Post by Purple Pan on Jun 5, 2009 6:53:54 GMT -6
www.myrtlebeachcompass.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=372
Myrtle Beach News : Locals Fighting Anti-Biker Efforts
By Becky Billingsley
Thursday, June 4, 2009, Pawleys Island - Potential tourists are being informed by local ABATE chapter coordinator Tony Spinnato about a recent penny tax increase approved in the City of Myrtle Beach, and a luncheon intended as a thank-you to local politicians for efforts to end May bike rallies may be crashed.
ABATE is, "a motorcyclist's rights organization dedicated to preserving individual liberties and biker rights."
Spinnato sent the message to thousands of media sources in several states within the past week, and he has received several responses inquiring about the situation's background, including contact from CNN.
The message he sent reads:
________________________________________
To All The Tourist Who Plan to Visit Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Hope everyone has wonderful summer traveling around this country on your vacation at whatever destination you choose ....
BEWARE!
Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes and City Council raised taxes on locals last year to rid the City of almost ½ million tourist. People are not sure why anyone would raise taxes to chase off tourist in this economy, especially when your City thrives on tourism...
On May 26th, 2009, Mayor Rhodes and City Council raised taxes on you, the tourist, as well as the residents of the city. $.01 increase on everything but gasoline, prescriptions and unprocessed food. If you stay, eat, entertain or travel within Myrtle Beach city limits you will be charged a penny more per dollar on every dollar you spend. Their reasoning for this is to be able to bring you, the tourist, back to our City...keep in mind that the "city" of Myrtle Beach is roughly 10 miles long out of the entire 60 miles of the Grand Strand. Cities and towns outside the city limits, ie. Garden City, Surfside, Murrells Inlet, North Myrtle Beach, etc. have not joined the city in its efforts to deter vacationers. These surrounding towns are still in the tourism business.
So now when you plan your vacation think of the extra dollar Myrtle Beach is taking from you, especially in the worst economy in US History ...
Supported by: Not A Dime In 2009 and maybe Do It Again In 2010 ....
________________________________________
"The city thinks they're going to make a lot of money [from the tax], and I don't see it happening," Tony said. "If you ride down Kings Highway now, look at how many businesses are closed. It's sad to ride through a city like Myrtle Beach and see so much closed now.
Tony says he went to all the Myrtle Beach City Council meetings in the previous year or so and talked in opposition of a new motorcycle helmet law that requires all riders within the Myrtle Beach City limits to wear helmets, despite an S.C. state law that says only riders younger than age 18 have to wear helmets. He wonders where all the Myrtle Beach business owners who are now upset over such regulations, designed to discourage annual motorcycle rallies, were during those council meetings.
"Where were [Myrtle Beach business owners] eight or nine months ago, a year ago, when the only ones there [opposing the regulations] were me and four or five citizens, and there were 40 or 50 people against us?...Why wasn't every business in the city who was against what the mayor was doing standing up for themselves?"
Tony says he supports local groups such as HELP (Help Eliminate Lousy Politicians), and BOOST (Business Owners Organized to Save Tourism), which have vowed to vote out of office Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes and three city council members whose spots are up for re-election in November.
"We need to put someone in there more business-minded," Tony said. "They don't have to be biker-friendly. But we need someone who knows how to save and how to survive on a dollar, and make the city more friendly again...The economy is definitely killing everything, we all know that. But Myrtle Beach used to be known as a place where you could come here and do whatever you want, have fun.
"Those bikers they ran off come back in the summer with the wife and two kids and their mother and father and cousins. They come back in the fall with their buddies to play golf. They come with their wives to get away for the weekend. Well, they're not coming back any more. They chased off half a million people who come here several times a year, and they're not coming back."
Another group called Take Back May was organized to encourage the City of Myrtle Beach to put an end to the two local May motorcycle rallies. They are having a free lunch event from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 10 at the Myrtle Beach Train Depot at 861 Broad St., to thank the mayor and city council members for their efforts toward that end.
Some local bikers are planning to also attend the luncheon, Spinnato said.
"It looks like now we have a nice load of people to show up," he said. The BOOST group and the HELP group, we think we will join together and fight this together. They're all talking about being there."
