Readers expressed strong view about the object lessons that the Cobb EMC reform efforts provide for other boards and officials, particularly the county school board, as suggested here. Also stirring comment: the $483,000 salary and benefits package of new CEO Chip Nelson compared to predecessor Dwight Brown’s $575,000 package.

TooLong: Of course what happened at EMC should never have taken place, BUT it also should not have taken 4 years and 2 fairly wealthy men to stop the Dwight Brown self-enrichment program. Four years is way too long and it has cost way too much money so far to start a turn around of EMC. The fiascos at Glover Street just keep rolling. How many years since Redden started this downturn? My optimism is fading that the CCSD can be saved from destruction.

Comp Specialist: An individual in the private sector with duties and responsibilities comparable to an EMC (CEO) earns approximately $250,000 per year. The private sector individual also has to deal with competitive market forces, which given the events of the past four years, Cobb EMC executives apparently do not. EMC members are not better off at all if Nelson is still making close to what Mr. Brown did, despite the feigned compensation review by Cobb’s consultant. The salary of Mr. Nelson needs to be about halved and the salaries of all Cobb EMC executives such as Steele, Kelly, etc. need to be reduced proportionally. Anything else is an insult to the hard working, private and public sector ratepayer/owners of Cobb EMC.

Utility guy: EMC (CEOs) shouldn’t earn much more than someone who manages a minor subset of the distribution business for a publicly traded utility like Georgia Power. There are many of them and they’d be very happy to earn $250K per year. Nelson can’t claim to add more value than the benchmark of a substation, pole and wires guy….

Not even close: There is a huge difference in stealing millions of dollars for personal gain and school officials trying to improve the school system. How you can conflate the two is unbelievable.

Time for revolutions: It’s time for EMC style revolutions for both Cobb County Board of Commissioners and Board of Education. And all Cobb legislators.

SignoftheTimes: Far too many jurisdictions have stopped listening to their citizens, taxpayers and the represented. It is all too easy for votes to be bought, deals to be made under the table and those with real information to be shut up with fears of intimidation. Employees who see the inside of these corrupt organizations can no longer speak out because they do lose their jobs. Fact. Businesses cannot go to the public because of overzealous code enforcement. Fact. The shake up and breakdown within Cobb EMC proves that these are not conspiracy theories. They exist and they are problematic. It will take our news media, advocates and lawsuits to make these changes but it’s good to see that change can come.

dmckee9613@aol.com