Woman dies after stabbing

MAT-SU -- Drug testing, issues pertaining to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the future of MEA's power supply were on the minds of Matanuska Electric Association members attending two recent MEA candidate forums at the Palmer and Wasilla Chambers of Commerce.

Candidates for MEA's upcoming election took part in two candidate forums in the Valley last week at chamber meetings and were given the chance to answer questions from audience members. At each forum questions were handed in anonymously, and candidates were given a chance to respond to as many as time allowed. While some of the questions were more general in nature, such as what candidates thought a cooperative should be and what qualifications they would bring to the table, other questions were more pointed.

One attendee brought up the drug-testing bylaw and asked, "What difference does it make if a board member were to test positive, say, for 'reefer'? I can see if it were a lineman …"

Board members present at that meeting denied firsthand knowledge of how marijuana may affect the decision-making process.

"Not having any experience, I'm not sure," said incumbent board member Bill Folsom. "I've read a lot on this, and it's my belief that people under the influence don't function well."

Board candidate Lee Jordan said he believed it was a matter of equity.

"I believe what's fair for employees is fair for people who … make policies," Jordan said.

Incumbent board member Lois Lester gave audience members a little background on how the bylaw amendment came to be on the MEA ballot. She explained that, at the 2002 MEA annual meeting, former board member Barbara "Tamie" Miller asked that board members take a drug test prior to the next regular MEA meeting. The board did not act on the suggestion, but board president Larry DeVilbiss did place the item on the agenda at a May meeting.

When the matter was discussed, MEA staff members discussed with board members the various ways drug testing would have to be limited, and Stephen Ellis, MEA's legal counsel at the time, said the board may not legally be able to impose random board-member testing on its own; that it would have to be done through a bylaw change. The motion to institute drug testing failed through a tie vote at that meeting and Miller gathered the signatures necessary to put an amendment on the ballot.

"To me, it's a waste of $800," Lester told the chamber members Tuesday. "Look at our ages!"

The other proposed bylaw amendment, which would change the bylaws pertaining to campaign record-keeping and reporting requirements and other related items, was also brought forward by Miller. Essentially, the proposal would institute a group of bylaw amendments brought forward by MEA's Bylaws Committee. Jordan served as chair of that committee and, numerous times throughout the two forums, spoke in favor of the bylaw amendments. He encouraged MEA members to vote in favor of the changes and said he believed they cleared up some of the problems found by the Alaska Superior Court in their decision last year regarding whether elected board member Mike Janecek should be seated.

"Please vote yes on the bylaws, they do a good job," Jordan said.

But his belief was not held by all the board candidates.

"If you donate even 25 cents to my campaign, I have to report your name, your address and who you work for," Lester said. "And it goes to the MEA Internet site, for the world to see."

At both chamber meetings, board candidates were asked to discuss matters relating to IBEW.

"When will MEA's 'Synergy works' slogan be applied to the relationship MEA has with its IBEW workers?" an attendee at the Palmer meeting asked.

Folsom said he believed synergy was working, and MEA's strong stance in relation to IBEW has helped keep costs low.

"Unions have done a great deal for this country for many years, but occasionally the pendulum swings a little bit too far, and we have been trying for fairness," Folsom said. He said one battle fought between IBEW and MEA pertained to overtime. All overtime, he said, was paid as double time, but MEA fought to reduce that to time-and-a-half. "We think we have a fair contract and we're not trying to eliminate [IBEW workers]. You've got to take where that question is coming from, I guess."

Jordan said he believed there should be a balance between MEA management and IBEW representatives.

"The thing that's important is, how much influence the union should have," Jordan said. "Should they be on both sides of the negotiating table?"

Board candidate Tom Staudenmaier said, if elected, he'd push for a federal audit of MEA's practices that he believed would bring about several changes at MEA. He referred to a recent report from MEA's legislative liaison Tuckerman Babcock he received, outlining General Manager Wayne Carmony's salary. Staudenmaier said the general manager's salary has, in the past 10 years, gone from $90,000 to more than $171,000, mid-level, according to the letter, with that of other electric utility general managers along the rail belt.

He later added that he held no grudge against IBEW, but believed other unions should be equally represented in MEA's contracts.

"My beef with IBEW is that they take all of the other crafts' work," Staudenmaier said. "Since this is a cooperative, every craft should have the right to practice there."

Lester said she didn't know why MEA doesn't like IBEW, but made light of allegations made at various places that she's backed by the union.

"I'm in good company," Lester said, noting that voters recently chose a gubernatorial candidate who received backing from several Alaska unions.

At both chamber meetings, members asked how MEA candidates were preparing for the future, given that the co-op's power-supply contract with Chugach Electric Association expires in 2014. One attendee suggested self-generation.

Jordan said he hopes to be part of the decision-making process during the next three years. MEA must decide by 2007 where it will obtain its power, and Jordan said a lot of work must be done between now and then.

"No one knows what to do," Jordan said. "Self-generation is one of the options. The board, in the next three years, is going to have to look very carefully at what options are available."

Lester said self-generation may be an option, but the natural resources to sustain it would have to first be identified. There have been discussions, she said, about the potential of using natural gas, but much is still up in the air.

"There must be some source here, in the area, in order to do that," Lester said.

Folsom said MEA has already contracted out with a company to begin examining some options and said MEA may be able to generate power with its own facilities in as little as two years. Technology, he said, may make power generation much easier.

"In the next few years, there may be some real revelations," Folsom said.

Staudenmaier said he had a better idea for obtaining power than self-generation.

"There's $250 million to be saved by merging into Chugach," Staudenmaier said. He said if MEA were to merge with Chugach, it would cut a middle-man out of the current equation and result in savings for MEA customers. As for self-generation, the Eagle River resident said he wanted no part of it. "If MEA wants to start its own generation, they can cut it off at the Eagle River Bridge. The merger is key … they don't need to do any more studies, they've been done."