Can somebody explain to me how Gray Davis is repsonible for energy fiasco?

[PlanetBev]

I keep hearing that he bought energy we didn't need, gamed the system, etc. This whole thing is so muddled and confusing. Isn't Enron and Reliant responsible for this? What great crime did he commit, other than being a Democrat? I'm so angry and disgusted by this whole thing, I don't know if I can drag myself to the polls again. I was in the 39% that voted in the November 2002 election and I wonder how many of those idiots that signed those recall petitions at Target even bothered to vote in November.

[commander bunnypants]

1. I dont think he is.

Conspiracy theory at work.

DEMMAN

[Brian Sweat]

2. What a stupid question

He's a Democrat. Everything is his fault.



P.S. I don't really think your question was stupid. I was being sarcastic.

[SuffragetteSal]

3. He's not.

Pete Wilson, the Governor before Davis de-regulated the energy in Cali. Then Bush and Enron came along and tag teamed Cali.

Also, Ahnold(The Terminator) Was the money and handler of Pete Wilson for both of Wilsons campaigns. SO I would think that Ahnold had something to do with it as well.

[CWebster]

6. Wow

you could get mileage out of that alone if you set up the argument about just what happened.

[truth2power]

23. I didn't know that...

about Arnold being the money behind Pete Wilson. Got a link or more info on that? Thanks, Sal. :-)

[DBoon]

4. Destabilization campaign

Davis is the target of a well organized destabilization campaign. Same as was used against Gough Whitlam, Australian Labour Prime Minister, who crossed the US over nuclear weapons.

The thuggish tactics the US govt has used abroad to maint its power are coming home.

[LoneStarLiberal]

5. As Governor...

Davis waffled on what to do about the power crisis. No, deregulation was not his idea; it began before he took office. But the impact of a poorly-handled deregulation, Pacific Gas & Electric's bankruptcy, and the power marketers' predatory pricing (Duke and Enron to be exact) all occured while he was Governor and he was not exactly decisive in his attempts to deal with it. In particular PG&E pinned their bankruptcy on Davis' failure to move fast enough to assist them in Spring 2001.

<http://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/07/business/07ENER.html?ex=1060488000&en=6fb8e18c4559d516&ei=5070>

I think PG&E chose bankruptcy, but regardless of whether they were driven into bankruptcy or their executives chose it, Californians were still stuck with the effects of it while Davis was Governor.

If you really want to know who to blame for this, I would personally recommend FERC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Committee. These guys are the ones who first allowed the hairbrained deregulation scheme and then tried to fix the mess it caused by introducing price caps for electricity. This is how to not implement free market reforms!

[Zero Gravitas]

7. Ken Lay, George W. Bush & FERC

And didn't George W. Bush basicaly allow his close personal friend, Ken Lay, to pick who he wanted to sit on FERC? OF course lax oversight was important to Enron given their crooked schemes. Given that "Whitewater" warrented a $70,000,000 investigation, shouldn't this debacle get similar scrutiny from the media and from Congress?

[LoneStarLiberal]

8. National Security...

That would probably violate national security or the Vice President's privacy or some other such fecal-smelling excuse.

Move along, nothing to see here.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

9. EG: Davis became responsible for something govs aren't usually

called to task for. He was a victim of GOP efforts to "free-market" everything.

Of course, the big problem is that he is not a friend of the Bush/Cheney energy cartel, or they would have taken care of him. And I am quite serious about that. He was set up.

[ferg]

10. exactly

California was set up. Bush punished California for voting for Gore and for electing Davis.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

13. DO not doubt the power of the Bush/Cheney energy cartel

they had the means, the motive, and the opp.

[Classical_Liberal]

17. Davis had the means and motive and opp to give them the finger

and didn't do it, because he gets campaign cash from Enron and the other deregulation mostrosities, who are still fucking Cali a new butthole.

[Classical_Liberal]

16. Davis could have easily defended California too

but he wasn't actually opposed to deregulation, and because of tha he bailed the buggers out, and contributed to he debt crisis.

