The Opinion Blog

North Myrtle Beach's Future Being Built

Thursday’s editorial:

The most impressive part of the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce’s five-year growth plan is not the plan to diversify the North Strand economy or the push to improve marketing of North Myrtle Beach. It’s not even the focus on sustainable development or its admirable commitment to financial accountability.

Wondering About the Wonder Land

Thursday’s second editorial expands a bit on the blog post of last week, wondering if this proposed Asian Wonder Land will actually succeed:

News that a coalition of folks hope to build a new Asian Wonder Land in Myrtle Beach has left us scratching our heads. Don’t be mistaken. A $15 million to $20 million investment would be great for the city. And it’s always good news when a new attraction comes to town. But $25 a person for a lantern display, cultural exhibits and educational opportunities?

Lift the Veil on Job Incentives

Secrecy is the enemy of trust, so let’s open the books a little wider when it comes to the county’s Project Blue. Friday’s editorial explains further:

Credit deserves to be given where credit’s due. And at least when it comes to the much-hyped Project Blue, that credit recently must go to some of the other news outlets in the area, which have done a yeoman’s job of digging into the background of the proposal to bring more than 1,000 call center jobs to our area.

Secrecy brings with it two close bedfellows: Suspicion and curiosity. While the need for secrecy in negotiating incentive agreements is, regrettably, sometimes necessary, the cat has already been yanked out of the bag on this one. We all now know the company involved is Covation LLC, that the Fortune 100 company they intend to work for is AT&T, that they hope to be located in Carolina Forest, and even who the incentives are coming from and how much. It’s time to stop referring to it as Project Blue and start discussing the issues involved in the open. Doing so would go a long way toward putting to rest worries of public dollars being appropriated in secret, without public input.

Worth Asking: Why Do We Want I-73?

What’s the ultimate reason we’re pursuing I-73? That’s the question Sunday’s editorial asks, in the hopes of sparking a conversation on the best way of fulfilling that reason, whatever it is:

The ongoing debate over the long-delayed construction of Interstate 73 comes down in the end to one question: What’s the goal we’re hoping to achieve?

If the goal is specifically a new interstate, then continuing our three-decade pursuit of I-73 is the path to choose. If, however, the goal is the less specific task of easing transportation to and from the Grand Strand, the choices widen.

Expand Pre-K to All in South Carolina

Thursday’s second editorial calls for expanded offerings of pre-kindergarten:

With students heading back to school this week, it’s a good time to revisit one of the best ways to improve education statewide, and in turn improve our communities and our economy: pre-kindergarten.

About half of 4-year-olds in South Carolina get some sort of early childhood education, delivered through a hodgepodge of state and federal programs. It’s time to increase that to cover all of the state’s 4-year-olds.

Arts Center Plan Needs Focus, Not Just Passion

Tuesday’s editorial urges the Myrtle Beach Performing Arts Center board to get its act together if it ever wants to actually build an arts center:

The members of the Myrtle Beach Performing Arts Center board might be forgiven for sounding a bit pessimistic at their latest meeting. After all, 12 years after the group began its work to build a modern theater space for local arts, they’re about as close to completion as the state is to building Interstate 73.

A meeting of the board on Friday was marked by repeated calls for reorganization and evident frustration with the city of Myrtle Beach, particularly at its proposal of a new amphitheater that members see as a threat to their own dearly held dream of a home for the arts.

Amphitheater Best Way Out of Sticky Situation

Why should Myrtle Beach spend millions to build a venue it doesn’t really need? Sunday’s editorial explains:

Does Myrtle Beach need a new $5.4 million, city-built amphitheater? No, not really.

Is it better than repaying the state $7 million in grant money, plus interest? Absolutely.

Now if we can just convince S.C. Treasurer Curtis Loftis that the amphitheater – or “outdoor entertainment complex,” as the city prefers – is really a “national and international convention and trade show center.”

Home Run, Step 1: Step Up to the Plate



Economic development efforts can be frustrating. But you can’t win if you don’t play, as Sunday’s editorial explains:

Don’t be too surprised if you’re at the House of Blues for the Edwin McCain concert Monday night and you see a few busloads of folks in “business casual attire” wandering in. The concert by McCain (as well as the wonderfully named Mark Bryan and the Occasional Milkshake) was chosen as the entertainment portion of the regional business conference in town for a few days. Hopefully, attendees are impressed.

Since it was announced in 2010, leaders have been touting the 2012 Southeastern U.S. - Canadian Provinces conference as a chance to show ourselves off.

Big Decisions Ahead for Georgetown



Lots going on these days down in Georgetown, including a sales tax proposal, more port action and leadership shakeup. Sunday’s editorial tries to address it all:

South Carolina has long been a state that values individual responsibility. If you want something done, there’s no one better to do it than yourself; don’t look to others to pave the way for you. That attitude is perhaps one reason the local option sales tax has become a popular idea in recent years. Governments that have grown tired of sending millions to Columbia only to see it vanish into a maze of state bureaucracy would prefer to keep some of that money at home, to complete local projects. (If Columbia budget writers would fully fund the state’s local government fund, we may not be having this discussion, but that’s a topic for another day.)

Good for Tourism, Good for the Strand



Sunday’s first editorial:

The Myrtle Beach area drew an estimated 14 million visitors in 2010, more than 50 visitors for every permanent resident in Horry County. More than a third of the admissions and accommodations taxes collected in South Carolina are generated in Horry and Georgetown counties. Most of the jobs in the area can be tied, at least indirectly, to tourism and hospitality. In short, we’re a community built on tourism. That should be no surprise to anybody.