Opinion

One of the most honest statements the Ole Seagull has every heard, and one every business should be committed to is, “You have to spend money to make money.” You can’t win the lottery if you don’t buy a ticket; have a successful business if you do not invest in the product that the business is providing, the people providing it and its marketing or be successful in most other financial endeavors without spending money.
…

Can “cooperation” get Gov. Nixon $53 for every $1 he spends on tourism marketing?Read More »

The Ole Seagull has received a number of questions since he apologized to the airport and the board of Aldermen in a recent column entitled “An Ole Seagull apologizes – there really is only one honorable way. For what it matters and to the best of his recollection here are the questions and his responses:

QUESTION: Legalese aside, doesn’t honor demand that the city pay the Branson Airport $8.24 per passenger every time they fly into the airport for the next 20 something years? …

Is the city of Branson honor bound to pay Branson Airport $8.24 per passenger?Read More »

As a columnist, a goal is to start the year with a column that has the potential for the most impact on our community during 2011. In an Ole Seagull’s opinion first place in that category would have to go to “First PLACE!” and encouraging our community to continue working together to make positive character traits part of what our children and grandchildren experience every day, at home, in school, and in the community. First PLACE! is a community commitment by our schools, area businesses, individuals parents, relatives, the College of the Ozarks and others to “foster a community where character is highly valued and intentionally taught.”

“Oh come on Seagull, you have to be kidding. With all that’s going on down at city hall and out at the county, the Branson Airport debacle and law suits on Branson Landing, et …

Commitment to First PLACE! is a wonderful thing for Branson and its childrenRead More »

The biggest question the Ole Seagull has been asked in the last week concerns the relationship between the city gifting the airport tens of millions of dollars under the unconscionable Pay for Performance Agreement that the current board has “laundered and the raising of the water and sewer rates for Branson voters. Actually, it’s pretty simple, Branson only has so much revenue coming in to operate the city with.

Whatever is paid from that revenue for specifically designated extraordinary costs is obviously not available for other purposes such as the operational costs of running the ci …

It’s millions of dollars about “butts in the seat,” flushing the toilet and what’s rightRead More »

At the November 25th meeting of the Branson Board of Aldermen (BOA), they voted to give the Branson Airport the Christmas gift that keeps giving. That would be paying hundreds of thousands of dollars on an alleged 2006 “contract” based on a “Pay for Performance Agreement (PfP).” The PfP was made by the “pre 2007 election city administrator and the loyal band of elected “munchkins,” whoops sorry forgot it was Christmas, “elves,” with the Branson Airport. …

A little Christmas for everyone – Branson Board gives airport hundreds of thousands as it raises residents water and sewer ratesRead More »