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jbf
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Many of you will be familiar with Pat Stith's 2001 stories that unveiled extravagant spending at ElectriCities and their ability to cover it up using the public records laws. You will also remember the absolute arrogance of the CEO Jesse Tilton in responding to the press. He is responsible for BILLIONS of dollars of debt and is spending money in outrageous ways.
I am part of a large group of ratepayers in electric cities in the eastern part of the state where we cannot afford the electric rates - sometimes our electric bills are more than rent. ElectriCities needs to go. It is a "middle man" which costs us in our electric bills.
1) The CEO of ElectriCities - Jesse Tilton - makes $500,000 a year - more than UNC and NCSU Chancellors and Erskine Bowles. His salary is like that of the mental health administrator - and should be cut.
2) The CEO has run up astronomical legal fees - $500,000 + a year for who knows what and for negotiating settlements. We have been told he settled with Alice Garland in 2003 for illegal behavior and then Jeannie Bonds in 2007, same thing - illegal behavior. We are paying for settlements for a man who obviously has an issue with women and appropriate behavior. Two women in four years. The legal fees are really adding up. How can a public entity keep settling for huge amounts and no one does anything?? This is our taxpayer money.
3) The CEO gave huge raises to people there - there are 15 people making more than $100,000. Five people making more than $200,000. One person got a 20% raise in one year. For the past three years, top staff were getting 10, 15 and 20% pay raises in one year and BONUSES. They should get what cities get - 4-5%.
4) Health Care costs are exorbitant there because the CEO used it for his own personal health needs.
5) The CEO takes staff and board on retreats and spends $1000s on drinks at Fearrington, Myrtle Beach, Orlando, California, Texas.
6) The board makes $1000 a month for two hours of meeting. Dub Dickson is a former legislator and chair and he retired from legislature, was hired as a lobbyist for Electricities making $25,000 a year, then got on the board, made $12,000 a year for 5 years and now as chairman makes $1500 a meeting. He has made more than $100,000 of our money. This is MORE than legislators. Why do they get paid on this board??? Fourteen board members making $12,000 a year!!! Dub Dickson is beholden to his money not the taxpayers and cannot make a decision earning this much money. Sam Noble has been on 6 years and now 6 more, chairman twice, making $150,000+. This board is made up of people paid by cities and should receive no additional pay. The legislature could appoint a responsible business board to make good decisions. The current board uses this as slush money and there are no ETHICS reporting.
7) There are no checks and balances on board, CEO and spending has gone amuck. The board has approved them buying TRANSMISSION even when the other debt is not paid. That will mean more debt and higher rates.
8) Secretaries there make $50,000 or more a year. Out of market and out of bounds.
We are considering a class action law suit.
Taxpayers Against ElectriCities (TAEC)
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taec24
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well said. we will get the legislature involved in this issue. they need to take over the board and appoint people. i am sure sherwood smith and others would volunteer their time to clean the place up. there are business leaders in cities that understand these issues and could restore trust and credibility to the place.
write your legislator. tell them this is outrageous and ElectriCities is hiding behind public records laws and their budget needs to be OPEN and sent out to their rate payers.
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alman
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Governor Jim Hunt lives in Wilson and is a ratepayer and would be an excellent choice to CLEAN the place up. He has a vested interest, is an attorney, understands the issue.
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payingtoomuch
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The legislators are all over this issue as are others including newspapers. Jim Hunt would be great though. Clayton, Rocky Mount, Wilson have this all over their blogs. Check it out. Stage a protest when this arrogant BIG SPENDER goes to Benvenue Country Club for some more ole boy wining and dining with taxpayer money.
I hear TAEC is scheduling its meeting. It has been on the air in Rocky Mount so if you are in one of the cities stay tuned for details. A lwayer has been retained and a lobbyist will soon be hired.
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payingtoomuch
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AND we hear there is a court case with a woman in play and another to be filed so he will be up to four women and more legal bills mounting!
Plus, we hear there is to be an EEOC investigation due to complaints filed by employees about the HR person, CEO and at least one other person there. We have met with legislators and they are aware and on it.
If you live in one of the cities, raise heck. If you have a board member in your city, let them hear from you. Go to www.electricities.com for the list. Dub Dickson is corrupt to have been a legislator, lobbyist and board member. He is in it for the money but some who served with him said they are not surprised.
