A nice bit of political finesse exibited in the Source this week. Really, you got to admire it. I could never be a politician, because I just wouldn't know how to begin to play the game this way.

When the whole BAT fiasco came to light, there was a fair amount of blame spread about. City councilers, the purchase managers, the Utah Bus system, the actual sellers. And, oh by the way, the BAT manager.

Now, when it all blew up, I wanted to quote her, because I remembered an early interview from her, when she first arrived in town, that sent up all kinds of red flags. She seemed to say, early on, that putting in a bus system would be easy, no strain at all, and would hardly cost a thing. Gosh, it was a real mystery why Bend didn't do it. Why, where she came from, they had done it with a mere flick of the wrist.

So....that pretty much ran contrary to my own instincts, and was a 180 degree turn from anything that anyone in the city government had ever said, and made everyone who had looked at bringing in mass transit before her either liars or idiots.

In other words, it just didn't smell right.

But she got her way, and the BAT was created.

When the whole situation blew up, I looked for her name -- because I really wanted to quote her. And as far as I can see, she was never mentioned, except in passing. It appeared that it was everyones fault.

But, I kept thinking, she was the motivator, and I assumed she was probably the person who actually did the work.

So, this week in the source, there she is. Her name, Heather Ornelas, and her picture with the caption, "Accepts Blame for the Blue Bus Fiasco."

I just want to amend that: MONTHS AFTER THE POLITICAL FALL OUT!

How brave, how responsible, how.....clever.

So, as far as I'm concerned, neither the Bulletin or the Source did their job in revealing her role in the whole affair, and the city officials either covered up for her or were clueless.

Nice job. Not to mention they would have had to wait a Whole Year to buy buses that actually worked. Why do that when you can buy lemons. A whole year....Can't have that, she's got a hot career going here....

So, smoke and mirrors. It's not surprising that Heather got conned, because pretty clearly its the way she approaches her own career.

Now she can go to the next metro area without a bus system, and tell them how easy it is, and how it won't cost a thing, and can be done with a mere flick of the wrist.