The IREA's lack of Transparency and Disclosure

Since I'm sure they are listening, I believe I just did?

I don't think ranting on a forum qualifies as a formal request.

So far as I know, none of the IREA Board are members on here, but that is so far as I know.

There is only one of the board members that I know personally and you might want to convey your desire to see it online to him. If you PM me I can tell you how to reach him.

I'm not interested in private conversations, I'm interested in public disclosure and transparency available to all member/owners of the Coop. If you know how to reach him, ask him to engage in this public forum.

Here is the contact info for all the directors at IREA and a link to the contact form on the IREA website.

Mike Kempe District 1


James Dozier District 2


Eugene Sperry District 3


Timothy White District 4


Bruff Shea District 5


Sidney Hanks District 6


James Anest District 7


Contact Form to leave comments
http://www.intermountain-rea.com/contac ... nquiry.htm

This IREA Board election is not about conservative views vs. liberal views. This should be about what's in the best interests of our community, the member-owners and our state. We ALL want reliable energy at the lowest cost possible and the IREA team in the field does a great job keeping the power flowing. This election is about ethics, transparency, intelligent and educated decision making and putting our communities first.

In yesterday's High Timber Times there was a 1/4 page ad that IREA General Manager Stan Lewandowsky placed which stated he paid for it personally in order to attack the lone-wolf Director elected in 2007, Dr. Mike Kempe. The statements and numbers are deceptive, malicious and erroneous to try to make Mike Kempe appear to be selfishly working against the interests of the member-owners. He even tries to link the fact that Mike Kempe is a scientist with NREL to why he promotes solar energy and is trying to raise rates and costs to members. That is absolutely absurd! Dr. Kempe is not only well educated on energy options and the realities of our resources and funding but is the only objective thinking member of that board at present who doesn't rubber stamp whatever Stan Lewandowsky and his cronies put in front of them including pay raises for Stan!

Perhaps an ad now needs to run stating some facts with a headline of: "How IREA Has Kept You In the Dark" Light now shed on the FACTS about how the IREA General Manager and his hand-picked Board members have used Member-owner funds: $100,000 for an Anti-Climate Change expert, $267,000 to buy a Board member's not so valuable land (Duke Dozier)during a slump in the real estate market, approx. $300,000 for lobbying and political agenda funding to support IREA's multi-million dollar investment in a new coal plant (member-owner funds that could have gone to our IREA communities' non-profits and scholarships to members' students), Retiring IREA GM Stan Lewandowsky handpicking his successor (his legal counsel) for his $330K/yr + bonuses job without a national search for qualified applicants, use of the IREA logo and access to IREA mailing list/joint mailing permit to support handpicked Board candidates that smacks with resentment toward the spirit of HB 1098, etc...
... not to mention how IREA management hired a sitting State Senator (Mike Kopp SD22) to serve as their new Public Relations Director (who writes Watts & Volts) and who hands out anti-climate change DVD's at town hall meetings and is able to vote against legislation that IREA does not favor. Talk about a conflict of interest having a state senator on the payroll of IREA who can vote on legislation effecting energy and the environment!

THE best independent thinking candidates going forward for the IREA Board for District 1 are Mike Kempe and for District 2, Mat Matson. Read their bios and vote for what's best for our community and the IREA member-owners.

And for those who believe IREA management is doing such a great job that you get "refunds" think again! An unwillingness to share the FACTS and the realities about the co-op and the use of scare tactics claiming rates will increase is what Stan Lewandowsky and his regime has been all about. They argue that climate change doesn't exist and dig their heels in by finding or creating supportive theories to defend their position rather than be objective and rational and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars member-owners' money to prove others wrong.

Have you ever given thought on how IREA could have instead invested those funds in high tech equipment to monitor outages or given those funds back to the member-owners it belongs to or perhaps helped the indigent pay their electric bills so they don't freeze? The management and Board has a fiduciary responsibility to best use those precious dollars especially if their mantra of providing reliable power at the lowest cost is truly paramount to the IREA mission?

Mike Kempe and Mat Matson WILL NOT ATTEMPT TO RAISE RATES! They are not out to overhaul IREA and completely change IREA's modus operandi. They are sound, balanced, educated men who want to do the right thing for the member-owners and their community and Mike Kempe has proved his mettle over the last 4 years and literally helped to open doors. Supporting alternative energy options including solar does not make them advocates of rate increases!

Mike Kempe holds a PhD, is a scientist and works for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden which is a federally run organization, not a "solar energy company!" VERY DIFFERENT! President George Bush touted NREL's importance to our country and gave them more funding. Dr. Mike Kempe has nothing to gain personally by advocating the use of more solar energy. He's only trying to educate the Board and the membership on how best to diversify IREA's energy portfolio. FACTS people! Know the FACTS!

I hate to tell you whoever you are that Mat Matson made somewhat of a fool out of himself at a debate last month, IMO, by answering every question posed to him with the exact same answer, I will be a good student. If any part of what you have just stated is true, it would seem to me that someone in that position, sooner, not later, should be able to make decisions!

That's my impression, which is probably just as valuable as what yours are.

Nice tactic, having both of you make these claims. I too, think Global Warming doesn't exist, but what do I know?

Nmysys wrote: I hate to tell you whoever you are that Mat Matson made somewhat of a fool out of himself at a debate last month, IMO, by answering every question posed to him with the exact same answer, I will be a good student. If any part of what you have just stated is true, it would seem to me that someone in that position, sooner, not later, should be able to make decisions!

That's my impression, which is probably just as valuable as what yours are.

Nice tactic, having both of you make these claims. I too, think Global Warming doesn't exist, but what do I know?

Not much, since global warming has been acknowledged as occurring by every credible scientist with knowledge. The only debatable point has been is whether or not man has significantly contributed to global warming, and whether we can significantly mitigate further contributions in an economically feasible manner.

Mat Matson is a former Rotary International District Governor overseeing the leadership of all District 5450 Rotary Clubs along the Front Range. He has earned the respect of hundreds of small and big business owners and movers and shakers not only in Colorado but throughout the country who have worked with him. He knows how to make decisions, to lead, to develop concensus and how to think before he speaks!

And I, good sir, am Mike Daniels. Those who know me through my involvement with and as a leader with a number of organizations in this community and this state know I have no agenda other than doing the right thing by the members of those organizations, my community and its residents.