Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce President Brad Dean was all smiles today as the Chamber of Commerce initiative RIDE III passed by an overwhelming majority of local votes. “We were nervous this would get caught up in the national frustration with government, and spill over into an anti-road vote,” Dean told the local Sun News.
The bill was carefully crafted to ensure that every local resident had some pet project included so as to secure the vote.
The anti establishment mood Dean expressed today to the local Sun News, however, is real. MyrtleBeachSC.com has been polling locals all October. They have told us they are tired of local politicians and local large corporations (including the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber) enriching themselves at the expense of average Americans. The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber gets over $25 million in corporate welfare from the city of Myrtle Beach through local taxes annually.
The Sun News published today: The chamber [Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce] and numerous other tourism and business officials launched a campaign in the last two weeks and spent $200,000 to promote RIDE III, in part to educate new voters in the area.
MyrtleBeachSC.com internals show the group actually spent more in the area of $500,000.00. There was no opposition funds raised in response to the Chamber of Commerce’s RIDE III campaign. The one percent tax will go into effect this May 2017 and remain for eight years.
RIDE 3 Project List
Estimated Costs
1) $50,000,000 – U.S. Hwy. 501 Corridor improvements – SC Hwy. 31 to SC 544
3) $54,700,000 – Carolina Forest Boulevard Widening
4) $7,500,000 – Palmetto Pointe Blvd. Ext. to SC Hwy. 544
5) $21,700,000 – SC Hwy. 9 East Widening (Loris)
6) $5,000,000 – Resurface 33.13 miles of City roads
7) $65,100,000 – US Hwy. 701 N Widening (North Conway)
8) $19,300,000 – Fred Nash Blvd. connection to Harrelson Blvd. – Myrtle Beach
9) $19,800,000 – US Hwy. 17 Business Intersection Improvements – Garden City
10) $89,100,000 – Forestbrook Road Widening
11) $15,000,000 – Pave 25 miles County dirt roads*
12) $5,000,000 – Resurface 33.87 miles County roads
13) $13,900,000 – US Hwy. 501 Realignment from Broadway Street to 7th Avenue North
14) $ 7,500,000 – US Hwy. 701 Widening – North to Loris
15) $18,400,000 – Conway Perimeter Road Phase II
16) $15,000,000 – Pave 25 miles County dirt roads*
17) $ 5,000,000 – Resurface 33.87 miles County roads
18) $25,000,000 – Southern Evacuation Lifeline (SELL) – Environmental Studies and Right-of-Way
19) $125,000,000 – SC Hwy. 31 (Carolina Bays Parkway) Extension To SC/NC State line
20) $15,000,000 – Pave 25 miles County dirt roads*
