"A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon, you're talking real money."

Though the quote is widely attributed to Everitt Dirkson, it appears that it is mistakenly so. Wikipedia reports, wikilink, that when Dirksen was asked point blank, he replied;

"Oh, I never said that. A newspaper fella misquoted me once, and I thought it sounded so good that I never bothered to deny it."

On February 5th, two weeks from today, a handful of voters will decide who will be entrusted with control over our comparatively paltry $368M.

Will it be entrusted to the same people, or will new people assume the mantel?  Same old, same old, or brand new, brand new?

On a scale of trillions perhaps, a few million here and a few million there is inconsequential.  On a scale of billions,  are they still inconsequential?

Are a few million here and a few million there worthy of our attention?

Are they really sitting in chairs that cost us $800 a piece.  Do we even care?

None of your business!

APS' Chief Operating Officer Brad Winter was asked for a candid, forthright and honest accounting of spending at 6400 Uptown Blvd.  He was asked to explain how a deal that was supposed to have saved taxpayers millions of dollars metamorphosed into a money pit,
and he won't answer.

They steadfastly refuse to account for the money they just (mis)spent, and they would like some more please.

Who cares?

Not the Journal, it would seem.  Nor any of the NM Broadcasters Association affiliates , friends of Paula Maes and who have their President and CEO's back.




photos Mark Bralley