BCT Editorial – 4/19/09

This page was last updated on April 19, 2009.

The same old same; Editorial; Beaver County Times; April 19, 2009.

The editorial subtitle is “Bill would make government in state even more secretive.”

Where to begin?

First, the editorial appears to be “mistaken” when it says, “This bill would remove public notices from newspapers and put them on government-run Web sites.” According to the current version of SB 419, newspaper and/or legal journal publication is still the default but government units can choose newspaper publication, electronic publication, or both.

Second, I don’t recall any editorials complaining that state law didn’t require legal notices in magazines or on TV, radio, and the Internet.

Third, though this editorial and similar editorials in other papers claim revenue the newspapers get from the legal notices isn’t the issue, sure. I was born at night, but not last night.

Finally, I saw nothing in SB 419 that prohibits newspapers from posting legal notices on their own, just like other government news.

The answer should be clear to the Times given its repeated position when it comes to providing government services for people who don’t want to pay for them. You’ll recall the Times believes those who consume alcoholic drinks at bars, restaurants, et cetera or rent cars in Allegheny County should pay a tax to subsidize riders of Allegheny County’s government-run, taxpayer-funded bus/rail system. The Times also believes users of PA toll roads should also be tapped to subsidize bus/rail riders who won’t pay the full ride. Using a similar approach, the Times could use some combination of the following to fund the continued posting of legal notices.

· Impose a “tax” (rate increase) on customers willing to pay for their advertisements, announcements, et cetera.

· Impose a “tax” (rate increase) on subscribers willing to pay for their papers.

· Impose a “tax” (rate increase) on users of coffee, pop, snack, et cetera vending machines on Times property.

· Impose a user fee on Times carriers.