Myrtle Beach News : Locals Fighting Anti-Biker Efforts
By Becky Billingsley
Thursday, June 4, 2009, Pawleys Island - Potential tourists are being informed by local ABATE chapter coordinator Tony Spinnato about a recent penny tax increase approved in the City of Myrtle Beach, and a luncheon intended as a thank-you to local politicians for efforts to end May bike rallies may be crashed.
ABATE is, "a motorcyclist's rights organization dedicated to preserving individual liberties and biker rights."
Spinnato sent the message to thousands of media sources in several states within the past week, and he has received several responses inquiring about the situation's background, including contact from CNN.
The message he sent reads:
________________________________________
To All The Tourist Who Plan to Visit Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Hope everyone has wonderful summer traveling around this country on your vacation at whatever destination you choose ....
BEWARE!
Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes and City Council raised taxes on locals last year to rid the City of almost ½ million tourist. People are not sure why anyone would raise taxes to chase off tourist in this economy, especially when your City thrives on tourism...
On May 26th, 2009, Mayor Rhodes and City Council raised taxes on you, the tourist, as well as the residents of the city. $.01 increase on everything but gasoline, prescriptions and unprocessed food. If you stay, eat, entertain or travel within Myrtle Beach city limits you will be charged a penny more per dollar on every dollar you spend. Their reasoning for this is to be able to bring you, the tourist, back to our City...keep in mind that the "city" of Myrtle Beach is roughly 10 miles long out of the entire 60 miles of the Grand Strand. Cities and towns outside the city limits, ie. Garden City, Surfside, Murrells Inlet, North Myrtle Beach, etc. have not joined the city in its efforts to deter vacationers. These surrounding towns are still in the tourism business.
So now when you plan your vacation think of the extra dollar Myrtle Beach is taking from you, especially in the worst economy in US History ...
Supported by: Not A Dime In 2009 and maybe Do It Again In 2010 ....
________________________________________
"The city thinks they're going to make a lot of money [from the tax], and I don't see it happening," Tony said. "If you ride down Kings Highway now, look at how many businesses are closed. It's sad to ride through a city like Myrtle Beach and see so much closed now.
Tony says he went to all the Myrtle Beach City Council meetings in the previous year or so and talked in opposition of a new motorcycle helmet law that requires all riders within the Myrtle Beach City limits to wear helmets, despite an S.C. state law that says only riders younger than age 18 have to wear helmets. He wonders where all the Myrtle Beach business owners who are now upset over such regulations, designed to discourage annual motorcycle rallies, were during those council meetings.
"Where were [Myrtle Beach business owners] eight or nine months ago, a year ago, when the only ones there [opposing the regulations] were me and four or five citizens, and there were 40 or 50 people against us?...Why wasn't every business in the city who was against what the mayor was doing standing up for themselves?"
Tony says he supports local groups such as HELP (Help Eliminate Lousy Politicians), and BOOST (Business Owners Organized to Save Tourism), which have vowed to vote out of office Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes and three city council members whose spots are up for re-election in November.
"We need to put someone in there more business-minded," Tony said. "They don't have to be biker-friendly. But we need someone who knows how to save and how to survive on a dollar, and make the city more friendly again...The economy is definitely killing everything, we all know that. But Myrtle Beach used to be known as a place where you could come here and do whatever you want, have fun.
"Those bikers they ran off come back in the summer with the wife and two kids and their mother and father and cousins. They come back in the fall with their buddies to play golf. They come with their wives to get away for the weekend. Well, they're not coming back any more. They chased off half a million people who come here several times a year, and they're not coming back."
Another group called Take Back May was organized to encourage the City of Myrtle Beach to put an end to the two local May motorcycle rallies. They are having a free lunch event from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 10 at the Myrtle Beach Train Depot at 861 Broad St., to thank the mayor and city council members for their efforts toward that end.
Some local bikers are planning to also attend the luncheon, Spinnato said.
"It looks like now we have a nice load of people to show up," he said. The BOOST group and the HELP group, we think we will join together and fight this together. They're all talking about being there."