If you said that a proposal was likely to cost 1,000 jobs in Pennsylvania, that would raise more than a few eyebrows.
But if those jobs happen to be in the business I toil in – the newspaper industry – would there be the same concern?
I hope I don’t have to find out.
I was part of a large contingent of newspaper executives, editors, business and AARP officials who trekked to Harrisburg yesterday to make known our opposition to House Bill 663, which would allow municipalities and other public organizations to place legal ads online rather than in the newspaper.
You can read the full story of the day here.
Here’s the deal. Yes, I have read the comments that were posted on our recent editorial opposing this bill. Yes, there is unquestionably a financial stake – and not a small one – for newspapers here.
But the real danger of this law is multi-fold: First, it will be costly and basically mimic something that is already in place. Second, there are all those jobs at stake. Third, and maybe most important, it will less the transparency and move toward more open government in the state.
Regardless of what you hear, a lot of people, in particular senior citizens, do not have Internet access. That includes a large chunk of the core, loyal readership of this newspaper.
House Bill 633 is not only not needed, it’s just a bad idea.
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