PG&E, the giant gas and electric utility in northern California, paid signature gatherers to qualify a proposition for the California ballot which will amend the constitution. The company has publically stated that it will spend up to $35 million in the campaign. PG&E is almost the sole financial support for the proposition. It seems, at the moment, very likely to win.
The proposition will require that any attempt to have electric service supplied by a public entity must be voted on by the public, and will require a Two Thirds majority to pass. Basically the proposition outlaws future public power (or community controlled power) in California. The CEO of the utility was taped on a call with Wall Street analysts expaining that the purpose of spending shareholder $35 million is to preclude competition. PG&E's public stance is that the intent is to protect voters' rights. PG&E's TV ads running in California add a Tea Party flavor to the discussion. They stress that "Government run" power supply ought to be voted on by the voters. This is corporate-owned government blatently unfolding before our eyes. Gene Coyle _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