[Classical_Liberal]

15. He could have reversed Republican attempts to freemarket everything

He would be a great hero now in California even if he wasn't successful at the attempt, which is doubtful, since this was a resentment issue that could have been easily exploited by Davis. He could have put he fear of god in the legistatures that opposed it, and if not, he could have put it up for referendum again. He would not be facing a recall.

[Nederland]

26. Not Free Market

California did not and never has had a free market for electricity. Anybody who thinks they did is ignorant.

[Classical_Liberal]

27. Take it up with NewYawkerfromMass

I don't think there is any such a thing as a free market in a natural monopoly anyway.

[Nederland]

29. Not a natural monopoly

The production of electricity is not a natural monopoly. The transmission of electricity is a natural monopoly, and continued to be a monopoly in fact even after "deregulation".

[Nederland]

25. Unfortunately

you can't blame the GOP for California's deregulation debacle. The "deregulation" law was passed in 1996 by a Democratically controlled state legislature. In fact, to even call the legislation "deregulation" is a joke. Numerous free-market advocates like The Economist magazine pointed out the flaws in the California system of "deregulation" and predicted its demise long before the actual event. The fact that nobody in California, Republican or Democrat, did anything about the problem despite being warned is proof that the power crisis was the fault of politicians, not any particular party.

[ronnykmarshall]

11. Because!

The media, the AM talk shows and the Republicans (aka "god") say so!!!

Who are you to question?????

[Classical_Liberal]

12. No, he bought energy he didn't have to buy. Reregulation was a option

Davis didn't persue. He is responsible because he could have stopped it.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

14. Bullshit. They told him it was needed

he got duped.

[Classical_Liberal]

19. He is still buying from them and getting duped!

He is buying energy from known dishonest people and won't do anything to change the condition by reregulating. You know what the say "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me!"

[wryter2000]

18. Beg to differ

With all due respect, Classic Liberal, that's not how I remember it. There had been power outages and more were threatened. Because our credit rating was taking such a beating, Davis had to beg power companies to sell us any power at all, even at highway robbery prices. I don't know how anyone could have done anything any better than he did.

I have serious problems with him on other issues, but this one isn't his fault, imho.

[Classical_Liberal]

21. You see he preferred investers, and thought deregulation was a good thing

, because that is what investers think. Other states don't and have regulated industries, and they survived it. New Zealand reregulated their untilities and are much happier for doing it. If you won't reverse the screwings, don't complain about it. Davis isn't opposed to deregulation because he won't change it. The Debt that this provoked will hurt Davis worse, except with his cash cows.

[Trajan]

28. When Davis signed those contracts ....

The spot market was unstable and gyrating WILDLY out of control ...

By signing those long term contracts: ... Davis received a LOWER price than the spot market, but it was a HIGHER price than the previous long term prices ....

By signing the long term deals: ... Davis STOPPED the gaming activity, but at the price of committing the state to a higher price, which became an obvious mistake as the spot market price dipped BELOW the contract price ....

Davis tamed the wild beast, there is no doubt about that: .. and he took the wind out of the gamers sails ......

Nevertheless: ... he COULD have instead re-regulated the industry, or even asserted Eminent Domain rights, and had the state take over the offices and facilities of the energy concerns for the good of the people of the state of California ....

Davis's action were not ideal: .. he could have done better: .. but he was NOT responsible for the 'crisis', which was manufactured by the friends of the GOP in Texas: .... THEY defrauded the citizens of the Weat, THEY committed criminal acts through that fraud ... Their auxiliaries in government, including FERC, Congress and the Administration, helped make the fraud possible, and in fact aided the crime .....

Davis is guilty of a poor reaction ... but he was NOT the cause of that phony crisis and its gouging fraud ...

The GOP is responsible for committing these CRIMES in California .... NOT Davis ...

[Rose Siding]

20. He's more responsible for exposing it

At least two suits have been won against crooked energy corps. No repub would have pursued it way Davis did. And no repub will continue the legal battle brought by Bush against CA's ground breaking emmissions standards.

[Classical_Liberal]

22. I doubt any republican will end up with the governership either

so this is a really a fuckup on their part. We'll end up with a democrat or a progressive with spine, at worst will end up with Arnold who is a Ventura type. Bank on it.

[leftofthedial]

24. because Ken Lay is not guilty of anything

so stop saying that