Editorial: Support Orcas Issues on Small Business Saturday

— by Margie Doyle —

Sometimes, because Orcas Issues is an information service, it seems to fail to register as a business. But that’s what we are: a small, local (in modern parlance “hyper-local”), news and information business. We’ve been established as such for seven years now, and as a private business, we contract our labor, pay our taxes and participate in membership in the local Chamber of Commerce.

We’re small in the financial aspect of it, but we’re sizable in the community aspect of our journalism service: just look at a week’s sample of news and opinion contributors and our periodic advertisers. This week alone we have: Tim Blanchard, Pete Moe, Sandy Friel, Michel Vekved,  Paul Kamin, Doug Bechtel, Kristen Wilson, Jan Ehrlichman, Tony Simpson, Artha Kass, Terry Johnson, Bob Jarman, Wendy Shinstine, John Campbell, Lynn White, Kathy Lunde, Kim Ihlenfeldt, Rep. Rick Larsen, Randy Gaylord, Teresa Chocano, Jane Heisinger, Martin Taylor, Madie Murray, Kate Long, and Kevin O’Brien.

This week, Gov. Inslee asked Washington shoppers to support Small Business Saturday, and to shop local on Nov. 29.

“Shopping locally helps create local jobs,” said the Governor. “These local businesses create jobs in our communities and the trickle-up effect helps fuel our state’s economy. The holidays are a great time to discover the products and services available from Washington-grown businesses.

“In Washington state, small businesses account for 98 percent of all employers. Every dollar spent at a local business is recirculated three times more in the community than a dollar spent at a chain store.

At Orcas Issues, we support the small local businesses — and non-profits — by reporting on their efforts, publishing press releases, and offering public service announcements at no cost.

And today, as a small business that’s in it for the long run, we’re asking you, our readers, to support us in a small way, by signing on for monthly payments of $7.50 for students/seniors, and $10 to support our small business.

We’re all in it together, thanks for helping us help small businesses and the island economy!