Town Board Review

Wednesday, January 21, 2009
by 7654 – the author*

Freedom of the press guarantees the right to express opinion

without interference - and like it or not, we will continue to

uphold these rights.

Legal Opinion - The Supreme Court of the United States

CENSORSHIP? FREEDOM of PRESS?

A small segment of the Buffalo population showed up at the Buffalo Oklahoma Town Board Meeting tonight to voice their concerns over this magazine and website, likewise for Onside Buffalo, the Blog.
The consensus of the censorship clan was that something positive about Buffalo should be written and all the negative articles have to stop.
The raucous faction of Inside Buffalo and Buffalo Blog haters were cheering and applauding as those against free speech continued their tirade. The assemblage was reminiscent of a school-yard full of kids urging on the school bully.
The question arises; why would the Town Board allow this type of public input when it has nothing to do with the Town Board or the Town itself?
These people are unhappy with www.InsideBuffalo.com and Onside Buffalo Blog.
Why didn’t one single Town Board Trustee make a comment along the lines that this is not the forum for your personal grievances with the private entities and persons involved?
Absent the Town lawyer, there was no one to set these people straight. These attendees were complaining about what amounts to free speech and freedom of press, straight out liberties ensured by the Constitution of the United States. That being the same Constitution our Town Board Trustees took an oath to uphold. The opinion is, had the Town’s attorney been present, these people would have, in all probability, been counseled to take their gripes and complaints to another, more proper, forum.

CENSORSHIP IS ALIVE AND WELL IN BUFFALO OKLAHOMA in 2009.

The Nation has made huge strides. An African American is now President, Racism seems to have hid its ugly head in the sand, yet, in Buffalo, Oklahoma, even in 2009, a small band of town-folk want to censor free speech. Here’s the idea – make it pretty, let’s all get along, censor the apparent bad stuff about our town and only publish the good.
Uh, people – that’s called CENSORSHIP!

This despondent group, who showed up at the Town Board Meeting tonight, must be commended for, no less than, showing up! They want censorship?
They want positive things published on this website?
We can easily comply with their request. Her's a positive thing:
This was one of the most attended meetings of a Buffalo Town Board of Trustees ever!
That's encouraging! Positively!

Too bad it wasn’t for the good of Buffalo.

Had these people been at the Town Board meeting for the purpose of improving the quality of life of Buffalo’s fellow citizens, Inside Buffalo could have written an article about the positive aspects of such attendance. The fact is, according to observers, other than those listed on the agenda, no one else in this clan was there for any reason other than to denigrate or do a hatchet job on the publisher of Inside Buffalo and the author of Onside Buffalo’s Blog.

If you are one of those in attendance at this night’s meeting and a part of this group indicated, stop reading here, close your web browser and go elsewhere for your news. Go elsewhere for your blather.
The Journal, Buffalo’s newspaper, is published weekly and is a wonderful source of news. Wasn’t it the Journal who broke the story of the $8,000.00 D.E.Q fine Buffalo incurred? Uh, No, it wasn’t.
Didn’t the Journal run a front page article about the sewer ponds being dry and raw sewage running, allegedly, into Buffalo Creek? Ummm, Nope!
Why are you stiil reading? Oh, OK, You're not a censorship clan member? By all means continue!
Isn’t the Journal of such high quality journalism and a source of pertinent news and events that one can’t wait until the next issue?

Editors Note: Fact is, these people who are against this magazine come here to get the scoop.
Citing Onside Buffalo’s Blogger: Remove the link to this website from your bookmarks.
It won’t happen because they need the fodder. They’re addicted. They are attracted to it even though they publicly profess their hatred for the content. It’s like a drug! It’s the Budweiser they have to have for their ‘fix’. Maybe it’s time for an Intervention? Once they decide to seek help where can they go? Censorship Clan Anonymous is forming now.

The cheerful (sic`) group of Town Board meeting onlookers want positive things published on this website.
Point taken!
There are many positive things about Buffalo and, having lived here for some time now, there appears to be one big reason expressed over and over again when people are asked about the most positive thing Buffalo has to offer.

Buffalo is a great town in which to raise a family!

That being said, take into consideration that it’s not such a great place to raise a family when certain families won’t allow their son or daughter to play with your 11 year old son because the little guy’s parents have the courage to speak up about town government, their elected officials and the decisions the elected make.

Editorial Note: Yup, that’s right Buffalo. My son has been banished from a selection of homes because of what I wrote. A man of late middle-age writes something that a few people disagree with and view as negative and all of a sudden my 11 year old is at fault.

