High-Stakes Poker: Seize Energy Plants

Regarding Peter H. King’s excellent description of California’s energy crisis (“See How You Like This Action, Mr. President,” May 31): We were gouged when the Texas generators doubled the cost per watt. At the current rate, it’s not gouging. It is obscene highway robbery.

With George W.’s latest statement, our benevolent president has tacitly endorsed the Texas generators’ action to continue with their rip-off tactics while the White House sits by, grinning with satisfaction.

This is high-stakes poker. As King suggests, it’s time for Gov. Gray Davis to call Bush’s hand. I believe constituents would agree to energy plant seizures, now, before California gives more billions to the unconscionable Texas operators.

Calvin Freedman

Tarzana

How can Davis aspire to the U.S. presidency when he lacks the guts to order the takeover of state power plants?

Adela Pollack

Apple Valley

In response to the May 31 letter that states, “There is nothing stopping [Davis] from enacting meaningful solutions to the energy crisis,” may I ask: What are the meaningful solutions? It’s easy to criticize but much harder to offer solutions.

Herb Koenig

Palm Springs

George Skelton declares that when Bush went to California to meet with Davis, he was holding a “summit” and by that action is politically “weak, desperate or inept,” simply because presidents do not hold summits with governors ( May 31). By that definition, any president who visits any state to talk with the governor about the utmost critical problems for that state is weak, desperate or inept.

I can turn things around and say that by going to California, instead of inviting Davis to Washington so he could look more presidential, Bush was showing the utmost concern for the welfare of Californians--although I don’t think that is necessarily true. I have little appreciation for Bush and none for Davis, but it is ridiculous to label a visit by a president to any state as a summit and then consider him a politically inept president.

Celestin Tang

Fountain Valley

Sadly, Skelton got the meaning of the “summit” wrong. Bush is so drunk with the power of the Oval Office that he could not resist his base impulse to run across the country and flex his newly acquired musculature. This ostentatious display was not meant to win over the voters of our state or empower our governor. It is yet another example of the small-minded, petty payback attitude that is becoming the hallmark of this administration.

Diana Jacobs

Los Angeles