Letter to the Editor
Bottom line
Published Wednesday, March 12, 2008
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To the editor:
Enough is enough. The Golden Valley Electric Association nomination process closed at 5 p.m., Feb. 28. The process for the District 2 nominations followed board bylaws and policies exactly. I have listened calmly to opinions and have tried to answer based on facts, not emotion.
The bottom line is this: Just because a decision isn’t popular doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Any candidate not nominated by a committee has the option to petition for election.
For the conspiracy theorists, there wasn’t one.
For those who didn’t understand, I hope my answers helped.
For those that don’t care, I apologize for the waste of white space.
So stop calling, stop sending e-mails. Campaign for your candidate and get on with it. The committee served as asked and doesn’t deserve continued harassment for volunteer service.
If you don’t like the process, attend board meetings and work for change.
Community Discussion
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Pat Buchanan says "The bottom line is this: Just because a decision isn’t popular doesn’t mean it’s wrong."
You are absolutely right, it does'nt mean you are wrong. You admit it was a unpopular decision and in doing so you admit you knew, when making it that it would be perceived as unpopular.
When making that decision did you stop and say, "you know what, Mr Delong is an incumbent, lets let the GVEA voters decide."
I would venture to say that sometimes the wrong decision is the hardest one to make. Hopefully the voters will get their chance to have a say in this.
Buchanan says: "So stop calling, stop sending e-mails. Campaign for your candidate and get on with it. The committee served as asked and doesn’t deserve continued harassment for volunteer service." We're sorry you are hurt by the outpouring of emotion when a wrong has been committed. If you don't like the heat, stay out of the kitchen.
So, did Tom get enough signatures to make it onto the ballot?
Yes. According to GVEA's website, Tom is on the ballot.
Hey anonymouse...where on GVEA's website did you find this? I looked all through it and I can't find anything.
Yes, Tom is on the ballot. I talked with GVEA yesterday and they confirmed it.
As for Buchanan, wow. What arrogance. GVEA should never have someone so arrogant in this position ever again. The guy makes it perfectly clear he wants no input from GVEA members. He has no idea what the co-op stands for...
The candidate is on the ballot? Wow -- sounds like Buchanan is right and the process worked.
Wow McGehehehee your logic is...um...well it is your logic, now, isnt it?
Lets follow that and Pat's logic and just take ALL incumbents off the ballot and make them have to go out and waste a bunch of time and effort just to get ON the ballot.
Your logic...but not mine. YouMustBConfused
There seems to be a lot of head hunting and name calling directed toward a group of volunteers who were asked to do something. If the process was followed correctly, and it apparently was, why bash the people just because you don't like the results. Direct your energies toward the co-op and work for change if you don't like the process as it is. I applaud the committee for first, taking the time to volunteer during the busy holiday season and second, for calmly standing up to the fiery criticisims with such aplomb. Let's look at all the nominees and then everyone go vote for the facts, not the emotions. Did any of the complainers attend any of the nominating committee meetings? They were all open to the public.
Yes volunteerism is wonderful. What is at issue here is if that trust in a committee was broken. If it does not pass the sniff test it should be looked in to. Maybe your nose can take the bad odor. Questioning decisions of a committee is acceptable in this case when the same decisions were not made for all concerned. As far as fiery criticisms well if you cant take the heat get out of the fire. As far as this meeting goes, it is hard to be everywhere at all times. We do expect that when we are not there that the procedures are followed fairly and justly. That should happen whether you are there or not.
For the person who asked where on GVEA's website:
http://www.gvea.com/about/board/boardrep...
You apparently have no idea, at this point, what you are talking about. The committee did follow all procedures, exactly. They were fair. Sniff test? I say sour grapes and poor losers. Everywhere at all times? There were a lot of meetings over 3 1/2 months of time. This sounds like a typical case of no foundation for your complaints other than that your boy didn't measure up to the cut and you need to blame someone because he was found to be lacking.
What? "This sounds like a typical case of no foundation for your complaints other than that your boy didn't measure up to the cut and you need to blame someone because he was found to be lacking." ...because he was found lacking?
No one said he was lacking? Not even the Committee? Sounds like you know something the rest of us dont. Want to fess up?
See this is why people question things like these? Its really starting to smell now.
No, I'm just having faith that what the committee said is true. They did their job and found candidates that brought more to the table. I am very interested to see the stories about the candidates that WERE nominated. In this time of change, fresh perspective might be welcome. I don't hear any of the other candidates that weren't selected grousing about the process. The found to be lacking is simply in referance to the fact that he wasn't nominated. If he runs by petition, fine. Just accept that and move on. Go to a board meeting and petition for change and get over being upset that the process that is in place didn't suit your wishes. You keep trying to infer a cover up or conspiracy. Could it be that there are simply other people equally or better qualified? Say it isn't so. And, finally, you think it's starting to smell now because my opinion doesn't agree with yours? Get over yourself.
I am sorry were there other incumbants that were not "equally or better qualified" and thus were not choosen to be on the ballot? No? Oh, so Mr. Delong was the only one? Hmmm, ya, your right, it must just be me? I just need to get over myself. YouMustBConfused
More to the point is that the nomination process for District 2 was given their charge from the minimal direction in the bylaws and by board members who generally didn't support many of the positions that Mr. DeLong espouses while on the board. The nomination process should be insulated from political manipulation and the election be as open as possible.
Generally, nominating committees are stretched to get members on the committee (witness an original 6 members on the recent District 2 committee that became only 4) and then also stretched to find competing candidates to run against incumbents. In almost every case, districts have voted back in the incumbents. Mr. DeLong getting ON the board was an exception.
And while there is no mandate to have only two candidates to prevent a possible runoff (such as last year's Delta area district, which had 3 candidates), the combination of Mr. DeLong's active efforts to change the good-ole-boy policies (my words, not his) and open up more to the members, and at least two other good candidates, one of which has recently retired from GVEA as an upper level manager, the exclusion of Mr. DeLong has a bit of a taint to it, intended or not. By meeting the short deadline for nomination by initiative with 2-3 times the number of required signatures, Mr. DeLong's inclusion should allow for a competitive race that offers a good discussion about GVEA goals.
Continuing efforts to reform the nomination process, need for more members to become involved, need for more engagement on the Membership Advisory Committee to actually perhaps advise the board instead of the other way around, there are lots of opportunities for GVEA members to get involved. Come to GVEA board meetings mostly every 4th Mon. of ea. month, read the albeit sparse minutes on line. http://www.gvea.com/about/board/
If nothing else, this recent issue has gotten more members involved and interested in GVEA. I hope the interest is sustained past this next election.
Finally, I do sympathize with Ms. Buchanan, as she has been no doubt bombarded with calls to her GVEa published cell phone. GVEA should reimburse her any minutes that exceed what her plan allows.
Very well said commonsense.
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