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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 9, 2019)
4A | WEDNESDAY EDITION | OCTOBER 9, 2019 Siuslaw News P.O. Box 10 Florence, OR 97439 NED HICKSON , EDITOR | 541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM Opinion The First Amendment C ongress shall make no law respect- ing an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Govern- ment for a redress of grievances. “I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” —Thomas Jefferson (1800) USPS# 497-660 Copyright 2019 © Siuslaw News Siuslaw News Published every Wednesday and Saturday at 148 Maple St. in Florence, Lane County, Oregon. A member of the National Newspaper Association and Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association. Periodicals postage paid at Florence, Ore. Postmaster, send address changes to: Siuslaw News, P.O. Box 10, Florence, OR 97439; phone 541-997-3441; fax 541-997-7979. All press releases may be sent to PressReleases@TheSiuslawNews.com. Jenna Bartlett Ned Hickson Susan Gutierrez Cathy Dietz Ron Annis Publisher, ext. 318 Editor, ext. 313 Multimedia Sales Director, ext. 326 Office Supervisor, ext. 312 Production Supervisor DEADLINES: Wednesday Issue—General news, Monday noon; Budgets, four days prior to publication; Regular classified ads, Monday 1 p.m.; Display ads, Monday noon; Dis- play classified ads, Friday 5 p.m. Saturday Issue—General news, Thursday noon; Budgets, two days prior to pub- lication; Regular classified ads, Thursday 1 p.m.; Display ads, Thursday noon; Display classified ads, Wednesday 5 p.m. Soundings, Tuesday 5 p.m. NEWSPAPER SUBSCRIPTION RATES: In Lane County — 1-year subscription, $79; 6-month in-county, $56; 10-week subscription, $25; Out of Lane County — 1-year subscription, $102; 6-month out- of-county, $69; 10-week subscription, $35; Out of State — 1-year subscription, $134; E-Edition Online Only (Anywhere) — 1-year subscription, $65. Mail subscription includes E-Edition. Website and E-Edition: TheSiuslawNews.com Letters to the Editor policy Some thoughts for the upcoming National Newspaper Week (Oct. 6-12) O nce upon a time, hav- ing a job at a news- paper meant working in one of the most imposing buildings in town, inhaling the acrid aroma of fresh ink and the dusty breath of cheap newsprint and feel- ing mini-earthquakes un- der our feet every time the presses started to roll. For those of us old enough to remember those days, National Newspaper Week 2019 could be one big, fat elegiac nostalgia trip. Today, many newspapers are ditching the impos- ing buildings for low-rent storefronts. As University of North Carolina pro- fessor Penny Abernathy has documented in her ground-breaking research on the news desertification of America, upwards of 1,300 communities that had newspapers of their own in 2004 now have none. So here, dear readers, are some facts you need to know: Newspapers are more than a medium Increasingly, for both younger and older readers, that low-grade paper with come-off-on-your-hands ink is being replaced by bits and bytes that light up your phone or tablet or computer. What can’t be replaced, however — and what should never be made obsolete — is the primary function that newspapers have tradition- ally performed: Deploying reporters, photographers and editors to find and pro- duce stories on everything from natural disasters to political scandals to your neighbor’s golden wedding anniversary. Why pay for ‘free’ news? have, if anything, too much information at our disposal. The same digital revo- lution that blew a hole in newsroom budgets and turned Craigslist and eBay into advertising behemoths also created new paths to publication. According to a 2018 sur- vey by the Pew Research Center, more Americans now get their news from so- cial media than from news- Guest Viewpoint Kathy Kiely, University of Missouri School of Journalism That 25 or 35 cents you used to plunk into a news- paper box didn’t come close to covering what it cost to produce what newsroom denizens like to call “the daily miracle.” The high cost of public service journalism has al- ways been subsidized by ad- vertisers. So thank them by show- ing your support — in their businesses and your sub- scription. Social media is not free news Readers might not notice the hollowing out of news- rooms because today, we papers. But not everyone who’s publishing via smartphone and YouTube is a promis- ing writer or videographer giving voice to underserved communities. A lot are ped- dlers of propaganda, snake oil, disinformation and dis- sension. Nor is social media as free as it seems: We pay by providing our personal data every time we log on and, often, every time we make a purchase IRL (in real life). Social media sites that use data to deliver informa- tion that’s likely to keep you on their sites: A resident of Moberly, Mo., who shops at Cabela’s and is Face- book “friends” with Donald Trump supporters is likely to get a very different news feed on Facebook than one who lives in New York City, listens to NPR and “likes” Joe Biden’s Facebook page. I’m not arguing that we should turn off the internet and replace it with ink and paper. What I do think readers can do this National News- paper Week is become more mindful about their infor- mation diet — rather than nutrition-free news snacks we often consume each day. Supporting real news is a more expensive proposition for readers than it used to be, but it’s cheap when you consider what you’re really paying for. As my former Gannett News Service colleague, University of Kentucky journalism professor Al Cross put in a bumper stick- er he had commissioned a couple years back, “Support democracy: Subscribe.” Kathy Kiely is the Lee Hills Chair in Free Press Studies at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. I just received an email from Sen. Jeff Merkley about “his” thoughts regarding impeachment. The Sena- tor regularly sends policy statements via email to registered constituents. I have noticed that I get his proclama- tions when the political noise starts to become a fever pitch. I suspect these announcements happen after his office receives nu- merous contacts about a particular subject. They always are proclama- tion that “justify” his thinking on a subject, and