Mr. Schrieber---Have The Integrity To Retract
The following is the opinion of Brian Becker and does not necessarily reflect the views of SEMO.net or Bluff Technologies, Inc.
Dear Mr. Schrieber,In the past two months, you and your Daily American Republic newspaper have, seemingly maliciously, slandered me and my family name on three separate occasions.In the June 14, 2013, edition of the DAR the headline read “JUDGE: BECKER MUST PAY”. Other statements within that article, like those below, are at the very least slanderous and reputation-damaging:
“The bills were owed for Internet access services Becker received…”
“He only made partial payment on the bills.”
All of these statements are fabricated and false. They are damaging to me, my reputation and my family. I, Brian Becker, owe the City of Poplar Bluff $0, nada, nothing. And no judgment has been made against me.
In the August 7, 2013, edition, your front page headline blares “City Seeks Becker’s Assets”. Again, the report makes slanderous and reputation-damaging remarks.I, Brian Becker, am not having my assets seized.
Daily American Republic Publisher, Don Schrieber
And, finally, in your own editorial in the DAR’s August 21, 2013, edition you blatantly refer to me as a “maligned businessman”. Do you actually mean to publicly call me a businessman who is “evil in nature”; a malevolent businessman? You go on to say I am “on the hook to pay the city of Poplar Bluff approximately $206,000 in money owed…” This now means you PERSONALLY have made untruthful and “maligned” statements against me.
Again, I, Brian Becker, am not on that hook!
If your publication has any journalistic integrity, you will publish a front page retraction of your June 14 and August 7 statements. And, if you have any personal decency, you will retract your own August 21st slanderous remarks about me and my family name on the “Opinion” page of your newspaper.
We will ask the City to park behind the building, not to hide the seizure, but to help facilitate the workload and prevent anyone from walking up and down the stairs. We will do all we can to help the seizure proceed in an orderly fashion. We went to Walmart this afternoon to purchase a case of bottled water and we have some cookies from Midali’s Cupcakes for the city employees who have been asked to perform this task. Everyone on this side of the story knows that these people are fine upstanding citizens of Poplar Bluff along with our Butler County deputy Jerry Armes who will oversee the seizure. They are just doing their job. We have no malice or hard feelings toward them and, even in this difficult situation, we will welcome them warmly tomorrow morning.
However, when you plaster that photo op on the front page of your newspaper, I hope you have the decency to notate me only as the CEO/President of Poplar Bluff Internet, Inc. and/or the president of Bluff Technologies, Inc, d.b.a. SEMO.net. I further request that the paper abstain from further slanderous or defamatory statements which attribute this to me, personally, or to my family name.
Sincerely,
Brian Becker
P.S. I do want to thank you for, on August 21st, placing my photo next to Scott Faughn and council members Johnny Brannum and Angela Pearson. I couldn’t be more proud of being grouped with them. Both of those council members are amazing citizens of this community. And I count it both a privilege and an honor to call Scott Faughn my friend.
Brian Becker, a native of Williamsville, Mo, is a local businessman of Poplar Bluff who has holdings in a number of Missouri-based companies, corporations and LLCs which include Poplar Bluff Internet, Inc., SEMO.net/Bluff Technologies, Inc., Rolling Shoals Productions, SEMO Towers and Climbers. Becker was a 1990’s Christian musician signed to Benson Music Group, Nashville, with a number of charted songs. During the first decade of the new millennium, Becker served as the director of the Israeli-non-profit corporation (AMUTAH) Jerusalem School of Synoptic Research and is currently a business partner in JerusalemPerspective.com, also, based in Israel. Becker is co-editor of an academic book entitled “Jerusalem Studies in the Synoptic Gospels – Jesus’ Last Week” edited by R. Steven Notley, Marc Turnage, and Brian Becker. Vol 1. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill, 2006.
prec·e·dent
[n. pres-i-duhnt; adj. pri-seed-nt, pres-i-duhnt] Show IPA
noun
1.
Law. a legal decision or form of proceeding serving as an authoritative rule or pattern in future similar or analogous cases.
2.
any act, decision, or case that serves as a guide or justification for subsequent situations. Synonyms: example, model, pattern, standard.
adjective, pre·ce·dent.
3.
going or coming before; preceding; anterior.
You complaining about malicious and slanderous newspaper headlines and reporting is definitely the pot calling the kettle black.
And I just read Scott Faughn’s open letter that was posted on semotimes Facebook page, he comes off as quite the prick, not sure if I would want to associate with that.
Mr. Brian, after little wallykins and bagbybaby complete the rape of PBII tomorrow, does that then leave your companies free to continue becoming the best Internet service in SE MO? I’m so tired of those whiny vengeful spiteful little rich brats and their minions trying to destroy our locally owned businesses for their own pockets enrichment that I could just spit. I want you free to continue to expand and am eagerly awaiting the day you can bring my area high speed service. Dial up is a pain, but I believe in buying local so I absolutely refuse to buy Hughes-net or one of the other satellite services.
And big kudos to Mr. Brannum and Mrs. Pearson for trying to root out the evil and complacency (or is it intimidation?) in the city council.
We can’t get to you yet, Ruthie. I’m so sorry, but I cannot tell you how blessed we are that you are our customer.