Eddy Aragon of KIVA 1600AM and 95.9FM continue to give us a half hour every Saturday at 11:30am to spread the good word of buying local.  Each week you can listen in as we talk about how to KeepItQuerque - buy local.  With the Balloon Fiesta coming up you can join Tania Armenta of the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors' Bureau as she shares options for us to KeepItQuerque
between the morning mass ascensions and the  evening glows of the Balloon Fiesta, from the obvious trip on the tram to the secret favorites that best reflect our unique place in America.  See you on the Radio this Saturday - and you can hear all our archived shows on SoundCloud, too!

Recently we were in a discussion about how confusing "buy local" seems to be to many people.

To be clear, it does NOT mean shopping at the big chain store on your side of the river.

It does mean NOT SHOPPING at the big chain store whenever possible.  

So when Wal-mart opens a "Neighborhood Market" near you remember this - they are taking money out of your neighborhood and sending it somewhere else. 

Remember this, too; when the big chains begin to "go local" it is a result of consumers' going local.  It means we are, through our choices, beginning to have an impact.  Every time a national chain goes "local" take a close look at where their money goes; are they providing jobs here?  Maybe, but those jobs will likely come at a loss of other jobs in our community and most of those jobs will pay less than what comparable jobs would pay if they were a local company.  Worse yet, that chain has most of it's high paying jobs located somewhere else.  These "back-office" operations are not in Albuquerque, and neither is any local spending. So when you leave your money at these businesses make sure you say farewell.