Electricity Rates and Free Market

Re “Legislature OKs San Diego Electric Relief Package,” Aug. 31: In San Diego, probably the most conservative big city in the nation, they finally got what they wanted. They got the government to stop interfering in their lives and the free market, by deregulating electric power. Now that deregulation has led to a tripling of their electric bills and rolling brownouts, guess who they want to fix the problem? Hold on to your hats for this one. They now want the government in Sacramento to fix the problem. Isn’t this an interesting world?

SANFORD THIER

Los Angeles

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By running its three older, air-polluting plants, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has the ability to keep power flowing across the region. However, for doing so, it was fined a record $14 million by the Air Quality Management District (Aug. 30). If this isn’t a classic case of Catch-22, I don’t know what is.

SCOTT D. HODES

Torrance

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After reading the Aug. 28 article about gouging by electric power suppliers, several questions come to mind. Why do we need these people? Electricity is, and should be, a public utility. It should not be the source of wealth for a few people. Why do we need to have a middleman purchase our electricity? Why does a public utility spend millions of dollars to put its name on a baseball stadium? Guess who gets to enjoy the payments these and other absurdities generate?

I wonder how many politicians are going to the public “thank-you well” for the decisions that have been made regarding this “for the public good” gesture?

It is really remarkable that this blatant ineptitude can be allowed to exist.

CLYDE HAMMETT

Bellflower

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No, Gov. Gray Davis, electricity deregulation only works when legislators act responsibly. Davis used the word “people” to describe corporations that simply got what they paid for when they bought the Legislature. It is us, the people, who now have to pay all of their previous debt and whatever rates they want to charge.

The shock is that a Democrat is feigning shock at the cost of giving away another public utility.

VICTOR KENYON BROWN

Los Feliz