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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas

Opinion

Mac McKinnon

Tuesday, April 21, 1998

OBSERVATIONS


By Mac McKinnon

Local newspaper has a
lot to offer the community



You might have noticed by now that there have been several
changes in the Pecos Enterprise in the past month or so.

There have been some complaints about those changes so I
want to explain what we're doing and why.

Some of those changes are evident on the comics page. The
television listings have also been changed. In addition, we
don't have an editorial page but once a week or so,
depending on space available.

The reason for all this - put quite simply - is money.

For years, - 12 or so - the Pecos Enterprise has not been
supported by the local community in such a way so as to pay
expenses. That has happened because the economy took a dive.
We appreciate the local support we have, but the money just
isn't here any more.

In order to publish a daily newspaper, we have had to use
profits from our printing operation to pay for the local
newspaper.

In the past six or seven years, we've come close to having
the newspaper pay for itself but we still had to live off of
profits from printing newspapers from other towns.

That's not the way it should be but that's what has
happened. Now, the problem is some of that printing is
moving to other presses. We've made every effort to try to
keep the business but business is business. They - such as
the Fort Stockton and Alpine newspapers - feel they can have
more opportunities to run bigger sections with color because
the printer where they are going - the Midland
Reporter-Telegram - has bigger presses.

We've been printing the Fort Stockton Pioneer for almost 30
years and the Alpine paper for some seven years or so.

I don't believe any of these papers can get better prices,
quality or faster service than what they've been getting
from my press crew for years. Not only that, but we've
waited at times many hours and have helped out any time we
need to with problems all of us in the newspapers have at
times.

All of this business is substantial but we realize business
is business. The bottom line is, the Pecos Enterprise will
have to and probably should have been operating within its
own means for all these years. However, I have tried to
offer many features to provide the best newspaper available
to our readers.

We will continue to offer the best newspaper possible even
though we don't have as many financial resources available
to us as in the past. Many newspaper people have marveled
that Pecos has a daily newspaper. They can't believe it is
financially feasible.

Basically, it hasn't been financially practical except the
fact that the owner, Phil Buckner, insists that Pecos needs
a daily newspaper because nobody else gives a hoot about
Pecos and area citizens deserve the latest news possible. He
has a sentimental attachment to Pecos as it was one of his
first newspapers when he started putting together a chain.
Pecos has been good to him over the years and he doesn't
worry that we don't make any money. He just doesn't want to
lose a lot.

I'm always amazed at the complaints I hear about no local
news in the Pecos Enterprise. Actually, I'm insulted. Some
readers simply aren't paying attention. You'll find more
local news than the readers of much larger newspapers find
in their own hometown paper.

People throughout this area wish they had a paper like the
Pecos Enterprise. I hear that wish often and have had people
from surrounding towns invite us to start newspapers in
their communities.

We have a larger staff than any newspaper anywhere near our
size of which I'm aware. We also win more awards than
comparable newspapers. I'm proud of this newspaper and my
staff and will continue to make it the best we possibly can
within the financial constraints we have to deal with.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Mac McKinnon is the editor and publisher of
the Pecos Enterprise. He can be e-mailed at:
bigmac@bitstreet.com

Your View

Jones praises Enterprise writer on recent article


To the Editor:
I want to express my sincere gratitude on your decision of
running an article on me written by staff writer Greg
Harman. The openness of your newspaper to prospective
candidates is refreshing and Mr. Harman is a crackerjack
writer and reporter.

Charlie Urbina Jones

Your View

Wrong message being sent out about Pecos


To the Editor:
I guess some people would say I haven't lived here long
enough to know enough to speak out against anything, but I
do know the difference in right and wrong, honesty and
dishonesty, decency and indecency, and moral and immoral.
I've lived here for five years and have seen the best and
worst of Pecos.

I'd like to go someplace and say something that someone
couldn't say "Oh yeah, Pecos is famous for that, or Oh yeah,
Pecos has the worst of that."

I've had the misfortune of circumstances to get familiar
with some of our state agencies here in Pecos.

My experience has been half truths, deception and a very
sloppy job.

When bad is allowed to win out over good, it sends a message
to the people who abuses our system, that hey, we're going
to continue to reward your abuse with more of our tax
dollars so you can continue to live as you always have and
we're behind you 100%!

Until Pecos has the caring, intelligent people who are
capable of dealing with our community's needs, without
catering to the drug dealers and drug users and take a
righteous stand, we will continue to be "famous for that,"
and the "worst of that."

There are good, decent, hardworking people in this town and
I'm sure if they only knew how their tax dollars are being
spent that they would realize some of these agencies need to
be accountable for their actions.

Janice Pitts
Pecos, Tx.

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Pecos Enterprise
Mac McKinnon, Publisher
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.

324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net

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