Readers of our Saturday editions for more than a year have been able to count on seeing a national opinion columnist, either Amy Goodman or Mike Reagan.

The two opinion writers are clearly at opposite ends of the political spectrum, which is why we've alternated them from week to week. But in doing that, we've drawn some complaints. Fans of Goodman want more of her and less of Reagan. Fans of Reagan say the opposite.

So we've done the natural thing - made a change that will give you more of both.

Last Saturday marked the debut of our new “Left and Right” feature, with Goodman's and Reagan's columns appearing side-by-side. They work independently for different syndicates, so they will rarely write on the same topic at the same time. But the political foundations upon which their opinions are based will certainly offer a stark contrast.

Some readers may react to this change negatively. They may like to see one of these columnists disappear because they find their opinions so misguided. If that includes you, please take time to consider the value in reading a columnist with whom you tend to disagree. There's a chance you might learn something or see something from a perspective you had not considered, but at least you'll have a sense of what kinds of arguments the other side is making.

There's also the option that's available to everyone - skip the columnist you dislike and read the one you do like.

This new format will certainly bring more balance to the page each week, but it will also bring an additional dose of national opinion to our pages. Much like our news and features pages, the opinion page's main focus has been locally generated content. We have a local opinion column running six out of seven days a week, the same frequency goes for editorials focused on local and state issues. We have a local and national editorial cartoon daily, and we're publishing 15 to 20 letters to the editor each week.

But while our first mission is to be a source of local news and opinion, we certainly don't want to ignore what's happening beyond our region. Having two regular national columnists seems like a good mix.

The major reason we've not done this sooner is the fault of this column. Since I started my column aimed at giving readers a little insight into The Citizen and the newspaper business, it has always been published on Saturdays.

So now I'm in my new home, the Tuesday opinion page.

Executive editor Jeremy Boyer's columns now appear Tuesdays in The Citizen and he can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 231 or jeremy.boyer@lee.net