VOTE Like the Future of the LPEA Depends on it!
Vote for John Purser for LPEA District 4
What I Stand For
Protecting Your Wallet
Stay focused on our core mission of distributing dependable affordable electricity to our members
Protecting Our Environment
Meet or exceed our carbon footprint reduction goals now and in the future
Transparency in the LPEA Board
Insist that plans for our future disclose detailed costs
Thank you for voting!
Be Part of the Conversation
John wants every member to have access to important information regarding our future. Increased transparency is a must. Join the conversation on Facebook, or talk to John about what issues matter most to you and yours.
About John
I’m a 22 year resident of Durango. I enjoy all of the seasons here in Durango. You have ski season, followed by bicycle season, rafting season, and hiking season. As they say you can have multiple seasons in a day in Colorado!
I moved to Durango from Colorado Springs in 2004 to work for Mercury Payment Systems (MPS). As an early employee at a startup, I wore a several hats. As Director of IT, I put in place the IT infrastructure that served a foundation for Mercury’s growth. Relying on this infrastructure, Mercury grew from a startup to a 1.4-billion-dollar company in less than 10 years. My 35 year IT career had a consistent theme of learning, problem solving, and taking on increasing responsibility.
Since leaving Mercury I’ve contributed to the community as a volunteer at Big Picture High School and as an advocate for climate policy with Citizens Climate Lobby. Both of these positions took advantage of my educational background. I have degrees in Information Science and Economics. My economics degree included studies in environmental economics which gives me an insight into effective environmental policy. My passion is policy. Policy that should benefit all LPEA members!
Governance
My agenda for LPEA is improved governance. The policy improvements would insure integrity and provide needed transparency to the purchase and contract process. They would also provide for improved communication and transparency in the monthly board meeting. Members would also have input in the process of filling any board vacancy.
- Policy requiring publishing vendor requirements.
- Policy requiring publicly advertising all Requests for Proposals (RFP’s) for contracts.
- Purchasing policy that requires publicly advertising all purchase orders above a fixed amount of money.
- Policy requiring publicly advertising asset sales.
- Publish draft minutes for all public meetings within 10 business days of the meeting.
- Create a privacy policy detailing and controlling what member information is collected and how it is shared.
- Allow members to access copies of the Director workbooks during board meetings (excluding executive session material).
John’s Candidate Statement
Your electric cooperative is at a crossroads. A crossroads you as member/owners were never allowed to vote on. The board that got us here is asking you to trust them with what comes next.
I’m asking you to consider a change.
For the past 5 years I’ve paid close attention to LPEA and been concerned and dismayed at what I’ve seen. The bills are now going to come due for decisions the board has made.
The divorce with Tri-State, the non-profit cooperative of which LPEA was a member, is now complete. The $162 million payment has been made, and $72 million in Tri-State equity abandoned. LPEA’s authorized debt stands at approximately $350 million … roughly $9,000 per member. Before a single kilowatt-hour is purchased, interest payments will consume 15 cents of every dollar your cooperative collects. We currently operate at a deficit of approximately $500,000 a month, or $10 a month per member. Rates are being held flat this year by drawing down a reserve fund that will not last. Our board has not been fiscally responsible or transparent. We are not operating in a fiscally sustainable manner, and we’ve seen no financial plan for the future.
Here is what your board did: they ignored LPEA’s own statement of governance that says major decisions require a member vote. There was no vote on the Tri-State divorce. No vote on $250 million in new authorized debt. The board sold LPEA assets, including Fastrack Communications, without disclosing the sale price to members. They have a 2-year plan for power using a Swiss based broker. They paid $280,000 to a departing CEO, on top of their salary and pension. They hired a politician directly from the Colorado State Senate as Chief Executive Officer, while leaving the Chief Financial Officer position vacant during the most expensive transaction in co-op history.
This is not a failure of ideology. It is a failure of fiduciary and fiscal responsibility.
I’ve been an LPEA member and District 4 resident for 22 years. I hold an economics degree with studies in environmental economics and securities markets. I spent 35 years managing engineering and technology organizations. I have no ties to any company, lobby group, or special interest with a financial stake in LPEA’s decisions. My campaign is funded by members, not organizations that hide the source of their funds.
If elected, I will fight for three things: transparency in every dollar LPEA spends and every asset it sells; respecting our bylaws, policies and governing regulations; and management selected for cooperative experience and skills, not political connections.
You are a member-owner of this cooperative. You are entitled to an honest and complete financial accounting and fiscally sound future plan, a real voice in major decisions, and a board member who answers to you.
I have been showing up and telling you the truth for 5 years. As a board member I will not stop fighting for transparency and honesty.
Please vote.
What are the Numbers?
John is a longtime advocate for climate change awareness and responsible policy making, and is equipped to not only ask the right questions, but also tirelessly pursue answers.
Tri-State is aiming to eliminate all emissions from our coal plants in CO and NM by 2030
By 2024, 50% of the electricity Tri-State's members use will come from clean energy
The narrative that Tri-State is not focused on generating power from clean energy sources is simply untrue. In 2020 alone, they have demonstrated major efforts toward increasing clean energy.
The LPEA strategic objective of a 50% reduction in greenhouse gases was set in 2017. It’s 6 years later. Where do we stand?
We still have no metrics surrounding LPEA’s strategic objective. What was our carbon footprint in 2017? What is our carbon footprint today? How are we measuring progress?
I am looking forward to asking these questions and doggedly going after answers as an LPEA board member.
We are told local renewables will be cheaper. What is the number?
What will it cost to put in a 50MW solar facility? What are we budgeting for land? How much will staffing cost? What is the cost of the solar panels and installation? Will this require new transmission lines and a new substation? What are the cost estimates that allow board renewables and LPEA staff to say local renewables are cheaper?
Contact John
Reach out anytime. I'd love to talk to you about what's on your mind for LPEA and our energy needs.
+1 970-946-7992
j_purser@yahoo.com
Donations Welcome
If you’re serious about helping John Purser make the LPEA board meetings way more fun, consider donating today.
Reach out to John to make your donation.