The newspaper you are holding in your hands right now is pretty special. In fact, there is nothing else like it in this region and perhaps in the whole country. We are a local alternative/independent paper that supports and is helping build a powerful progressive movement for peace, social and economic justice.
Think about that for a minute. The coverage you see here is not censored by advertisers with vested interests—like builders and developers who would prefer that we don’t speak the inconvenient truth about urban sprawl, air quality problems and the legacy of corruption at City Hall. We are not in the pockets of the ruling elite who feed the corporate media the lie that they are helping the homeless, when in fact they are destroying their shelters and leaving them on the streets to die.
The Community Alliance validates the work of progressive activists in this area who are marginalized and ignored by the mainstream media. You will read about the work of community organizers in this paper because we value the work being done to stop slumlords from exploiting the poor, we support environmental activists who are telling us about the polluted air we breathe and we want the police to be accountable when they use excessive force or shoot unarmed youth.
It has been a relatively easy ride up until now as this publication has gone from a small newsletter to the widely distributed newspaper we now print every month. But the time has come for me to move on, and as we transition to a new editor it has become obvious that we need to get more financial support as we move forward.
If you want to see local, grassroots and investigative journalism continue in this community, then you need to increase your support. If you are picking this paper up for free, you need to become a subscriber. If you are already a subscriber, please send us an additional donation. If you are one of our generous monthly sustainers, then I’m asking you to increase what you send.
We are really at the make or break point as I leave my volunteer position as editor. We can either rely on rotating volunteer editors who will do their best to maintain the quality and diversity of this publication, or we will hire a professional editor and business manager who have the resources to improve and expand our mission.
Our future is literally in your hands. If you don’t value this publication, don’t do a thing. On the other hand, if you care about the future of journalism, if you want to build a progressive movement in this area and if you care about social and economic justice, you will figure out a way to let us know. I’m asking you to vote with your pocketbook. Let us know how much free speech and independent journalism means to you.
A better world is possible.
