Rural Missouri - April 2022 - 5

Missouri
RURAL
Volume 75 | APRIL 2022 | Number 4
EDITORIAL STAFF:
Jim McCarty, editor
jmccarty@ruralmissouri.coop
Paul Newton, managing editor
pnewton@ruralmissouri.coop
Heather Berry, associate editor
hberry@ruralmissouri.coop
Megan Backes, creative director
mbackes@ruralmissouri.coop
Zach Smith, field editor
zsmith@ruralmissouri.coop
Angie Jones-Wheeler, designer
ajones@ruralmissouri.coop
ADVERTISING:
Mary Davis, production manager
mdavis@ruralmissouri.coop
Editorial:
Rural Missouri
2722 E. McCarty St., Jefferson City, MO 65101
573-659-3423 info@ruralmissouri.coop
Advertising:
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Rural Missouri is accepted on the premise that
the merchandise and services offered are accurately
described and sold to customers at the advertised
price. Rural Missouri and Missouri's electric
cooperatives do not endorse any products or
services advertised herein. Advertising that does
not conform to these standards or that is deceptive
or misleading is never knowingly accepted by
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shall be in the sole discretion of the editor.
Rural Missouri (ISSN 0164-8578) (USPS 473000)
is published monthly by the Association
of Missouri Electric Cooperatives, 2722 E.
McCarty Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101, Caleb
Jones, CEO/executive vice president. Individual
subscription rate: $12 per year or $25 for three
years, taxes and postage included. Group rate for
members of participating RECs $2.64, plus taxes
and postage, paid from equity accruing to the
member. Delivery as specified by subscriber. If not
specified, delivery will be by periodical class mail
at subscriber's expense. Periodical Class postage
paid at Jefferson City, MO, and additional mailing
offices. Copyright 2022, Association of Missouri
Electric Cooperatives. Call for reprint rights.
Circulation of this issue: 579,907
RM | PERSPECTIVES
If the shoe fits ...
by Caleb Jones | cjones@amec.coop
he call from my brother
made me laugh. He
had just bought a new
pair of cowboy boots
and had a question for me:
" Can I get you to wear these
until they are broken in? "
Back on the farm, that was
my job whenever Dad bought
us new work boots. You would
think the second youngest
would get the hand-me-downs.
Instead, I got the new boots, at
least until they were broken in
enough to be comfortable.
I let my brother know very
impolitely that he was stuck
breaking in his own dang boots. I've
learned enough over the years to
know that if the shoe doesn't fit, you
don't wear it.
T
My brother hasn't forgotten that I used to be the one
who wore the new boots until they were comfortable.
Electric co-ops have learned that
lesson as well. Their purpose in life
is to deliver electricity, affordably
and reliably. But sometimes there is
a need in the community that is so
pressing it causes the co-op to look at
providing other services.
For example, there was a time
when TV satellite dishes owned
by rural residents went dark. The
National Rural Telecommunications
Cooperative was formed to provide
small-dish TV service that was on par
with what city folks received.
These co-ops didn't want to be in
the satellite business, but they did
it because no one else stepped up to
serve rural America. But times - and
technologies - change, and when
that happens, the co-ops go back to
serving members with reliable, affordable
electricity. If someone else could
do the job, it was time to let them and
go back to the core business.
A co-op thinks long and hard
before they get into something in
addition to electricity. First, can
someone else do the job? Second, is
it feasible? Third, and most importantly,
will it hurt the electric side of
the books?
Those questions are being asked
today as members across rural Missouri
desperately search for someone
to bring them high-speed internet.
In some cases co-ops have helped
fill this void by setting up broadband
subsidiaries to help provide
internet for members. Other times,
co-ops have found partners who they
can assist in getting their members
online.
Sadly, there are also times where
no matter how sharp the pencil is
the numbers don't add up. When
that happens, your co-op helps push
federal, state and local government
officials to deploy resources to help
achieve this.
Whatever the situation, co-ops are
doing what they do best - helping
rural Missouri get the same resources
as everyone else. They are doing this
because, like you, they live in rural
Missouri and face the same challenges
you face.
This attitude will pay dividends as
we see rural areas connected to the
rest of the globe with internet speeds
city folks will envy. It's not an easy
task, but just like when electricity
was first delivered across the countryside,
we will get there by working
together to help our community.
That's one shoe that will fit like a
glove.
Caleb is the executive vice president
and CEO of the Association of Missouri
Electric Cooperatives and a member of
Boone Electric Cooperative.
APRIL 2022 | RURALMISSOURI.COOP 5
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Rural Missouri - April 2022

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