The La Plata Electric Association board of directors election is a reminder of the truism that all politics is local. For those not familiar with the discourse – some would say division – over where the electric co-op gets its energy, the passions over who should serve on the board might seem unduly elevated. But how – and whether – LPEA shepherds a transition from coal-based electricity to that of a cleaner variety is important business, and choosing board members should draw community attention. It does.
The Durango Herald Opinion page provides a forum for discussing this and all elections’ issues and individuals and, as such, has delivered to readers their neighbors’ opinions about candidates for the LPEA board. Thus far, we have received more than 30 such letters and are publishing them as quickly as space allows. Two, printed today on Page 1D, stand out.
These letters, from Christi Zeller and J. Paul Brown, were similar in two regards: Both were written by public figures and both took a personal – some might say nasty – tone in establishing their views on nine-year LPEA board member Jeff Berman, who is up for re-election in District 3.
Neither Zeller nor Brown wrote the letters in their public roles – Zeller is executive director of La Plata Energy Council, a gas industry trade group, and Brown is a former state representative seeking to return to the Colorado Legislature. But those roles exist, and their letters are important to the LPEA election conversation.
Their tone makes that doubly so. Both Zeller and Brown question Berman’s business acumen by referencing his now-shuttered San Juan Bioenergy endeavor. While the factors leading to the company’s demise were many, Brown and Zeller suggest it was solely Berman’s fault and hint at wrongdoing. Their letters border on a character attack, saying that he made off with riches while others suffered.
These factors caused the Herald to handle Zeller’s and Brown’s letters atypically. Given the strong accusations, we offered Berman the opportunity to respond simultaneously with the appearance of his critics’ charges. Zeller, Brown and Berman are local opinion leaders. Their voices help shape election outcomes – and the policies that ensue. The strongly stated opinions Zeller and Brown offered the Herald warranted sharing with readers; a response from Berman was appropriate.
