Melanie Morgan
August 30, 2001

If anybody else in fly-over country woke up tomorrow morning to read that their  Governor had squandered 60 billion dollars in 9 months, what do you suppose the reaction might be? Mild disinterest wouldn't be my first guess. But that is exactly what has happened in California. 

A recent Los Angeles Times poll shows that the energy crisis, er, challenge hasn't exactly sparked the peasants with pitchforks to descend upon the state capitol demanding an accounting of taxpayer dollars. 

Indeed, the Times reports California voters still favor Gray Davis over three potential Republican rivals.

“While four in 10 California voters said the governor's handling of the energy crunch makes them less inclined to support his re-election, a like number say Davis’ performance made no difference in how they would vote.”

Hmm. It strikes me that this says less about Gray Davis and more about California Republicans’ inability to take advantage of a disaster that will impoverish Golden State taxpayers for generations with bonds measures that continue until the day we actually discover Warp drive.

But what else should we expect when government is run by one party –Democrats? Big government Democrats. Liberal Democrats who want take energy out of the private sector and beam it straight up to Sacramento. The state Assembly, the Senate, and the Governor's office, all peopled by the majority party of California---DEMOCRATS.

Is there a disconnect? You bet. 

The latest outrage is that Gray Davis is drawing from his own inner circle to stack a public Power Authority that takes control this week of California's energy future. In other words, if you like paying triple for your energy bill, just wait until Davis’ appointments take control. If you think hanging in a blacked-out elevator on a sweltering day is cool, wait around for a lot more of the same.

These are political types who have made a career of turning private energy companies in state-run commissariats. S. David Freeman is the new chairman of the authority's board. He's a longtime advocate of public power and energy conservation and the former head of the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The LADWP was named in a report by the San Francisco Chronicle as the single biggest gouger of state taxpayers—not those evil energy guys in Texas (read: GEORGE BUSH and his oil crony pals.)

Let us not forget that Gray Davis hired the Clinton spinners, Mark Fabiani and Chris Lehane (famous for their lies about Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky) to help lie his way out of the crisis.  Seven of Davis’ energy traders were fired for conflict-of-interest, but not until Republican challenger Bill Jones blew the whistle. Every day, another headline about another high-ranking government official in the Davis administration cheating the rules, and making themselves richer.

So while Jones is taking small powerful steps in asserting himself, California Republicans remain in disarray. But it's not too late for someone, anyone in the party leadership to figure out that 60 billion dollars (and counting) worth of public indebtedness is directly due to the Democratic Liberal majority in this state…and that one fact just might give some ammunition to the 35 million Californians who actually deserve better government.

Melanie Morgan is a talk-show host with conservative radio station KSFO in San Francisco, California

 
 
 
 

Back to Today's News

Calnews.com News/Politics/and More