Leadership in Power Crisis

* Michael J. Aguirre’s “Use Eminent Domain as a Power Tool” (Commentary, April 9), on the lack of leadership shown in the current power crisis by Gov. Gray Davis and the Legislature, reflects the feelings of the silent majority in California. We need to have our government literally take back the power supplies for Californians.

Why do we call these modern robber barons (PG&E; and Edison) public utilities, when in reality they are private money-grabbing companies? The concept of a public utility and the associated tax breaks that go with it was designed to protect the public good.

We need a governor and Legislature like Teddy Roosevelt, who become irate, stand up and slug it out with the robber utilities. It is time for the government to use the power of eminent domain. If our politicians lack the guts, we need to exercise our right of political recalls to protect the public interest and guarantee the new political slogan “power for the people.”

ROBERT BEALL

Long Beach

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I wonder where these “intermediary” companies that are charging PG&E;, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric such outrageous prices are in the governor’s negotiations. Someone obviously has made a tidy profit from the deregulation in 1996. Who is protecting them? Surely we all have our hindsight opinions and see the pitfalls of the decisions that were made in the past decade. Population growth, no new power plants, deregulation . . . hmm.

I am confident that there are enough politicians and clever business school geniuses who can get us back on track. But let’s look at the whole picture and involve all parties in planning. Before our state government is in the throes of “electrical bankruptcy,” I would invite the 1996 legislators and the intermediary power brokers (yes, that pun is intentional). There’s enough room at the governor’s table.

MARY CRICHTON LEAVER

Orange

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Re Paul Conrad’s depiction of the power problem, “How many companies does it take to unscrew a light bulb?” (Commentary, April 9): When will he ever get the facts straight? It is not the utilities that are at fault, but the uncontrolled power providers that caused PG&E;, Edison and SDG&E; to be on the verge of bankruptcy.

RON BRANT

Los Angeles

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If Gov. Davis wants to create a significant reduction in California’s energy consumption, he should implement a 35-hour workweek for all state government employees and urge all California employers to do the same. If every office building in the state powered up at 8 a.m. or 8:30 a.m. instead of 7:30 a.m., the savings would be tremendous. American workers put in the longest working hours in the industrialized world.

JOSEPH FUCHS

Altadena