I am writing to response to Jeanette Keesaker’s comments about Action for a Better Tomorrow’s (ABT) letter last month regarding the Sauk Valley Media coverage of Ralph Matire’s (of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability) local educational forum about Illinois tax policy. Her letter noted that ABT “could start by actually signing their letter with the name of the writer instead of hiding behind the organization’s name as everyone else must do who sends a letter to the editor.”
ABT is glad to have the opportunity to let readers know that we indeed submitted a letter to SVM and signed our names in the form of a list of ABT participants who are additionally subscribers. The editor reminded us of a two-signature only policy, so we were left with the choice of removing our individual names and signing as a group.
The letter had expressed our disappointment with SVM’s lack of coverage for our local events of interest and community education. We had written collectively in order to remind SVM that they have subscribers who do not pay for this newspaper solely because they enjoy its selective coverage of events. We subscribe because we have faith that local news is eminently important to our community.
The following names were attached to the letter when submitted: Sarah and David Bingaman, Robbie and Bob Niesen, Tom and Roberta LeMoine, Carolyn Sweeney, Lyle L. Eisenberg, Philip and Antoinette Vella and Doug Becknell. We stand by our words.