tells you how he will “represent” me with his vote. Over the last couple of years, I have sent notes to my Senator, telling him I disagreed with one of his actions and wished that he would try to cross the political aisle and be a little less par- tisan. I voted for Merkley the first time he ran for the Senate, and have at- tended his town hall meetings. When Donald Trump announced that he was running for president, I could not believe what I was hearing. I thought Trump’s campaign would be like one of Pat Paulsen’s cam- paigns for President (Pat did receive a few protest votes). Boy was I wrong. Throughout my life, I have worked with many people who I did not particularly agree with. Leadership is a matter of style; good leaders get things done. There are 100 ways to do something and 97 of them are right. Trump has an abra- sive and off putting style, but he does get things done. After receiving Merkley’s latest proclamation, It is unlikely that I will ever vote from him, even for Dog Catcher. And here’s why: Three years ago after Trump’s inauguration, I attend- ed one of Merkley’s town hall meet- ings. Even then, he was suggesting impeachment. I wanted unprejudiced participation and real representation instead of biased rhetoric. Merkley’s latest note just made me realize that my Senate delegation — along with my current house representative — really are part of a swamp. They think they know more then their constituents. Sen. Merkley, let the voters decide who they want for president and you stick to getting good policies for Or- egon. —Rory Hammond Dunes City Unfinished business in Salem As residents of Florence, we care about many issues that affect Ore- gonians. But there is one issue that is more important than anything else: The impending climate crisis. That is why we will become cli- mate voters in 2020 and will support candidates who are brave enough to Political/Election Letters: Election-related letters must address pertinent or timely issues of interest to our readers at-large. Letters must 1) Not be a part of letter-writing campaigns on behalf of (or by) candidates; 2) En- sure any information about a candidate is accu- rate, fair and not from second-hand knowledge or hearsay; and 3) Explain the reasons to support candidates based on personal experience and perspective rather than partisanship and cam- paign-style rhetoric. Candidates themselves may not use the letters to the editor column to outline their views and platforms or to ask for votes; this constitutes paid political advertising. As with all letters and advertising content, the newspaper, at the sole discretion of the publish- er, general manager and editor, reserves the right to reject any letter that doesn’t follow the above criteria. Email letters to: nhickson@thesiuslawnews.com LETTERS Voters decide president, not senators The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to the edi- tor as part of a community discussion of issues on the local, state and national level. Emailed letters are preferred. Handwritten or typed letters must be signed. All letters need to include full name, address and phone number; only name and city will be printed. Letters should be limited to about 300 words. Letters are sub- ject to editing for length, grammar and clarity. Publication of any letter is not guaranteed and depends on space available and the volume of let- ters received. Letters that are anonymous, libelous, argumen- tative, sarcastic or contain accusations that are unsourced or documented will not be published. Letters containing poetry or from outside the Siuslaw News readership area will only be pub- lished at the discretion of the editor. take bold action to combat climate change. In particular, we want our state legislators to make amends for their failure to pass the Clean Energy Jobs bill earlier this year. Climate change is the biggest crisis of our generation. The science shows that we only have 10 years left to pro- tect our children’s future. For every year of inaction on climate change, it is estimated to cost Oregon families an extra $1,800 each year. We simply cannot afford that. Many other states across the country, like right next door in Washington, have already passed bold climate legislation. Ore- gon, a longtime environmental lead- er, is falling behind. We must regain that leadership. Last session, our legislators had the opportunity to pass groundbreak- ing legislation that would have put Oregon on track to meet its carbon emissions goals, protect our children, save Oregon families money, and cre- ate tens of thousands of family-wage jobs across the state. We’re writing to urge Sen. Arnie Roblan and Rep. Caddy McKeown to stand up for the majority of Ore- gonians who want them to pass the Clean Energy Jobs bill in the 2020 legislative session. We are counting on them to do the right thing this time. The time is now. —Mike and Pat Allen Florence WHERE TO WRITE Pres. Donald Trump The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, D.C. 20500 Comments: 202-456-1111 Switchboard: 202-456-1414 FAX: 202-456-2461 TTY/TDD Comments: 202-456-6213 www.whitehouse.gov Oregon Gov. Kate Brown 160 State Capitol 900 Court St. Salem, Ore. 97301-4047 Governor’s Citizens’ Rep. Message Line: 503-378-4582 www.oregon.gov/gov U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden 221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg Washington, DC 20510 202-224-5244 541-431-0229 www.wyden.senate.gov U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley 313 Hart Senate Office Bldg Washington, DC 20510 202-224-3753 FAX: 202-228-3997 541-465-6750 www.merkley.senate.gov U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (4th Dist.) 2134 Rayburn HOB Washington, DC 20515 202-225-6416 541-269-2609 541-465-6732 www.defazio.house.gov State Sen. Arnie Roblan (Dist. 5) 900 Court St. NE - S-417 Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1705 FAX: 503-986-1080 Email: Sen.ArnieRoblan@ oregonlegislature.gov State Rep. Caddy McKeown (Dist. 9) 900 Court St. NE Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1409 Email: rep.caddymckeown @oregonlegislature.gov West Lane County Commissioner Jay Bozievich 125 E. Eighth St. Eugene, OR 97401 541-682-4203 FAX: 541-682-4616 Email: Jay.Bozievich@ co.lane.or.us
