[Watchdogs] PEC: Community Leaders & Citizens- Where Are You?

[Paul Langston]

Dear Joe:  Well said.

One thing.  I will not be going to the monthly Directors Meetings.  Health.

The Pedernales Electric Coop Social Club now has a thousand employees.  They 
are paid astonishingly high salaries to hunker down and wait out complaints 
of the few old hard-heads who do complain.  If you were paid some several 
hundred thousand dollars a year, you would not complain, either.

Second.  I wrote a series of letters to PEC about the scandalous way that 
The Kimble County Coop was bought by B.F. Fuelburg, Jr.,  over many 
objections of  his technicians and his accountants.  PEC paid out about 
$14.7 million.  I do not think that all of it got to KCC, Inc. The KCC was 
worth about $8.0 million and had only about 3300 customers.  KCC needed a 
huge investment to bring it up to State standards and they did not have the 
needed money.  I believe that buying KCC gave Fuelburg the cause to claim 
that PEC was the biggest Coop in the USA.  Buying this Coop was also the 
path to borrowing more money and letting the good times roll.

I have asked the PEC management to show me any accounting of the losses 
incurred by this purchase.  Accounting kept good record of the millions of 
losses on the "soft wear purchase".

What I got back was letters advising me that all of this happened a 
long.....     time ago.......
          All of the people that had anything to do with the purchase were 
no longer around.
          No records existed of the losses of KCC.
          The legal expert, Mr. Luis Garcia, did not think that the matter 
merited investigation.
          The Manager, Mr. Garza did not think that this was a 
"Whistle-Blower" matter.
          The "Economic Study" distributed by Fuelburg to the Board  was 
pure fiction.

About the only result was that when of everyone on the Board found out that 
a service line had been installed " down South of Junction" and PEC paid 
$130,000 and the new customer paid only $1,000,  The Board changed the 
rules.  There is no way that we will ever know how many millions were thrown 
away by that mis-guided policy in the KCC area.

I have long, advocated that PEC sell this massive money loser, this Kimble 
County Coop. It was a misguided buy and should have been dumped  long ago. 
This purchase of KCC was and is proof of the lack of value of the Board 
Members.

The PEC thrives by our indifference.

I wish you well,     Paul Langston






























----- Original Message ----- 
From: <joesummy at moment.net>
Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2009 1:02 PM
Subject: PJ: PEC: Community Leaders & Citizens- Where Are You?



PAPA JOE...TELL ME IF IT IS SO!

The PEC: Community Leaders and Citizens-Where Are you?
  This is not the time for timid souls or "ostrich-ism"

"I much rather be diligent...and wrong...then to standby and do nothing
and something negative happen to my community". PJ

Note: As, and if, my health improves, PJ will be diminishing the role of
PEC and special-interests watchdog. I need to go back to work..."bills
amount-tus". I am much in need of a government bailout and incentive
package. Handouts are welcomed and are tax deductible.
  Furthermore, there are other community issues to address. Plus, Rufus
and Gufus, my identical twin cousins, have returned from their last
misadventure.

*November 16
  The next monthly meeting of the PEC Board of Directors is this Monday,
November 16. There are two sessions. The first session will begin at
10:00 a.m., and the second session will begin at 1:00 p.m. PEC members
have three minutes to make a statement or ask questions.
  Do not expect any responses. The board's role concerning public input at
the monthly meetings, understandably, is just to listen. If you want a
response put it in writing. But you still might not receive a response.
Come and see if the board attends to the "business of the business", and
if it makes chicken salad or chicken manure.

