BCT Editorial – 6/12/08

This page was last updated on June 12, 2008.

A bad bill; Editorial; Beaver County Times; June 12, 2008.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“As anyone who has tried to navigate the Internet knows, sometimes it’s almost impossible for you to find what you want, especially if you’re inexperienced.

“That’s one reason a bill before the state Senate to allow municipalities, school districts and other governmental agencies to replace newspaper publication of their public notices with postings on a state-sponsored Web site is a bad idea because everybody does not have access to the Internet. The 43 percent of Beaver County residents who have no access to the Internet would be disenfranchised.”

[RWC] What about Beaver County residents who don’t buy a newspaper? Aren’t they “disenfranchised” too?

“This measure also puts the entire process in the hands of an out-of-sight, out-of-mind government Web site instead of your local newspaper. Given the penchant for secrecy at all levels of government, that’s not a good idea.

“Sure, newspapers make money from legal ads, but the overall cost savings for local governments would be minimal.”

[RWC] If “the overall cost savings” would be so minimal, why didn’t the editorial tell us how much they would be?

“This is a bad bill that makes government even more remote. It’s the wrong direction in which to go.”

[RWC] Note the editorial didn’t make the logical suggestion, do both. After all, why should newspapers have a monopoly?