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Politics : Al Gore vs George Bush: the moderate's perspective -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: jlallen who wrote (9267)	1/7/2001 8:09:32 PM
From: mst2000	Respond to of 10042

The Kennebunkport Hillbilly (sung to the tune of The Beverly Hillbillies Theme Song) Come and listen to my story 'bout a boy name Bush. His IQ was zero and his head was up his tush. He drank like a fish while he drove all about. But that didn't matter 'cuz his daddy bailed him out. DUI, that is. Criminal record. Cover-up. Well, the first thing you know little Georgie goes to Yale. He can't spell his name but they never let him fail. He spends all his time hangin' out with student folk. And that's when he learns how to snort a line of coke. Blow, that is. White gold. Nose candy. The next thing you know there's a war in Vietnam. Kin folks say, "George, stay at home with Mom." Let the common people get maimed and scarred. We'll buy you a spot in the Texas Air Guard. Cushy, that is. Country clubs. Nose candy. Twenty years later George gets a little bored. He trades in the booze, says that Jesus is his Lord. He said, "Now the White House is the place I wanna be." So he called his daddy's friends and they called the GOP. Gun owners, that is. Falwell. Jesse Helms. Come November 7, the election ran late. Kin folks said "Jeb, give the boy your state!" "Don't let those colored folks get into the polls." So they put up barricades so they couldn't punch their holes. Chads, that is. Duval County. Miami-Dade. Before the votes were counted five Supremes stepped in. Told all the voters "Hey, we want George to win." "Stop counting votes!" was their solemn invocation. And that's how George finally got his coronation. Rigged, that is. Illegitimate. No moral authority. Y'all come vote now. Ya hear?

To: jlallen who wrote (9267)	1/8/2001 8:06:22 PM
From: KLP	Respond to of 10042

They still think "more" government is needed...A Stronger Jolt Is Needed KLP Note: I wonder where are all the Environmentalists now.... are they running around the windmills to make more power?? What do they have to say about this now???? latimes.com The state finally acted Thursday to alleviate California's electric power crisis, but Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric, the state's two biggest privately owned electric power distributors, found themselves in a worse situation, at least for the moment. More government action, though not necessarily a bigger rate hike, is needed. Within minutes of the Public Utilities Commission's 5-0 approval of an emergency rate hike, the stock of Edison's and PG&E's parent firms plunged on the New York Stock Exchange. The utilities' credit ratings were downgraded by two Wall Street firms to virtual junk-bond levels. The temporary rate increase--about 9% for home users--was supposed to shore up the utilities' credit so they could continue to buy power on the volatile deregulated market. But the action fell far short of the financial market's expectations and the electric power situation went from chaotic to desperate. The utilities recovered a little lost ground at the end of the day on investors' expectation that the state might act, perhaps by issuing bonds to help utilities pay providers. Talks were underway between Gov. Gray Davis and state legislators Thursday. The state and federal governments must take strong action to keep electric power flowing to 25 million Edison and PG&E customers. Officials should try again to get the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to immediately establish a reasonable cap on the wholesale price of electric power in the West. If necessary, both President Clinton and President-elect George W. Bush should try to persuade the commission, which has blindly expressed faith in the deregulated market. State and federal officials should assure the generating companies they will be paid for the power they provide to California. If necessary, the state government could use part of its budget surplus to back this promise. In return for such a guarantee, and if the federal commission does not impose a cap, the generators should lower their prices to a reasonable level. Any aid given to the firms to avert bankruptcy would have to be repaid in a manner determined later. And consumers must be protected against price shock. The immediate goal is to keep the electric power flowing and avoid tearing California's economy apart. Los Angeles, Sacramento, Riverside, Pasadena and other cities with public power systems are not affected by the rate hikes and most of the vagaries of the deregulated market. But they will not be immune from the rippling economic effects of deregulation gone awry. Gov. Davis, so far all but publicly silent, is to outline his plan to combat the power crisis Monday evening. It should come sooner. The futility of the PUC's action Thursday should impress on Davis the need for a strong, specific program that will shore up the system right now and then provide fixes for the long run.