Home > So, what do you think? > Archives > 2008 > June > 25 > Entry
Fifteen minutes before polls close, I’m voter No. 27
As I pulled into Englewood Baptist Church’s parking lot Tuesday evening, I couldn’t believe the number of cars. All these folks had turned out to vote in the state labor commissioner runoff?
Well, no. Not exactly.
I quickly learned that the parking lot was full because it’s Vacation Bible School week at Englewood. Voting had been temporarily moved next door to Rocky Mount Fire Station No. 3.
There, the parking lot was … well, not so full.
I tried the knob on the front door, but it wouldn’t turn. I started to walk around to the back of the building when the front door opened.
“Are you here to vote?” a gentleman politely asked.
“I hope so,” I said. “The door was locked.”
He started to turn the knob to prove me wrong.
“No, it’s — oh,” he said.
No worries. I didn’t exactly have to jostle my way through the crowd.
It was 7:15 p.m. — 15 minutes before the polls were supposed to close. I was voter No. 27.
So as I sat down this morning and read Mike Hixenbaugh’s story about the cost of the runoff between John Brooks and Mary Fant Donnan, I at least could tell anyone in earshot, “Well, I did my part for that $75 ballot.”
That was the average cost of a vote in Nash County, considering the dismal 1 percent who turned out.
As I mentioned here Monday, there has to be a more efficient way of choosing a candidate when there’s no clear winner in a primary.
I still don’t know what that is. But one thing’s for sure under the present system — you can’t complain about the lines.
Comments
By ken
June 26, 2008 12:03 AM | Link to this
Hi Jeff,
Englewood Church? yep, sure does have a lot going on for the community—church and also other community activities. Sunset Avenue Baptist Church doesn’t have the voting polls, but sure does have a lot of renewed vigor with its leadership team and membership.
kind of hard to repeat the turnout from our last election… but maybe this Fall.
By Paul Terrell
June 26, 2008 2:29 PM | Link to this
ElectriCities wants to raise rate 10% to 15% on ratepayers. What I do not understand is why your paper does not mention in the same article(s) that ElectriCities is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a annual beach party for legislators and lawsuits to pay off former employees.
Why does ElectriCities give $1000 and $500 PAC money to legislators of which one of them used to be a lobbyist for them? ElectriCities has also lost huge amounts of money on botched refinancing deals.
You guys are not serving the people well. you need to report the abuses as well by ElectriCities.
Paul Terrell - candidate for state house 33.
By ken
June 28, 2008 7:28 AM | Link to this
Voting, politics, public input, government response. Well, reading the Telegram articles on RMPD police street engagement teams and twenty arrests from areas including Happy Hill remind me of last year’s city elections. The public and candidates made it known there was need for extra attention and resources in dealing with crime.
Well, looks like our Rocky Mount Police Department has stepped up to the plate and getting results with much more to come. Don’t expect the PD to tell us in advance where they will hit—-just expect there are quite a few of those folks who will need to either step up and cooperate or look over their shoulders every ten steps.
Happy Hill? a nice local community with good residents. However, since I heard numerous reports of well-to-do professionals and youth going there in cars, limousines, or taxi thru the years to pick up drugs and leave, I thought that area sure needed attention to keep folks from going in to get their drugs, enabling the dealers… and then going back to their nice homes in the suburbs… well leaving the locals to put up with the drug dealing mess.
Look forward to reading much, much more in the next few months.
Thanks, Chief Manley.. our city needs more of this news.
By Tom
June 28, 2008 3:30 PM | Link to this
12 Questions of Accountability
To: NC Legislators, City officials, Attorney General, State Auditor
After months of denying a rate increase, then denying the rate increase is due to anything other than fuel costs, ElectriCities of NC finally admitted a booboo. But this one is very costly to the good people of eastern NC. They finally admitted, after telling us to USE FANS to save money.
Jesse Tilton CEO “converted a portion of the debt from fixed-rate loans to variable-interest loans in 2004. The move was expected to save around $10.5 million a year in interest payments, but instead, the collapse of the subprime mortgage market caused those interest rates to climb unexpectedly. Between last December and April, the payments were nearly $4 million over budget. They have since converted that debt back to fixed rates, but the damage was done. NCEMPA’s debt service payments are rising $12 million a year, or equal to a two-percent hike in the wholesale rate.”
http://www.wilsontimes.com/News/Local/Story/Electric-rates-face-August-increase—
How much has the most refinancing of the debt cost us in total? When was it discovered to be a bad deal? Officials in Wilson told us March was when they were told but the CEO knew in October. But the people, the people who have to pay were not told until June and many city officials were not told until June. When did the CEO inform the cities, the board? March some; June most
How long had he known when he informed them? He knew in Oct. 2007 and did not tell his board until March. He let the costs increase and did not tell.
