CMEEC must refocus on controlling rates

It has been more than 5 years that The Day has been reporting on the obvious improper trips and expenditures of the Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative with regard to local utilities’ function in supporting homeowners with the lowest-costs rates available to them, but yet nothing appears to be in motion to correct this situation.

The most recent story, “More questionable spending by CMEEC uncovered in audit,” (March 1), reveals additional outlandish giveaways to personnel attending these so-called research type educational topics for the utility organization. In reality they were organized for friends and family for fun activities. Utility operational personnel, to be successful, should be intelligent, honest, professional and most likely engineers in utility operations. Instead, five officials are under federal indictments for their failures and allegedly dishonesty. Homeowners should not be pleased with what has been provided for them.

The CMEEC cooperative should be disbanded or reorganized to meet the intended goal of ensuring costs that are fairly assigned to homeowners, who are required users of their local municipal utility. Duties and requirements of the industry should be so organized as are most industries to be cost effective and legal to their operation. Donald E. Leone Sr. Norwich