Citizens must demand an end to profligacy

By Bill Doolan

Regarding the proposed new terminal for Myrtle Beach International Airport, I have consistently opposed the building of a new terminal ever since Sept. 11, 2001, the decline of air traffic, the departure of several carriers and escalating fuel costs validated the impracticality of this unwise venture.

Shame on Horry County Council Chairwoman Liz Gilland and her supporters for pursuing an impossible, unwarranted dream. And shame on the voters who recently had an opportunity to change the leadership of the county but foolishly re-elected her.

We now find that the $12 million allotted for the planning and design has been exhausted and that an additional $6 million is being requested to continue a revised design. If we can control this foolish pursuit of a miniature Las Vegas or Orlando, Fla., we can fine-tune our wonderful resort city to be the envy of other beach/golf destinations and stand proud of our prudent standard of living and frugal planning.

Scrap the debacle now, and move on to the logical, common-sense opportunity to renovate and upgrade the existing terminal to meet current and future demand by intelligent and sensible planning and design. Spend the money on an upgrade. Don't squander it on the doomed new terminal - the impossible dream.

Studies have shown that upgrading the old terminal can be accomplished for less than half of the cost of a new one. Remember also that it will take an additional $33 million to build an overpass at the back gate of the Air Base, another miscalculation that was dropped from Road Improvement Development Effort II by the Gilland council. This overpass is crucial to alleviate the worst traffic congestion in the area.

Don't let County Council push us into another fiasco. Citizens must demand a stop to this insanity and require the council to change direction before we sink into fiscal insolvency.

The writer lives in Myrtle Beach.