*PEC Rumors Update: These are not "cry wolf or Chicken Little" issues.
  Moving the PEC HQ from Johnson City & Blanco County, PEC divesting
itself of its western territory (Junction area), attacks on the PEC's
community involvement programs, etc.
  Three of the rumors were addressed at the last monthly board meeting in
October (see meeting video at www.pec.coop). No response from the PEC
Board of Directors as been received at this time. PJ will revisit these
rumors on Monday at the 1:00 p.m session, plus I will address the rumors
concerning personnel.
  PJ realizes the board can hide behind the executive session rules on
these issues. In most incidents I would agree. However, my position is
that these rumors are so pervasive, and will, if true, negatively affect
the lives of a large number of members and their communities that the
board is ethically obligated to publicly address the issues, and if
true, bring the members and employees most affected "to the table" in
the spirit of openness and transparency. In addition, an economic impact
study should be conducted on the communities most affected.
  The rumor mill is insidious and to let these rumors continue without a
statement by the board is also insidious.

Moving the PEC HQ
 If true, moving the HQ from Johnson City and Blanco County won't happen
anytime soon. However, as previously shared, there is some truth to the
rumors.
 First, (and this has been confirmed) at least two staff presentations
have been given to the board since the election of the reform candidates
in June 2008. The first presentation was in the summer of 2008. In
addition, there have been "informal discussions" (whatever that means)
concerning the issues. In my opinion anything the board discusses is
formal.
 Secondly, "real estate" as been an executive session agenda item for some
time. (See the agenda for Monday's board meeting at www.pec.coop, the PEC
website.)
  It has been reported that 30-60 acres is under consideration in District
6 or District 7. Why? To move the PEC Call Center from San Marcos? To
develop a joint ware station for District 6 and District 7? Or, to
possibly move the HQ in the future?
  PJ can vision all three being done over time. Thirty to sixty acres
could accommodate these multiple purpose endeavors.
  Reasons given for moving the HQ: 1.) the HQ is overcrowded and there is
not enough room to expand at the present site; 2.) a difficult time
attracting talent; and, 3.) too far to commute for a large number of
employees.
  In addition, don't be surprised if the PEC vs Blanco County Tax
Appraisal District controversy and lawsuit becomes another reason (read
the lawsuit available at the District Clerks office in Johnson City).
The Appraisal District and Chief Appraiser Hollis Boatright would make
excellent "falls" for another reason to move the HQ. We shouldn't "fall"
for this excuse if it is used. This possible initiative to move the HQs
has nothing to do with the Appraisal District.

*Community Leaders, Political Leaders, Organizational Leaders
  It is time that all of our leaders step up to the plate and become more
involved. If something negative happens to their communities on their
watch they should be held accountable. I will be around to see them
privately and at public meetings. PJ will certainly not let them off the
hook. They can't say they didn't know about it.
  I would much rather be diligent...and wrong. Then let negative things
happen without doing my duty.
  PJ was encouraged to see some county, city, and community leaders at the
last meeting. These are not just Johnson City issues (where were the
leaders from other communities, school districts, organizations, and
counties?)  A few leaders have told me that they have been in contact
with the PEC. This is a start. More active public involvement is needed.

*Until Recently the PEC "reform" directors, ironically, have refused to
move forward on the election reforms, namely single district voting
(within district voting) and term limits for directors. Why?
  To its credit the "Bylaws, Governance and Legal Committee" decided to
jump the bylaw revisions process, which will include these two issues.
The board will be soliciting member input soon in multiple formats,
including a members' forum in January 2010.

*Don't depend on the media to keep you informed on any issue. And, when it
does write the "news", it is slanted, including by omission. Never depend
on PJ for anything. I have no hook on the truth. Do your own research and
thinking. Group think is an abomination to a free society.

*Wonder why the media hasn't reported about the judge's ruling (Monday) on
the Attorney General's appeal to have Chris Gunter, the lawyer for Bennie
Fuelberg removed from the case? Could it be the ruling wasn't sensational
enough? Or that the ruling didn't appeal to the medias' "wants and needs"?
By the way, the judge ruled in favor of Chris Gunter.






--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.425 / Virus Database: 270.14.61/2498 - Release Date: 11/12/09 
07:38:00