Never before has my problem with News-Press editorial page policy come into sharper focus for me than the “showcasing” of Hendry sugar grower Karl Larsen’s outrageous letter on back pumping. Even as our community celebrates the, perhaps symbolic and temporary, secession of the horrific practice of back pumping, the N-P chooses this moment to pop the balloon at our happy party. I am sadly disappointed that the decision was made to publish that letter and align editorial page policy with diversity and destruction, rather than join the celebration of a critical victory for our ecology.

It was a tough learn for me that the editorial page policy is not to garner and cull fact, it is not to reflect the majority opinions of Lee County, it is but to present diversity, and community issues be damned. I personally don’t like that, because it puts the editorial page in direct conflict with the interests and future health of citizens and the economy of the very people the paper serves, and I believe should represent.

Even that would be acceptable, except, here comes the rub: buried on every page is the consensus opinion of board and staff, with recommendations for community behavior regarding vote and action. The key word is “buried.” The N-P has no site map for the editorial page, but scattered around is self serving tripe, like Mr. Larsen’s letter, and efforts from N-P to influence public action and opinion. The overlap must cause confusion in the readership. It does for me, and believe me, I pay a lot of attention to the page.

If the goal of editorial policy is only to present liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans, polluters and protectors verbally choking each other, then the N-P has succeeded magnificently. If the goal were instead to present genuine debate and counterpoint, the page fails so miserably it doesn’t deserve to occupy the bottom of bird cages as it will only get the bird’s feet dirty.

Thanks for listening,

Paul Reynolds

Sanibel