End Price Controls on Electricity

* Since Gov. Gray Davis is using emotionally charged words to describe the utilities (March 21), let’s review. It may be immoral for the utilities to collect money from their customers and not pay the alternative power generators. It is also immoral for the state to: Force the utilities to sell their generating plants; force the utilities to purchase power from the new owners at spot prices (high); limit the amount the utilities can collect from their customers for that same power to a much lower price. Anyone for a planned bankruptcy? Maybe there is a rolling bankruptcy.

BILL SALE

Mission Viejo

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Regardless of who is at fault in our current electricity crisis, I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that Gov. Davis and company are wrong in trying to cap low rates for the consumer. The fact of the matter is that people will not conserve unless it costs them not to conserve. During Christmas we had three blackouts in my neighborhood. Nonetheless, when the lights came on, people had their Christmas lights blazing at 3 a.m.

Immediately following the blackouts Monday, people in my office were telling about neighbors running their air conditioning all night. It seems a pity that those who conserve will have to suffer with those who won’t, but if those bills start climbing, maybe people will turn out the lights and turn off the hot tub.

GEORGE GOODWIN

Anaheim

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Davis does not have to pull the wool over our eyes to keep us in the dark. He has already done that by not disclosing details of the negotiated electricity contracts. How long will it take him to admit that electricity rates, up by nearly 10% so far, will be at least 20% higher a year from now? The situation is very simple. It’s a seller’s market, and if you want electricity you have to pay for it.

PAUL BERNSTEIN

Beverly Hills

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My trusty laptop computer (and I) survived the rolling blackouts just fine, thanks. I was able to send/receive faxes and conduct most functions normally. I only had to postpone printing until power was restored.

DON DANIELSON

Huntington Beach