The Sun News: Lawmakers discuss taxes, I-73
Posted on November 29, 2007
Filed Under News
Interstate 73, tourism promotion, tax reform and immigration issues were among the top concerns aired Wednesday at the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual legislative luncheon.
About 200 people attended and listened for almost two hours as most of the county’s delegation spoke on issues they expect to be topics of legislation in the coming session and answered questions posed by chamber members.
Lawmakers were asked if they think they can get $10 million - or more - in the state budget again for tourism promotion, and if it could be a permanent allocation rather than one that has to be considered each year.
Rep. Alan Clemmons, R-Myrtle Beach, said more accommodations tax money was collected from Horry County last summer than ever before, and he believes it is related to the stepped-up tourism promotion.
That will help make a good case for permanent funding because increased revenue helps the whole state, Clemmons said.
How to get permanent funding for I-73 in the budget is another problem. A House-passed plan to do so failed last session because Sen. Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence, opposed it. Sen. Luke Rankin, R-Myrtle Beach, said Leatherman supports I-73 but did not think it was the right time to spend state money on it.
Rep. Nelson Hardwick said the issue is one reason he works on developing relationships with legislators from other parts of the state.
“They enjoy divvying up our money,” he said. So he works on trying to persuade them to help Horry County make more money, such as with an interstate highway.
Rep. Thad Viers, R-Myrtle Beach, also said it’s important to keep pressing the argument that I-73 is needed “from the state’s perspective,” and that it isn’t just to help Myrtle Beach bring in more tourists.
Clemmons commended the chamber members for lobbying other legislators about the area’s needs, especially with the annual reception for lawmakers held in the capital during the legislative session.
“You have made so much difference in how the Grand Strand is perceived in the General Assembly,” Clemmons said. Most of the delegation said they expect some action will be taken on immigration this year. More than a dozen bills on the subject were filed last year, many of them by Viers, and more will be filed this year.
“We just can’t continue to let things go on and on and on,” said Rep. Billy Witherspoon, R-Conway.
“Something’s going to happen,” but legislators will make sure it is fair to employers, Viers said.
Rankin said the state cannot allow local governments to pass their own immigration ordinances. The chamber and most other business groups do not want local governments to be able to regulate immigration, or to investigate employers.
On tax reform, Clemmons said there will be attempts to adjust the swap of sales tax for school operating taxes on owner-occupied homes. One result has been higher taxes for second homes, which affects investing and the real estate industry, he said.
Sen. Ray Cleary, R-Murrells Inlet, said economists predict a slowdown early in the year and local legislators will first have to make sure they hold onto local allocations before trying for additional money.
Lawmakers discuss taxes, I-73
By Zane Wilson - The Sun News - Nov 29, 2007
The Principles of Compromise, not the Compromise of Principles
Posted on November 12, 2007
Filed Under Blog
“Those of you who know me best know me as a dentist or a soccer coach or a friend or neighbor. I’ve built my life with a focus on giving back to the community and the people who have been so supportive of my family and me throughout the years. A real key to success in any endeavor is to learn how to listen carefully, something many politicians have forgotten.
It was clear to me that in order to have any positive impact on the residents of this District, I would have to understand how “the system” works to make it work for us. Even before I was officially sworn into office as your State Senator, I began listening carefully - and studying how best to accomplish my objectives in Columbia.
There are many fine men and women serving in the legislature - each with an eye on what is best for his or her constituents and for the entire state. I work overtime to understand their vision and their needs so that I can find ways in which to apply the principles of compromise to maximize our mutual goals. In that process, however, I understand that you elected me to serve you by believing in my vision and my ability to get the job done - but never to compromise the principles that are at the foundation of my political philosophy: That less government is better than more government; that lower taxes are better than higher taxes; and that State government should only invest in those things which cannot better be accomplished by individuals and businesses.”
The Sun News: Lawmakers at work on panels in offseason
Posted on November 12, 2007
Filed Under News
Lawmakers at work on panels in offseason
By Zane Wilson - The Sun News
From broadband Internet access to government taking of property, some local lawmakers are busy with issues in committee meetings even though the legislative session doesn’t start until Jan. 7.
The legislative sessions meet January to June on a two-year cycle. This year’s session was the first of the two-year cycle, so bills that were not passed are still alive until next year’s session ends.
Public hearings on immigation and spending caps, both of which are likely to be hotly debated in the next session, were held in several locations across the state, though not in Horry or Georgetown counties.
The Sun News: Local Veterans Day Events
Posted on November 12, 2007
Filed Under News
The following is from the Myrtle Beach Sun News:
LOCAL VETERANS DAY EVENTS
At 12:15 p.m. today, state Sen. Ray Cleary will present a resolution at the Eagle Crest retirement complex on Grissom Parkway in Myrtle Beach, passed by the state Senate to Gerard Tempest honoring him for his service in World War II.
A native of Italy, Tempest served in U.S. Army Intelligence because he was fluent in German and French - which led to unusual assignments after landing in Normandy on D-Day.
He got his start as an artist in Myrtle Beach, then went on to be recognized for his work in Europe and the U.S. His paintings hang in permanent collections here and in the Vatican.
