Letters to the Editor
Rate increase protest filed
Editor:
Here is the protest that I have filed with the Public Regulatory Commission regarding the rate increase sought by the Socorro Electric Cooperative:
No clear demonstration has been made that the rate increase is needed. In 2009 the SEC lost about $417,000. That year the amount spent by the trustees was $492,000; that information was obtained from the USDA Rural Utilities Service.
The trustees refused to give out information about how that money was spent, nor did they do anything to economize on that expense. In 2010 the membership of the SEC at its annual meeting passed a bylaw amendment restricting all expenses paid to the trustees to be limited to $10,000 each, with $15,000 for the president. That year the SEC lost $212,000.
The membership also passed a bylaw amendment requiring the SEC to allow members information about expenses. The SEC has refused to give out information about how much money was spent on the trustees in 2010. We do not have any reason to think that the trustees have kept within the stated limits on expenses.
They have not tried to economize seriously, for they have rejected a motion to require that all travel expenses by Trustees be verified by receipts and another motion to require competitive bidding on all contracts. Economizing on trustee expenses and other budget restrictions may be sufficient to cover the SEC’s costs.
There is thus no clear reason for the increase in rates to cover future expenses.
Richard L. “Arf” Epstein, Socorro
Reader shocked and outraged
Editor:
Today I read the Feb. 16 edition of our local paper (El Defensor Chieftain). I was shocked and outraged when I read the article, “City workers accused of copper theft at Tech,” by Suzanne Barteau.
Tech has pictures of two men using a city truck to commit a crime. Were they authorized to use a city vehicle for the purpose of a crime? If not, then where are the charges of theft of city property for the use in a crime?
This is not a misdemeanor and the DA either needs to look again or go to work at the co-op.
Jean Keffer, Socorro