OMU rates

I'll start by wishing everyone dealing with the effects of the ice storm well. I hope your power is back on soon. I will commend OMU for their efforts in getting power back on. What I am about to say does not apply to most OMU employees. Most are hard-working, honest folks who make our city proud.
With that said, though, I must pass on a few of the things I've learned by talking to OMU employees. Have you all heard that our electric rates are going to be raised soon? They tell me it could be as much as 25%. So if you have a $50 bill now, it will be $62.50. With that kind of increase, a fair question is, "Is OMU making sure that no money is being wasted?" Based on what my friends who work there have told me, the answer is a pretty clear, "No." Here are a few of the big ones:
-I'll start with kickbacks and contract awards. OMU managers have awarded major contracts not based on whether the bidder is the best for customers, but on personal gain. A contract at the power plant, for instance, was awarded partially because of the bidder's willingness to sponsor Owensboro United Soccer Club's tournament a few years back. This same bidder routinely does things such as sending OMU managers to ball games and renting big-screen TV's for these managers' homes during sports seasons. Someone needs to call General Manager Stan Conn and ask him who paid for his and his wife's Alaskan cruise a few years ago. It wasn't him. It was another vendor whose contract at the power plant was up for bid. These bidders don't just pay these costs, they pass them on to OMU. Folks, I can't afford to go to NFL games in Indianapolis, rent a big-screen TV to watch sports, or go on a cruise. Can you? Should you be paying a higher electric bill so that OMU managers can do these things?
-Speaking of Owensboro United Soccer, can you afford to have your kids in this club? I can't. However, several high-ranking OMU managers are on this club's board. They spend LOTS of company time making calls, typing letters, and such, for the club. This not only costs money, but also takes them away from what we the ratepayers hired them to do. One of these managers has even forced some of his employees to work OMU-paid overtime to wire up equipment at a soccer field in preparation for a tournament. I'm all for youth sports, but I can't afford to support this. Every time I pay my OMU bill, though, a portion of it goes to United Soccer.
-Other donations. OMU donates a huge amount of money to charity each year. I am all for charity. I give as much money as I can afford to my church. However, when I pay my OMU bill, a part of it goes to the charities OMU chooses to support, whether or not I want to support those charities myself. As an example, OMU supports Alma Randolph's children's charity. I personally don't want a penny of my money to go to this charity. It doesn't bother me if others choose to support it, I just choose not to do so myself. Like I said, though, I am forced to take money away from my church and donate it to Alma each time I pay my OMU bill.

Part 2:
-High pay for few hours. How many of you all have to cram something in your mouth in 30 minutes or less, then get back to work? I sure do, or I would get fired. However, many OMU employees enjoy leisurely lunch periods of an hour and a half or two hours. Making it worse is that some of these guys are paid through lunch. They are supposed to eat as quickly as possible at the job site, but drive around town at lunch time and count the red trucks in restaurant parking lots. Lunch isn't the only abused time. There's a meter reader in my neighborhood who does his rounds, comes home about 9:30 or 10, then goes back to work around 2 until quitting time at 3:30. He does this EVERY DAY, and he told me he gets paid for 8 hours. Another one lives about 3 blocks from OMU headquarters on Tamarack Road and works similar hours. Drive by there in the middle of the day and see that red pickup sitting in the driveway. Surely OMU management has to see this, but why don't they do something about it?
-Free lunches. Many OMU managers make a point out of having "lunch meetings" so that they can whip out their OMU credit cards and pay for them. So not only do we buy our own lunch every day, we pay for theirs each time we pay our OMU bill.
-Company cars. In these times of rising costs, the city has cut down on the number of cars their employees, even police officers, drive home. However, OMU has made no such cuts. Some OMU managers have even spec-ed out trucks with 4 wheel drive and trailer hitches to pull their boats to Rough River. Of course, they get gas cards, too. I can't afford a boat or a place at Rough River; but I guess OMU has decided that I can afford to haul some of their managers' boats to Rough River. Think how much extra money you would have in your pocket if you didn't have to make car payments, pay insurance, gas, taxes, and repairs on a car. Well, you would have more in your pocket if you weren't paying these things for OMU managers when you pay your OMU bill.
-Raises and new positions. As soon as he got the top OMU job, General Manager Stan Conn rewarded his suck-up buddies at the power plant and elsewhere big raises. In addition, he got numerous new middle-management positions created and approved to take the workload off of these management folks who received raises. Those who have disagreed with him in the past, even though some were saddled with additional responsibilities, received no raises. These raises and hires were purely political and do not serve the customers.
Fellow OMU customers, I could go on and on and on with examples such as these. OMU management is, quite simply, not behaving as responsible stewards of our money. In a "real" company, there is a limited supply of money available from customers, and stockholders keep an eye on how it is being spent. OMU, though, can just raise rates if it needs more money. Who, though, keeps an eye on them? Well, it should be us! Go to Utility Commission meetings and ask questions. They are open to the public and announced beforehand in the Messenger-Inquirer. OMU is a public agency subject to open records laws. Submit open records requests if there is something you want to know that OMU management will not tell you. When this rate increase comes out, raise holy hell about all the money OMU wastes and demand that they tighten up the ship before they come to you for more money. And remember, we own that place. We vote for the mayor, who appoints the Utility Commission. If you feel they are not doing their job, flood the mayor's office with phone calls and letters.

