BIG SAVINGS TO CONSUMERS FROM COMPETITIVE BIDDING!

• Chugach Consumers Unveils MOU Backroom Deal
• Background to MOU
• Press Coverage of MOU Controversy:
  • 2/25/90 Anchorage Times -- Electric Utilities, Union Join to Raid Railbelt Fund "Some of our board members were concerned there was a free-enterprise problem," said Norm Story, assistant general manager for the Homer [Electric] cooperative. But Story said the board went along after being assured the agreement was not a legally binding document.

    Anchorage's ML&P refused to join after nearly a month of negotiations with the union and other utilities. "It has been a long-standing thing to get IBEW's support. IBEW gives lots of money to candidates and is able to influence people who might otherwise be opposed to something like this," said Tom Stahr, ML&P general manager. "But I think it was felt this probably wasn’t a legal thing to do."

    Charles Irby...said swapping political influence for construction contracts will cost consumers by eliminating competition. "I hate to see public business conducted in that manner," Irby said Friday in a telephone interview. "The union has been doing a very effective job at selling the concept of `union only' and convincing people it's to their benefit. I'm against any restriction of free trade and particularly within the United States.  "How the union was able to get respectable boards to cooperate, I don't know."

  • COST REVIEW FOR CONTRACTING ALTERNATIVES FOR TRANSMISSION FACILITIES IN ALASKA - January 1996 - Northrup and Thieblot - Executive summary - Complete report
  • 1/26/96 Chugach Electric Association -- Press Release on Northrup Study
  • 1/25/96 IBEW Press Release -- Response to Northrup Study
  • Feb 1996 Chugach Outlet -- Intertie Contracting Alternative Could Save Millions
  • 6/7/96 Chugach Press Release -- Chugach Board Votes on Interties   [text version]  
  • 6/20/96 Alaska Star -- Chugach Rejects [IBEW MOU on] Intertie Project [IBEW Business -Manager Gary Brooks] asked, ‘what's in it for us? If some guy from Mississippi is going to come in and get the work; why should we care?'
  • 6/13/97 Voice of the Times -- Will city officials protect the public interest?
  • 6/19/97 Alaska Star -- ML&P manager resigns (fired); Mayor unhappy with Starr's signature on MOU  It was clear that the general manager had not been following a course charted by the mayor's office. [Tom] Stahr favored the city's purchase of an interest in the Beluga gas field and convinced the Assembly to approve the deal.  Mystrom was not a fan of that move...Stahr "acted on his own,"... when he signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and members of the Electrical Utility Participants' Group.  Stahr apparently did not inform Mystrom or members of the ML&P advisory commission of his action.
  • 9/14/97 Voice of the Times -- ML&P Oversight  Mystrom said ML&P General Manager Tom Stahr apparently took it upon himself to sign the MOU and didn't clear it with him. Stahr lost his job a few months ago. Mystrom canceled the MOU last month, declaring the municipality supports open, competitive bidding.

    CITIZEN ACTION WORKS!!
    Chugach Consumers & REACH protests are heard.
    Mayor Mystrom takes corrective action.
    PUBLIC INTEREST PROTECTED!!

Please send comments or questions to Chugach Consumers