Don’t Give Up on Deregulation

* Re “Davis Is Overreaching in His Bid for True Grid,” Commentary, Feb. 27: The article is correct and on target. There is much in the Davis policy that is wrong and reminds us of the Carter administration’s idiotic behavior during the ‘70s oil crisis.

The greater part of the current problem was caused by a wrongly conceived deregulation plan. We should not give up on deregulation and bringing market forces to bear; rather we should correct the errors and do it right.

Gov. Gray Davis must shed the notion that price can be controlled at the retail level. He might as well ask the Legislature to modify the laws of thermodynamics so that we can get more power from a given amount of fuel, or increase the energy content of a kilowatt hour of electric power.

SIDNEY HATCHL

Santa Ana

* Consumer activist Harvey Rosenfield might be merely getting in his own way by his vocal efforts related to the California energy crisis (Feb. 27). By threatening a ballot initiative to negate any action taken by the governor or the Legislature, he makes it that much more difficult for the critical problem to be addressed. Then, when he calls out names for Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg as “Bailout Bob” and “Giveaway Gray” for the governor, Rosenfield becomes vulnerable himself--maybe “Hapless Harvey” or better, “Blowhard Harvey.” A much better course for Rosenfield to follow would be to conceive and promote an alternative plan to solve the daunting energy problem.

CHARLES R. BARR

Upland