Santa Stuffs Stockings for Elected Representatives

Coop Helps itself

Disproportionate representation is one of the ways the CEO of KCEC keeps board members under control; that and a little travel dough for his trustees. It’s easy to take care of the outliers. See voting districts below.

The strategy at the Coop is similar to the Taos Health Systems approach to maintaining control over the Holy Cross Hospital. Select conservative conformists from the outlying villages and communities as well as “yes” men and women from the Taos Valley and you have no checks and balances.

County Helps Coop and HCH

Now the County Commissioners have tacitly agreed to join the Board of Trustees at KCEC, despite the $50,000 dollar increase in electricity costs for the County. The Commissioners  (except for Commissioner O’Donnell) have given the THS socialites at HCH the green light to raise taxes for whatever purpose, operations or maintenance. Course the Town of Taos is going along with the KCEC rate increase as are commissioners.

Coop Keeps Thumb on Town

The Coop’s CEO Luis Reyes has his thumb on the “swing vote” at Town Hall, since he pays Councilor Gonzales an estimated $70,000 a year for p.r. duties or…something. Mayor Barrone and Manager Bellis know how to kowtow to the “man.”

Reyes Helps Town: Town Helps Coop

During the Command Center scandal, Reyes bought thousands of dollars in ads on Mayor Cordova’s radio station (for the only electric coop in town and his failing Broadband/Propane program). And Reyes brought Councilor Michael Silva in under the Broadband umbrella with excavation contracts to persuade him and then Councilor Gonzales to vote yes for the Command Center movida. I don’t know what he did for Rudy “Asbestos” Abeyta.

State and Feds and Taxpayers Pay

The Command Center cover-up cost the State of New Mexico some $183,000 in money donated by the Town to the Coop for the architect’s fee, a violation of the “anti-donation” clause, according to state statutes. The Coop was also allocated another $440,00 for architectural fees, according to the grant confirmation by Terry Bruner’s USDA/RUS grant to the Coop for the $2.8 million project. The Feds also threw another $60 million at the Coop’s Broadband program, many years ago, which is officially “underperforming.”

Snake In the Woodpile

Meanwhile, according to the “Purchasing Agent’s” affidavit, former and current officials violated the procurement code re: “E911 ” procedures under the Cordova administration all for the sake of KCEC. The Town of Taos Finance Department was particularly involved in “covering up” procurement code violations, according to the “purchasing agent.” The Town gave the purchasing agent $55,000 to avoid a confrontation in public or to shut up but Taos Friction has the documents and will probably start releasing names but whimsically.

Now we’re told by the KCEC Coop’s own consultant that Reyes is effectively mis-managing the “underperforming” Coop aka the “borrow and spend” Coop.

Veterans to Rescue Town?

In political news, former Councilor Meliton Struck is considering a run at the scandal-ridden but well-lighted Town Council. We hear Councilor Hahn has been whispering in Meli’s ear at his home. Former “meter maid” and the sweetest man in the historic district, Officer (retired) Robert Molina, who knows a thing or two about nickels, dimes, and quarters might also throw his hat into the race for Town council.

As a Councilor, Meliton stood up for Taos during the conflicts with Casino boosters, the SuperWalmart battle, and the Post Office movida. He voted “no” to the corporate interests and “yes” for Taosenos unlike today’s Town Council, who can’t seem to find the community’s cultural roots. Thanks for nothing, Fritz. How’s it working out for you btw? Do you like local government?

Merry Christmas, you all.

(2009 KCEC figures, below, I think. Not much changes from year to year. The occasional new face helps “not at all”. Thanks for nothing, Peter.)

District 1, Taos, represented by Francis Cordova, Toby Martinez, Manuel Medina, and Luisa Mylet, has 17, 113 meters and 12,469 eligible voting members. So each trustee represents about 3,100 members. (Almost 2,000 members voted in the last election.)

District 2, Questa, Red River, and Cerro, represented by Virgil Martinez and Bobby Ortega, have 3,634 meters and about 2,726 voting members. So each trustee represents about 1,376 members.

District 3, Ojo Caliente, represented by Art Rodarte, has 1,640 meters and 1,239 eligible voting members. Trustees estimate that Art, the Tri-State Rep, makes an easy 40,000.

District 4, Peñasco Valley, represented by Chris Duran and Ambrose Mascarenas, has 2,057 meters and 1,619 eligible voting members. Each trustee represents 809.5 voters plus one cheerleader.

District 5, Angel Fire-Eagle Nest, represented by Jerry Smith and Bruce Jassman, has 4,714 meters and 3,918 voting members. Each trustee represents 1,959 members. (74 members voted in the last election.)

That year, approximately, 21,971 members were eligible to vote. Yet, the Coop’s elected officers represented only 6,763 members.

From 2005 to 20013, the Traveling Trustees, according to CEO Reyes’s own figures, released to the public, the elected ones spent “$2.9 million” on themselves at the Coop. Hey it keeps the hospitality flowing and Christmas presents on the table for friends and relatives. Can’t wait to head out to New Orleans!