How much did it cost during that interim? Has the refinancing of the debt been cleaned up - i.e. has it been refinanced again?
How much did that cost? What percentage of the rate increase is due to the poorly managed refinancing of the debt?
Why are you not informing the ratepayers of the true costs of the rate increase? They are starting to now after lying for a while to the press and the people and even some city officials.
How much have operational costs increased (%) over the past three years? What cuts will ElectriCities make to demonstrate that they understand the burden they have placed on eastern NC?
Why is the ElectriCities Board continuing to employ a CEO who has mismanaged public money, cost the ratepayers needlessly and hidden the facts? How can you employ a half million dollar CEO who screwed up this badly along with his overpaid managers. How can you lie to the press and people time after time. And how can board members take thousands of dollars in “salary” for being on a board when they are not doing their job. WE NEED OVERSIGHT
http://www.wilsontimes.com/News/Local/Story/Electric-rates-face-August-increase—
And why did Sen Martin Nesbitt and Rep Dan Blue (A former ElectriCities lobbyist) get a bill passed for ElectriCities and then get a PAC contribution when they have no electric city in their district. And why would a bill pass letting this group enter into ANYTHING for any longer than 3 years when the ineptness is so OBVIOUS.
Enrolled and on its way to the Governor’s office for signature is a bill that allows joint municipal assistance agencies to make and execute contracts for more than three years. HB 1679 entitled Joint Municipal Assistance Agency Contracts, introduced by Rep. Earl Jones (D-Guilford), was given a favorable report out of the Senate Judiciary I Committee and received unanimous support on the Senate floor.
Senator Nesbitt (D-Buncombe) explained the bill on the Senate floor and stated that he had no idea why anyone would put such a restriction on an organization trying to do business.
The bill amends General Statute 159B-44 by removing the three-year limit. ElectriCities will be able to bind its members in contracts for a period longer than three years.The bill is effective as soon as the Governor signs it into law.
THIS IS NOT GOOD. YOU DO NOT REWARD BAD BEHAVIOR WITH MORE AUTHORITY
By DBR
July 2, 2008 9:23 AM | Link to this
ElectriCities and Rates I do not understand why your paper will not really cover and uncover this issue for the people you are supposed to serve? Will you follow the ElectriCities Board Meeting July 25 at 10 am in Raleigh and the NCEMPA power agency meeting July 30 in Wilson?
The top nut $500,000 a year CEO Jesse Tilton did not attend the rate meeting. The guy that gave the presentation at the ElectriCities meeting Ken Raber kept trying to put all of the blame on the cost of fuel. However, when confronted with the variable bonds issue and those huge losses, he had to admit that they had made a big mistake and it would take raising utilities rates to “cover” some of the losses. Their bond ratings are now at triple B and not triple A. There are additional costs because of those lower ratings.
There are 14 counties and 32 cities involved. We all understand the higher cost of fuel, but we also understand that there should be consequences for “mismanagement”. How come all of the people who do these things never have to suffer any personal penalties??
Is this our very own ENRON. It is like “blanket immunity” covers all of those who do wrong and we have to pick up the tab and move on. NOT. I didn’t buy into some of the excuses that were given at that meeting, and unless that guy who is making the $500,000 salary and responsible for the “little error” has to cough up some extra dollars out of his own pocket, then I will continue to “fuss.”
Why should we pay for his mistake? And he not pay? Their salary budget is $6 million and they likely have fluff spending in the millions and that could help cities help people with this rate increase. WHY? WHY? Does a board keep someone who is picking our pocket.
The board should forgo its salary. The out of state trips should be cut out. Myrtle Beach - gimmeabreak. They say their SC members attend. I called their group. They did not attend in 2006 and dont plan to this year.
By Jeff
July 2, 2008 12:11 PM | Link to this
Folks, I apologize for the delay in getting some of your comments posted. I’ve been out of town, and my Internet connection has been off and on.
Thanks for the comments regarding the ElectriCities situation, in particular. We’re definitely following the story and should have more soon.