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southportsailor
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This is all unbelievable. I have read the blogs in Southport, Wilson, Rocky Mount. Thank Goodness this word is spreading. The outrage among taxpayers is apparent. Many of us small business people are outraged. I was about to become like the Butcher Shoppe in Rocky Mount with my business but now I will fight with you. Glad there is a group forming. Talked to some folks in Clayton and they said their council members HATE electricities and its leadership. I am taking this to Paul Fisher who is from Southport, chairs the power agency and is running for Mayor. Southport does not like electricities and thank goodness, we have the co-ops taking care of the system so we do not have ill-trained people fixing lines. I have heard electricities skimps on training and has poorly trained people training other people. An accident waiting to happen.
Here, we would prefer the co-ops or Progress Energy. Will talk to legislators this weekend at events about these issues.
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scotlandneckrocks
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On board in Scotland Neck. There are some powerful business and political people interested in this issue. I heard the salary stuff from Progress Energy employees cause someone from electricities told their salary to someone with progress and you know how that goes ... so the salary stuff is accurate. Apparently there are a ton of staff who got canned at progress and electricities snapped them up and paid them a lot more. brilliant. then they run their mouths and the word spreads. I also heard there is a quiet rebellion taking place internally.
Progress is laughing their heads off about this because they have said it would happen some time. Sounds like the CEO has bit off a bit too much with women. What is his problem? My legislator told me he is arrogant, talks too much and no one wants to be around him. During deregulation discussions apparently legislators wanted to find an "off" switch to turn off his electricity. Where did he come from? The cities should have sold. The state should take this over. The treasurer needs to put an end to this transmission garbage. the transmission is in disrepair so of course progress will sell it to them. what a bargain.
if these people had brains, it would be scary. Put me on the list for TAEC and I will spread the word. The elderly have plenty of time to work this issue so let's enlist their help.
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ncsugrad
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There are many of us in Apex who despise this place called ElectriCities of NC. We need James Carville and Joe Sinsheimer on this issue. They would be great. So I am shooting this information to them for advice and counsel. Reporters are eager to cover and have before. Get the information to them and we will get some SUNSHINE on this issue. Heck, most of the council members in cities despise the place as well.
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ncdems
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I suggest you all talk to Alice Garland and Jeanne Bonds or one of their close political friends in the legislature or retired. They are both well-connected. They are both very active statewide and held in high esteem so someone pushing these two around certainly picked on the wrong two women. People respect them both and they are both successful and accomplished. Either of them could run for office with their brains and saavy. So talk to them and see if you can get more insight or talk to their friends.
just my two cents.
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AntiCreepyCEO
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They were paid to be quiet. Not that they need to since "quiet" is not the word for the blabber mouth CEO Jesse Tilton at ElectriCities. I am sure they could team up and really take him dooooown. Employees there are scared and no one helps them. The corruption and culture is AWFUL. People are looking new jobs. But as you can see they get caught up in being paid ABOVE market. He will leave though. There is a massive effort to rid the state of him. Everyone knows so these two women do not need to say anything. Cannot think of a legislator or city official who really likes this guy. Women he meets on line spread the word quickly about him. The issue is what he is trying to do to the poor people in these cities. He is just a money monger taking advantage of people for his big fat paycheck. Truth and Justice will prevail.
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Anonymous
Posts : 7772
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here is the reason one staff person gets some many big raises
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/05-09-2007/0004584807&EDATE=
ahhh the masterminded nut behind more debt for the cities.
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Anonymous
Posts : 7772
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Take this to the press and get the budget. I am sure there is some "creative" budget person there who spends time trying to hide all of these things. Kinston and Belhaven have said they ask questions and the numbers will not add up.
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Anonymous
Posts : 7772
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This is why we need former Governor Jim Hunt on this issue!
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Anonymous
Posts : 7772
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Here is what you folks need to assess - the commissioners can take back powers from the board. You could get NCGS 159 B-10 repealed and let the commissioners in the east and west take it all back over.
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Anonymous
Posts : 7772
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Rock on Activists. The place has been screwed up for years. Excessive spending, poor management, a failed experiment. During deregulation, the reports out of the place were INCREDIBLE so I see nothing has changed.
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Anonymous
Posts : 7772
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Re: That bulldog ain't Hunt
Submitted by Proctor on October 19, 2007 - 11:11pm.
Then there's the story about the convention of office dogs in downtown Raleigh who got together to take a straw--er, make that a bone poll--on their favorite former or present elected official in North Carolina. Hoping to howl down the oft-used expression, "that dog won't hunt," they proudly barked out the results of their poll: "These dogs want Hunt."
Looks like you dogs want Hunt too. Hope you get him.
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Anonymous
Posts : 7772
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