bump

lol so no one cares that we're getting screwed? Oh well I tried.

Not a lot of people know about the Topix Forum here in Owensboro. Don't take it to heart. Nice insight on OMU.
Question though, what can the middle man do, when thrown pebbles only bounce off the "suits", and we are laughed at for our efforts to do something about the wrongness?

OMU Customer wrote:

I'll start by wishing everyone dealing with the effects of the ice storm well. I hope your power is back on soon. I will commend OMU for their efforts in getting power back on. What I am about to say does not apply to most OMU employees. Most are hard-working, honest folks who make our city proud.
With that said, though, I must pass on a few of the things I've learned by talking to OMU employees. Have you all heard that our electric rates are going to be raised soon? They tell me it could be as much as 25%. So if you have a $50 bill now, it will be $62.50. With that kind of increase, a fair question is, "Is OMU making sure that no money is being wasted?" Based on what my friends who work there have told me, the answer is a pretty clear, "No." Here are a few of the big ones:
-I'll start with kickbacks and contract awards. OMU managers have awarded major contracts not based on whether the bidder is the best for customers, but on personal gain. A contract at the power plant, for instance, was awarded partially because of the bidder's willingness to sponsor Owensboro United Soccer Club's tournament a few years back. This same bidder routinely does things such as sending OMU managers to ball games and renting big-screen TV's for these managers' homes during sports seasons. Someone needs to call General Manager Stan Conn and ask him who paid for his and his wife's Alaskan cruise a few years ago. It wasn't him. It was another vendor whose contract at the power plant was up for bid. These bidders don't just pay these costs, they pass them on to OMU. Folks, I can't afford to go to NFL games in Indianapolis, rent a big-screen TV to watch sports, or go on a cruise. Can you? Should you be paying a higher electric bill so that OMU managers can do these things?
-Speaking of Owensboro United Soccer, can you afford to have your kids in this club? I can't. However, several high-ranking OMU managers are on this club's board. They spend LOTS of company time making calls, typing letters, and such, for the club. This not only costs money, but also takes them away from what we the ratepayers hired them to do. One of these managers has even forced some of his employees to work OMU-paid overtime to wire up equipment at a soccer field in preparation for a tournament. I'm all for youth sports, but I can't afford to support this. Every time I pay my OMU bill, though, a portion of it goes to United Soccer.
-Other donations. OMU donates a huge amount of money to charity each year. I am all for charity. I give as much money as I can afford to my church. However, when I pay my OMU bill, a part of it goes to the charities OMU chooses to support, whether or not I want to support those charities myself. As an example, OMU supports Alma Randolph's children's charity. I personally don't want a penny of my money to go to this charity. It doesn't bother me if others choose to support it, I just choose not to do so myself. Like I said, though, I am forced to take money away from my church and donate it to Alma each time I pay my OMU bill.

You ain't seen nothing yet.Wait till OMU get's out of the contract with KU and your rates go sky high and they do as they please with your power plant .You'll be begging them to go back to KU.OMU can't make it by themselves.

Todd, I didn''t know that not many Owensboro people use Topix. In places some relatives live (California and Texas), it sees a pretty good amount of usage. Is there anywhere people in Owensboro chat a lot? Hell, I'll copy-paste and post the same thing there. People need to know this stuff. As far as your question, I don't know what we can do except make phone calls, go to Utility Commission meetings, and ask questions. The suits might laugh at a few of us, but if enough ask the questions, they might take it more seriously.

Herman, good point. My friends have told me about the lawsuit with KU and that the contract ends sometime in 2010. My research tells me that the power market is really tough on coal plants right now, and the Obama administration is expected to pass a bunch of additional environmental regulations that will make it even harder for a coal plant to make money. So I agree totally: it sounds like a REALLY bad time to be ending a stable contract where a partner pays part of your costs, no matter what the market is doing. Again, another question we should be asking.

