Stealing is stealing

As a small-town newspaper, we rely on revenue from advertising and subscriptions to pay the bills, employee wages, and to keep the doors open.

In addition to this, we have a few "vending" outlets where we place machines where readers can purchase that day's newspaper for 50-cents. At some vendors the newspapers are simply on the counter or in a rack.

We pay someone to drive to and stock those vending places and retrieve left-over newspapers and the scant money generated by the vendors. This is more of a service to our readers than any grand money-making exercise.

That is why it rankles us so at the amount of thievery that goes on, such as people depositing 50-cents and then taking more than one newspaper - probably to give "a freebie" to family or friends.

This happens too often and gives us pause to rethink this service to our readers.

Come on, folks. We're talking 50-cents per paper, not 50-cents for several of them just because you think you can get away with it.

In the future, take your 50-cents and buy a conscience, and leave the newspapers for the honest people.