The 15% Solution.
Did anyone else notice that the City's 'ownership' in SME decreased from 25% to 15%? But hey, it's a "moving target." Funny, I don't think our 25% of the capital contributions have moved that much.
Anyway, this is sure a funny way to run a railroad. I mean we're like the red-headed stepchild of SME investors. We just fill the gap; if they need more money we get a bigger share, if they need more power we get a smaller share. But I don't really even care about that.
I care about the fact that this is supposed to be a public process. A coal plant opponent, Mr. Aart Dolman, noted that "that neither city commissioner [sic] nor officials with Electric City Power, the city's utility arm, had discussed the ownership share in recent meetings." True. Yet no one, not the Commission, not Manager Lawton, seemed to bat an eye when the City's share of ownership was cut unilaterally (?) by 40%. It was almost like they....knew.
And therein lies the problem. Mr. Lawton, Ms. Balzarini, and the five City Commissioners do not own the City of Great Falls, no matter how much smarter they are than the rest of us. These things are supposed to be aired and decided publicly. If they knew a week ago, or two weeks ago, about this ownership change, we all should have known. Why didn't we?
1 comment:
moving target
Dec. 6th 2005
City beloved leaders told that our share of development costs were $2,888,888. For 25%. That is a target that the city is moving to.
$516,000 was given to SME before this. We are paying up front for electricty so price that we sell it for looks cheap in relationship to NW. This is a shell game. Tim said to city, "heads I win - tails you lose." And obviously this was all too complicated for us lowly residents who need to be led by city employees. "Into the light" so to speak. City leaders are asleep at the switch.They have no knowledge of what is going on - are stuck in a corner and acting like trapped weasels, snapping and snarling.
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