October 15, 2009
Legislator's idea smells fishy
Memo to: Rep. Marlin Schneider (D-Wisconsin Rapids)
From: Wisconsin newspapers
Dear Marlin,
We must admit, you took us by surprise with your September 29 press conference. For the past couple of decades, most Marlin Schneider press conferences have revolved around your latest scheme to limit access to public records or other information vital to the operation of a free press. The lovefest for Wisconsin newspapers you staged last week was a new one. While we agree with the sentiments about the importance of the press to be a watchdog on society, we will pass on your latest bill, LRB 3468, to exempt all property directly and exclusively used in newspaper production from the property tax roll.
We certainly appreciate your generosity. Times are tough for the industry. You are correct to point out corporate newspapers are shrinking and closing in the on-going search for shareholder profits. Yes, the newspaper in your community is shrinking the size and slashing staff in an effort to satisfy the out-of-town bosses and shareholders. Unfortunately, dropping newspaper buildings from the property tax rolls will only accelerate the movement toward centralized production plants. The corporate media really doesn't give two hoots if it has offices in places like Marshfield, Wisconsin Rapids or anyplace else.
This newspaper is also feeling the pinch of a smaller news holes and a smaller staff. The reductions here are a reflection of the hard times everyone is feeling in the current economic crisis. As other businesses adjust advertising budgets, the proportional space for news copy shrinks. Perhaps the biggest hit to newspaper advertising in 2009 has been the loss of help wanted ads and classifieds. When there are no jobs available, there are no jobs to advertise. In good times, those account for significant ad inches on a newspaper's tally sheet. We hope 2010 brings a return to a healthy help wanted section — both for our bottom line and the sake of those job hunting.
Since we stand by your beliefs that a strong local newspaper presence is an important watchdog on government, we would ask for your help in a couple of different areas.
First, stop trying to make it so difficult for people to track the goings on of government. The Wisconsin Consolidated Courts Access Program (C-CAP) is a vital link between the public and operation of an open court system, the most important guarantee in the Bill of Rights. Every citizen needs this link to be able to make sure justice is handed out in a fair and honest manner. We are rightly proud of the leadership local court officials like retired Judge Gary Carlson took in developing the system. Carlson would skip the rhetoric and tell you the system is just plain easy for people to use. How many government programs can boast of that? The safeguards needed to protect those named in the system are already in place. Besides, these are open, public records. For those who really want to see them, court records are available at the courthouse. Closing off access to C-CAP just makes life difficult for those who don't live or work in the shadow of the courthouse.
The second area this small business, and every other one from the farms to the factories can use, is meaningful health care reform. Newspapers will always be proud to pay their fair share of the property tax to support the schools and other governmental bodies we spend so much time reporting on. The leading cause of the bankruptcies which kill off small businesses in this country is catastrophic health costs after being priced out of the private health insurance system.
The need for accountability of where our tax dollars are being spent is far more important to newspapers than how much we pay in taxes.
.
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