By Jim Hall
A recent Record-Bee column titled “Kill Bill” may have seemed to many like sour grapes of a small business for losing some government-generated funding. This would be very far from what this action would cost us as a nation. The health of small-town newspapers across our country is in worse and worse shape, causing many to fail, due to the centralizing under fewer and fewer forms and controls, of our information highways. This is not healthy for our personal freedoms that we hold so dear in living in our country.
Every small town should have a newspaper, whether it be a weekly or daily. This brings the greatest degree of hearing the voices of all of the citizens of our country, in regard to all those issues that will have both good and harmful impacts on our daily lives. The small-town papers are the front lines of a nation”s citizens; to share thoughts, hopes and fears about all issues that guide our democracy and keep us the guiding light to all peoples, wanting to live in freedom. Our taxpayers” dollars are well-spent in supporting the diversity and unclouded views of so many intelligent accounts of all things, that will and do have an impact on our daily lives, and those of our future generations. The cost of this small army of protectors of our liberties is rising and the need for it to remain healthy is as great as ever. Its need to remain as the true voice of all of our citizens is as important as the water we drink and the air we breathe. Yes, it is that important.
So, support killing the bill (AB-715) and help save our long- standing way of life that we all have been so blessed to enjoy here in our America. Allowing a few to control our daily news is as scary as it will ever get.
Jim Hall
Clearlake Oaks
