SPRINGFIELD -- More than a month after Gov. Jay Nixon promised marketing dollars for tourism, some in the Branson area are asking the governor to show them the money.

It was billed as a $1 million boost just in time for the start of tourism's big season.  On March 17, Nixon said he would restore the budgeted funds almost immediately.   The governor withheld the funds shortly after taking office when he found state revenues weren't keeping pace with budgeted income.

Some now complain the money the governor promised to restore still isn't there.  Only about $250,000 has been restored so far, and state Sen. Jack Goodman, R-Mt. Vernon, believes the governor has broken a promise.

At Nixon's news conference in Branson, the governor also signaled the funds would significantly benefit the Branson area almost immediately.

"This is not about next year; this is about releasing that money right now," Nixon said on March 17.

State Tourism Commission member Kelly Swanson said she's frustrated by the perception that Nixon's visit fueled, and disappointed that it's taking so long for the funding to trickle out.

"To make a promise and then back out of that promise is not very good. That's not doing a lot for the governor as far as goodwill towards tourism," said Swanson, who owns the Port of Kimberling.  "We're behind the eight ball, and there's nothing we can do. We can't catch up."

The Nixon administration said the main point is the funding will be released by the end of the fiscal year.  That's June 30.

"The entire $1 million is being released, with the remainder to go out over the next several weeks. Since the money could not be spent all at once, there was not a need to release it all at once," said Nixon's spokesman, Scott Holste.

Swanson said it's already too late.

"In order to successfully promote this upcoming tourism season, we had to have contracts signed in April and we could not sign those contracts without that money in hand," said Swanson, who was appointed to the Tourism Commission by Gov. Matt Blunt in 2007.  "Absolutely, it's going to impact this summer season."

Goodman, who appeared at the event on March 17 with Nixon, believes the governor's language was clear, and said he should be more clear about specific promises he makes.

"If the position of the Administration at the time that announcement was made was that we'll release what we can release when we can release it, then there shouldn't have been a very high profile promise that we're going to release the $1 million now," Goodman said.

Holste said the governor's intention from the beginning was to boost tourism statewide, and contends he never made any specific promise to Branson.

 "The next increment of $250,000 will be released May 1 with the balance to go out before the end of the fiscal year.  The fiscal year is far from over, so it is not accurate to say the governor is not doing what he said he would do," Holste said.

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