Letters to the Editor

To the Editor:

I had the distinct pleasure of attending a TBPA board meeting the other day, open to the public, I was the public. I find it astounding to the point of recklessness that no one ever attends these types of meetings. Then again no one pays attention, to anything except American Idol, after all look what's in the White House. From my perspective, here is a group of hardworking, conservative, concerned citizens working for your benefit. A thankless job, done for free, on your behalf. They strive to keep costs down, and a prudent eye to the horizon. They do this with one hand tied behind their backs however. Tied up by SEAPA our own little Elephant covered in the stars and stripes, but really it’s the sickle and hammer. The sickle is supposed to show reaping of profits from the hammer of labor. Unfortunately the reality is your labor their profits.

As we think of labor go back to the power outage from the earthquake, an act of God, an emergency situation. TBPA needed some switches thrown and some real time monitoring done at the transfer station out at five mile, in this emergency situation. The cost of personnel was less then one thousand dollars, submitted to SEAPA, rejected for payment because they wanted other more expensive personnel to be there, for a cost of closer to two thousand dollars.

Why the micro management and why the insistence to spend more ratepayer monies? Especially from the experts bent on saving you money. Combined with the as yet unpurchased emergency supplies and parts submitted last year and resubmitted last fall now resubmitted again. Just exactly what is SEAPA saving us? Oh I know the cost of a swamp buggy to transport workers out in the brush for clearing work.  But they allow for overtime for helicopters to transport these same workers, of course at a much higher rate than a buggy. This seems to be the same mindset of our federal government, borrow money to give away just to save us money. And don't forget you are paying three hundred thousand dollars to be told what a good job SEAPA is doing on your behalf.

Kip Valvoda