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PG&E spending for Proposition 16 reaches $44 million

May 25, 2010

New campaign reports reveal that Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) has so far spent $44 million to pass Proposition 16 on the June 8 ballot. [Los Angeles Times]

The new amount being reported is far above the $30-$35 million the giant utility was expected to spend.

Proposition 16 was placed on the ballot by PG&E officials to try and make it more difficult for local governments, like Marin County, to form municipal utilities.

PG&E had $1.22 billion in profits during 2009.

In contrast, opponents of Proposition 16, have raised about $36,000, according to state campaign disclosure documents.


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I would like to remind everyone that you are not making a choice about anything except democracy.


PG&E is asking you to require a 75% majority vote “IF” the local government decides to compete.


That is nothing but BS. NO ON 16.


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So I get to choose between a mega private utility having a monopoly and the government taking over and running utilities. Talk about having to choose between two evils!


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Just got the mail. Ah, more insidious mischief. The “Voter information guide for Democrats” arrived and is a well crafted tool of deceit. Listing the favored Dems, but then says to vote YES on “Right to Vote” Prop 16.


A bit of research reveals that this bit of fecal matter is the regular work of a fellow in Los Angeles. All listings paid for, and not allied with truth.


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/11/2/232934/033


http://www.voterinformationguide.org/


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There needs to be serious limits on spending. Consider this, that $44 million didn’t grow on trees. It came out of mine and yours’ pockets, the rate payers.

Also, consider that PG&E is a regulated utility, reigned over by the PUC but still made more than a billion? How can PG&E take our money and spend it on something like this, designed to screw the very people who paid that money in the first place.

I want a refund.

Voters need to pass a law that prohibits all of this corruption of the system. The politicians will never do it, so the voters and taxpayers will have to see it done.

At least vote NO on this measure..


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Vote yes on Prop. 16, Ca. private utilites are the best in the country! The press always compares SMUD to PG&E but they don’t say anthing about how SMUD is subsidized by the government and the PUC or how tiny thier service area is compared to PG&E.


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No, no, no. We may or may not have the best private companies, that is no reason to give them a bigger monopoly. And being the best does not make you good. I don’t know who smud is and it doesn’t matter. The ads are misleading, PG and E is only doing this to maintain their position, they have never shown any regard for the voters before. Voting for 16 is reserved for morons who don’t know anything. Competition is the life blood of our culture, preserve it by voting no on 16.


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SMUD is Sacramento Municipal Utility District….and certainly not subsidized by the PUC. The campaign by PG&E is immorally misleading and overly provocative. The millions spent are from shareholders pockets theoretically but we all realize we, the ratepayer create their profit through rate hikes approved by “PUC”. SMUD has been historically a strong supporter of alternative energy sources. NO ON 16


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I don’t think I would go as far as to think that KSBY has nefarious reasons to profit from this. I believe they are just doing business. They are in the business to make money and if they started turning down advertiser’s, that would be pretty dumb on their part.


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No, we shouldn’t criticize KSBY (or KCOY, etc) for running the misleading Prop 16 ads.


Just as PG&E is in the business of maximizing their profitability (or are they a electricity provider?) by pursuing a lock on their monopoly with Prop 16. We really shouldn’t be upset at CEO Peter Darbee or at the corporate management of PG&E, should we. Like all corporate psychopaths, they are just doing what is in their nature.


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A test of voter gullibility, and a glimpse of politics future.


Good to see that KSBY is profiting from PGE’s expenditures running their propaganda.


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