Although most of the readers of this column know that Bob Holden is the Governor, most will probably not recognize the name of Joseph Driskill.He is the Director of the State’s Department of Economic Development.Regardless of ones position relative to the Branson Landing Project, particularly the Convention Center, these are the two names that continually come up as controlling whether or not Branson gets a STIF, Tax Increment Financing from the State.
The Ole Seagull fully realizes his place in the political hierarchy and has no illusions about influencing the outcome but, given the current economic condition of our state and the potential expenditure of millions of dollars of State revenues, once, just once in this seemingly endless process, he would like to hear the answers to a some of the questions that people have asked him, straight from the “horse’s mouth.”No “spin” by the consultants, “suits,” or the “politically influential in crowd,” just some straight answers.Please!
1.Why would either of you even consider appropriating State revenues to the Branson Landing project in apparent violation of Missouri law, specifically subsection 99.845.10 RSMO?As substantiated by the comments of Mr. Terry Dody, the Branson City Administrator, at the January 13, 2003 meeting of the Branson Board of Aldermen, the public record on the Branson Landing Project, and the “Technical Services Contract” recently entered into between the City of Branson and HCW Development Company L.L.C., the Branson Landing “redevelopment area” can “reasonably be anticipated to be developed without the appropriation of the new state revenues.”
2.In the midst of the current economic condition that the State is in, does it make sense to use State funding to build two competing Convention Centers, at the same time, less than 55 miles apart?
3.Does the State have data or evidence supporting the concept of “dueling convention centers?”Has the concept been tried successfully elsewhere in Missouri or, if not elsewhere in Missouri, at least somewhere in the country?
4.Could either of you, with a straight face, look someone in the eye and call the area between the east edge of “Business 65” and the west side of the train tracks, in Historic Downtown Branson, “blighted?”
5.From a State perspective, how could this process have come this far over the last 20 months, with a Convention Center being a required component of the project, without a feasibility study establishing that Branson needs a Convention Center?
6.Assuming that Branson “needs” a Convention Center, operated by the City, why the apparent State insistence that it be located downtown?Does the State have a study or data establishing that this is the best location?
7.During this on going 20 month process, has anyone at the State seen an effective plan for moving the anticipated traffic in and out of the proposed Branson Landing Area, particularly the area west of the train tracks where it is now proposed that the Convention Center be built?
8.If the City of Branson already has contingency plans to build the most financially sound aspect of the Branson Landing Project, its Waterfront Entertainment District, without a Convention Center and State financing, given the economic condition of the State, does it make financial sense for the State to use 50% of the “new state revenues” it would receive from that source to force Branson to build a downtown Convention Center?
9.If the State grants the STIF, and the Convention Center is built, would it be accurate to say that the State would get its 50% share of the “new revenues” generated from both the Convention Center and Waterfront Entertainment District even if the Convention Center had millions of dollars in net operating losses?
10.From the State’s perspective, if the originally proposed “Lakefront Convention Center” was on the lakefront, is a Convention Center located two blocks from the lakefront, and separated from the entire original Branson Landing Project location by a set of train tracks, still a “lakefront” Convention Center?
Ten questions is a lot of questions and might take a few minutes of your time but, at between 2.3 million dollars and 8 million dollars a question, it seems that no one knows how much the STIF will be if granted, it might be time well invested.How about it will you give us some straight answers?
Seagull Note:Concurrent with the publishing of this column on Sunday, January 19, 2003, it will be personally emailed to Governor Bob Holden at constit@mail.gov.state.mo.us and Mr. Driskill at ecodev@mail.state.mo.us.