So you really do care sort of
LAST WEEK, this column asked whether people really care about issues facing the community.
We asked about the election, about why it takes an event to raise money for charity, about how Florence lost its refuse contract at the county lake, about whether the county should hire a promoter or administrator.
We inquired about what it meant to get more sales tax revenue and whether regressively taxing sales is a good idea. We raised the issue of academics and athletics. We even talked about whether it's wise to require reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
We expressed no views on any of these issues but rather sought to outline the pros and cons of each in hope of stimulating thought.
On the topics mentioned, we received no feedback. We have, however, received two letters — and the threat of an advertising boycott — because of a side-reference made in 41 of the 542 words in the editorial:
"Speaking of sports and questions, why does the country club cost so much to join? It needs money to have nice facilities, but how do you balance that against the need to serve the whole community, not just a financial elite?"
The question remains, how do you?
As we noted, the club needs nice facilities. It has gone into debt rather than increase its fees to pay for them.
Is that the correct balance? Would it be better to raise fees and have no debt? Would it be better to cut fees with a government subsidy or offer a non-membership option, like those at public courses, so golfers can pay as they go rather than pay a fixed monthly or yearly amount?
We have no idea. All we want is for people to talk openly about the issue rather than have some sulk around, bad-mouthing the club, while others more proudly proclaim its value.
What we sought was dialogue. Now there is a chance for that to happen.
We can only hope that eventually we will have a chance for dialogue on the other issues mentioned in the first 428 and last 73 words of the editorial.
The 41 words about the country club were seized on by some as evidence of "negativity."
In a democracy, raising questions isn't negative. It's a civic responsibility. Failing to raise questions creates a society where small cadres try to run everything — right down to telling the rest of us what to think. We've all seen people who act like that and communities that are run that way. Thank God ours isn't among them.
We hope readers of this newspaper think for themselves. We raise issues not so we can further our views — in this case, we don't even have a view — but so you, our readers, can arrive at your own conclusions.
That's what we care about. That's what makes this a newspaper, not just a throwaway sheet with a lot of feel-good stories surrounding ads.
If some regard this as being negative, so be it. We think it's the most positive thing we can do.
— ERIC MEYER
