Seagull Musings Column for April 11, 2004
In the Seagull Musings column for March 21, the Ole Seagull confessed that he did not know how much in incentives Bass Pro Shops had been paid to come to Branson Landing. The column said, “According to information received from City Administrator Terry Dody and HCW’s Rick Huffman on March 15, the details of the incentives are now part of a confidential agreement between HCW and Bass Pro that is not available to the public or the Branson Board of Aldermen. When the Ole Seagull asked Huffman if the details of the agreement will be released to the public he said, ‘No.'”
One could therefore understand how shocked he was to walk into a business in downtown Branson early on Wednesday morning and hear a customer say, “Bass Pro is not getting an incentive to come to Branson.” When asked where he’d heard that the customer replied, “My wife read it in the Springfield paper this morning.”
Well, what’s an Ole Seagull to do but plop $.50 into the paper dispenser to see exactly what was said. The article entitled, “Shovels set to dig May 15 at Branson Landing” by Kathryn Buckstaff, appearing in the April 7 Springfield News-Leader, started out on a bouncy note by reporting that when Gayla Roten, the Director of the Downtown Main Street Association, learned of the ground breaking date she shouted “Yea! Yea!” and “It’s a “Wow!” On a less bouncy note, the article also reported that Branson City Administrator Terry Dody said that “City tax revenues will not pay for the retail project nor has the city offered incentives to the retail tenants.”
“Well there you have it Seagull, straight from the horses mouth, Bass Pro is a tenant and Dody says that the city has not offered incentives to the retail tenants. Therefore Bass Pro is not getting an incentive.” Well, not really. Gleaning the “truth” from what the city says is somewhat like an Easter Egg hunt for those plastic eggs that contain prizes. That one has an “egg” is obvious but it has to be opened up and examined to see if it contains a “prize.”
May an Ole Seagull suggest that Dody’s statement, “nor has the city offered incentives to the retail tenants” was the “egg” calculated to get just the response that it did by giving the impression that Bass Pro was not getting an incentive for coming to the Branson Landing. But to see if it contains the prize, in this case the “practical truth” as to whether or not Bass Pro is in fact getting an incentive for coming to the Branson Landing, the egg has to be opened and examined.
Not too many weeks ago in a public meeting, it was pointed out that the developer of Branson Landing would form a Transportation Development District (TDD) that would impose a one percent TDD tax on retail sales within the Branson Landing project. It was further pointed out that because TDD taxes could not be used to pay incentives that the city of Branson, would exchange, on a dollar for dollar basis, other city funds that could be used to pay incentives.
If the Ole Seagull were a betting Seagull he’d bet that the “practical truth” in the Bass Pro “Incentive Egg” is that Bass Pro is getting $15-18 million in incentives. Those incentives will be paid by the developer with TDD tax revenues that can’t be used to pay incentives.The TDD funds will be “laundered” through the city of Branson for funds that can be used to pay the incentives.
“But Seagull, you’ve got to give it to them, the city of Branson hasn’t been involved in the offering of any incentives for retail tenants to come to Branson Landing.” Yeah sure, and Yea! Yea! It’s a “Wow!”
On a more important note: On this Easter Sunday, let us reflect on the One who loved us so much that He came to earth, lived as a man, suffered and died for our sins. One so blessed of God that He arose from the dead, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.Praise God, He has risen.He lives and because He does we have the promise of eternity.He “is the light of the world, he who follows Him shall not walk in the darkness but shall have the light of life.”The Ole Seagull, the Groman family, and our entire BDI family wish you and yours a blessed Easter and a special relationship with the One whose resurrection we celebrate this day.
Gary Groman, a.k.a. “The Ole Seagull,” is an independent columnist and the editor of the Branson Courier. He may be reached by clicking here or by calling 417-339-4000.
