Dubya: 'Why I oppose price caps' on Kenny-Boy's Enron gouging(5/01)

[AirAmFan]

As his friend "Ken who?" does the perp walk, why aren't we watching the video of Dubya's big energy speech at the height of the Enron-caused California enrgy crisis. The only reason the lights did not go out on the "president" is that Los Angeles generates its own municipal power.

Here's an excerpt from the transcript, at http://www.lawac.org (click "Archived transcripts by surname A-H" in the lower left corner of the page):

"Speech before the Los Angeles World Affairs Council on May 29, 2001:

"The Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States

I'm glad to be here today to talk about our economy and a prosperity agenda for America.... And our prosperity agenda makes a priority of energy security. We can get everything else right, but if our energy supply is unreliable or unaffordable, our economy cannot thrive. For too long, America has neglected energy. The neglect ends now. My administration has developed a comprehensive national energy policy--more than 100 recommendations to promote conservation, expand energy production, improve energy transmission and protect the environment....

Blame shifting is not action, it's a distraction. My administration will continue to work to help California through the difficult months ahead.

All our efforts are guided by a simple test: Will any action increase supply at fair and reasonable prices? Will it decrease demand in equitable ways? Anything that meets that test will alleviate the shortage, and we will move swiftly to adopt it. Anything that fails that test will make the shortage worse. We will not take any action that makes California's problems worse. And that's why I oppose price caps. Price caps do nothing to reduce demand, and they do nothing to increase supply....

At first blush, for those struggling to pay high energy bills, price caps may sound appealing. But their result will ultimately be more serious shortages and, therefore, even higher prices. I want to assure Californians that the federal government takes very seriously our responsibility to make sure that companies are not illegally gouging consumers. I have publicly called on federal agencies to investigate all complaints of illegal gouging, and if those complaints are justified, to take strong and appropriate action. I'm pleased that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has done just that...".

[Sirveri]

1. continue to help CA?

Yeah right. I wish he would stop 'helping' us. Apparently nobody remembers when Grey Davis went and bent his knee and said, please help us and was told F U by BushCo. Fuck this asshole, I hope <censored for potential rule violations>.

He cost me my job, took all my money for electricity, and made it so I don't get any health care. Followed it up by cutting funding for education. And now he's going to help us. Thanks George, you've done enough 'help'. Why don't you stand aside and let people who know what they're doing play the game.

[Gman]

2. Enron is still Bush's Achilles Heel

[AirAmFan]

3. But only if the media does its job and probes his weaknesses

I still can't believe the press coverage of Ken Lay's arrest. Nobody's talking about the damage his COMPANY did to the people of California. The cable shows kept showing the same Enron retiree, a guy who lost his life savings when the Enron 401K went bust. That was bad, but schools having to fire teachers to pay exorbitant power bills is bad too.