THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
12/06/2007
BRANSON — City leaders will vote next week on whether the southwestern Missouri resort town officially supports celebrating Christmas.
The resolution proposed Wednesday by two members of the Branson Board of Aldermen would call on businesses to use decorations and otherwise support what it calls a traditional American Christmas.
It also would state the Board of Aldermen's support for the celebration of Christmas.
Stephen Marshall, one of the sponsors, said visitors came to Branson for Christmas and expected to see it celebrated.
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"My feeling is that we do stand by the marketing of Ozark Mountain Christmas, and we do pull people in. We pull lots of people in," board member Sandra Williams said. "I feel like if we are going to market it that we almost owe them what they expect when they get here."
The city's attorney, Paul Link, told the board that passing such a measure might open the city up to a lawsuit.
Link said he was advised by the Missouri Municipal League that the resolution could violate the First Amendment of the Constitution, which says the government can't pass laws favoring a particular religion.
The resolution would urge businesses "to try to keep the word and spirit of 'Christmas' in Christmas and to foster the history and heritage of the traditional American Christmas in Branson, Missouri."
Another section of the resolution reads: "The Board of Aldermen also hereby encourages all businesses and residents of Branson to show their support by the displaying of Christmas decorations during Branson's Ozark Mountain Christmas to ensure that all visitors experience the old-fashioned Christmas they imagined."
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Due to the potential repurcussions of such action I'm refraining from commenting in this post and will provide a detailed analysis shortly.
Taney County Shop With A Cop 2007
Agencies involved included the Branson Police Department, Branson Fire & Rescue, the Forsyth Police Department, the Forsyth Fire Department, the Taney County Sherrif's Department, the Taney County Prosecutor's Office, the Merriam Woods Police Department, the Western Taney County Fire Protection District, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Missouri State Water Patrol, the Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri State Probation and Parole, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Central Taney County Fire Protection District.
Will Gary Groman Hijack Branson's Next Election?
Citizens have a right to know what they're getting when they read the newspaper. Because some of the local Branson reporters refuse to follow ethical guidelines, democracy in Branson is being threatened. This is particularly true when reporters engage in financial transactions with politicians.Ozark Mountain Newspapers has a policy regarding political analysis during election seasons. In order to increase funds from political advertisers politicians are required to purchase ads and a blackout period prohibits reporters from writing about candidates nearly a month before elections.
The details of Gary Groman's contract with the newspaper are unknown to me; however as an employee I was not permitted to post stories published by the newspaper on-line. As a result I changed format to 1st person and deviated from Associated Press format. According to Missouri State University Journalism Professor Andy Cline, this is a standard most newspapers adhere to. Once you sell a story, it's property of the media company. Unlike any other industry I've worked in, newspapers give credit to the employee who creates the work (most of the time).
Prior to the election, I noticed an advertisement entitled "Presley for Mayor" placed on Gary Groman's website (see the ad in the graphic above) , an online newspaper where digital versions of his newspaper column are placed. To the "ethically aware" journalist this would seem inappropriate. After finding the shocking and blatant disregard of standard ethical practices I called Raeanne Presley and asked her about the placement. She stated that her husband made the ad placements for her campaign and she wasn't aware of how much the placement in Groman's online newspaper was purchased for.
Neither the Taney County Times nor the Branson Daily Independent gave balanced, comprehensive news coverage. Before the election, Groman ran an editorial endorsing the Mayor as well as other candidates. I was unable to find a record of the transaction in the Missouri Ethics Commission Files. Due to the fact the newspaper never covered the candidates thoroughly I felt Groman's endorsements were a deterrent against democracy and a vote of no-confidence on the citizens right to be free and self-governed.
Written endorsements are excluded from campaign finance disclosure requirements set forth by the Missouri Ethics Commission (MEC). Candidates are required to disclose advertising consideration. Candidates are not required to file with the MEC if donations are below a certain amount. Advertisements are not excluded from the special protection given to journalists.
Last week Mayor Raeanne Presley contended Gary Groman neither spoke with her before making the ad nor negotiated a price for the ad.
Campaign finance regulations require donations above a certain amount to be filed under "in-kind" contributions. This keeps transactions on the record that might be sideswiped if the only consideration reported was cash.
*******Commentary*********
By far this was the hardest post I've ever had to put up. I like the Mayor and though I don't agree with all of her plans for Branson felt a moral conviction to educate the public about the transaction.
As for Gary Groman, I think he has a lot of potential but don't believe the public can believe a word he says if he doesn't commit to a standard of ethics.
