BAILOUT WATCH: Keeping an eye on the energy industry and the politicians

Hear No Evil: Never certain which way the wind will blow, Governor Davis hopes polls will tell him that everything is okay. So he has reportedly conducted focus groups to determine "how much of a rate increase voters would tolerate and still vote to re-elect him next year," according to Dow Jones Newswires. Apparently Governor Davis is so out of touch with California consumers that he needs pollsters behind two way mirrors to figure out that paying off the energy cartel with our paychecks won’t help his chances in 2002. Listen up, Gov. The public won’t stand for unwarranted rate hikes no matter what your Edison and Wall St. advisors tell you.

See No Evil: In his State of the State address Governor Davis said: "If I have to use the power of eminent domain to prevent generators from driving consumers into the dark and utilities into bankruptcy, then that’s what I’ll do." Open your eyes, Gov. They’re driving consumers into the dark and utilities and the state into bankruptcy.

Speak No Evil: On the prospect of rate hikes, Governor Davis has repeated this mantra: "It is my hope and expectation that we will not have to ask any more of consumers beyond the existing rate structure." Unfortunately, he repeats these reassuring words without any regard for the real effect of his policy. Tell us the truth, Gov. Everybody but you acknowledges that, if we follow your strategy of energy industry appeasement, California consumers and businesses will be locked into a spiral of rate increases for years to come.

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Judgment Day
582 Days Until November 5, 2002