I read with interest an MDJ story by reporter Brandon Wilson regarding the ongoing legal battles of Cobb EMC and was appalled to discover that Cobb EMC is now counter-suing the original plaintiffs.
As a Cobb EMC customer myself for the past 11 years, I've become increasingly concerned with the management and lack of public oversight for the company.
I would like to point out that the Rural Electrification Act, providing the basis for the formation of EMCs, is now 75 years old. What was rural back then are now the suburbs throughout most of the United States.
Perhaps a simple solution would be to convert Cobb EMC from an EMC over to an investor-owned electric utility, and let the Georgia Public Service Commission acquire jurisdiction over its operations. Cobb EMC effectively acts as an investor-owned utility today, except in Cobb's case it's getting all the tax benefits of an EMC.
George M. Ellenburg
Marietta
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Since when do we decide how other companies are run? I am a stock holder in Home Depot, ADP, BoA and other companies; do you think they will let me tell them how to run their businesses? If they let everybody decide how to do it, I can guarantee that my stock prices would not be doing too well.
Just because you do not approve of Dwight Brown and how he has run Cobb EMC does not mean that he isn't doing everything he can to provide cheap reliable power for his customers.
Whether it's by legislation forcing EMCs to follow open-records and open-meetings laws or being regulated by the PSC, we need it!
To Be Careful-If Dwight Brown "boldly changed how EMCs were able to purchase power" thus lowering EMCs rates, then just think how much lower our rates would be if Brown had not used his position as CEO to enrich his bank account and those of his family members, Board members and friends.
"Be careful": Just because Dwight Brown did something good for the EMC over a decade ago doesn’t mean that he is any less of a criminal for his actions over the last decade. There are a lot of criminals in prison who did something good for society during their lifetime. That didn't mean that those acts of goodness gave them a pass for their criminal actions. John Gotti was loved in his New York neighborhood for his charitable actions. That didn't make him less of a criminal.
I am also a member of Cobb EMC, and therefore an owner. I do not agree with suing Thompson and Pounds, in fact, I am grateful to them for exposing the theft of our money.
It is time to remove Brown and his board before they do any more harm. Brown needs to join Madorf in his new digs.
In fact most of the 42 EMCs in Georgia have lower rates than GP.
If you want to take the time to go to the AJC's website and read Monday's article by Margeret Newkirk you will find that the reason EMC's rates are lower is because, you guessed it, the man you cannot stand Dwight Brown boldly changed how EMC's were able to purchase power. The management that you do not like is doing the best thing to give you, the customer, the most reliable power at the best possible price.