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By Jeannine Guttman Sunday, October 22, 2006

Several months ago, in newsroom discussions about ways to cover Maine's Taxpayer Bill of Rights initiative, we realized it was important to explore the birthplace of this spending-cap movement. That meant understanding the impact in Colorado, where the original version of TABOR became law several years ago.

There were two ways to approach such a story: Do it all remotely, by phone and Web. Or travel to Colorado in person and report the stories from the ground up. The first option was more expedient and cost-effective; the second option was more time-consuming and costly. We opted for the second choice, dispatching a reporterphotographer team to Colorado for four days earlier this month. We made that decision because we knew the journalism gathered would be stronger, making the final reportage more valuable to our readers.

Any journalist who's done such an assignment knows that much work is spent on the front end ­ researching the issues ahead of time, lining up interviews, selecting locations and honing questions and concerns. In today's newspaper, we offer the report of our Colorado team ­ reporter Tom Bell and photographer Doug Jones. The editors on this project were Andrew Russell, who heads our political coverage, and Brian Fitzgerald, our assistant managing editor for photography. I asked all members of this team to reflect on the decision to go to Colorado. How did that decision support our journalistic mission?

"Tom and I have some experience on this type of story," said Russell.

"In April 2004, shortly after the Legislature approved putting the 'Palesky tax cap' on the ballot, Tom went to Fort Bragg, Calif., to explore how Proposition 13 affected that state, and that town and I edited that story."

Two years ago, "the power of Tom's piece from California is that it really showed Mainers first-hand the impacts ­ positive and negative ­ of that state's tax cap. We heard afterward that for many readers, that story played a key role in their decision on how to vote on that measure.

"Essentially our goal with the Colorado story is the same ­ to help readers understand how TABOR affected a place so they can make their own judgments on whether to vote for or against it," said Russell. Going to Colorado gave Bell and Jones a different, additional dimension, one that wasn't available through the phone or from a distance. That extra dimension: regular Coloradans.

"The Internet and the telephone are my most important tools, allowing for quick and efficient access to information and sources," Bell said. "It's easy from my newsroom desk in Portland to reach politicians, professors and the staff of think tanks and special-interest groups. Going to Colorado gave me access to ordinary people.

"Before I went to Colorado, I spent a week on the phone and the Internet setting up the trip. I had to figure out how to frame the story. Also, I was looking for places and situations that would give the photographer, Doug Jones, an opportunity to capture strong images that would give the reader a sense of place.

"I decided I would look at TABOR through the experiences of two different communities, a wealthy one and a poor one. I chose Alamosa because it's a small hub of a potato farming area, much like Presque Isle in Aroostook County.

"For the rich town, I originally chose a remote ski resort called Crested Butte. After some research, I decided it would be unfair to tell the story through that town because ski resorts are much more liberal that the rest of the state. Instead, I switched to Colorado Springs because it's the conservative hometown of the author of TABOR, Bruce Douglas. That turned out to be a good move.

"On the phone, Douglas was reticent and had no time for me. I called him three times before he agreed to meet me. We finally met for breakfast at a restaurant."

In person, Bell noted, Douglas "was relaxed, funny and talkative. He gave me a lot more information than I ever would have gotten on the phone."

From Bell's account, one can see the advantages of sending a reporter to Colorado. Clearly, the story-telling abilities are enhanced when a reporter is face-to-face with his subject, sharing time in that person's life and observing all the rich details ­ mannerisms, body language, dress, surroundings ­ that come with that encounter.

What was the rationale for sending a photographer as well?

"It's easy to get lost in the numbers and speculation about what TABOR means to folks in Maine," Fitzgerald said. "We wanted to give the story a visual dimension.

"Our rationale in sending a photographer to Colorado, the birthplace of the TABOR movement, is simply to show how it continues to affect those who live there. Colorado, like Maine, often splits politically depending on whether one hails from a populated city like Colorado Springs or a ranch in Alamosa.

"Doug Jones' photos convey a sense of place and circumstance that may give readers a better understanding of where TABOR supporters and detractors are coming from."

Jones echoed Bell's perspective on the value of covering a story in person ­ and the need to do adequate research ahead of that process. "Step one in a project like this is a familiarity with the issue," Jones said. "To that end, I hammered the Internet for a few days and evenings to study TABOR, both in Colorado and Maine. ...

"I built a log of phone numbers, developed contacts and printed maps to measure logistics and identify addresses," he said. But no amount of research could replace the immediate impact of witnessing people's lives first-hand, of documenting their experiences through the power of photojournalism.

"The feel of a crowded waiting room, the distances in a landscape, dedicated health care professionals with furrowed brows as they relate experiences, concerned students on state university and college campuses, chance meetings that occur between folks with opposing opinions, a politician's chin thrust ­ all of these and more are the reasons for going to 'the place,' " Jones said.

"Phone calls won't capture the dynamic and certainly can't measure the impression of dateline 'Colorado,'" he added.

What do you think? Please give me your thoughts on our report, which begins today on Page A1. Your feedback is a valuable part of our critique process and I would appreciate receiving your comments.

Jeannine Guttman is editor and vice president of the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. Send e-mail to jguttman@pressherald.com or write to 390 Congress St., Portland, ME 04101.