For the record, I have called Sonya Dixon, the OMU spokeschick, and she hasn't returned my calls. There's strength in numbers, and my frustration with being just one (1) has gotten pretty high!

Me again... My friend at OMU told me more about the United Soccer club connection. Supposedly, a guy got a big promotion and raise at OMU because he coached soccer for the United club. The person doing the hiring was on the board of the club!

Look into it, folks. We're all getting screwed. They either need to fix all their problems or tell their employees to quit telling everything to their friends who happen to be OMU customers. LOL

GREAT>>>> I love to hear someone tell it all on the big companies that are screwing the little people.But where do we go from here to find someone who will listen and take action???
I keep my heat set at 68 and the bills continues to get higher..hope they enjoy spending my money on themselves, It's get's a little chilly in my house. Maybe they will take me on one of the winter cruises where it is a little warmer.I'm sure they can afford to pay for mine.

Diamond wrote:

GREAT>>>> I love to hear someone tell it all on the big companies that are screwing the little people.But where do we go from here to find someone who will listen and take action???
I keep my heat set at 68 and the bills continues to get higher..hope they enjoy spending my money on themselves, It's get's a little chilly in my house. Maybe they will take me on one of the winter cruises where it is a little warmer.I'm sure they can afford to pay for mine.

One place you could start is with Board of OMU.Go to a meeting and voice your opinion.

Tht's right...I'm laughing at you.....OMU has one of the lowest electrical rates in the country....Try living someplace else and pay an high utility bill...I live in Tampa Florida and would be glad to pay a OMU bill compared to mine...As far as KU is concerned...KU canceled that contract....KU was bought by LG&E...Then LG&E was bought by a concern in Germany...They could have cared less about that little power plant in Owensboro,Ky....The Germany concern has more money than the entire city of Owensboro and it's residents....As far as Stan Conn...He is very well repected and liked by a majority of the employees...When it comes to company vehicles....The supervisors do take them home....If there was an emergency, It would not be their responsibility to supply the city with a truck....Their pay is not that great...Everybody who works there is civil service except Stan Conn...They have good benefits though...

I agree with the Tampa comment and also laugh at the half truths throughout OMU customer's post. First of all, OMU customer is most certainly employeed by OMU and most likely a disgrutled power plant employee. It's strange how bitterness can cause someone to throw most of the company under the bus due to a couple of bad apples. Of course OMU isn't a perfect company, can you name one that is for sure? As far as whether Stan Conn or others have received extra benefits due to their position I don't know for sure, but would like to see the Customer's proof if this is truly fact. If not, it is merely slander. Supervisors are allowed to use company vehicles which in turn allow them to respond to emergency situations much quicker. As far as employees using OMU vehicles to haul boats or whatever..once again provide the proof. Concerning the issue of employees taking extended lunches and taking lunches although they don't actually get a lunch period. The Customer has an accurate point on a couple of power plant employees taking 1 1/2-2 hr lunches..many have seen this, and it's been reported to management in the past. It should be dealt with. As for the employees that aren't allowed a lunch period and are paid to work a straight eight hr shift...the Customer doesn't have accurate info. and doesn't have enough understanding of internal department policy. Many don't understand the physical and mental toll working in a high hazard harsh environment on a daily basis. I have worked in this type of environment and know it's not all glamour. It's much easier to sit at your 2nd floor office and trash those who make it possible for you to provide for your family. Many of those red trucks you see during lunch are meter readers who do get an unpaid lunch break.
Seriously Customer, do you understand how much waste most large utilities have? OMU actually has performance rewards based on dept. budgets. If you're unhappy with the OMU rates, please feel free to move to the county as I did a few yrs back..(I didn't move for that reason)..trust me when I say that your rates are lower than mine. Go ahead and compare the OMU rates with other utilities in the area and around the country. You'll realize soon that OMU must be doing something right or wonder how they've stayed afloat for as long as they have without another major rate increase.
If you look for fault long enough you'll find it in anything. I can only think of the long selfless hours that many committed and customer dedicated OMU employees put in to make sure that power was restored as safely and quickly as possible during the recent ice storm outage. Of course I'm a proud employee of OMU if you haven't figured that out by now and assure you that the majority of those that I work with are very dedicated and professional and do what it takes to get the job done without wanting any special rewards. Compared to industry standards..most skilled positions at OMU are underpaid! So please don't try to tell me we're overpaid in any way...that's just not factual.
I like to remember that during the recent ice storm outage...almost every customer that I dealt with was very understanding and encouraging. I had many customers expressing nothing but very positive views toward OMU. OMU has some very good customers with real world views.
I just want to encourage Customer and others to please take a good look at what an asset OMU is to Owensboro. And by all means, don't jump on the Customer's band wagon since it's full of half truths and is not supported with proof that we know of...or I'm sure that he would have presented that proof to the commission by now.
But know this customer...no matter what- my fellow employees and I will be working earnestly to keep the lights on..whether it's 5 or 105 outside, sunshine, raining, snowing, and yes even during an ice storm or tornado recovery.

