The new year promises to be an exciting one, and, as in years past, we hope that excitement is reflected on this page in the coming months.

Congress convenes this week with a Republican-run House, a Democratic-led Senate and a White House that likely has one eye cocked on 2012. Leaders will have to heed voters’ demands that budgets be balanced and deficits cut — while wondering if we the people will really embrace the drastic reforms required to make all this actually happen.

The Texas Legislature convenes Jan. 11. Members face a budget deficit that has been variously reported as no more than $3 billion to as high as $28 billion. Political observers will be watching to see how much leadership Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst show, as both may hold aspirations for higher office.

Locally, county commissioners will continue to try to fill a costly, newly built jail; Mayor Jim Bush will lead the charge against Waco’s chronic problem of poverty; the Waco Independent School District will seek stability by landing a superintendent; and local universities and colleges will seek to help students amid growing concern about rising tuition costs.

All this means nothing unless citizens sound off. After all, opinion is what makes democracy function. It is the fuel of self-government. Without informed opinion, either we drift or we are dragged in directions by those with pull and prominence.

Opinion, too, is a historic function of the American press. The first entrants into the field were journals of opinion. Bias was their reason for being. Over time newspapers changed. Balanced treatment of news became a standard. All people have biases, but a reporter’s job is to set that bias aside when telling the story.

On this page, however, bias is what it’s all about: yours, ours and others’. Here are the oft-misunderstood ingredients of the opinion page:

Editorials: The Tribune-Herald reserves this spot on the page to tell readers what editors think after sometimes vigorous debate among themselves. Editorials reflect the consensus of the Trib editorial board, denoted at the top of this page. It does not necessarily reflect, however, the opinions of reporters who objectively cover the stories elsewhere in this paper.

Columns: The Trib presents a wide range of opinion. From conservative voices such as Charles Krauthammer, Karl Rove and George Will to liberal writers like Maureen Dowd and Donald Kaul, we present opinions from across the political spectrum. Whatever the nature of our own editorials — and it’s generally conservative — we’re committed to a huge array of opinions and ideas, even when they run counter to our own.

We also carry columns by Robinson Media chairman Clifton Robinson, Trib President Gordon Robinson, publisher Donnis Baggett, editor Carlos Sanchez and senior editor Bill Whitaker, each with his own seasoned perspective.

Editorial cartoons: Our cartoons don’t always express the editorial board’s opinion. Sometimes we like them because they’re simply funny, even if we don’t agree with their viewpoints. However, they often bolster opinions in an adjoining editorial. If you don’t agree with a cartoon, then swallow your political indignity because you’ll possibly agree with the next one we publish — and, again, we seek outlets for all political perspectives.

Letters: This section we turn over to you. It is your forum — on issues, each other and the newspaper. We edit for libel, taste, clarity and length. Not all letters can be used, and for a variety of reasons. Overall, though, we have few rules; we prefer to handle questions as they arise. Letters to the editor are a powerful vehicle to get one’s opinion before the community.

One final note on letters: We welcome those that question or support positions and critically dissect issues, but we remain committed to a level of civility on this page. Personal attacks will not be tolerated. And be sure to include all required contact information in case we have a question. Failure to provide this guarantees the letter won’t be used.

Guest columns: Sometimes we solicit columns from readers who have expertise in a particular area. Unsolicited guest columns are accepted, too, from people across the community. These are edited for libel, clarity and length. Don’t churn if you get edited — the chairman of this newspaper sees his column edited just as vigorously, if not more so.

Ultimately, the reason we share our opinions on this page is for you to share yours. It goes to the very heart of democracy. Join us and let freedom ring.