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Ashland, Oregon HOME Valley & State Sports Nation & World Opinion/Editorial Classifieds Business Columnists Local Issues Obituaries Weather Archive Revels Etcetera Backpage Hot Topics Most Viewed Forum Photo Galleries Video Readers Polls O-Zone Online Games Movie Preview Special Sections Real Estate Guide Menu Guide Shakespeare Subscribe Contact Us Rate Card Place an Ad December 24, 2005 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Councilors should follow Amarotico Alex Amarotico should be commended for his effort to offset the damage inflicted by three other city council members on community relations. I am referring to the sensationalized front-page coverage on Dec. 17 of a recent memo sent by councilors Cate Hartzell, Jack Hardesty and David Chapman to the Ashland Chamber of Commerce. The memo concerned the annual allotment provided by the city to the Chamber from a portion of the funds generated by the hotel/motel tax. The adversarial tone of the memo and the discussion surrounding it is not helpful. There is no question that the council has every right to request additional information regarding the use of these funds. Mr. Amarotico clearly states that he is supportive of the chamber's showing accountability, but not retroactively as demanded by these three council persons. The ways these requests were stated are truly demeaning to the Chamber and are also unnecessarily offensive and divisive. It is evident that the hotel/motel tax is primarily generated through the efforts of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Chamber of Commerce. It is only prudent to reinvest a portion of the tax receipts to further these efforts. Bill Patton Ashland AFN is not a public utility Some AFN defenders/advocates are talking about the system as being the same as a “public utility.” This is not only disingenuous, it is simply wrong. For one thing, AFN is not performing “an essential public service” (a standard definition) as the Charter subscribers, as well as the many other non-subscribers, would attest. Secondly, it was not approved by the voters, a necessary legal procedure. To promote this misconception confuses the issue, certainly does not lead to an objective discussion of the problem, and in my book does not help the cause of those doing the promoting. Jack Hardesty Ashland The Tidings gives priority to letters on local and regional topics of current interest. It seeks to encourage thoughtful, well-reasoned letters and to discourage personal attacks, repetitive messages and personal disputes. Form letters are not published in the Tidings, nor are letters identified as having been published in other publications. Contributions to the Opinion page should be e-mailed in text-only format to [email protected]. Please include your address and a daytime phone number where you can be reached for confirmation. Letters are limited to 250 words. At Length submissions are limited to 400 words. Submissions may be edited for length, content and clarity. See www.dailytidings.com for our expanded letters and opinion section. --> Copyright © 2006 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers. All Rights Reserved.