Our View: Citizens stiffed as Alexandria, Cleco dawdle
Everyone knew the fraud fight between the city of Alexandria and Cleco Corp. would get much worse before it got better, but no one could have predicted this.
Right now, city residents are seeing gridlock in action. Make that inaction.
Today, city officials are no closer to reviewing the Pineville-based electric company’s billing records than they were so long ago — way back when someone outside of city government spoke up and said, hey, you might be getting ripped off — big time.
The fact that a review of the records has not even started does not bode well for residents and business owners in Alexandria, those who buy their electricity from the city, which buys it from Cleco. Indeed, it does not bode well for all city residents — especially the tens of thousands of taxpayers who continue to wonder why their local officials, elected and otherwise, do not spend taxpayer dollars wisely and do not make sure they get what they paid for,
Either these city officials cannot do the job, or they will not do the job. We suspect some of each is true, depending on which office in City Hall is talking or not talking to the public; feuding or not feuding with the office down the hall; plotting to “get” someone for some sleight, real or perceived; or planning to get something for themselves, a relative or a friend.
To the taxpayers on the outside looking in, dysfunction appears to be the order of the day. That, by the way, is also what Cleco officials see, and their attorneys will make good use of the confusion and disarray that come with it.
For its part, Cleco has chosen a path that has made an ugly — and perhaps criminal — situation even uglier. The utility clearly does not care what its behavior looks like to the city of Alexandria — or to any of its other customers, for that matter. Through various legal maneuvers, the company has succeeded in stalling the review process, blocking reasonable requests for information, and dodging questions about accountability.
All of that, the utility seems to think, will ensure a level playing field when the parties finally do sit down with a pile of paperwork that will show two important things: how well or how poorly the company treated the city of Alexandria and its electric customers, and how well or how poorly city officials monitored the spending of millions of taxpayer dollars.
At the same time, Cleco’s maneuvering accomplishes something else for the company — delay, delay, delay. The hope, of course, is that the longer it takes to take a step in the review process, the more uncomfortable things get for certain people in City Hall. Perhaps someone will eventually say, Enough! Then the whole thing can be settled behind closed doors for 10 cents on the dollar.
It wouldn’t be the first time something like that happened. You’d better believe it’s being discussed.
Originally published July 7, 2006
CenLamar 
This says it all. Cleco hiding nasty past deeds in hope that people will tire of the fight all the while forgetting that if they KNOW of past deeds that the failure to disclose is in itself a crime. Kelvin Sanders, Bridgette Brown and Charles Frederick Smith trying to help Cleco get away with a crime and maybe also get a small percentage of the money back BEFORE the election. That way they get ClECO support AND the poor people support without getting ALL that is owed the citizens. THAT my friend is why they are pushing this SECRET audit over a full disclosure where people documents and secrets are exposed to the public under oath in court. Thank GOD Mayor Randolph or Delores Brewer went and talked to the out of town lawyers who told them what had been hidden from them The secret? THAT THE FIX WAS IN ON THE FAKE AUDIT AND THE AUDITOR. Can you even believe the boldness of CLECO to try to sneak a person in as auditor who has made MILLIONS from CLECO in the past? THIS in and of itself shows how shady the dealings are over there. Also, watch the replay on the legal committee . What you see is nothing short of a panicked lawyer using rage as a distraction. THEY have been paid off to hide the CLECO secrets and now its spun out of their hands and they may wind up exposed. Hopefully Good Judge Drell will see through this smoke and order this sham stopped and demand that CLECO give up the information that is rightfully ours as citizens. Sure, Cleco helps people, sure Cleco does good things in the community. But if i helped an old lady across the street and then ran back to her house to rummage through her valuables would the original good deed excuse my intentional theft? Hardly. Its time we make Cleco pay. From top to bottom. This is not anyones fault , not whistle blowers, not Mayors not elected officials fault that Cleco finds itself in this situation. It is CLECO and the greedy leadership that is to blame. And judgment day is coming.
According to the article, the auditor hasn’t made millions from Cleco; she just instructed them on the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, passed after Enron in an effort to hold corporate leaders responsible for their income statements and other public documents.
tell you what. IF it comes out that she DID make millions, would you agree with me that it was a BAD choice to have her as the auditor? Would you then agree that Cleco is dishonest in this process by pushing her for the job as a so called “independent” auditor.
This editorial gives me hope that our Town Talk still has at least one person there who still speaks the truth.
If information comes out tha kpmg has made millions off of CLECO then Yes, I will be the first to say that they are acting like crooks. But, I havent seen that yet.
JUST HOW BIG AND POWERFUL DO YOU THINK CLECO IS? Here’s $20 that says the Town Talk retracts this editorial. Do I have any takers?
Wish I had $20 left after paying my utility bill.
Mrs. VAN DREESEN’S (Delores Brewer) CLASSROOM (Council Meeting)
Mrs. Van Dreesen (DB)— It’s ironic that we in this country who cherish freedom occasionally support governments who are less responsive to human rights. We’re very fortunate…..
Butthead(Bridgette Brown)— What’s your problem Beavis(Kelvin Sanders)? Settle down.
Mrs. Van Dreesen (DB)— …the strugle for freedom is by no means over. It still goes on today in places like….Alexandria,Louisiana… Nicaragua… El Salavdor… and Panama.
Beavis—(KS) (shirt over head) NIC..AR..A..GUA. Agua….Agua for my bunghole….bunnnghooooole!
Mrs. Van Dreesen(DB)— Beavis(KS)and Butthead (BB)! Please sit down…
Beavis(KS)— Are you threatening me? I AM CORNHOLIO!
Mrs. Van Dreesen (DB)— Come on Beavis(KS). Take your seat… Now, technically America is not a democracy but a republic….
Beavis(KS)— to Butthead(BB) …you have T.P.? T.P.? for my bunghole?
Butthead(BB)— Get out of here Beavis(KS).
Beavis(KS)— Ummmmmmm. Okay. Heh heh … heh heh…WALKS OUT OF CLASS I AM CORNHOLIO. I need T.P. for my bunghooooole………..
Seriously . If the Town Talk newspaper retracts or modifies this editorial then we will know that even the media is for sale. Lets watch and see.