Gingrich, Myrtle Beach, Oil and Interstates

Myrtle Beach Redux

By Paul Gable

Filing for the November 2013 Myrtle Beach city elections closed Friday September 6th and it looks like four more years of same old, same old in city politics.

That means most of the political issues, and all of the important ones, will be decided in the Dunes Club card room before they are ever discussed in city hall.

Three candidates, Bill Howard, Jerry Fout and Robert Palmer, filed to run against Mayor John Rhodes, which effectively means Rhodes will be easily re-elected because the north end will vote in a block for him and the three challengers will split whatever may come from the forgotten remainder of the city.

Two challengers, Keith Van Winkle and Jackie Vereen, filed against the three incumbent council members, Wayne Gray, Mike Lowder and Randal Wallace, seeking re-election. This could provide for some excitement as it is difficult to keep voting blocks solidly behind three candidates at the same time.

Remember, Lowder knocked off incumbent Chuck Martino four years ago.

But, short of any indictments coming down in the Chambergate mess, the incumbents will probably sweep back into office.

What will that mean?

The south end, the original settlement in Myrtle Beach, will continue to be unrepresented and ignored.

The ad tax will be safe continuing to transfer wealth from the poor to the rich.

The upper level of city staff, most of which benefits from the retire-rehire program, will continue to double dip public dollars.

And there will be increased efforts to bring that hot, new tourist group the Chinese (when I was in the Navy they were the Communist Chinese) to the area in ever increasing numbers.

Anybody ever hear the term “gwai lo”? You will!

One Comment

  1. Appreciate the article but not sure why you had to end it on talking smack about Chinese people.