Seagull Musings Column for May 2, 2004
As the Ole seagull was driving into Branson on the morning of Saturday, April 24, he tuned in Springfield talk Radio on KWTO, 560 AM.He caught the end of a phone conversation between the shows host and a caller identified as “Fred from Branson.” He was surprised on two counts.
First, he was surprised to hear the lilting melodious sound of one of his favorite radio personalities, Bonnie Bell, who does not normally host on Saturday mornings. Secondly, he was surprised because he thought he recognized the voice of the caller she was talking to and it wasn’t much of a “feat” to realize that the name he associated with the voice didn’t have a first name of Fred.
It was obvious that they were talking about Senator Doyle Childer’s legislation, SB 787. The “Current Bill Summary” for SB 787, as posted on the states official website for “House and Senate Joint Bill Tracing,” states that “if the voters of a city adjacent to a river other than the Missouri River or the Mississippi River approve the licensing of gambling boats within the city, then the voters of the county in which the city is located must subsequently approve the licensing of gambling boats within such city.”
One can therefore understand the surprise and confusion of the Ole Seagull when the Fred said words to the effect that the bill was about much more than gambling, “It was about the right of local people to vote about the major issues that affected them.”
As he heard those words the first thing that came to the Ole Seagulls mind was “How intentionally misleading could a statement be?” Saying that the very narrow scope of SB 787 is about the right of the people to vote on anything except the licensing of gambling boats is about as accurate as saying that the building of the Highroad solved Branson’s alleged ‘economic emergency’ and eliminated traffic congestion in Branson.”
“Come on Seagull, what’s the Highroad have to do with gambling in Rockaway Beach?” Do you mean besides the fact that if they do get gambling in Rockaway Beach everyone will be slapping themselves on their foreheads with the palm of their hands saying “why didn’t we build it east instead of west?”
“Get serious Seagull.” All right, because it appears that the same elitist, arrogant, political and deceitful, clout used to get the highroad and the legislation authorizing the one percent retail sales tax, that some call the “Chambers Tax” pushed through state government is being used in the Rockaway Beach situation.
“But Seagull, doesn’t SB 787 enjoy more popular support than the Highroad or the Chamber Tax legislation?” Like duh, what wouldn’t? “Well then, doesn’t that make it right?” No, it just makes it popular. “Well, doesn’t the majority rule?” Not really, “They” that determine what and who the majority is and, more importantly, when it should be heard, “rule.”
In the case of gambling in Rockaway Beach, “they” are confident that the vote will turn out their way so a county vote is all right, even desirable. In the case of the high road and the tax that some call the “Chambers Tax,” “they” were confident that a vote of all county residents wouldn’t go their way so a county vote was to be avoided at all costs. Does anyone seriously believe that “they” want everyone living in Taney County to vote about the major issues that affect them?
Well Fred, as misleading as the Ole Seagull believes your show boating statement was, whoever you are, may you always celebrate in cities of silver and may the roads that you travel be as traffic free as the highroad currently is. “Oh Fred, while we’re talking,” the Ole Seagull just has to ask, “Do you know a waitress named Mabel?”
