Yes – What is Mountain Parks Electric Hiding? The Facts

I appreciate the local papers printing my recent letter “What is Mountain Parks Electric Hiding Now?”  And it is also encouraging to see that some readers are taking notice; however, I would like to respond to Mr. Capps’ reply in order to correct his assertions with some facts:

  1. Xcel’s residential electric rates are in fact lower than Mountain Parks Electric (MPE) as you can verify with a web search.  Effective October 2018 Xcel charges $5.41/month for their service and facility charge plus $0.10078/kWh energy rate; prior to their recent rate increase, MPE was charging $29.00/month for service availability plus $0.10900/kWh energy rate.  (I consider myself fortunate to have natural gas service provided by Xcel Energy already.)
  2. Any past Xcel multi-million-dollar boondoggles that were paid by their customers were authorized by the Colorado Public Utility Commission (PUC).  The PUC has no jurisdiction over electric cooperatives in the State of Colorado; MPE is unregulated.
  3. MPE management chooses to avoid transparency by refusing to share requested information, most recently the cost of service study that is the basis for their rate increase.  MPE should have nothing to hide, so why do they continue to do so?

MPE will soon award a construction contract for their broadband internet project, an estimated $6-7 million dollar boondoggle that is not needed to provide safe, reliable electric service.  I expect the MPE management to operate an effective business, not create another subsidized entitlement program.

Les Shankland, P.E., Grand County

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Dear Editor,

I offer the following letter in response to a letter that recently appeared in your publication.  It was signed “Enjoy life people, Winter Park Resident”.

Risking that this might inject some discomfort into your happy life, I offer these thoughts.  Your letter implies that there are no issues worth the price of “disturbing the peace” or “rocking the boat”.  I have a simple response. Tell that to those who fought and still fight against slavery, bondage and racial injustice.  Tell that to those in our LGBT ranks who speak out for human dignity and equality. Tell that to the woman who experiences disrespect through chauvinist practices at work and dehumanization with masochist actions in private and in public.  And, tell that to the immigrant who is falsely judged a rapist and drug addict by fleeing death and persecution. We not only should speak out on some issues, but we are obligated to do so as moral individuals in “this brief blink of an eye in time that we get”.   Your mantra may be that “silence is golden”. But history screams a different message. Respectful dialogue with fact-based ideas is absolutely necessary to counter evil. Silence is complicity.

Ron Fischer, Fraser

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To the Editor,

For we the people, this Federal Government “shutdown” is terrible, awful, painful and worse.

Just look:

  • The American Battle Monuments are closed. They may crumble!
  • Congress is somehow closed (their staffers aren’t paid). Are you missing that?
  • Consumer Product Safety bureaucrats are not working! Your kids may be choking on something this very moment!
  • Department of Agriculture is closed! The farmers must be devastated as they can’t grow anything!
  • The Department of Commerce is closed. They won’t be able to take calls from the Chamber of Commerce!
  • The Department of Education is closed. What will our kids do for school/learning?
  • The Department of Energy is closed. Guess that means the power will go off at any moment!
  • The “essential” agencies (by law) are still open!

Of course when the swamp gets done grabbing face time on CNN everyone will be paid for not working. Just letting all you folks that worship the Federal Government know how much you are missing.

Frank B Watts, Winter Park Highlands