Tracy Press

When consumers are captive, it's not choice — it's a monopoly. And there's no recourse for those who disagree.

EDITOR,

The ratepayers of Pacific Gas and Electric Co. are not customers in the conventional sense. They don’t purchase gas and electricity in the same way they purchase other products and services — by selecting among various competitors.

No, the ratepayers are not customers at all. The rate payers have no choice. They take it or have no lights or power, no heat or cooling. They are trapped by a private monopoly that is called a public utility. Is it any wonder their rates are the highest in the country? 

I’ve always justified this by rationalizing that PG&E does a great job and provides some of the best service in the world. 

But don’t call it a public utility when it’s actually a huge, private corporation that manipulates so-called regulations to squeeze the highest profit margin for its owners, rather than the fairest and most expedient for the users — the ratepayers, the people, the captured consumers. 

Now these corporate dictators have arbitrarily come out with a whopping $250,000 donation to the "No on Proposition 8" campaign. This naked partisanship with public-utility profits is beyond blatant; it is outrageous and probably illegal to manipulate a major election with public utility monies.

The morality of this issue is entirely overlooked. To have a major corporation attack morality this way, with ratepayer funds, is proof of the debased arrogance toward the majority moral outlook. The company doesn’t care that the people have already voted overwhelmingly to keep marriage sacrosanct. 

The corporation will finance repugnant, moral deviance. Why? Because it can; because there is no way to boycott a utility company when you’re a dependent consumer. PG&E is defying the decent respectable majority.  

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written by MarkDavis , August 20, 2008

Majority?

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written by solar_biscuit , August 20, 2008

This is the same thing that will happen when Wal-mart is the only place left to shop! You will have to pay whatever they demand because there will be no place else to choose from! Shop mom and pop...

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written by k.l.vosburg , August 20, 2008

State run or private corporations need subservients as well as YOUR revenue.
We've all become un-willing participants since the 1950's and now have our "modeled comfort zone" created by coorporate oligarchy.
The fear is independence will somehow lead to chaos.
What no more Freon?
Next "they'll" label you a 'terrorist'.

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written by timcase , August 20, 2008

Thank you Steven for the info.
"Public" utilities just like "Public" schools have no place shoving the personal agendas of the Administrators of the "Publically" owned and "publically" paid for institutions running their administrators personal agendas down the throats of the public, especially when it is the public's money running the institutions.
You and I along with the public are paying for their personal agendas being shoved down our throats. This should be illegal but as long as the extreme left runs our State Assembly and Senate we will see no action on this.
However, if it was a coservative agenda they promoted the state assembly and senate would be enraged and financially penalize the utilities and the schools. We would hear no end to their screaming.
Thank you for making us aware of these political slimes!
Tim Michael Case

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written by k.l.vosburg , August 20, 2008

How was it then former gov. Grey Davis got decieved into the Enron scam?

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written by bla , August 21, 2008

From what I understand about this donation, unless you have stock in PG&E, this isn't your money they are spending. The money for the campaign will not come from ratepayers, but from shareholder funded political contribution accounts. I bet you wouldn't be crying if this donation was in favor of Prop. 8

Vote no on Proposition 8!!!

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written by bluedog , August 21, 2008

PG&E is not a public utility. They are a publicly traded utility that is regulated by the California Public Utilities Commision. A Public utility is one that has an elected board of directors that answers to the ratepayers in the utility's district, like Modesto Irrigation District. PG&E is owned by shareholders and is run by a Board of Directors elected by those shareholders.

Ratepayers are not paying for this donation. Shareholders are.

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written by timcase , August 21, 2008

Rate Payers pay for the political contribution accounts. Simple economic 101
Tim Michael Case

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written by shooterrob , August 23, 2008

One way to get around PG&E is to go solar. We did 3 years ago. Our system cost $13,500 (after rebate). Last year my eletricity bill was $350. We averaged $130 a month for eletricity befor the solar was installed. Don't forget, rates wil not ever go down. I figure in 10 years that $130 per month will be $250 or more.

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written by k.l.vosburg , August 23, 2008

Enron and Davis:

'2003, Claif. Gov. Gray Davis stated... 'included Bush Administration, former White House Counsel Jack Quinn'
http://wwwarchive,newsmax,com/archive/articles/2003/8/21/173923.shtml
Aug. 17th '2003.
'Memos, "uncovered" by former Enron traders.'
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0817-07.htm
Enron: The Bush Administration First Scandal/
Jan. 30,'2006... 'A former Enron exectutive who was under congressional investigation... Gray Davis met with Bush at the Century Plaza Hotel'.
http//www.vegsource.com/talk/flame/massages/5669.html
(spell check massages to messages -I forget exactly but "ohm...")