Elizabeth City Daily Advance Gives ElectriCities the One TWO punch: Pooping the Party Editorial

Talk about getting ugly. Hey James, this one is front page worthy, huh?

http://www.dailyadvance.com/opin/content/news/opinion/stories/2008/08/16...

Editorial: Pooping the party

Saturday, August 16, 2008

No doubt it was not ElectriCities' intention to show how ridiculously insensitive, self-serving and out of touch elected officials can be. But by staging its annual meeting at the Marriott Resort & Spa at Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach, S.C., last weekend, just weeks after raising its members' electricity rates by 14 percent, the group managed to do just that.

No fewer than 600 mayors, city councilors, city managers and electric chiefs from across eastern North Carolina eagerly slipped on their Topsiders and Capri pants, tossed their political instincts to the winds, and headed to the beach. Elizabeth City was well represented at the fun-in-the-sun event, sending nine officials, including the mayor and six city councilors.

ElectriCities, the administrative arm of an electricity-buying cooperative that includes 32 eastern North Carolina cities, including Elizabeth City, has defended staging its annual conference at a Myrtle Beach resort, saying it's the only way to guarantee good attendance. Apparently public officials can't be bothered to discuss topics like high electricity rates or energy conservation unless they also get to feel the sun on their backs, hear the rumble of the ocean and twist a little sand between their toes.

ElectriCities has also pointed out that half the cost of the three-day conference — $175,000 — was paid for by corporate sponsors. Critics allege, however, that many of these sponsors may also be the same businesses that perform paid services for ElectriCities, so it's in their interest to foot half the cost of what amounts to an expensive weekend getaway for public officials.

Go read the rest.