With the 2022 midterm election behind us, we can enjoy a few months of relative normalcy while partisan nominees circle their wagons, regroup and prepare for the 2024 election cycle. Their ads will start running as soon as social media companies can cash the checks.

In any event, we are always eager for your letters to the editor to fill our opinion page.

Voters were fired up during the election, so keep that momentum going by telling these newly-elected officials exactly what those problems our communi­ties face and what they can do to solve problems. Offer ideas about affordable housing options, how to improve traffic flow, how to better benefit our residents, espe­cially our kids, and how to support local businesses and their workers, who keep our economy functioning. We and our readers want to hear from one another about local opinions on all these topics.

We run letters from all sides of the political spectrum, as well as letters that disagree with my editorials, other letters and public officials’ statements.

The rules for our letters are simple:

• Letters must include the author’s name, street address and phone number, in case we have a question and to properly include the author’s name and hometown at the end of the letter. Without this information, the letter won’t be published.
• Letters discussing a local issue or addressing a national issue in a local context take priority over letters solely addressing national issues.
• Letters must be 300 words or less. Our word limit is a strict one. If letters are slightly over, we’ll cut them to fit, but if letters are more than 350 words, we’ll ask the authors to cut them and resubmit. Authors should deter­mine which points they want to make rather than have us guess. If you have a lot to say, break it up and send multiple letters addressing different topics.
• No personal attacks. You can address previous letters, but direct your commentary at the content of the letter. Do not attack the author or private persons.
• Elected officials have less protection from criticism of their actions because of their status as “public figures.” While many government employees can be “private citi­zens” when off duty, elected officials are never so. Elected officials are always “public figures”, whether on the dais, speaking at a podium, at a grocery store, promoting them­selves on Facebook or standing on the corner.
  When people criticize “the mayor” or “school board president” for his or her actions, they are criticizing “the chair”, not “the person.” That said, remember that ranting against a politician doesn’t win readers to your side of an argument as effectively as a logical analysis of his or her behavior does.
• No anonymous letters have been, nor ever will be, published in our newspaper. We don’t even read them, so don’t bother.
• Guest perspectives are reserved for elected officials and experts in the field the letter covers. Guest perspec­tives are also reserved for people representing a govern­ment agency or organization making a official statement. Just being passionate doesn’t make one an expert.
• Letters citing facts must have supporting documents. Yes, we check. Yes, if others ask for those documents, we’ll provide them. If you include statistics, attach the document or website link so we can double-check your numbers. Likewise, if you quote someone or a document, include the email, website screenshot or website link so we can verify the quote you include. If you already iden­tified it, you can help us and streamline the fact-checking process. Letters stating just opinions without verifiable facts, however, don’t need any documentation.
• If you make a seemingly wild claim, include a link to a news story that backs it up. “Well, I heard at the grocery store …” or “Well, I read on Twitter …” is more rumor than fact. If it’s true, you can prove it.
• I’m going to repeat this one more time for the folks in the back: All letters must include the author’s name, street address and phone number. I cannot emphasize this enough. If you don’t provide your name, address and phone number, you’ve written an email. It’s not a letter and won’t be published.
  I had to repeat this numerous times this election cycle to people who really should know better, considering that this has been our policy for decades, published in every edition of the paper below my editorial and on our website, so I can only surmise at this point that those who don’t provide this information don’t actually live here and their email is spam to be deleted.
• You can drop letters off at our newsrooms at 298 Van Deren, Sedona, in Uptown, or 830 S. Main Street in Cottonwood, or email them to editor@larsonnewspapers. com. We prefer email so we don’t have to retype your letter and possibly make an error.

Christopher Fox Graham

Managing Editor