Vote Against the Muggers!

Who mugged a Kit Carson Electric Cooperative (KCEC) worker and made off with an estimated $210,000? Coop sources suspect an inside job. Due to the lack of media attention during this election cycle, one can only conclude that the Coop and its supporters in the media are covering up the scandal. (We know the names of the “persons of interest” but are waiting for the mainstreamers to investigate or…)

The daylight mugging was timed to coincide with monthly collections while the break in security procedures, occurred, allegedly, when an employee or employees missed making a prior deposit. Hence the heavy cash load. But who is investigating?

The break in security procedures parallels the lack of safety precautions at the Coop. The latter has resulted in life-crippling injuries for employees due to neglected safety procedures. In Brazos, the Coop’s insurance company paid out a million dollars due to a death caused by the Propane division’s neglect, according to news reports. Martin Martinez of Questa, a former Coop employee, was forced out, allegedly, when he blew the whistle on management because of lax safety measures for certification.

Coop President Bobby Ortega, referred to fondly as the Runaway Bride, is in a tough contest with former Coop employee and popular musician, Martin Martinez in Questa, the whistle-blower,  for a district 2 seat. Trustee Virgil Martinez, aka “the people’s voice,” is also running. The former Questa mayor and 40-year Centinel Bank factotum, Ortega, is considered part of the unholy trinity that controls the community: the Coop, Centinel Bank, and the Town of Taos.

The Coop, through its own machinations, has turned the Town Council and Mayor into supplicants as we know from news reports about the Command Center follies. Meanwhile the Coop paid some $400,000 for two acres on which to build the Command Center—though management did not bother with getting an appraisal for the property. And guess who benefitted?

The District Two election will be held in Questa on May 9. Vote for Martin Martinez y Virgil Martinez (pictured at right) in Questa.

On May 14, Taosenos will choose two of four candidates for the Coop board from the following candidates in District 1: Manuel Medina, Andy Vargas, Rick Chavez, and David Torres. Medina, like Ortega, is one of the trustees that have voted to support money losers like Propane, Internet Service, Command Center, and Broadband. Debt has skyrocketed to $80 million under Medina’s watch.

District 1 includes the greater Taos Valley area and has more than half the members who use electricity but less than 40% of the board members, due to gerrymandered districts.

Medina (left) himself has said in public forums that he objects to mail in or email balloting because outsiders will gain control of the Coop. But it’s the insiders like Medina and Ortega who have helped Reyes mismanage the Coop.

(Friction sources say the Propane Division continues to lose money.)

The Broadband project is well behind schedule while paying out exorbitant sums to either Cuates of the Coop or to out of town contractors for jobs, which were supposed to go to local workers. CEO Luis Reyes has projected that the Coop needs 5500 active Broadband customers to pay back its loan from RUS. But competitors like Century Link have tied up current users for the foreseeable future. Where will KCEC find the customers for Broadband?

The election for the District One seat will be held May 14 in the Kit Carson Board Room.

Vote once for long time activist Andy Vargas, pictured, a reformer and a past Green Party candidate. As an attorney and probate judge Andy can see and understand the negative effects of corrupt practices. He’s not afraid to speak out.

Right now there are three reformers on the board, Virgil Martinez, Luisa Mylet, and Peter Adang. They have campaigned against salary increases for Reyes, who makes an estimated $200,000,  rate increases to bail out diversification, and for reform and transparency.

If members can elect Vargas in Taos and Marty Martinez and Virgil Martinez in Questa, the membership will have a shot at turning the Coop around before the trustees bankrupt the members they currently exploit. The first casualty of the Coop is not renewable energy but renewable ethics, which have been ejected due to their lack of application.

Vote: the Coop you save may be your own.