Jordan doesn’t follow the rules

I’m glad Matanuska Electric Association board president Lee Jordan is concerned about following the MEA bylaws. Unfortunately, he mostly seems interested in following them when they’re useful and ignores them when they’re not.

According to the bylaws, the board has to appoint two to three people to the bylaws committee each year as the staggered three-year terms of its appointed members expire. But that isn’t happening and hasn’t for several years. Instead, the people whose terms expired back in 2004 and 2005 just stay right where they are. As board president, Lee Jordan is responsible for bylaws committee appointments.

According to the bylaws, candidates have until June 30 to “disburse all assets of the candidate’s campaign account.” That means you don’t get to carry a campaign account balance from campaign to campaign. Check his campaign financial statements on MEA’s Web site — Jordan did it anyway.

According to Alaska State Statute 10.25.010, electric co-ops “may not use cooperative funds to promote or oppose the candidacy of a candidate for director of the cooperative.” Last fall, MEA spent $186,000 on commercials featuring Lee Jordan. In November 2007, Jordan argued that it wasn’t a conflict because he wasn’t even sure he was running for re-election. Yet, the campaign disclosure reports show he started spending money on and receiving donations to his re-election campaign in September.

So, we’ve got a board president breaking MEA bylaws and possibly also Alaska state law because it suits him. Shame on you, Mr. Jordan. You do not deserve re-election to our board.

Dan Tucker,

Wasilla

Editor’s note: According to the Dec. 31, 2007, year-end Campaign Contributions Pre-Election Report required of candidates, Lee Jordan includes a contribution of $108.69 attributed to “carryover from previous period.” Supporting documentation filed with the report shows this transfer of funds, dated July 7, 2007, as a Jordan For MEA account carryover and identifies Jordan as “candidate.”