As reported in the April 21 story, “County mulled newspaper fee,” the proposed tax on newspapers was proposed by “a commissioner” back in January, months prior to the alleged “brainstorming” session in March by the county’s Department of Environmental Services. This tax is not very pro-business, especially given the general consensus among reasonable citizens that it won’t fly and newspapers are not big polluters. At least not The Columbian. I suspect most subscribers of The Columbian want the paper they paid for and dispose of it properly by recycling.
The Reflector, by their own published circulation figures, delivers 26,826 papers weekly for free. And these free papers are lucky to make it past the public sidewalk when they are delivered. And they might stay there for days before they disappear. With the commissioners making The Reflector the county paper of record for official publications and this proposed arbitrary tax, it is not hard to conclude that the county commissioners are attempting to silence The Columbian.
Recently, the Reflector printed a negative editorial about a group asserting their constitutional right to assemble near Prairie High School. Yet not a word from the Reflector on this attempt to punish and silence another newspaper.
First they came for The Columbian …
Tim Gaughan
Battle Ground
