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North Myrtle Beach News
AtNetPlus Moves South: Expanding IT Services to North Myrtle Beach Business Growth
As the Southeast continues to attract major business growth, driven by its strategic location, cost advantages and growing population, AtNetPlus is expanding its presence to meet rising demand …
Myrtle Beach Area News
![Horry County's proposed 1% sales tax increase aims to reduce commercial and real estate taxes in exchange. The State of South Carolina is considering a decrease in property taxes. To compensate for this reduction in taxes, Horry County intends to implement the 1% tax to support its general fund.
By April 2022, the last 1% sales tax collected $592 million for the RIDE III project. Horry County is expecting to put that much in its general fund, if this newest tax passes a Fall Ballot referendum.
The primary contention against the 1% tax revolves around the issue of liberty.
Introduction Local government rarely grows all at once. Instead, expansion usually happens gradually—through new departments, expanded services, and increasing budgets. For residents of growing communities like Horry County, these changes may seem natural. Population increases bring infrastructure needs, public services, and new administrative responsibilities.
Yet political philosophers and economists have long warned that as government grows larger, individual liberty tends to shrink. The relationship between government expansion and personal liberty is not merely theoretical; it shapes how much control citizens maintain over their property, income, and daily decisions.
As county funding increases—whether through property taxes, development fees, or state transfers—the size and scope of county government often expand alongside it. Understanding how this process works helps residents reconsider the long‑term consequences of local government growth.
The Link Between Government Size and Personal Freedom
A core principle in political philosophy is that government power and individual liberty exist in tension. The more authority government exercises over economic activity and personal decisions, the less freedom individuals have to act independently.
Dennis Prager explains this idea clearly: the larger government becomes, the more decisions it makes on behalf of citizens rather than leaving those decisions to individuals themselves [Prager, 2011]. Government must impose rules and controls in order to administer programs and manage resources.
For example, when government takes on responsibility for regulating industries, distributing benefits, or managing services, it inevitably creates rules determining:
who qualifies for programs
how resources are allocated
what activities are permitted or restricted Every one of these decisions shifts authority from individuals to institutions.](https://myrtlebeachsc.com/wp-content/plugins/feeds-for-youtube/img/placeholder.png)
Health
Accessing Urgent Veterinary Care for Your Pet
Marleny Hucks
Sport
Sailboat beached at Ocean Creek Resort
David Hucks
