County and city officials for the cities of Branson and Hollister met yesterday to discuss options for the bridge connecting Branson and Hollister.
Though the meeting was public, great lengths were taken to limit public access to the meeting. Fear of a heckler's veto led officials to limit dissemination of information of the meeting to "ethics free reporters" willing to
mix the Kool-Aid.
The state of Missouri has offered a $3.5 million dollar jackpot for a Taneycomo Bridge project. As Missouri's Department of Transportation (MoDOT) elaborates in the post below, solutions for fixing the Taneycomo Bridge range from $7 to $12 million - leaving $3.5 to $9.5 million to other local entities.
The fear of a heckler's veto comes from none other than Bob Schanz who public officials fear will push an alternative plan at four times the cost. The
Schanz plan brings a brand new bridge to the rural stylings of his front door.
But don't laugh yet - In typical bureaucratic style the Taney County Commission - with the help of a reporter playing "pitchperson" for the socialist cause of higher taxes for special interest with the help of a profitable second revenue stream - to raise $90 million at taxpayer's expense.
The issue being played up by the "pay to play" press is a small percentage which will be used to repay debt service in TIFF districts.
They're working hard on the solution which involves a loophole for business development. The problem they're having is finding a way to funnel money to the special interest groups which will provide no real economic development to the community. As it stands nearly a third of the cash cow they're trying to create has to actually go to economic development.
From Hollister's perspective workforce housing is a major concern. The ability for an employee to own a home on a moderate wage is attractive to companies seeking to move to the area. Home owning employees are happy employees. The term "affordable housing" is interchangeable with "workforce housing". The city of Hollister reports the average mortgage is $686, well within the means of most working class employees.
From Branson's perspective the bridge is an artery to the heart of Branson's workforce and provides the ability for rural Taney County residents to access jobs in a market where more warm bodies are needed.
For some Eastern Taney County "players" Branson is a symbol of Eastern Taney Counties failure to lure industry. As a result, they hope to develop infrastructure to create a new center of gravity and increase property value.
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Too many of our community leaders forget who they're working for (the people). If a geo-political entity intends to violate - or comes as close as possible to not violating the law - reporters should refer to the journalistic code of ethics.
Also, if you're taking payoffs - disclose.
Since, a few have not read or
understand what journalistic ethics are, I would encourage you to read this post thoroughly.
— Distinguish between advocacy and news reporting. Analysis and commentary should be labeled and not misrepresent fact or context.
— Distinguish news from advertising and shun hybrids that blur the lines between the two.
— Recognize a special obligation to ensure that the public’s business is conducted in the open and that government records are open to inspection.
When a public official asks you to 1.Mislead the public 2. Disregard the Constitution 3. Take and fail to report payoffs.......
