YOUTH MOVEMENT ON PALMETTO COAST
You’d think the city of Myrtle Beach, S.C. would be doing everything within its power to encourage people to visit its coastline … not the other way around.
Seriously: Crime is rampant. The water is dirty (not unlike the local politicians). Oh, and there’s that looming double-dip national recession.
The absolute last thing local government needs to do is create another disincentive to people paying visits … you know, like imposing a new parking fee for public beach access points ($4.00 per hour or $20.00 per day).
Unfortunately, coastal leaders – who love their tax increases – recently imposed just such a fee.
Rising in objection? Local high school students.
That’s right … at a government-run school, no less.
Students in teacher JJ Iagulli‘s advanced placement government class at Carolina Forest High School have launched an online petition opposing the new fees.
“Over 250,000 local residents of Horry County who have historically called the beach their home will now lose access to the unique, ecological, and recreational value of our beach,” the petition stated. “The public should be afforded full and fair access to beaches, which are public trust resources.”
We concur … and we applaud these students for (in their own words) “choosing to put our education to practice by actively participating in local government.”
We’re also pretty impressed by the local media coverage they’ve managed to generate (here and here).
This website has consistently opposed unnecessary tax and fee increases – especially those in coastal municipalities which perpetuate “tourism marketing” efforts. We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again: Government has no business whatsoever subsidizing tourism advertising campaigns.
Maybe these students will put their education to practice and oppose those anti-competitive practices as well?