I don't believe a reporter should take a political position from a politician, contribute to a campaign nor write about ventures he/she benefits from financially. Groman has two websites that it appears politicians may be able to "donate" to. I believe Raeanne Presley was the right choice for Branson and believe that Groman believed she was the right candidate as well. In my opinion, the ad placement was not a contributing factor to her overwhelming victory by vote of the people.
At the same time, I believe disclosure is a minimal standard when even the possibility of wrongdoing comes into question. I have encouraged the media community to adopt ethical guidelines and believe the people deserve to know what they're getting. To date, due to the tremendous personal bias of Groman's reports, I don't think citizens are getting a fair shake. Issues aren't being addressed in a balanced fashion and Groman's personal hatred towards individuals delivered to the citizens of Branson every sabbath far from righteous. The people deserve better and I intend to make sure the next election isn't hijacked by the "Mark of the Bird".
Before this post was made the Publisher of Ozark Mountain Newspapers was contacted, the mayor was contacted, the communications director for the city of Branson was contacted and Gary Groman was contacted directly. I gave ample time for any action that needed to be taken - taken care of. Groman was arrogant in his response, "You don't know the conditions in which the ad was placed!", he screamed. When I asked him to educate me about the circumstances he swarmed out the door.
Earlier today I was a guest of the City of Springfield to speak about blogging as a journalistic method. From my assessment, the Springfield Media Outlets are far more ethical than the saddening actions of our local reporters who unrepentantly disregard standard journalistic practices. On the street, the people think they're a joke. Of course, most local journalists come here to get the real news.
The Internet and campaign financing will continue to be a problem for election officials as the medium becomes a more important component of distributing political information.
Branson Jr. High Christmas Carolers
Click play to hear the Branson Jr. High Choir sing Christmas Carols in Downtown Branson. The footage was shot last week at Hot Hits Coffeehouse in downtown historic Branson.
Branson Chamber of Commerce Confirms Anti-Gambling Stance
By Kathy Buckstaff
(BRANSON, MO.) The Board of Directors of the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce has unanimously voted to reaffirm their opposition to gambling in the Branson area.
“Because of the nature of the area and the number of people who visit here, gambling interests will always have us as a potential target, and we want to remind those interests of our opposition,” said Branson Chamber President Ross Summers. “Economically and culturally, it’s a bad fit for the area, and according to research, it’s opposed by our visitors.”
Branson is a popular tourism destination with nearly eight million visitors a year enjoying the authentic Ozarks hospitality, the live entertainment bonanza and many choices for active relaxation in the outdoors.
The Branson Board of Alderman also recently unanimously passed a resolution opposing gambling in Branson and the Tri-Lakes area, said city spokesman Jerry Adams. The issue was revisited because new aldermen were elected to the board this year, and the board wanted to again show unity, Adams said.
******Commentary********
The pictures posted above are from billboards on Hwy 65, the main corridor into Branson. Campaign donations, posted on Branson Agent confirm a battle in the legislature is imminent. The billboards are propaganda funded by a casino wishing to establish itself in Rockaway Beach. Click the Gambling tag below to read more about gambling in the Branson area and the Missouri Legislature.
Proposition A Lobbyist Files
Two reporters unrepentantly violated the Professional Journalists Code of Ethics in hopes a large percentage of money would be funneled into their own pockets through an organization they control through seats on the board.
We begged Gannet's Springfield News-Leader to cover the story to avoid the fallout eminent with a battle against corruption. The News-Leader abandoned the citizens of Taney County by refusing to cover the story.
Armed with our massive web presence, we took the reins to empower the citizens of Taney County with the information they need to remain free and self governed.
It cost us greatly. We battled corrupt reporters. We battled massive financial and political powers. We battled against a misinformation campaign and we battled for the good people who are already taxed enough and deserve a responsible government for the people. The people responded to our battle call and for the first time a tax the newspaper supported failed.
Victory is ours and we hand it to all the citizens of Taney County and the residents of Branson who deserve open, honest government and a press with at least a minimal standard of integrity. They have chosen to disregard the standard of ethics legitimate organizations adhere to thus Branson Mediagate continues....
Thomas Currie Plane Crash - Report Complete
Armed with a video camera and photography equipment I hiked through the hills of Branson attempting to beat the Branson Police Department to the scene. I missed the target by several miles and was escorted by a police officer to the proper media "waiting area".
One exclusive element of the report I wrote about for the Taney County Times was the use of J.B. Weld to keep the plane together. Details from the initial report are published here.
I was the only one that spoke to witnesses on the last day of Currie's life. He was an easy man to love and the mechanic working for the Taney County Airport gave him shelter before he attempted to meet his girlfriend and meet with an enthusiasts group. Over a year later, the FAA confirmed what pilots who talked to him knew.
From all accounts, he was a great guy. If the accounts of his last day are an indication of how he lived he's missed and loved by many.
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