Global Eye -- Circus Maximus

[RBHam]

Chris Floyd

excerpt:
All this non-signifying sound and fury kept voter -- and media -- attention away from the real impetus behind the recall. As always, it comes down to big money. The same weekend that sex charges and circus blood flooded the news, muckraker extraordinaire Greg Palast produced the smoking gun: reams of corporate memos that confirmed Schwarzenegger's involvement with Bush-backing Enron chief Ken Lay and convicted stock swindler Mike Milken in a scheme to thwart the California government's attempt to win back $9 billion in illegal profits looted by Lay and his fellow energy barons during the state's manufactured "energy crisis" in 2000.

Taking advantage of the state's Republican-installed, loophole-ridden "deregulation" laws, Lay and the barons gamed the energy grid in 1999-2000, forcing massive blackouts and monstrous price hikes, and costing California more than $70 billion, as Jason Leopold reported in Scoop. After hard evidence of widespread tampering and manipulation came to light, the state government of Governor Gray Davis filed a $9 billion civil suit against Lay and the boys to recover some of those ill-gotten gains.

It was then that Arnie sat down with "Kenny Boy" (the cutesy nickname George W. Bush gave to his biggest contributor) and conman Mike in L.A.'s swank Peninsula Hotel to launch their plunder protection plan. Kenny Boy would work on the Washington energy regulators -- whose chief had been appointed by Bush on Lay's personal recommendation -- to reduce any federal penalties to peanuts. The moguls would then use Arnold's boundless ambition for power (his admiration for dictators was as well-documented as his girl-groping) to take over the state government and put the kibosh on the private lawsuit.

Here's the crux: The main charge against Davis in the recall was that his inept leadership had led to an $8 billion budget deficit. (Actually, Arnie -- and the national media -- continually repeated the falsehood that the state had a $38 billion deficit. But who cares? Hey, did you hear about that tiger?) Yet a Schwarzenegger win meant throwing away $9 billion -- leaving it in the pockets of Kenny Boy and his fellow Bush bagmen.

http://www.tmtmetropolis.ru/stories/2003/10/17/120.html

[Nancy Waterman]

1. Excellent article!

I find it just heartbreaking that Californians have been royally screwed once again by the corporatocracy. That $9 Billion could have gotten rid of their deficit. This is just sickening. I wish the news would spread and there would be massive demonstrations, but everyone seems to be numb to the reality of what is happening.

[0007]

2. A very good article

Makes one wonder why mass demonstrations and roits aren't taking place.

[Atman]

4. Wal Mart Nation

Somebody call for a clean up in aisle 2004.

[Ms. Clio]

3. Another gem from Floyd

I look forward to his column every week.