laughing wrote:

Tht's right...I'm laughing at you.....OMU has one of the lowest electrical rates in the country....Try living someplace else and pay an high utility bill...I live in Tampa Florida and would be glad to pay a OMU bill compared to mine...As far as KU is concerned...KU canceled that contract....KU was bought by LG&E...Then LG&E was bought by a concern in Germany...They could have cared less about that little power plant in Owensboro,Ky....The Germany concern has more money than the entire city of Owensboro and it's residents....As far as Stan Conn...He is very well repected and liked by a majority of the employees...When it comes to company vehicles....The supervisors do take them home....If there was an emergency, It would not be their responsibility to supply the city with a truck....Their pay is not that great...Everybody who works there is civil service except Stan Conn...They have good benefits though...

You been gone too long.You need to read the Owensboro paper and get caught up on the news.

OMU isn't the only establishment that is screwing the public. Someone needs to look at the Daviess County Public School system and see how much of this same crap goes on there. I worked for a person who stole so much computer equipment that he supplied his church, his home business, his friend's business and others with equipment and free internet service. Since the corruption went all the way to the top, he still has his job and they all still benefit from our tax money. Its everywhere.

Hey there, My name is Sarah Lovett and I'm the Western Kentucky Bureau reporter for Fox 7 News. I'm interested in learning more about your post. It sounds like this could be a real issue, and the public ought to know. If you'd be open to doing an interview or even to just chat about this please e-mail me at slovett@wtvw.com. I'd love to get in contact with you about this important issue that affects everyone in times like these.
I look forward to it!

OMU Customer wrote:

I'll start by wishing everyone dealing with the effects of the ice storm well. I hope your power is back on soon. I will commend OMU for their efforts in getting power back on. What I am about to say does not apply to most OMU employees. Most are hard-working, honest folks who make our city proud.
With that said, though, I must pass on a few of the things I've learned by talking to OMU employees. Have you all heard that our electric rates are going to be raised soon? They tell me it could be as much as 25%. So if you have a $50 bill now, it will be $62.50. With that kind of increase, a fair question is, "Is OMU making sure that no money is being wasted?" Based on what my friends who work there have told me, the answer is a pretty clear, "No." Here are a few of the big ones:
-I'll start with kickbacks and contract awards. OMU managers have awarded major contracts not based on whether the bidder is the best for customers, but on personal gain. A contract at the power plant, for instance, was awarded partially because of the bidder's willingness to sponsor Owensboro United Soccer Club's tournament a few years back. This same bidder routinely does things such as sending OMU managers to ball games and renting big-screen TV's for these managers' homes during sports seasons. Someone needs to call General Manager Stan Conn and ask him who paid for his and his wife's Alaskan cruise a few years ago. It wasn't him. It was another vendor whose contract at the power plant was up for bid. These bidders don't just pay these costs, they pass them on to OMU. Folks, I can't afford to go to NFL games in Indianapolis, rent a big-screen TV to watch sports, or go on a cruise. Can you? Should you be paying a higher electric bill so that OMU managers can do these things?
-Speaking of Owensboro United Soccer, can you afford to have your kids in this club? I can't. However, several high-ranking OMU managers are on this club's board. They spend LOTS of company time making calls, typing letters, and such, for the club. This not only costs money, but also takes them away from what we the ratepayers hired them to do. One of these managers has even forced some of his employees to work OMU-paid overtime to wire up equipment at a soccer field in preparation for a tournament. I'm all for youth sports, but I can't afford to support this. Every time I pay my OMU bill, though, a portion of it goes to United Soccer.
-Other donations. OMU donates a huge amount of money to charity each year. I am all for charity. I give as much money as I can afford to my church. However, when I pay my OMU bill, a part of it goes to the charities OMU chooses to support, whether or not I want to support those charities myself. As an example, OMU supports Alma Randolph's children's charity. I personally don't want a penny of my money to go to this charity. It doesn't bother me if others choose to support it, I just choose not to do so myself. Like I said, though, I am forced to take money away from my church and donate it to Alma each time I pay my OMU bill.

