For the first time, I think, I was recruited for a job, and no, not by one of those recruiters.

It was by the former top editor, now transitioning out to a job at Politico, at a combination online “newspaper” and monthly print magazine, InMaricopa, in Pinal County, Arizona.

That said, for people with some of my bent in reading, or knowledge of the Southwest, you’ll understand the partial quote and the idea, when I say that a picture of Maricopa, Arizona, should be in a phrase dictionary next to Cactus Ed Abbey’s “Growth for growth’s sake …”

So, I was ambivalent from the start. But, agreed to talk further. After a phone call with transitioning editor, he had me talk briefly on the phone with the publisher / co-owner, who then set up a Zoom.

Meanwhile, he emailed me an application. (More on that in a sec.)

Before the Zoom with him and the ad manager, I emailed back about “salary range.” Him: “We don’t really have a range.”

Well, before the Zoom, I googled “Apartments for rent in Maricopa.” Got Apartments.com, I think as first hit. NO Apartments. Just houses. That means, even compared to North Texas, utilities will be MUCH HIGHER for electricity (not even counting water problems as noted by BuRec). I also hit one of those cost of living comparison websites. Between this? I was asking $20K more than currently, and had no problem saying that on Zoom AND saying that was on the low side.

Two days after that, I looked at the application and finished it TO MY SATISFACTION, but forgot, or passively-aggressively, didn’t send it.

I’ve not filled out a standard “application,” at least not before actually being hired, in more than a decade. So, another turnoff right there. Yes, this was just like applying at Walgreens or something.

Seriously. Way to turn off potential applicants.

Second, I don’t put dates of college attendance on my resume, for obvious reasons, so they weren’t getting them either. Ditto on salaries. I just scratched through them.

Well, Monday, when I was in County commissioners court, publisher calls. When I get to office, I first finally email him, with note if you can’t read anything, ask, but NO note explaining my scratch-outs.

Then, off  my voicemail, call him back.

He picks up, has a kind of garbled response rather than a “hello” then either drops his connection or else cuts me off.

Didn’t call back since.

There were other hesitations about this job too.

First? No paywall on the website.

Second? Boasting about Facebook "likes." Facebook don't feed the bulldog.

Third? I don't have a problem with it in an occasional newspaper special section, but when you openly admit a fair chunk of stories in your mag are the old "buy an ad, get a story," yes, we do have some concerns. As for the mag itself? It's more than 40 percent ads on one sample issue, but 25 percent of that was biz director ads that I've not seen before in monthly community mags. It's either smart aggressive advertising, or deep discounts on TFN ads. My guess? The latter. Also, it's delivered by mail, but I don't know if that's free or paid subscription. Can't tell from the editorial masthead.

Said masthead DOES mention the word "prosperity," which the publisher emphasized as part of its mission when he asked if I'd visited the website. I'd guess that prosperity doesn't trickle down a lot.

Fourth, the Pinal County newspaper, headquartered in Casa Grande, may (or may not) suck, though it does have a dedicated Maricopa reporter, and apparently a separate edition or paper for Maricopa, but running it down in public?

As for the mag itself? OK, no more than that.