Has lost faith


Published on Tuesday, February 5, 2008 3:32 AM AKST

The Jan. 29 Frontiersman editorial and letters to the editor were right on target, supporting the Matanuska Electric Association member initiative for prompt seating of newly elected MEA board members and questioning MEA’s summary rejection of member ballots on technicalities.

However, another equally important issue needs to be aired.

How are MEA members’ mail-in ballots handled to assure all fairly cast votes reach the election committee for counting? Rumors have repeatedly circulated that mail-in ballots are counted and culled in private at the MEA offices by MEA employees selected by management long before ever reaching the election committee.

Some timely investigative journalism by the Frontiersman might be appropriate to assure the public that MEA is using fair and honest vote-handling procedures prior to official vote counting by the election committee. Subjecting MEA vote-handling procedures to public scrutiny and demonstrating to the public that these procedures are fair and honest would benefit both our member-owned electric cooperative and its members by helping to restore trust in MEA.

My wife and I have lived in the Mat-Su Valley for almost 24 years, and we have been MEA members for almost that entire time. For our first 23 years here, I was willing to give the MEA board and management the benefit of the doubt in running the cooperative.

In my opinion, over the course of last year, the MEA board majority and management have repeatedly made incredibly poor decisions, shown open contempt toward MEA members with differing views, stonewalled and propagandized to the point that I have lost all trust and confidence in the MEA board’s majority and management.

Burchelll and Kincaid for the MEA board.

Steven M. Miller,

Wasilla

Copyright © 2009 Frontiersman

Comments

5 comment(s)

    Concerned resident wrote on Feb 7, 2008 4:45 AM:

    " Vote for Burchell and Kinkaid this year. Its time for Jordan to go. Let's restore our coop.

    MEA management and Jordan have spent prodigious amounts of our money to further schemes and goals that benefit only them. Its time for them to go!

    Vote for honesty and transparency. Vote for the member-owners best interests. Visit itsourcoop.org. Go to MEA board meetings.

    Vote for Burchell and Kinkaid, and help spread the word. Thank you. "

    More ways to help wrote on Feb 6, 2008 10:14 AM:

    " Encourage friends and neighbors to not toss their ballots this year. It is essential not only that people vote for Burchell and Kincaid -- and the bylaw change -- but that as many people as possible vote. Talk it up, folks. Time to reclaim OUR co-op. "

    Its Your Coop wrote on Feb 5, 2008 12:47 PM:

    " Take it back. Vote your ballot. Send it in and have it received in time for the 29th of February. Go to the annual meeting March 1 at Colony High and verify that it was received and counted. If not, vote there. Don't settle for less than being heard and counted. "

    IT'S A POWER COMPANY!!! wrote on Feb 5, 2008 12:37 PM:

    " They don't count everyone's vote. They make decisions then ask the members after the fact, if at all. They demonize every other point of view but their own. They sue everyone and their grandmother. They play political games with ballot initiatives and pay employees to get signatures. They refuse to even follow their own bylaws. IT'S A POWER COMPANY PEOPLE!!! Cheap, clean, reliable power - that's your job. How did these board members get to this point? And what's in it for them that they are willing to break rules and maybe even laws to stay in power? Vote Kincaid/Burchell!!! "

    Right on wrote on Feb 5, 2008 8:57 AM:

    " There is no justification for how MEA handles ballots. It would be a simple matter to restore trust to the process, but management chooses not to take any steps to do so. The only explanation for this is that it would hamper management's ability to manipulate the vote. Time for change, folks. Time to vote for Burchell and Kincaid. "

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