In my opinion

Business owner speaks out for first time

(Editor’s Note: Brad Seacat submitted this statement Monday to the newspaper regarding an incident that occurred March 10, when Mayor Mary Olson asked then-city administrator David Mayfield to check into rumors that the hardware store had filed bankruptcy. She believed she had a right to know because the business had received a grant from the city to expand. The Kansas Attorney General’s office investigated the incident and found there was not sufficient evidence to prosecute.)

As with most business owners, we find ownership to be a very rewarding and challenging experience. It is a constant struggle to maintain a balance between providing a good inventory for our customers and keeping the bills paid. In spite of the poor economy and the ever-increasing number of delinquent accounts, we are still here.

However, we wonder how many other businesses have had to contend with vicious, slanderous attacks from the mayor of our city.

Contrary to almost weekly reports that began in March 2010 and continued through last year’s election, Seacat Do it Best did not and has not ever filed for bankruptcy. In fact, we are now and have continued to be in good standing with all our creditors. Furthermore, as has been implied by many people over the past year, we were not involved in any conspiracy to prevent Mary Olson’s re-election.

As we step away from a business to which we have devoted everything, we feel that it is time to clear the air about a few things. Mary Olson propagated the rumor that we had filed for bankruptcy. We don’t know where or how the rumor started, but we do know that she, the mayor of our city, chose to participate in the lies despite the fact that no evidence has ever existed to support what she was saying. In fact, Olson contacted my banker, behind my back, demanding information about my finances. Although Olson has no legal right to discuss my finances with my banker, she apparently feels that in her position as mayor she is entitled to invade someone else’s privacy. I should add at this point that if she had obtained information from the bank, it would have revealed that my finances were fine.

Mayor Olson’s actions were harmful to my wife and me personally as well as damaging to our business. Her actions on March 10, 2010, began a very rough and trying time for our business. Our suppliers began to question if we were a good risk or not, one stating, “Poor credit runs like wild fire in this industry.”

Locals commented that it seemed pretty suspicious that we brought all this up before the election, implying that we were conspiring to make Olson look bad. We were put in a position that made us appear to be an enemy of Olson and her supporters. Not good for business! We wonder sometimes if Olson and her supporters were conspiring against us. Let’s face it, the economy has been bad, the building industry has been terrible, business is slow, so maybe one more shot could push us out. Making bankruptcy an issue was something she did more than one in last year’s elections.

Last March, we refused to comment publicly on any of these rumors or allegations because we did not want to improperly influence local politics. In fact, this writing is our first public response to the mayor’s wrongful acts. I believe it is important to note that neither my wife nor I demanded any investigation nor did we demand a special meeting of the city council.

We simply asked that Olson make an apology to us for her slanderous comments. She chose instead to drag us deeper into the mess she created. Now that our business, which we have devoted everything to, is being turned over to a new management, we feel that the truth needs to be told. Mayor Olson’s actions were harmful to our business, spiteful toward us, probably illegal and completely unwarranted.

Still she maintains she did the right thing and she would do it all over again. Is that the image this town should convey to future business prospects?