It’s not such a great place to raise a family when ones personal property is subject to first-degree malicious mischief, damage and vandalism because one chooses to write about one’s beliefs and share opinions regarding the things going on in the town where a person resides.

Editorial Note: Yes, that too is correct. Eggs, graffiti, broken windows, cars vandalized, employees cars vandalized. Oh, the small mindedness of some.

The targets of the clan tonight are the publishers of both Inside Buffalo and the Onside Buffalo Blog. These clan members are obliged to realize – they MUST remember- the publisher of this site was once wooed like a suitor entices the most beautiful girl in school just before prom night.
Buffalo had high hopes of bringing their money, their economic bearing and businesses to Buffalo.
The Town succeeded.
Now, because they are community minded and concerned U.S. citizens and use the freedoms allowed all people in making their voice heard, they are vilified. They are told to leave Town and one of their businesses is boycotted. Boycotting a business is as much an exercise of freedom by the boycotters as is the publisher’s sovereignty and right to publish Inside Buffalo and the articles herein.

Recently, copies of emails, exchanged between Buffalo’s economic development contact, and the people and company now being vilified were scrutinized by this author. Town leaders were attempting to lure them to the Town of Buffalo Oklahoma.

Here’s an example of the positive things about Buffalo he shared with them:

1- “…regarding your hiring of employees beyond the 3 being relocated, we have a positive labor pool here in Harper County, Oklahoma. We draw in also from the surrounding area. We have the High Plains Institute of Technology just 30 miles away, and their staff has shown that we have highly qualified applicants as well. Please contact me with any further questions, and again, I apologize that I failed to get my first reply to you.”
2- “we don't have a labor pool problem here and our population is well educated.”
3- “…our hotel, it isn't fancy, but it is clean and quaint! The Sportsman’s Motor Court is 580-735...”
4- “…allow me to mention a few other amenities of Buffalo, Oklahoma................... we have a Duckwalls Hometown Variety Store, and ours happens to be listed in the top 10 of Duckwalls' 80some stores! We have Love's 24/7 convenience shopping with a Subway Deli; a host of many stores, a weekly county paper, Buffalo Parts Plus, Venture Foods grocery store (we've a great butcher counter!), Shamrock Service, many many others.....oh, and four dining places (one is the home of the Larry Fried Steak!). We also have J.C.'s Corner--maker of the most delectable snow cones you can imagine!”

Ta-Da! There you have it, a great variety of positive things about Buffalo, presented for your in-depth examination.

After having spoken to a few people recently as to why they reside in or moved to Buffalo, not one of them made any mention of any of the things listed above as their reason.
In review of Buffalo’s amenities as listed in the emails; the Larry Fried Steak is gone as is the restaurant serving such wonderment of fare. 2 other restaurants are gone, ka-put. J.C.’s Corner is defunct. One won’t find a host of ‘many stores’ other than what is noted. There are only 2 dining places remaining INCLUDING the publisher of this site’s restaurant. Duckwall’s Buffalo store is nowhere near the top performing store any longer and Duckwall’s Corporate says that they are undergoing a massive restructuring. A Dollar General has built a new facility. (THAT’S A VERY POSITIVE THING!)

BOYCOTT THE PUB!

That was the cry when the first issue of Inside Buffalo magazine was distributed.
And boycott the pub many of the townsfolk did, and continue to do so. But think about what such a boycott does. It eliminates jobs. And it did. 8 employees were released or quit as a result of the slowdown. Confirmed: 4 of those employees are now living elsewhere because of lack of employment. No big deal many are saying. That may be true for you but certainly not for those people without an income. Consider the trickle-down effect. Those people move, may have to break leases meaning the landlord loses the income from the renters. The Town loses in many ways too because of the lack of income tax revenue from the pay of the employee. Sales tax revenue is reduced because that person no longer spends their hard-earned money in Buffalo. The Town loses income produced from the water and sewer fees of that renter. Other businesses lose as the people leave and no longer contribute to their business revenue.
Take into consideration the restaurant itself.
Sales tax revenue declines in proportion to sales by 9 ½%, the current sales tax rate, and the Town of Buffalo loses their share, the County loses their share, and the State loses too. Subsequently, the people of Buffalo lose because as revenue decreases so does the quality of life. As revenue decreases, so does the ability of the Town to keep up with maintenance, & infrastructure repairs. Overall conditions in the Town of Buffalo decline in parallel.

