I don't know if I'd call this a column exactly, but I've had more than a few e-mails and calls that are asking similar questions, so I thought I'd try to answer a few. I guess we'll call this the mail bag segment. I won't relate the specific questions or messages I got, because I never warned the individuals their names and comments might end up in print. Be forewarned, future installments of the mailbag (if any) will not be so forgiving.

So to the questions:

Why haven't you printed my letter to the editor? Did I do something wrong?

I get these a lot. Most of the time, your letter has been read and I have every intention of publishing it. I'm sure most of our loyal readers have noticed that we're running three View Point pages a week, so the chances are good that I'll print suitable and appropriate letters. It also means that I don't feel bad about holding a letter until the Friday or Sunday paper if it doesn't fit into the Wednesday layout.

All that being said, there are rules for submitting a letter to the editor, which are listed at the bottom of the page. I will waive certain rules if I find a submission particularly interesting, relevant or worthy.

Why do you keep publishing letters about the TIF?

Because Steve LaForge, Bill McDuff and Dwain Sehon keep sending them to me. Not to mention it's an important debate about Chickasha's economic future - will new business come to town and how far will we go to get it? You'll see more on my opinion as we get more news on the TIF and the courts. More stores will always make my wife happier, so I hope we can work something out.

Why do Chickasha and Alex schools get so much coverage?

Both schools e-mail news and photos on a regular basis. I'm blessed that they do a lot to make my job easy, so I print everything I can from them.

Why does the paper look different?

Well, I'm different. We're using a layout style I learned at an earlier paper, which is supposed to be easier to read and more appealing.