Letters to the Editor
Fellow trustees fail in their duty
Editor:
RE: Auditors: By T.S. Last, October 27, 2010.
I am grateful for the excellent coverage your paper and reporters have provided of Socorro Electric Cooperative meetings over the past three years. That’s how long the most recent effort by reform-minded members has proceeded so far. You have served consumers of SEC very well by calling their attention to needed changes which they have now made, despite board attempts to ignore member rights and authority.
There is hope that the courts will soon bring this struggle to a just end. In the meantime, continued disobedience of bylaws, old and new, and misconduct by trustees continues.
Regarding the subject meeting, I recognize what a difficult task it is to gather notes during the chaos and lack of decorum which existed Monday night. But three items need correction or explanation.
First, Jeff Roberts, the BKD auditor, referred to “director” per diems of $120 and $80 for out-of-state and in-state travel respectively. Those are the “employee” rates. Trustees (directors) are paid $200 per day for out-of-state and $120 per day for in-state travel. That does not include airfare, mileage and hotel costs, which are advanced to trustees in addition to per diem.
My second comment has to do with the rant staged by Trustee Don Wolberg, PhD., to interrupt and digress from the recommendation I was attempting to make to the board regarding President Paul Bustamante. Mr. Bustamante on May 13, 2010, was informed by BSG&M auditors of the abuse of co-op funds and their management positions by two SEC managers. Bustamante admitted discussing the matter exposed by the auditors with those managers that day. Then he concealed the matter from the board and attorneys until the whistleblowers made their charges public July 31, 2010, almost three months after he had informed the now former managers. Although I had the floor, neither Bustamante nor Wolberg would allow me to complete my remarks and recommendation that the board investigate Bustamante’s reasons for hiding the information from the attorney and board. If the board fails to do this, it is another failure of their duty of oversight and further evidence of their intention to oppose the interest of the cooperative.
The third observation in your story which I find remarkable is Dr. Wolberg’s accusation that the countersuit, which protects the interest of the members by attempting to recover assets wasted by trustees, somehow is intended to harm the members. The trustees’ suit against all unnamed members as a class makes no exceptions. Their suit includes everyone’s family members. In that I am the representative of the class of defendants filing a counter action to their suit. Wolberg’s question, “How much of the co-op’s money have you allocated to pay your Texas attorneys?” is insane. Although the board has paid their attorney, Mr. Francish, over $15,000 to pursue the suit against the members so far, and hired an additional law firm to assist him, I have no authority to “allocate co-op money” as his question suggests. That would take a majority vote of the board.
The reformers have established The SEC Member’s Defense Fund, with the local law firm of Deschamps & Kortemeier, LLC, P.O. Box 389, Socorro, NM 87801-0389. Member-owners are donating to this fund so their interests can be represented, as defendants and members of the cross-claim class.
Charlie Wagner, District 5 Trustee
Socorro Electric Cooperative Inc.
Can’t give what you don’t have
Editor:
It finally happened. My name, although spelled incorrectly, was in your paper in the letter written by an Socorro Electric Cooperative member. Mr. (Herbert) Myers insinuated that I was padding Mr. (Dennis) Francish’s billing by my referrals.
First of all, Mr. Myers came and asked for the audit report and was told that the SEC had not even received their copy. How could I give him something that I did not even have?
Furthermore, Mr. Francish was out of town so, why would I have to ask him when again the board did not even have their copy? If I see my name in the paper with incorrect information, I will defend myself again. I do not need to pad Mr. Francish’s invoices with referrals because others are doing a pretty good job of it for me.
Eileen Latasa
Administrative Assistant/Office Manager
Socorro Electric Cooperative
An event for everyone
Editor:
I want to thank Kelcie (MacRunnels) for coming out to our Socorro Striders and Riders 5K running series Halloween run. As far as I know, that is the first time any newspaper has come to see what we are doing.
I want to emphasize that this is an event for anyone in the community and that we have runners/walkers of all shapes, ages and sizes. One thing we all have in common is the knowledge that moving is so important for our health.
I am definitely trying to grow this running series within the community. It is a great way to jump start a Saturday and an opportunity to set your own goals for healthy activity in a supportive environment.
For $5 this fall you get membership into the club, can participate in the running series, and get a high tech T-shirt from Socorro Striders and Riders. The best deal in the state.
The next 5K run is Nov. 20, at 9 a.m. at the EMRTC snake.
Let’s keep Socorro moving.
Jan Tarr
Socorro