But, the business under the boycott continues to make the same percentage of profit! Basic economics - Income is reduced, as are expenses, proportionately. Overhead is reduced by eliminating employees and other costs. Costs of sales are reduced by purchasing less food, supplies, etc. Boycotting only serves a purpose if the owner relies on that business as a source of revenue for him/herself or their family.
Be assured, I am very familiar with the owners of the Pub as I have worked with one or both of them on committees, event planning, and as a subcontractor for one of their numerous companies on occasion, and they don’t need the insignificant profits or money the pub may make. Our local bank told them to be prepared for low profits and they responded: "I don't care if it makes a dime, it'll employ people and provide a service the community is in need of"
So what does the boycott of the pub accomplish? Nothing, absolutely nothing except hurt the employees, their families and ultimately the residents of Buffalo, Oklahoma themselves.

Their business is boycotted partially because these people in attendance, this group of haters, decided … they made the choice… to believe a bunch of slanderous speech and libelous writings of an ex-employee found on a website devoted to them. This man lost a lucrative, very well-paid job because he couldn’t get along with the people he was supposed to be managing and cost the company hundreds of thousands of dollars with bad decisions and errors in judgment. He threatened the family, had to go to court to defend a restraining order filed against him wherein many of the company employees were in attendance as witnesses. He confronted employees and the family in public, sent peculiar emails to them, forged documents and overtly harassed the family and employees. He attempted to run members of the family off the road (several police reports were filed substantiating these events) and the list goes on.
The lawsuit which followed against this angry, disgruntled ex-employee as a result of the slander, libel and tortuous interference is posted on this website.
Some of the content on the website referenced, libeling the aforementioned, is protected by the same laws and freedoms Inside Buffalo retains. The site was removed from the Internet while the case was debated by lawyers and later was relocated to another site. It was taken down again after a deposition and interrogatories and then popped up again a year later. The website may claim first amendment rights and to some extent it’s allowed. No censorship.

The boycott itself is an editorial of the mind set of many town dwellers and unquestionably is something positive to write about, isn’t it?
Maybe some business person is doing research this very moment and thinking about moving his or her business to Buffalo Oklahoma and comes across this very article. Without hesitation, be convinced that they are thinking, what a jerk this publisher is. All this crap about Buffalo can’t be true! No doubt they’re thinking nothing but positive thoughts about Buffalo Oklahoma.
Au contraire!
There’s a page on this website devoted to documentation to serve as proof of what is written. And if there’s doubt as to what is written about what’s happening at the Town Board meetings, there’s an audio tape of every meeting available from City Hall for a small reproduction fee, to anyone who asks.
Now there’s something else positive!

There was even more to come of this night.
The anonymous Blog writer at Onside Buffalo made himself known!
It’s not up to Inside Buffalo to announce the author of the Blog – that will be left to the civic voices to broadcast.







*About the author of this article and other articles found on this site:
I was asked by the site editor to submit a little bio on past occasions but was angst-ridden as I have observed the anguish of the editor, and heard the grief in his voice. I lack his valor and possess a strong cowardice when it comes to confrontation.
I present a nondescript self portrait:
I am a freelance, self-employed, poorly paid contributing writer. I was asked to write articles for this magazine and this website long before it ever went “live”. I submit other articles, poems and writings to many places around the country in hopes of generating a meager income. A few measly checks and some savings permits me to live a simple life in Buffalo, Oklahoma tending to the things I revere. I reside here because life is slow, property is incredibly inexpensive, and the cost of living is exceedingly reasonable. My articles can be found both on the Internet and in print under a variety of non de plumes.
I am provided with content and ideas for many of my articles by the entities for which I write. I am unable (conceivably unwilling) to attend meetings and events personally. In the case of Inside Buffalo Magazine, I am provided with digital audio files of the Town Board meetings immediately following the meetings. I then assemble my outline and exchange my writings with the editor. I am, admittedly, biased when it comes to Inside Buffalo and the publisher. I’ve known the publisher for countless years and consider myself a friend of the family. 7654 is an especially important number to me and I use it here because I wish to go about my matters devoid of the niggling those with more courage than I have to tolerate.

Editors Note: Inside Buffalo can't thank this author enough. Without this authors assistance InsideBuffalo.net couldn't have been launched. The glossy magazine would never have gone to print. There were other writers who were forced to resign from Inside Buffalo because of pressure from the community or fear of reprisals. This one has hung in there helping to make those interested aware.