Time to take care of some dirty laundry

Ah, Democracy, how do I love thee. You are a messy, disheveled shirt; a fabric imbued with the tense threads of opposing passions and beliefs. But for all your rumpled glory, you, O Democracy, have one eclipsing mark — you can always be washed.

Well, folks, it’s about time to wash the shirt. That’s right, it’s time for Matanuska Electric Association elections.

Yep, I realize you’re probably thinking the above, again and again. Perhaps you’re even rolling your eyes or have suddenly become very interested in your low-carb bran muffin. Maybe you’ve decided upon a six-week appointment at your favorite dentist.

Anything but an MEA election.

I can’t blame you for shuddering. After all, the acronym “MEA” does not conjure warm fuzzies or memories of grandma’s cooking (unless your grandma burnt her vegetables and sued you twice a week).

This is, after all, the company that in 2007 spent more than $160,000 of member-owner dollars on advertisements meant to influence the votes of those member-owners. This is, after all, a cooperative that has forgotten how to cooperate with its member-owners and its fellow cooperatives, a company that often acts more like a kingdom than a cooperative. It has forgotten this lesson from the “7 Principles of a Cooperative” outlined by the International Cooperative Alliance that “cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions.”

Yep, that company. MEA.

But I have good news (don’t worry, this is not a sales pitch). MEA is still a democracy. That’s right. It is still a cooperative, and whether management likes it or not, you — the member-owners — own the utility. You decide the future. Since you are an owner (not just a member) it is incumbent upon you to vote in the upcoming MEA election.

Your vote is crucial to the future of the Valley. Sticking with the status quo is not an option (unless you’d like another year of manipulated ballots, wasted commercials and an us-versus-them approach to just about everything).

We must return MEA to the people of the Valley. We must elect board members who will view themselves as public servants, not electric royalty. We must elect candidates who will be accessible and open. We can no longer tolerate board members who sneer at those who do not have the correct initials after their names. Instead, we must elect people who will respect the member-owners; people who will listen to all people, no matter their beliefs or backgrounds.

We must elect candidates of integrity. In the wake of last year’s political corruption scandals, we must elect board members of the highest character. We must not settle. We must insist upon candidates who have a proven track record of honesty and decency.

And finally, our candidates must believe in the future. For too long we have settled for board members who gloomily rant about the evils of other utilities or who render blame when they should build bridges. We have settled for board members who view challenges as harrowing obstacles that must be faced alone rather than seeing challenges as opportunities to create a better Alaska and a better future.

In the next few weeks you’re going to barraged with campaign notices (along with New Year’s predictions, mind-numbing cold and three or four weight loss flyers). In the midst of all the New Year’s hubbub, I urge to step back and remember one simple thing: It’s time to wash the shirt.

It’s time for a new direction at MEA. It’s time for board members who are transparent, open and ethical. It’s time for candidates who believe that you — the member-owners — should decide how to run the cooperative; candidates who will lead MEA into a bright, promising future.

Darin Markwardt is a Valley resident and member of the group MEA Ratepayers Alliance.