In keeping with the interactive nature of this column, an Ole Seagull knows he’s going to be humming “Blue Moon” when he gets both the “full moon” and “a” moon trying “to correct his errors” all in one day. To make sure that he doesn’t “miss the mark” a third time the Ole Seagull should point out that “the moon” was in its full phase on Feb. 2 and that the “a” moon he is referring to is a letter to the editor appearing in that dates edition of this paper written by “Al” Moon.
Moon starts his letter off by saying, “The Old Seagull missed the mark twice recently, which prompted me to try to correct his errors.” What exactly does the word “error mean? In perhaps one of its kindest lights, an error can be defined as “An act, assertion, or belief that unintentionally deviates from what is correct, right, or true.” As the Ole Seagull read on through Moon’s letter the song title “Moon at My Window” came to mind.
The first “error” to be corrected was apparently in regard to the column the Ole Seagull wrote in this paper a couple of week ago entitled, “The foundation for Branson’s future success is the same as for its past success, values.” It is available on line at www.bransoncourier.com under “Editorials.”
Moon says, “First, in his article regarding values being the thing that bring customers back to the Branson area, I don’t know what his definition of ‘family values’ is.” Even recognizing that his letter is but a “Paper Moon,” how is it an “error” on the part of a person using a term because someone else doesn’t know the definition of that term or chooses to define it in a different way?
The only mention of “family values” in the column was when the Ole Seagull suggested that Branson’s foundational success relies on “individual entrepreneurship, patriotism, family values, and the heritage and tradition of the Branson area that has become an integral part of the Branson experience most of our visitors have.” Those things need no definition from either an Ole Seagull or “The Man in the Moon” because they are either impressed on peoples hearts and minds or they are not, people either value them or don’t, and will either come to a unique place called “Branson,” where they abound, or will not.
The title of the song “Keep Sweeping The Cobwebs Off The Moon” comes to mind as Moon gets to the alleged second error and says, “Where the Seagull really misses the mark is in his trying to blame the school district raising taxes on the use of TIF districts.” He then continues with his version of sweeping the cob webs off the reasons he would use to “question any new request for additional funds.”
The column Moon is apparently referring to, entitled “Is the city of Branson’s use of TIFs a factor in raising school district taxes?” was printed in the Jan. 28 edition of this paper. It is available on line at www.bransoncourier.com under “Editorials.” An Ole Seagull would simply suggest that the column title and its last sentence reading, “It is absolutely correct to say that the school district is having to raise, at least in part, their mil levy because of TIFs” makes it very clear that Branson’s use of TIFs is but a factor in the complex set of circumstances that are requiring the Branson R-IV School District to ask its patrons for a tax increase.
In the context of Moons letter, one could get the impression that he agrees with the city of Branson’s city administrator, Terry Dody when he recently said, that “it is absolutely incorrect to say that the school district is having to raise, in part, their mil levy because of the TIFs.” Now that leads to an interesting question that Branson voters could ask the mayoral and aldermanic candidates running for office.
The question would be, “Do you really believe that Branson’s use of TIFs doesn’t at least play a part in the school district having to raise taxes and why?” Particularly in the minds of the incumbents that voted for the TIFs the question might bring to mind the song title, “When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again.”
