TEMPLETON CAMPAIGNS FOR SC GOVERNOR

Catherine Templeton campaigned in Murrells Inlet today to both residents and local leaders at the annual breakfast of the South Strand Republican Club.  The audience included Horry County Council Chairman Mark Lazarus, Horry County Councilman Johnny Vaught, Horry County Councilman Tyler Servant, and recent candidate for Myrtle Beach Mayor Ed Carey.  Carey, who ran his first Mayoral campaign in 2017,  won the important Market Common district in the November election just this past Fall.

TEMPLETON LISTENS AS CAREY AND LAZARUS DISCUSS MBACC/SCPRT  NUMBER DISCREPANCIES

The question and answer session for Mrs. Templeton became temped between Mr. Lazarus and Mr. Carey.  Carey asked if Templeton was aware of the 10 million visitor discrepency MyrtleBeachSC.com first reported between the SCPRT and the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.

Chairman Lazarus came to the defense of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber, pointing out this past week’s Sun News article of that same report.  Mr. Lazarus mentioned that, Duane Parrish, the director of the South Carolina Department of Parks Recreation and Tourism, said the state uses an algorithm based on occupancy of chain hotels and motels, which don’t make up as large a percentage of beds along the Grand Strand as they do in other places in the state.  An audience member then pointed out that the Myrtle Beach Chamber’s numbers also do not include many smaller mom and pop hotels.  We posted the snippet of the exchange on our Myrtle-Beach.com Facebook page where it received 1,800 views in under 50 minutes. Over 5,000 views are expected in total as this is an “of interest” item locally.

While Mrs. Templeton stayed artfully above that local fray, her points on government accountability and transparency were received well among the greater Myrtle Beach area audience.  Templeton is proving to be a true, fire-brand conservative outsider whose values match up well with residents in Horry County and Northern Georgetown County.