Preston Trigg, probably the most thorough and informative of this semester's guests, returned to our Public Affairs Reporting class to fill in the missing puzzle pieces left over from his previous visit.
This time Trigg covered the budget. He informed us that a budget consists of two parts: Revenue and Expenses.
Revenue is the money coming in and Expenses is the money going out. If these two are not pretty close, if not exactly, the same number there may be something worth looking into.
He covered loads of other material two, explaining that a "fiscal year" runs from Oct. 1st through the following Sept. He told us to look for major increases, property tax, fees and licenses, and much more.
These will all come in handy and will provide me with some excellent tools for my career, but what I really will take with me is some of the quotes that I pulled from the presentation.
"Follow the money," said Trigg.
This has been a recurring theme in all of my classes. I just wish that, by following the money, some of it would end up in my pockets.
"Written so an 8th grader can figure it out" were the words he used to describe a budget.
This really hit home with me. I didn't realize how simple it actually was to read a budget and grab a story from within its boring grasp.
I will no longer be afraid when presented with an opportunity to break a story by scouring through a budget.
Lastly, I laughed out lot (or I loled to use today's shorthand) when Trigg described the types of people that work in the budgeting department.
He used the term "geeky types" as a basic description, but then added on by stating that they are "locked away in an office" and would be "tickled pink to talk to you".
Not only did this make me laugh, but it also made me think. These budget officials, tucked away in their cozy little statistical caves, could be my best friends when I need to break a story.
I definitely recommend Trigg's presentation to next semester's Public Affairs Reporting students. Listen and take a lot of valuable tips from the lecture, but also don't be afraid to kick back and enjoy.
Trigg is full of great information, but he brings more to the table. It's like a lecture with a sprinkling of stand up comedy.
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