Generator Men Let Baghdad See the Light, but at a Price

[cal04]

Local Providers Work To Fill Big Gap Left By Government Grid

(snip)
There are thousands of generator men like Shelal, one on practically every block, perched near humming machines encased in security cages with steel padlocks. They are the capital's umbilical cord, bringing power to hundreds of thousands of homes and shops in a city where many neighborhoods get as little as one hour of electricity each day.

Despised yet indispensable, uneducated yet influential, Baghdad's generator men are uniquely tailored to the chaos and vicissitudes of today's Iraq. They light up the security systems. They power the computers and televisions that allow Iraqis to hear the latest news of their plight or to escape to other worlds. They run the refrigerators that keep food fresh in a place where even a trip to the market is risky.

(snip)
"When his price is increased, we hate him. . . . When the electricity is needed, we love him," he continued. "The generator men are now the most powerful people, but they are not the most hated. The government is the most hated in Baghdad."

Before the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, Baghdad mostly enjoyed round-the-clock electricity while the vast majority of the country had, on average, six hours a day. Now it's the reverse. U.S. reconstruction dollars have been focused on building power plants outside Baghdad and funneling electricity to the capital as needed.



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/18/AR2006111800790.html

[msongs]

1. kidna like the electricity guys are a gang eh? bush's legacy nt