document. Page Address: http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/stories_news/glancebox_20010408.htm Published Sunday, April 8, 2001

Burton urges Davis to seize power plants POWER CRISIS By Joan Morris TIMES STAFF WRITER

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SAN FRANCISCO -- Saying the best way to handle exploiters "is to terrorize the bastards," state Sen. John Burton called on the governor Saturday to seize a few power plants and send a message that the state is tired of being "ripped off" by private power generators.

Burton, a San Francisco Democrat who serves as Senate president pro tem, said the governor has the power to act and that he should seize two or three power plants.

"I would have taken them yesterday," Burton said in a news conference Saturday at his San Francisco law offices. "It sends a message and that's the only leverage we have on them."

Burton said there is plenty of blame to go around for the state's power crisis, but he leveled a large portion of it on private power generators who, Burton said, are realizing 600 percent to 700 percent profit increases.

"They've got us by the throat and they're showing no ... mercy," Burton said. "They're making more money than God."

Burton said that under California law, the governor has the power to declare an emergency and commandeer "people, places and things." Burton said he believes Gov. Gray Davis should identify two or three of the biggest "villains" and take their power plants.

Unlike the government's power of eminent domain, in which the state pays fair market value for property, the emergency seizure law allows the state to take the property first, then determine the value.

Under state control, Burton said, energy would be priced not to make a profit, but to cover the costs of generating the power. Paying the power generators for their seized property might be expensive, Burton said, but probably would be cheaper than what the state's paying now for power.

Burton and other Democrats broached the subject with Davis on Tuesday, two days before the governor addressed the state on the power crisis and three days before PG&E filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Burton said Davis gave no indication he supported or opposed a move, but Burton said he believes Davis would have political and public support for a seizure.

The power crisis is the single largest problem to face the state in its history, Burton said, and that should provide incentive to Davis to act aggressively.

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), April 08, 2001

Answers

Right, and then the government, which is totally unqualified to run a power system could muck this up too. When the government gets involved, the governed lose. That's reality.

-- Tom Flook (tflook@earthlink.net), April 08, 2001.

The arrogance is unbelievable, is this truely the political mindset now!?

-- Phil Maley (maley@cnw.com), April 09, 2001.

Many Y2K preparationists in 1999 anticipated Martial Law as a result of Y2K's cascading effects. In January 2000, there was vigorous laughter at these predictions. But now the laughter has turned into stony silence. It's just one step away, once a power plant is seized under emergency governmental power.

Many Y2K preparationists also predicted a breakdown of the "System of Payments" (the money system) that makes allocation of resources in an advanced civilization possible. No, it hasn't broken down, but it is being stressed. The first sign of this stress was when emergency edicts were issued "Provide power, even if you're not sure you'll get paid." There could be MUCH more of this before the Y2K Bug "Flood" crests.

-- Robert Riggs (rxr.999@worldnet.att.net), April 09, 2001.