Editor's Desk: Some cutbacks necessary

Hey, you, the reader. Psst, I'm over here. To the left (literally, not figuratively) of the former op-ed page. What a relief, eh?

I hope you are relieved. We're dropping the extra Sunday opinion page as part of a downsizing to cope with a decline in advertising. We are not immune to the worsening economy that has plagued you, and probably your employer.

Consumers are scrimping. Merchants react by cutting expenses - and advertising is often the first to go, even though advertising drives business.

Advertising dollars account for more than 80 percent of a newspaper's revenue. And ads account for the size of...