Last Updated on July 27, 2016 by cassnetwork
Cass County Communication Network welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns. The views expressed by the author do not necessarily represent those of Existential Media LLC or its owners, advertisers or sponsors. The following letter to the editor was submitted July 25, 2016 by Barbara Stein of Logansport.
I dedicated a lot of hours to last year’s election to overturn the ‘trust me’ Franklin administration.
At the recent meeting at Riverside Park I heard the term again: “Trust us” when we were introduced to Next Era, the power provider that the USB and City Council have decided is best for us. Variations were, “we’ve been working behind the scenes on this for seven months,” “you elected us to make the best decision,” and, “you know us.” But basically the message was still, “trust us.”
It was not explained how one power provider could be chosen before all of them could submit a final offer. It was not explained what each of the three proposals said about using solar to help with our transmission costs, using our existing plant for a peaking turbine, or how we could benefit by LMU providing internet. These are questions that Mayor Kitchell has brought up but that the USB and Council haven’t yet talked about publicly. And don’t tell me Council has it all figured out and I should “trust.” I want to trust because I helped get almost all of you elected, but trust is earned.
One thing that did happen at the Riverside Park meeting was that Jim Brugh showed us the contract that Next Era has with Ferdinand, Indiana. Even though the trade secrets had been redacted, we could still learn that there are more costs on top of the “all-in, final, fixed rate,” such as carbon costs, capacity costs, environmental costs, and transmission costs. Why haven’t the high-priced lawyers for the USB explained how these added costs increase what we pay?
I would “trust” the USB and City Council a lot more if they showed that they not only understand the difference between the base rates of the different contracts, but also how the added costs change how the different contracts compare with each other. I would “trust” the USB and City Council a lot more if they would join the Mayor in looking for ways to cut our costs through solar, peaking, and/or internet.
New City Council members started their terms with a great reservoir of hope and goodwill. We all thought we were finished with decisions being made behind closed doors. Don’t throw that good will away by making the same mistakes that the last administration did. We deserve transparency. — Barbara Stein