You’re our readers. What columnists do you want to see on these pages?

How many of you are sick of Cal Thomas?

It’s OK to admit it. Many people dislike Thomas, as they’ve told me during meetings, amid conversations, in letters and via e-mail. Yet the controversial conservative columnist isn’t one of America’s most widely published syndicated commentators for nothing.

Many people swear by him, too.

Thomas has been a fixture upon the Sun Journal’s op-ed pages since August 2001. His youthful right-wing colleague from the National Review, Rich Lowry, arrived in October 2003. Together, their columns appear a total of four times each week.

Most of our other regular syndicated columnists are stalwarts. The Miami Herald’s Leonard Pitts, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Trudy Rubin and the Dallas Morning News’ Carl Leubsdorf have appeared in the Sun Journal for almost a decade. Their columns appear, in total, between three and five times per week.

Then, last year, the Sun Journal was forced to alter its commentary lineup when Molly Ivins passed away. This irreverent, irreplaceable voice was filled by Susan Estrich, who started her run last August.

I enjoy the work of all these writers. Their columns are provocative, witty and always informative. I disagree and agree with them often, never predictably. I can say all of them make me think. But then again, I’ve been the editor of these pages for fewer than two years, so they’re still “new” to me.

I imagine many of you, the Sun Journal readers, after long-term relationships with Messrs Thomas, Lowry, Pitts, and Leubsdorf, and Ms. Rubin, might be ready for change.

This is why I want your help in evaluating voices for the Sun Journal’s editorial page.

I want to know syndicated columnists readers like and dislike, trust and distrust. I want to know which of our current writers they would keep, and which they would toss. I want to know whose columns they would like to see, and whose columns they would only use for puppy training or fire-lighting.

Essentially, if readers are ready for some new voices in the newspaper, please let me know. Or, if readers are happy with the current lineup, please let me know that, too.

What I wish to avoid, though, is discussions of bias. For example, Media Matters queried America’s daily newspapers last fall, and discovered that conservative columnists dominate. For liberals, this was vindication. For conservatives, this was laughable. It sparked discussion, without conclusion.

This contest, on the other hand, is about the quality of the columnist – not their ideology. We can go around and around, for example, whether the venerable Washington Post columnist David Broder is liberal or centrist. I’d prefer to avoid it.

The deadline for this contest is March 9. Feel free to write me c/o of the Sun Journal at P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME, 04243, e-mail me at [email protected], or call me at 1-800-482-0759, ext. 2285.

I must note, though, this is a non-binding referendum. No stirring nomination – such as “Run Garrison Keillor. Or else.” – will guarantee their publication; and no stern suggestion – for example, “I use Rich Lowry to line my parakeet cage. Dump him.” – guarantees an action.

But all your recommendations, once received, will be considered. And please include your contact information. I might call for more information, ask a question, or to just pick your brain about what you’re suggesting.

I know many readers have been thinking about this, as ideas for improving or changing the page trickle in throughout the year – here’s a few recent notions, to provide examples of the information I seek:

• Columnist Paul Krugman, of the New York Times, is always highly recommended, which is expected given his national prominence. His colleagues at the Times, David Brooks and Maureen Dowd most often, are also frequently mentioned.

• Some, however, readers pine for the past, when voices such as George Will – America’s most published columnist – occupied this page. It must be noted, though, that not every past Sun Journal syndicated columnist can be reconsidered. Many have retired, or in the case of Ivins, passed on.

• Readers have also lobbied for lesser known names, such as David Sirota, who Ivins has called “A new-generation populist who instinctively understands that the only real questions are ‘Who’s getting screwed?’ and ‘Who’s doing the screwing?'”

These are only a handful. Let’s keep the ideas flowing.

After all, the purpose of an editorial page is to educate and infuriate, to inform and enlighten, criticize and praise. The more input I receive about our columnists from readers, the more I can understand the needs and concerns, the stronger an editorial page this newspaper can produce.

At least in theory. I don’t expect anything close to unanimity. Just as I imagine some readers are ready for a change, I also imagine any change is bound to spark disagreement from others.

But for an editorial page, this is exactly the point.