We're having a big problem with energy out here in California due to deregulation. We've had cycles of rolling blackouts because the utilities are apparently going bankrupt, cannot pay for energy, and don't have enough power in reserve to keep the lights on for everyone. Before the Bush administration came in, the federal Energy department under Bill Richardson helped us out in several ways, one of which was to force the natural gas suppliers to sell to P.G.&E (Pacific Gas and Electric), despite its junkbond rating. Now the Bushies are pondering our problems and wondering how they can get out of assisting us. They don't want to help for several reasons:

Bush dislikes California

California did not vote for Bush, he lost by 12 percentage points. We don't like any of the Bushs here. He proved, though, that he could steal the election without winning California. He thinks he doesn't need our approval, and may be happy to pay us back by not helping us work through this energy crisis.

Energy suppliers in league with Bush

Some of the energy suppliers are based in Texas. I wonder who they supported for president, hmmmm? One supplier, Enron, was mentioned in an article in the March/April 2000 edition of Mother Jones. In the article, "Don't Cry for Bush Argentina," the writers, Louis Dubose and Carmen Coiro, chronicle the George Bushs' cordial relationship with the right wing leader of Argentina, Carlos Saul Menem.The article mentions W.'s connection to Enron, and how he tried to assist the company get a contract for a pipeline through Argentina.

In 1988, the Argentinian government was considering two bids for the pipeline. One was from an Italian firm and the other was from someone working with Dow Chemical. Suddenly, Enron entered the bidding. Although the Houston based business had no experience in Argentina, it had formed a partnership with Westfield, a small Argentine firm. Westfield's only reported asset was $20.00, a corporate filing fee. Obviously, Westfield was a front company for Enron who wanted to pay 20% of the international market price for the pipeline.

Terragno, the Argentinian Minister of Public Works was besieged by pressure from pro business newspapers, the US ambassador to Argentina, and George W. Bush.

After the right-winger follower of Juan Peron, Carlos Saul Menem, was elected president of Argentina, US ambassador, Terence Todman wrote a sinister letter to Menem's minister of the economy, implying that eight US companies would abandon their investment plans unless Argentina stopped favoring their own corporations. The first US company on the list was Enron. Menem agreed to Enron's terms, removing tariffs and value added taxes. Although Enron eventually quit the pipeline project, a subsidiary owns almost a third of the pipeline.

While one of Enron's board members is former Bush the elder's national security advisor, Brent Scowcroft, it's CEO, Kenneth Lay, contributed $100,000 to Bush's two gubernatorial campaigns. In the first three months of campaign 2000, a PAC connected to Enron gave the Bush presidential campaign over $89,000.

Now, do you think the Bushies are going to want to pressure Enron and other energy suppliers to sell their product to the State of California for a reasonable price, so consumers won't have to bail out the utilities by paying exorbitant prices for its gas and electricity?

As a postscript, you'll be happy to learn that in November of 1999, Bush, the elder, continued his warm relationship with President Menem, ten days before the right wing leader left office. He flew to Argentina and at the house of Argentina Banker, Jose Rohm, he and Menem had dinner with the VP of Chase Manhattan, the director of the Credit Suisse First Boston, the president elect of Argentina, and the former president of Uruguay. Bush was apparently interested in learning how the new government under the new president would treat CEI, an Argentine media company whose former chief had fled the country under investigation for fraud. One of CEI's investors is Tom Hicks, one of the founders of Dubya's campaign for president. Vice is nice, but incest is best.

News Alert

Apparently, as I've been writing this, the Bush Department of Energy did agree to extend the deadline until February 6 for forcing the Natural Gas suppliers to sell to the California utilities. February 3, Mercury goes retrograde, which means even more mix-ups may be in the works. The Bushies must have realized that the California economy is too important to the nation to allow it to go under. Then again, Bush does have some big business supporters in this state that probably put the pressure on.