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May 14 , 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels February 14, 2004 No winners in left/right debate The problem with the back-and-forth contest of defining the media as liberal or conservative is that the larger playing field is ignored. Both the politically correct liberals and the status quo conservatives specify the 'end zones' as the '40-yard lines'. The game is restricted to the middle of the playing field - and rarely does it extend beyond these carefully controlled parameters. There are no winners in this game. And the losers are the spectators. Robert Simms Ashland Davis ignored? The appearance of Angela Davis at the SOU Britt auditorium last night, 02/06/04, was a major event. Tickets were sold out, and a very large crowd had to be turned away from the door due to fire regulations. Davis was a major figure in the 60s, spearheading important nationwide protest that helped to effect necessary changes in the federal government's course of action. In the years since, she has been a responsible, intelligent critic and teacher at the University of California at Berkeley. I very much wanted to hear what the soft-spoken Davis had to say; but was among those turned away at the door. Why has the Tidings neglected to cover this very important event? Dr. Aaron Corbet Ashland Eds. note: Our Feb. 5 Revels cover story was on Angela Davis appearance at SOU. Open letter to Alan Bates Dear Rep. Alan Bates: Your response to the defeat of Measure 30 is unintelligent, fear-based, selfish, and lacks strong leadership. And, you are in good company with your colleagues. "We (Oregon legislature) couldn't sneak this one over on you, so now that you took our easy money away, we are going to make you suffer." Is that the predominant legislative attitude? Leadership does not deny "what is so", and, doesn't paint bleak pictures to people through political resignation. Are you and your colleagues really going to suffer, or just the constituency? True leadership displays a plan for everyone's success. The Oregon legislature needs to improve management of taxpayer revenues and admit that there is plenty of money. Do you and your colleagues really look at wasteful spending? How about the property tax loopholes for legislators? How about the unnecessary staffing, salaries, and superfluous expenditures? How about legislative retirement plans? Are they necessary? Schools, teachers, seniors, and those in need of health care should not suffer! Stop using them as sacrificial lambs for poor legislative performance. There is always a solution that benefits everyone; it just requires courage, conviction, a true desire to change, and political risk. Are you up to the challenge? Michael D. & Ramona H. Thomas Ashland DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams