Seagull Musings Column for June 13, 2004
On June 1, the Hollister City Council held a meeting to entertain Peter F. Herschend’s plea for them to involve the City of Hollister in a lawsuit to try to stop the voters of the state of Missouri from voting on whether or not casino entertainment should be permitted in Rockaway Beach. At that meeting, Mr. Ross Summers, the Executive Vice President of the Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce made a presentation.
Among other things Summers said, “We don’t use the words family friendly and safe and patriotic lightly.” He stressed that “We can’t allow an activity to enter our area that doesn’t conform to what we’ve built over the past few decades.”
“Boy Seagull that’s like mom’s apple pie, motherhood, and waving the flag but, who was the ‘we’ he referred to three times?” Who really knows for sure, but were an Ole Seagull a betting Seagull he would bet that the “we” referred to is the “Branafia.”
“What is the ‘Branafia?” It’s a term that the Ole Seagull has semi affectionately concocted based on the control and influence characteristics of a lesser used definition of the term “family.” The “Branafia” is those families, businesses, and individuals who appear to exert a disproportionate amount of influence and control over the affairs of the Branson area and the quality of life of its citizens all the while maintaining an innate ability and desire to have others “pay” for the benefits that the Branafia receives.
As an example, the January 15, 2001 edition of “The Nation” magazine contained an article entitled, “Did Ashcroft Take the Lowroad on the Highroad?” The article stated, “But there is no question that the new highway was beneficial to several key political contributors to Ashcroft, most notably Peter Herschend, an owner of the Silver Dollar City amusement center. The road–US Highway 465–would skirt Branson and swing by Herschend’s Silver Dollar City.”
In describing the land that the state purchased from Herschend for $2.2 million the article said that the land “was to be used for building an interchange that would handle traffic to Herschend’s Silver Dollar City.””Wow Seagull, it would be hard to get much more ‘family friendly’ than that.”
From an economic perspective, particularly labor costs, what, if any, Branson area family, or families, would consider it “family friendly,” as to their family’s economic interests, if casino entertainment, with its estimated 1000 year round, good paying jobs with health care coverage, paid vacation time, and 401k plans did not come to Rockaway Beach?
“Well it certainly wouldn’t be those families who are struggling from pay check to pay check trying to make ends meet. Those who need health care coverage and would appreciate the relief that paid vacation time and a basic retirement plan could provide.” Who does that leave? “The Branafia, those who would have to pay millions of dollars more in wages, health care coverage, paid vacation time, and 401k and other retirement plans to compete with Rockaway Beach for labor.
Here in “family friendly” Branson, the Branafia continues to add new meaning to the term “family friendly” as it serves its own interests. Most recently it has “decreed” that the expansion of the serving of alcoholic beverages into Branson’s family friendly shows is with maintaining Branson’s “family friendly” image but that casino entertainment coming to Rockaway Beach does not.
“Whoa now Seagull, for decades neither of those activities conformed to the ‘family friendly’ image upon which Branson was built. Isn’t ‘family friendly,’ kind of like being pregnant, you either are or you aren’t?” To an Ole Seagull it is. “How do we allow one ‘activity to enter our area that doesn’t conform to what we’ve built over the past few decades’ while denying another that an estimated three million visitors a year to Branson want?” Apathy, hypocrisy, greed, or look, up in the sky, it’s the “secret handshake clique” – no wait, it’s the “Branafia!”
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.
