I suppose Tuckerman Babcock, the eminence grise at Matanuska Electric Association, might like that characterization. He certainly doesn't look the part he plays.He's the person we have the most to thank for our incredibly weird-shaped and just plain Gerrymandered State Legislative Districts. Babcock's official title at MEA is Assistant General Manager. The reality is that he's the brains behind one dumb idea after another there.
The explanations he comes up with for why the utility is operated as it is, are sometimes hilarious. His responses to reporters' questions on the utility's management circle's recommendation to co-op members to vote against a proposed bylaw change fit the hilarious category.
A few years back, when Valley progressive activist Mike Janacek won a seat on the MEA Board, the Babcock-led leadership and board members did everything they could to throw debris in front of Janacek's path to his seat. One of the things Babcock did was to engage surrogates like ex-GOP State Treasurer Fred Agree to spread untrue information through innuendo about Janacek and marijuana. Janacek, who is a legendary running coach, sports announcer, retired high school teacher and advocate for youth activities is the opposite of somebody with a drug problem. He's probably, over the years, saved enough kids from alcohol or drug problems through his help and interventions as coach and advocate, to deserve a medal.
But the truth seldom matters to people like Babcock and Agree. Eventually, Babcock got the MEA board to require mandatory drug tests for new board members, to be taken between the election and their seating. A newly elected board member must have a third party take a sample of hair - several entire strands. Then the hair is tested at a lower-48 lab.
I've been looking around the country, searching the web, on how many utility co-ops require new board members to submit to drug testing. I found on. MEA. Still looking for a second one.
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