pillage

The Rape & Pillage of California

It began with deregulation, and for a while because of price caps, all was relatively well.
    Then came December 12th, 2000, that infamous Day of Treason, where the Hive of Five locked in the appointment of the Pretender. Suddenly, in the wintertime, when traditionally California uses the least amount of energy overall, there was a shortage which, even though usage was down statewide from the last two years, finally led to rolling blackouts. Then rate increases, and laws of mandatory overnight curfew shutoffs for business. But mind you, this was ONLY in the areas without municipal-owned utilities; areas supplied by greedy big business PG&E and Cal Edison, who thought they’d hose everyone and get even richer by deregulation, but in Zen-like karmic fashion – were hosed and continue to be hosed themselves.
    All the while Smirk came out and said he would not help. Too bad – we didn't vote for him, and apparently he doesn't need our votes in the future.   Hmmm... What does that mean exactly? He doesn't care about changing California's mind? Is it because he is having a tantrum equal to that of a five year-old, or is it something darker? Is this the foreshadowing of the absence of future elections altogether? If there are to be no more elections and only pResidential appointments, then he can do all he wants without fear of alienating anyone for their vote.
    He has now said that "Price caps aren't the answer - conservation is." Who does he think will conserve more than they already are? California is NOT Texas, and the cost of living here is one of the highest in the nation. Your average citizen at home, who already can't afford to pay the electric bill & natural gas bill? What is left to shut off, the refrigerator? Does he think the businesses that depend on electricity & natural gas will be able to conserve? How about that small Italian restaurant around the corner? How are they supposed to conserve? Not cook? Not keep food refrigerated? Small business like that will close, while dragging the family who is trying everything in its power including blowing through their savings, 401k, and 2nd mortgage just to save a business that has been in the family for generations. Gas stations cannot dispense gasoline without electricity. If you can't gas up the ride-share van, those eight people can't get to work. Have they thought five minutes past the filling of their bank accounts to the long-term repercussions of destroying not only the environment but the 99% of the population that don’t fall into their tax bracket?
    What about the Airports? What if a rolling blackout hits LAX? Hopefully they have their own backup generator, but what if that has a problem and they need the grid? Perhaps Smirk will never visit in AF1, so who cares? Burbank has it's own municipal utility so they aren't effected.
     The large Smirk-contributing corporations won't have to worry. Their tax cuts will pay their utility bills, if they aren’t already on some special Smirk Pay Plan.
     And where, pray tell, is the press/media in all of this cluster-f**k-well of lies?
     On March 15th, 2001The Los Angeles Times printed the article, NOT on page ONE/Above the fold where it belongs – but printed nonetheless:
2 Firms Ordered to Justify Taking Plants Offline
Excerpt: The commission said its investigation "determined that the companies appeared to have financial incentive to prolong any outages from these two generating units."
    The following week, the LA Times printed the article: 3/23/01
Estimate of Possible Overcharges for Electricity Rises to $6.3 Billion
Energy: Grid operator says it has not assessed how much should be refunded.
Producers deny that they have profiteered.
(Oh please.)
   Then this week: 3/28/01
PUC Approves Largest Electricity Rate Increase in State's History
Regulation: Some customers will pay up to 46% more. Commissioners, facing strong opposition before their unanimous vote, say they are trying to avert blackouts. Critics say move won't solve the crisis. Ratepayers have labeled the plan a "rip-off" that would hit 10 million homes and businesses fighting to stay cool amid rolling blackouts and spiraling energy costs. The rate hikes will effect about 25 million Californians..... "Our bills have gone from $26 to $70 for a stinking studio apartment and we don't have a heater, we use the oven to heat up the studio," said Belinda Lazzerini, 40, who serves fruit smoothies at Jitters & Shakes in downtown San Francisco. "The Laundromat has gone up from $1.50 to $3, so now we will have to clean our clothes by hand and dry them in the basement.   It's crazy."

     Does the current Appointistration think everyone in California has Julia Robert's paycheck? Does it really take a neurosurgeon to figure out what is going on? The Smirk backed utility cartels have taken their power plants that supply California OFF LINE to create a false shortage, and drive prices up. That is indeed "PROFITEERING".
    There is NO energy shortage. Just call the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, there is a recording stating that DWP customers are not affected by rolling blackouts or rate increases, and we have a surplus of power which the DWP is selling to the other energy suppliers to help the ‘crisis’. Smirk is at the head of this Rape and Pillage of California citizens. He can't put us all on death row, so instead he is just going to let us literally starve to death. No electricity = businesses close or move out of state, jobs are lost - people go homeless.
    But where is Governor Gray Davis in all of this? Why has he suddenly turned into Hamlet? DO SOMETHING already; stop intellectualizing the situation to death! Don't wait until you are stabbed by the baited sword to finally be driven to action. Why isn't he offering tax incentives and rebates for people and businesses willing to install solar panels, and/or other alternative forms of energy?
    Where is the utility company that has the cajones to come to the rescue? To step up research and development of alternative supplies of energy that aren't reliant on fossil fuel? Think of the investors lined up to back that along with a water and Drano powered car? Those investment opportunities might be just what Wall Street needs right now, along with giving Shrub the pruning he and his cronies so richly deserve. They are the ones who need a pink slip.