Don’t count on help from Bush friends

Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, June 22, 2004

It is now obvious that Enron, and probably other private power companies, manipulated the wholesale market for electricity during the 2000-2001 electricity shortage.

The leaders of the Snohomish County PUD are to be commended for pursuing the facts related to this fiasco. But they aren’t getting much help from the government. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) should be working to protect the interests of the public. But instead they have been dragging their feet on this issue.

Now we find out that the FERC actually tried to prevent the release of evidence to the Snohomish County PUD! The FERC is made up of four people; three appointed by President Bush. It is obvious the FERC is more interested in protecting the president’s friends in the energy business than they are in doing their job of protecting the public.

And if you suspect the oil companies may be gouging the public during the current oil shortage, don’t count on any action from the FERC or the White House while President Bush is in office!

Eric Selby

Lake Stevens