My thanks to those of you who have communicated your disappointment with The Tribune 's decision to trim a half-page of the Opinion section on Mondays, eliminating space for the two op-ed columns that otherwise would be there. We share your chagrin.

When readers' morning routines are disrupted by changes in their newspaper it is a serious matter. Losing syndicated columns, even for one day a week, is bitter coffee indeed.

As you probably know, or have guessed, the move is a reflection of the general shrinkage of newspaper content nationwide due, in large part, to a steady decline in print advertising and spiraling newsprint costs.

The deepening global recession has hit the industry hard, forcing newspaper companies to cut staff, downsize editions, and, in some cases, reduce days of publication. A few newspapers, such as The Rocky Mountain News this past Friday, have been shut down and others will follow. Some newspaper groups have sought bankruptcy protection.

Clearly, the news about newspapers is somewhere between grim and dire. For the most part, though, The Tribune, owned by Denver-based MediaNews Group, has been something of an anomaly. There have been no staff layoffs and circulation has held fairly steady. Some cost-cutting measures have been necessary, however, and the loss of op-ed space on Mondays is one of them. That doesn't mean, of course, that it's any less regrettable to you or to us.

Also regarding our op-ed page, several readers have weighed in on our more frequent use of guest columns about local and state issues. Some like them, some prefer a steady lineup of syndicated columns written by folks familiar to Tribune readers -- Cal Thomas, Paul Krugman, Robyn Blumner, Rich Lowry, Gwynne Dyer, among many others.

We have been publishing more locally written commentary for the past several weeks for one reason only: The Legislature is in session and we believe it important during the 45 days of the general session to devote more space to public policy issues that can profoundly affect life in Utah.

When the session ends, you'll see more of Rich, Gwynne, Cal, Robyn and Paul, though sadly, not on Mondays.