to ‘Stop Trump’ from gaining the nomination.

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Random Thoughts on Presidential Primaries

Voters will go to the polls in five states today to cast a ballot in Republican and Democratic presidential primaries.

At the end of the day, Hilary Clinton will probably be very close to securing the number of delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination for president.

On the Republican side, Donald Trump is expected to win all five states. However, his nomination will still be in doubt because of party rules and a last ditch effort between the other remaining Republican candidates, Ted Cruz and John Kasich, to stop his nomination at all costs.

Here is a sample of the rhetoric we have heard in the last several days:

A vote for Cruz or Trump is a vote for Hilary Clinton – Kasich

John Kasich has no path whatsoever to the Republican nomination – Cruz

If you collude in business, if you collude in the stock market, they put you in jail. But, if you collude in politics, because it’s a rigged system, that’s okay. – Trump

It takes two guys, long time politicians, to get together to try and stop Trump and they’re way behind. These two guys have to collude in order to stay alive. And they’re not doing very good. They’re way behind. – Trump

Pennsylvania demonstrates the Republican system. It will send 71 delegates to the Republican national convention. If Trump has a big win in Pennsylvania, as he is expected to do, he will gain 17 pledged delegates. The remaining 54 will be unpledged going to the national convention.

This is why Cruz and or Kasich still have hopes of gaining the nomination. They don’t have to win with the voters. All they have to do is stop Trump from gaining a majority of delegates on the first ballot to force the convention open to second and further ballots where the results from the voters will be largely ignored.

As the rhetoric rises and the games being played are brought to light, it becomes more obvious to voters that they really don’t matter that much to the Republican insiders who are trying to stop Trump from gaining the nomination.

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It’s Tax Time Again

Spring means many things, but to local governments it means tax time, or consideration of whether to raise taxes or not.

One year after Horry County Council passed the largest tax increase in county history, the cities of Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach are looking to follow suit.

Both city councils are considering a property tax increase and increases in other fees that could significantly impact citizens and businesses.

To be fair, some of the reasons for the tax increase can be directly attributed to the General Assembly. This can be thought of as an indirect tax on citizens from Columbia.

Two areas come to mind quickly, the refusal of the General Assembly to fully fund the Local Government Fund and the need to make up billions of dollars of shortfall in the public pension funds.

The Local Government Fund is a return of state taxes, which is supposed to reimburse local governments for expenditures on state mandated agencies included in local budgets. The General Assembly, however, prefers to pass annual exemptions in order to underfund this return of tax dollars to local communities.

In this way, the General Assembly can appear to be holding the line on taxes while blaming the local governments for tax increases. Never mind that the state laws requiring these agencies came from the same body that refuses to live up to its mandated level to fund them.

The General Assembly is looking to increase the percentage local governments must contribute, per employee, for all employees included in the various state pension plans. This increase would take the local agency contributions from the current 8.16% of an employee’s annual salary to 11.5% of that salary.

I would submit the increase is needed because the General Assembly has refused to perform its fiduciary oversight responsibilities of the SC Retirement System Investment Commission.

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Questions Surround Robert Shelley County Council Candidacy

Robert Shelley, currently a candidate in the special election Republican primary for Horry County Council District 7, may have problems with both state and federal law should he attempt to continue to work for the SC Department of Motor Vehicles if he is elected to the District 7 seat on county council.

According to a Facebook post announcing his candidacy for the open District 7 county council seat, Shelley described his current job which may cause problems for Shelley assuming his seat as a county council member should he win the election.

“In the fall of 2007, I was offered a position with the State of South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, Dealer Licensing & Audit Unit as a Dealer Agent. I currently hold the position of Lead Investigator where I supervise the newly formed state-wide investigative unit,” Shelley said.

In a separate Facebook post, Shelley definitively stated he will continue working for the state agency, if elected.

“I have over 35 years of experience working in City, County & State Government and I plan to continue working for the State of South Carolina if I’m elected,” Shelley said on his Facebook page.

There are three potentially significant legal problems for Shelley if he wins the election and attempts to remain in his state job.

The first is the federal Hatch Act. Although it has been amended several times since it was first passed by Congress in 1939, the act still makes it illegal to run for partisan political office for those who hold certain positions within state government agencies that receive funding through federal grants or loans.

According to a spokesman for the SC Department of Motor Vehicles, that agency definitely receives funding from the federal government as part of its budget.

Shelley’s state position may or may not be one of those affected by the Hatch Act, but it certainly should be something he addresses with the voting public.

The next potential problem is with a state law mirroring the Hatch Act for state employees.

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Republican Party Trumped in New York

Every time the Republican Party elders think they are regaining control of their party, Donald Trump sticks another finger in their eye.

Donald Trump did it again last night with an overwhelming win in the New York Republican Primary. And, there are lots more to come in the Northeast, Middle Atlantic and Pacific Coast regions in the next six weeks or so.

This primary season can basically be described as a two part saga. Nearly every time the voters have their say in primaries, Trump comes out on top. When the party establishment can work its back room tactics in one type of caucus or another, someone else wins.

The quick conclusion that can be drawn from this is that the people want Donald Trump while the Republican Party establishment doesn’t.

Exit polls among Republican voters in New York say the same thing – 61% of those voting in the Republican primary (remember this was a closed primary limited to registered Republicans) said they wanted an outsider as the party’s nominee. At the same time, 69% said they felt the candidate who captures the largest number of delegates in the primaries, even if it isn’t a majority of delegates, should be the party’s nominee.

This is important. It is the voters who go to the polls in November who will elect our next president, not a bunch of party hacks trying to twist and turn the rules to their advantage.

And, if we’ve learned one thing during the primaries, it’s that Ted Cruz doesn’t excite a large number of voters.

If the Republican Party movers and shakers want to guarantee a loss in November, all they have to do is work their back room deals to nominate Cruz in July.

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Dr. Catherine Cameron Announces for School Board

MYRTLE BEACH, April 19 — Dr. Catherine Cameron, 60, of Myrtle Beach has announced her candidacy for the District 4 School Board seat.

Cameron is a lifelong business entrepreneur as well as an educator who has taught college for 20 years in traditional as well as online formats, with many of her students being military master degree candidates. She presently teaches for American Business & Technology University in St. Louis, Mo. Cameron also owned her own accredited real estate school in Pittsburgh, and with her husband runs a condo property management firm in Surfside Beach.

As a business consultant, expert and entrepreneur, she developed the “777 Business Program” for prospective entrepreneurs, along with coursework and program on other management topics. She has published three training manuals, presents this business coursework at Horry Georgetown Technical College’s Workforce Development Program.

Being a college professor, Dr. Cameron experiences firsthand that many students are either not prepared to compete academically with other students, don’t understand how to efficiently and effectively use the computer, internet and other technological tools available, or appreciate group synergy and the importance of working in teams. She is preparing students of Horry County today for their careers tomorrow, she says.

The school board seat Dr. Cameron is running for became open due to the death in February of school board member Kay Loftus, who had served on the board for 14 years. Ironically Dr. Cameron met Kay once at a Chamber of Commerce function and Loftus had recommended she run for the school board. When they discovered they lived in the same district the two just laughed, Dr. Cameron said.

District 4 includes St. James, Socastee, Myrtle Beach and Carolina Forest.

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Cameron and her husband Bill have owned a second home in Myrtle Beach for 20 years, and finally were able to call it their fulltime home two years ago. She said they are a “real Brady Bunch” and together have 5 children and 9 grandchildren spread out across many States.

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