Full time lobbyists and part time reporters Donna Cleavenger and Vonda Sheets want to build temples to the dead on the taxpayer dime.
It all started while drinking beer at Eastern Taney County Millionaire Leon Combs house. Combs, Sheets and Cleavenger are members of a private organization called the "White River Valley Historical Society." They go to burial sites and create sketches of tombstones, study genealogy and lobby Taney County Commissioners for money.
Until we called them out - they never fully reported the what-whens-wheres and how's of a Taney County sales tax push - launching a campaign of deception on the front page of Branson area newspapers in hopes to win a large chunk a $90 million jackpot.
Combs enlisted Sheets to support the venture. (We have good reason to believe Sheets is being offered a full time position if the scam works).
The problem is Vonda Sheets and Donna Cleveanger who both sit on the board of directors of the White River Valley Historical society work for the Taney County Times (Ozark Mountain Newspapers) and Branson Daily News respectively.
Though Taney County has vital medical and economic needs building a mega park complex and temple to the dead in one of the poorest counties in the state feeds the needs of our "ethics free" members of the press and does little for the citizens.
The $90 million dollar special interest tax is being put on the Taney County ballot as Proposition A. The proposition was sure to die until the initial tax amount was doubled and a bridge repair component was added.
The money they'll receive if the unnecessary tax is passed is so large they've been shopping around to make up ways to spend it.
Mediagate though probably not as many as Tony Messenger or TKC.
