When a tsunami hits, first there is an earthquake. Then, the ocean recedes only to recoil with a massive surge that devastates everything in its path.
This election cycle is akin to a tsunami, and right now we are in the earthquake stage. On Wednesday – the day after the primary election – the ocean will begin to recede. And then within a matter of weeks the recoil will begin and by the time the first Tuesday in November rolls around we will be devastated by the five-month surge of hyperbole, innuendo and downright lies we have just lived through.
But thank goodness the primary initiatives will be nothing but a memory – at least I hope they will be a memory and not the law of the land. Hopefully the electorate will have been smart enough to wade through the deception that big business used to further its own selfish interests.
Although it is hard to distinguish which Proposition – 16 or 17 – is more disingenuous, I have to say that due to the sheer volume of advertisements it is 16. Pacific Gas &Electric Company is throwing everything it can at the wall and hoping that enough sticks to get those too stupid to understand reality to vote yes.
Since when does PG&E care about taxpayer rights? Like every other company it cares about profits but unlike any other company and will stoop to any depth – think back to the energy de-regulation debacle – to protect its own interests.
If PG&E cared so much about us, why does it not lower its rates to the point that entities such as the South San Joaquin Irrigation District would be discouraged from entering the residential power business? Because it doesn’t care about us, that’s why.
I get upset every time one of the insipid Proposition 16 commercials comes on that are paid for with proceeds from my utility bills. I don’t see PG&E asking for a two-thirds majority from ratepayers to air its propaganda!
Right behind PG&E is Mercury Insurance and Proposition 17 which will allow a continuous-service discount to be carried from company to company. What these corporate jackals fail to point out in their propaganda is that other rates could be raised. Just like PG&E, Mercury cares about its corporate health and sees the rest of us as a means to its selfish, greedy end.
As for Propositions 14 and 15, I feel more strongly against 14 which would make the state primaries open than 15 which would establish public funding for state elections. Although you won’t see Arnold Schwarzenegger’s name in the voter information guide for this proposition, his political action committee was behind it and the fact that he is not campaigning for it speaks volumes.
The initiative process has done some good for this state – Propostions 13 and 103 come to mind – but it is also the initiative process that gave us term limits, probably the one biggest reason for the mess we are in today. So when you vote on Tuesday, remember that big business could care less about you other than the fact that you pay its bills.
The only question is, just how much of big business’ bills do you want to pay?
Comments can be addressed to davegcampbell@aol.com.
This election cycle is akin to a tsunami, and right now we are in the earthquake stage. On Wednesday – the day after the primary election – the ocean will begin to recede. And then within a matter of weeks the recoil will begin and by the time the first Tuesday in November rolls around we will be devastated by the five-month surge of hyperbole, innuendo and downright lies we have just lived through.
But thank goodness the primary initiatives will be nothing but a memory – at least I hope they will be a memory and not the law of the land. Hopefully the electorate will have been smart enough to wade through the deception that big business used to further its own selfish interests.
Although it is hard to distinguish which Proposition – 16 or 17 – is more disingenuous, I have to say that due to the sheer volume of advertisements it is 16. Pacific Gas &Electric Company is throwing everything it can at the wall and hoping that enough sticks to get those too stupid to understand reality to vote yes.
Since when does PG&E care about taxpayer rights? Like every other company it cares about profits but unlike any other company and will stoop to any depth – think back to the energy de-regulation debacle – to protect its own interests.
If PG&E cared so much about us, why does it not lower its rates to the point that entities such as the South San Joaquin Irrigation District would be discouraged from entering the residential power business? Because it doesn’t care about us, that’s why.
I get upset every time one of the insipid Proposition 16 commercials comes on that are paid for with proceeds from my utility bills. I don’t see PG&E asking for a two-thirds majority from ratepayers to air its propaganda!
Right behind PG&E is Mercury Insurance and Proposition 17 which will allow a continuous-service discount to be carried from company to company. What these corporate jackals fail to point out in their propaganda is that other rates could be raised. Just like PG&E, Mercury cares about its corporate health and sees the rest of us as a means to its selfish, greedy end.
As for Propositions 14 and 15, I feel more strongly against 14 which would make the state primaries open than 15 which would establish public funding for state elections. Although you won’t see Arnold Schwarzenegger’s name in the voter information guide for this proposition, his political action committee was behind it and the fact that he is not campaigning for it speaks volumes.
The initiative process has done some good for this state – Propostions 13 and 103 come to mind – but it is also the initiative process that gave us term limits, probably the one biggest reason for the mess we are in today. So when you vote on Tuesday, remember that big business could care less about you other than the fact that you pay its bills.
The only question is, just how much of big business’ bills do you want to pay?
Comments can be addressed to davegcampbell@aol.com.
