Enron and the Looting of California

While justice may be extracted from former Enron players over the California energy nightmare, the money lies elsewhere (“Make Enron Pirates Answer,” editorial, May 8). That company squandered its ill-gotten profits. But one Enron memo said that other market participants followed the big dog in gaming the power market. AES, Calpine, Duke Energy, Dynergy, El Paseo Natural Gas, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Mirant, Reliant, Sempra Energy and Williams were all players during the 2001-02 electricity and natural gas debacle. Which of these entities are culpable in the gold rush that robbed millions of Californians of billions of dollars? What other pirates helped broadside PG&E; and Southern California Edison?

Lest anyone forget, what happened during the manufactured energy shortage (in winter!) was more than just a massive robbery of an entire state. Companies went bankrupt, the state’s surplus evaporated, programs went underfunded, the economy turned left, we had rolling blackouts ... and we’re still paying for it. And people suffered. Class-action lawsuit, anyone?

Bill B. Butler

Palm Desert

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I would like to make one point here. How many remember President Bush coming to California during the height of the power crisis to confront Gov. Gray Davis and counter his call for energy caps and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission intervention--at a time when Enron, one of Bush’s largest campaign contributors, was looting the state treasury of billions?

Is it “what did he know and when did he know it” time yet?

John Crawford

Lomita