Elliott_Davis's Blog

 It's amazing to me that our station has featured the You Paid For It segment for almost 20 years.

  I never would have thought there would be enough government waste to sustain something like this that long. There's always something new and unbelievable.

 Take this month for example where we showed you the Mayor of East St. Louis and his plans for a $1.3 million dollar monument of a flower. This with all the other issues facing that city.

 Or the Jennings School District deciding to buy nearly a million dollars worth of Palm Pilots to hand out to grade schoolers to take home..only to decide the kids couldn't take them home after all.

Or the story in West County where Modot building a soundwall right in front of a Frontenac family's front door..And then told me there was nothing wrong with it.

Lets not forget the City of O'fallon where they spent $41,000 for furniture for a historic house, only to discover the furniture didn't fit the time period.

 And of course the Governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich, who cost taxpayers hundreds of thousand of dollars commuting to work on the state owned executive plane.

 Of course I'll never forget the old favorites, Dorothy Moore of Hillsdale fame who tried to take my mike.

 Then St. Charles County Executive Joe Ortwert (Jesus loves you Elliott)

There's one of my all time favorites.."Are you a traveling man"

And of course Gales Towing...My cameraman was shot during the course of that investigation.

 It is really encouraging when I run into many of our viewers on the street who tell me they appreciate Fox Two's You Paid For it.

 It's truly a team effort made possible by a lot of folks behind the scenes you never see but who are nonetheless essential in getting these reports on the air.

 As for the officials. I think most are well intentioned. But many of them change when they get elected and stop using common sense in some of their decisions..

It's almost like they say "it's taxpayers money, There's more where that came from" Plus they're on boards and commissions where others think the same way. Before long you're got a boondoggle on your hands..that you paid for.

  I really want to thank all of your for making this franchise possible. You're the ones who make those calls that hold officials feet to the fire..And tie up their phone lines, and make them think.  

As I'm fond of saying it's your government. You're the shareholders. Office holders are in charge at your discretion, and only as long as you want them to be..Thank you for letting us be a part of making sure your voices are heard..

After all You Paid For it.