BlueNC and Talking About Politics will give you all the comments you need.
These managers and board members are not shooting straight and giving you the true story. Go to Blue NC and TalkingAboutPolitics to read more
Certainly coal, rail, nuclear fuel, like everything else, is increasing in cost. BUT, if you live in one of the 32 cities in eastern NC that belong to the NC Eastern Municipal Power Agency (i.e. your town owns a piece of Progress Energy nuclear and coal plants and that piece has a huge debt like a noose around your town’s neck), you have OTHER cost increases going on behind the scenes. And those costs are on the wholesale rate the power agency passes onto your town. And those costs threaten your town, you, your way of life.
OPERATIONAL costs, or costs of doing business, are out of control at ElectriCities and those costs can be DIRECTLY attributed to JESSE TILTON, the CEO. His contract is up for renewal this summer and every rate payer can participate and ensure new leadership at the helm.
How? Talk to Members of the Board of Directors or ElectriCities (John Craft), urge your local and state elected officials to talk to the Board who have been reluctant to hold Tilton accountable for a series of serious errors, misstatements and embarrassments that are costing you money and costing your town its reputation. Reputation does cost when it comes to recruiting business, attracting new residents and winning legislative battles. And, many of us who are retired simply refuse to see our money fly out the window due to mismanagement.
The timing is right. It is election time. It is time to call the Attorney General Roy Cooper and his challenger Bob Crumley. The Treasurer Richard Moore and candidates. The candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor. It is budget time in the cities. Time to attend the budget hearings, get a copy of the budget. These two factors – elections and budgets - can change this situation. While we may be a small number of people, businesses and industry affected in eastern NC, we are the lifeblood of the region and the future of the region. And, I personally do not think our fate should hinge on the actions of one individual who simply does not get it – in terms of ethics, truth, fiscal management, personnel management, responsibility, accountability. Do you?
Here are the Low Points driving costs.
ElectriCities is not the entity to which your town owes debt. ElectriCities is the trade association
web site Somewhere buried in the budget of your town, is a line item for membership in ElectriCities. It is not REQUIRED or MANDATED.
It is fluff. Your town could acquire the same services and benefits by working together with other towns, without ElectriCities. And the simple fact of council members and commissioners refusing to pay dues would have a dramatic effect on management, via ElectriCities, and possibly turn the decision-making closer to home where it should be – with the commissioners from each town at the power agency. Question the dues. Some cities pay $50-60,000 a year.
Surely your town could put that money to use somewhere else besides the pocketbook of an overpaid ($500,000) Raleigh CEO Jesse Tilton and his sidekicks.