Let’s play airplanes!

Perhaps these business luminaries should each shave their heads, put on the Nehru jacket and practice saying, “$85 million,” with a smirk and the little finger tucked into the corner of the mouth.

This is a beautifully packaged, $85 million panacea for all the woes being suffered by poor business owners throughout the Four Corners. If you throw $85 million at it, they will come. However, somebody famous once said, “$85 million unexamined is $85 million unrealized.” Each and every penny of that $85 million will be spent, one at a time, until it adds up to a shiny new bauble, almost perfect (except for the few dozen miscellaneous millions that will be needed to add the finishing touches.)

What if it was only $8.5 million? What would we get? I dunno, maybe state-of-the-art parking suitable to accommodate the actual traffic loads for existing and anticipated travelers? What if it was only $850,000? I bet we could buy a new tent for the overflow terminal complete with beautiful “mountain peak” details to match the elegance of Denver International Airport!

I’ll bet that with $850, we can bribe the denizen of some cubicle somewhere to reschedule all of the air traffic in the U.S. to allow for a half-hour or 45 minutes between each of the dozens and dozens of flights arriving and departing from La Plata Field!

Perhaps we should consider a capital investment of $85 billion and install the Star Trek transporter – on the Bridge to Nowhere. Or go back to the drawing board. I’ll reconsider if they’ll give me one of those $85 million to install the toilets.

You know, the Arc of History kinda resembles the Flintstones’ airplane. Another grand scheme! Another flight of fancy! I love my town!

Davitt M. Armstrong

Durango