An update on our mission

Gazette Editorial Board

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Two years ago, Gazette Editorial Board members decided to formalize our mission, as well as define our major areas of advocacy. We created and published our statement, and also posted it on thegazette.com's Opinion page. Recently, we decided it was time for an update.

While the new version does not differ greatly from the original, it is more focused, especially the education point.

You deserve to know where we're coming from because the board's institutional viewpoint is part of our company's commitment to serving communities and providing leadership.

Gazette editorials, a consensus of board members, are intended to comment and call for action on public issues that matter to the communities we serve. Our formal statement is something by which you can judge how consistently we do that, as well as whether you agree with our viewpoint or have others to share on the Opinion page.

Here's the update:

Our mission: To foster a comprehensive community conversation, across multiple platforms, that will help readers and constituents understand the issues most relevant to them and encourage them to form and share their own opinions.

As a board, we advocate for:

lFirst Amendment freedoms of speech, press, religion, petition and assembly, adamantly focusing on open government, freedom of information issues and being the watchdog for our communities.

l Open, effective, accountable government at every level, favoring collaboration and consolidation over growth in the size of government, and demanding responsible stewardship of tax dollars.

l Federal budgets that reduce or eliminate deficits and pay down the national debt through a balanced strategy of reducing expenses and generating adequate revenue.

l Regional economic development and cooperation among area communities that result in more high-quality jobs for the region as a whole.

lHealth-care systems that are patient-centered and control costs.

l Transforming Iowa's educational system into one that unfolds the full potential of every child through aggressive public examination of long-held assumptions about teaching and learning.

l Regional diversity in ethnicity, culture and business.

l Vibrant, safe neighborhoods through public-private partnerships and residents' personal responsibility

l Forward-looking stewardship of natural resources.

n Comments: editorial@sourcemedia.net or (319) 398-8262