We won’t stand by and allow environmentalists to halt progress
An open letter to Dana Beach, executive director of the CCL:
“Since founding the Coastal Conservation League in 1989, Dana has received awards from many institutions, including the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the South Carolina General Assembly, and the American Institute of Architects. In 1998, Dana was named one of ten Heroes for the Planet by Time Magazine’s, Time for Kids.”
Sounds like Dana & the CCL are super heroes. Or are you really super villains?
This may have been before you and others at the Coastal Carolina League decided that a “culture of corruption” would greatly benefit the financial status of the organization and, incidentally, add to your own income potential.
The CCL is no better than the “Wounded Warriors Project” that has given very little to American Veterans while lining the pockets of organization executives. Thankfully, current national and social media coverage of this organization’s practices has deeply hurt their formerly successful fund-raising efforts.
The plan is to continue efforts to do the same to the Coastal Conservation League. So, you decide. Do you want contributions from environmentally concerned citizens and organizations? Or do you want to rely on your “game plan” and continue to seek tribute in the form of bogus mitigation funds from entities such as businesses, agencies and taxpayers in South Carolina?
The rape of Boeing, Volvo and the Port of Charleston at $5 million each may have bolstered your assets over the past few years ($10 million plus) but it has hurt the economy of our state and the taxpayers.
For years, Americans have been fighting corporate greed, and now it looks like we have to add so called non-profit charitable greed to the list.
The rambling case you presented in the South Carolina Administrative Court resulted in Horry County getting a positive judgment from the Court. It seems Amy Armstrong’s selection of witnesses, as well as the presentation of CCL demands, is juvenile. Going from bears, birds and plant concerns to tunnels, fences, lanes, cutoffs and future development only shows that she is grasping at any straw that will break the back of the International Drive paving project.
As anyone can see, your case has gone from merely trying to protect the environment to totally halting any improvements to the area and taxpayers.
And, most disturbingly, you actually have the gall to use the taxpayer-supported court system against any opponent in order to reach your shakedown goals. And now you have the gall to waste even more time and money on a petition to the Court of Appeals, as if losing twice in the Administrative Law Court is not enough.
Are you insane? The definition of insanity is doing things over and over again and expecting different results.
Ok, you now know the complaints against your methods of doing business.
Here is what is going to happen until you stop taking Horry County to court:
The CCL will be fought through the print media, including letters to the editor, broadcast, and social media showing that your organization is no better than the “Wounded Warriors Project” and every other “non-profit” that has been set up to scam contributors and so-called recipients of donated funds.
It’s time to let it go and allow Horry County to pave International Drive without bear tunnels (leading to future residential areas), and with four lanes and as many cutoffs as will be needed for future expansion of homes and businesses that will spread out the taxpayer base.
Enough is enough!
Then we will make sure that every future project that is within the CCL’s area of concern is informed that through “self-mitigation,” such as plans for I-73 from I-95 to Myrtle Beach, the CCL’s business-as-usual (extortion) will not occur.
Here’s the question.
Do you want the CCL to be considered a “super hero” or a “super villain?
The writer lives in Conway.
This story was originally published August 21, 2016 at 12:58 PM with the headline "We won’t stand by and allow environmentalists to halt progress."