Letters to the Editor
Let’s drop the smoke screen
Editor:
Contention among the Socorro populace that financial improprieties have been routinely conducted with their money is likely to be confirmed (or not) by an audit proceeding at the Socorro Electric Co-op. An independent audit is under way and expected to conclude later this summer. The big question is what the Board of Trustees and their chosen management team will do with the results of the audit as regards the member-owners. How long will they try to hide the audit results?
It’s known that SEC management has a stern gag order on employees that threatens the workers with their livelihood should they speak to anyone about SEC business. The members voted to have records from the Co-op available for examination by all member-owners, yet management and the majority of trustees seem to fear this openness. Is there impropriety to conceal? Is there cause to fear disclosure of incompetence, negligence, malfeasance, embezzlement or fraud?
Whatever the case may be, the Co-op’s attorney (Dennis Francish) is siding with the board to keep information close to the vest. Is Mr. Francish the Co-op’s attorney or is he the board’s managerial counsel? If the latter, it would be prudent to assure all finances are sparkling clean in this audit. We the members would hope they are, but that’s not the word on the street. Perhaps that’s why the smoke screen in allegations of bigotry and sexual misconduct. Will it screen everything else? We’ll see.
If Francish is the Co-op’s attorney, he represents me. I’m paying for his services and I demand he serve me and the other member-owners to implement the desires of the membership. If he doesn’t represent those of us paying his bills, I demand he resign and make way for an attorney that won’t take our money under false pretenses. It’s a good time for him and all trustees to evaluate their positions carefully. Decide where they want to stand in the near future. Time for some honest gut-checking.
Herbert Myers
Socorro
Generosity just isn’t the word
Editor:
I found nothing “welcome” about the check for $9.01 I received from the Socorro Electric Co-op last week (“Co-op distributes capital credits”, El Defensor Chieftain, June 19).
It merely reminded me of the outrageous malfeasance “our” SEC board of trustees is perpetrating against us, the member-owners, while the board (apart from one member) is fighting tooth and nail to hold onto its benefits and perks. It did not escape my attention that the total amount that was distributed to member-owners (about $280,000) is quite a bit less than what the board takes for itself in benefits and junkets (nearly half a million dollars in 2009 alone). At this point, it is very clear to the community of member-owners — i.e. nearly everyone who lives in the SEC service area — get very little value for all the money the board spends on itself. My check would have been quite a bit bigger if the board had been required to follow the resolutions passed by overwhelming margins at the April 17th SEC member-owner meeting.
And why spend all that money sending out checks, when it would be much cheaper and more efficient to simply credit our electric bills with the amount each of us is due?
I have a theory on that incredible waste of money: since the board has to approve capital distributions, it wants to make sure SEC customers take full notice of the board’s “generosity.” I can think of no other explanation for this waste that makes any sense.
I resent that the SEC board seems to think the member-owners so stupid as to be taken in; there is nothing generous about this self-serving board, or the over-paid lawyer they are using against the membership either.
Chad McCabe
Magdalena