ECP Crisis

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Why is there no urgency to solve the ECP crisis?...........

Letter To The Editor Published July 14, 2010 - Great Falls tribune
Why is there no urgency to solve the ECP crisis?
By Doctor Aart Dolman

To the Editor:

Why is there no urgency to solve the Electric City Power Inc. crisis by our City Fathers? The recent discovered City PDF 519 File shows nothing but red ink for 63 pages of ECPI “imbalances.” More than 3.5 million dollars have been lost since the start of the SME boondoggle. This has affected seriously the city’s infrastructure in the projected 2011 Doyon Budget.

Caused by hefty increases of SME electricity rates, this file shows from Jan 1 through June 30, 2010, that the city has generated an ECPI "imbalance" of $540,251.58. Dividing this amount by 177 days, our city is losing every day $3052.00.

According to our Mayor during the last City Commission meeting, June 6, the train to get out of the SME boondoggle is carefully moving. But how fast is it? Moving at a snail's pace? The ECPI Board, consisting of City Commissioners, saw fit to skip its July meeting in the face of drastic rising SME electric rates.

The reality of the ever increasing SME generated "imbalances" for electricity benefits a few selected customers; one has to question the reality of the projected Doyon Budget. It forecasts a hefty 13.9% increase in the ECPI budget. This comes at the expense of providing essential city services such as Fire and Police protection.

With a daily expense of $3052.00 ECPI "imbalances" the projected ECPI increases seem to be a gross underestimation in the face of ever rising SME electricity rates. Has the train stopped?

Sincerely Yours,

Aart Dolman