Californians Doubt Power Shortage

Re “Power Shortage Not Real, Most Californians Say,” Times Poll, June 28: Your article about how Californians feel about the way our leaders are handling our power problems was very informative. I have to disagree with those who feel that Gov. Gray Davis is not doing enough or not doing the right things to solve these problems. He has been very open to hearing other options on how to handle the situation. However, the Republicans cannot come up with better options so they take shots at his plans. What makes this more hypocritical are the facts that no new power plants were built during the last 13 or so years, which were almost all under a Republican governor, and that it was the Republicans who promoted deregulation of the power industry, which has caused our total state power bill to increase by 500% or more.

Bill James

Riverside

Isn’t this poll also an indication of how poorly you have reported this crisis? As usual, you indulge in blame, casting the power companies as villains in a loaded question. Reporting the news to inform the public about what’s going on in California isn’t about the truth anymore. It’s about manipulating our opinions to perpetuate liberal power.

Brian Sloan

Hollywood

President Bush has told us that blackouts and high prices for electricity were the result of a “shortage of supply.” The same song for gasoline and natural gas. Well, after a two-week heat wave in California, we do have high prices but no blackouts. In addition, an oil industry newsletter has stated that gasoline prices are dropping due to increased inventories and excess refinery capacity. And another newsletter stated that natural gas prices were falling due to oversupply. The question: Is Bush lying to the American public or is he just clueless about anything he says?

Bill Parish

Ontario

Despite the self-congratulatory press releases from the offices of the governor and state controller, the state’s use of financing to cover the multibillion-dollar difference between its cost of electricity and the price paid by utilities is no different than the crack addict who tells his family that all is well since his drug dealer now accepts credit cards. We are financing our current use of power through the use of debt that will be a burden on future generations and reduce the funds available for education, health and other purposes. To call this a policy is a joke.

The cost of energy has increased, but so long as the direct consumers are protected by this future tax on all citizens of the state, there is little incentive to conserve.

Steve Dietrich

Lompoc