OMUGUY, the way I understand it, the waste is built into the budget. So it's possible to meet a budget that has waste in it if you just waste a little less!

You seem to have something against the power plant and mention working the ice storm outage, so I can guess you work at one of the other departments. Are you up for a promotion or something? Or are you benefitting from some of the waste that this post is about and trying to justify it? Whose car/truck did you drive home this evening? How long did you take for lunch today vs. how long did you get an unpaid lunch break today? LOL

Either way, I agree with Walter. You and "laughing" need to open your eyes. And since you apparently work there, won't you do "laughing" a favor and take a poll of employees. Find out if Stan Conn is "very well respected and liked by a majority of the employees".

We would all be fools to believe that waste isn't built into most all budgets..private, but of course mainly in a gov't budget...local,state, or federal.
You're wrong on most accounts concerning me persoanally. Your fishing trip will leave you empty handed. Although I will give you one point concerning Stan Conn. "Laughing" is greatly mistaken concerning stan being well respected. Most employees have a grave distain for Stan and simply don't trust him. I believe his main focus is to please the utility commission since the previous GM was basically run off for not doing so.
If you're not part of the solution, most likely.. you're part of the problem. Fix what you can.

well i guess we could all go back to candles and well water.................some people are so stupid. everybody is a cop nowdays and has a sad story. lets open up the books of all the crybabies here and look at their dirty diapers. oh by the way i am one of the guys who gave up my life 16 hours a day 3 weeks during the ice storm so you could have electricity to post all this trash. now excuse me while i go out to the outhouse, ha ha ha

If you think OMU is screwing you, check out the Police and Fire department. I've got tons of photos of the firemen going out to lunch driving the fire engines, I'm pretty sure a limo would be cheaper when you figure in the maintenance cost, fuel, etc. on the trucks. The police have fun cruising around in the Police Mustangs, letting there kids play with the sirens and PA's, every cop I see has a cell phone stuck to his head that I hope I'm not paying for. Owensboro is still a very small little town and most of the key players make sure they take care of thier own, I've worked for a few large contractors in the area and have seen the dealmaking that goes on behind the scenes. All the big wigs were drooling over the prospects of the defunct Executive Inn and who was gonna get to make a bucketload off of the riverfront property. I could go on for hours about this crap but I wont.

to "mr" lineman-n-proud, thank you for working all those hours and getting our power back on. Best I can remember, that is your job and you are paid well to perform. Sounds like you're a crybaby yourself. If this stuff isn't exposed, the waste goes on, and when there is no money for your wages and your benefits are cut because of all the misuse of funds, etc., what will you be saying then?

to goverment employee. people dont realize till they are in somone elses shoes as abviously you and all the other mud slingers on here. check out other cities or states rates, then come crawling back to owensboro. I will tell you who started this original post, its a disgruntled employee from the power plant and has everyone stirred up with half truths maybe because he was passed over for a job or whatever. every company has trouble makers and every company has problems. OMU's problems are not as bad as all of you are reading. For the guy who wrote about the red trucks at restraunts those are employees who get an hour for lunch and as for the firemen eating out then let them drive there own vehichle then get a fire call then have to go back to the fire station and get there truck all the while a house is burning. There is nothing to expose except a mad employee here who isint getting his way so he resorts to behind the back tactics wich I despise. His words would be better heard if he presented them in a more adult manner, then we could sort out fact and fiction. As for the rest if you dont like the rates take my challenge and look at other cities with high rates and corrupt rumors. I love my job and WE PROVIDE THE BEST POSSIBLE POWER IN A RELIABLE AND FRIENDLY MANNER. My job is an open book also, anyone who wants to follow me for a week is welcome, then come back to this crying room and tell the real story. Goverment employee I bet you are one of the people who act like an idiot when the power is off and its for some reason beyond my control and I am out late at night in a storm trying to overcome the circumstance that I had no control over to begin with and restore power so you can get back to your PC and write crap on a hate forum. As I sated before , lets all go back to candles and well water and see how much people cry then. I work at OMU and its a great job and MOST of the people are great it has its problems and so do all the others, but while all you people are at it lets fix hospitals and doctors,drug prescriptions, politicians, gas companies, foriengers who come here and open up businesses with tax breaks, insurnace companies, I got a list a mile long.