PG&E = Murderers

So, let me get this straight. PG&E asked the California Public Utilities Commission for the right to increase their rates to their consumers in 2007 to the tune of $5 million dollars in order to repair faulty pipelines such as the one that blew in San Bruno, and asked for the same amount in 2009, but they did not repair the pipelines, instead, giving the money it received from the rate increases as bonuses and other such extravagant things to the corporate bosses and CEO's. PG&E, after extracting $10 million from its users to repair pipelines, never repaired them??????!!!

And, they used that same money (and more, to the tune of $50 million dollars) from the consumers and the two tax hikes to SUPPORT Proposition 16.

Let's not forget the foolishness of (1) not repairing the pipelines despite two requests for rate hikes to do just that, (2) giving $50 million dollars to a campaign in California to basically give PG&E a monopoly over utility rights and (3) causing the death of at least four people and the destruction of over 40 homes. All this so that some fatcats at PG&E can screw regular people who fucking need their utilities (this is not part of an option in life, it's mandatory that you have light, heat, air, electricity, etc. in your HOME, damn it) in order to MAKE MONEY OFF OF THEM.

This is the theme over, and over, and over, and over, and over again with big business. Lies, lies, lies. Give me the money, I'll give you less services, and you all just shut the fuck up because we have the government in our pockets.

I sure hope those San Bruno victims sue the shit out of PG&E. (Call me, we do fire cases at our firm tee hee hee).

Yeah, we don't need no stinking regulations! (adjusting mi sombrero).

HT ThinkProgress.

New Money Source Found In Afghanistan - Americans On It Like Flies On Shit

The United States has discovered nearly $1 trillion in untapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan, far beyond any previously known reserves and enough to fundamentally alter the Afghan economy and perhaps the Afghan war itself, according to senior American government officials.

Not sure what that means to the U.S. just yet, but it might change Karzai's tune from just a week ago.

Two senior Afghan officials were showing President Hamid Karzai the evidence of the spectacular rocket attack on a nationwide peace conference earlier this month when Mr. Karzai told them that he believed the Taliban were not responsible.

“The president did not show any interest in the evidence — none — he treated it like a piece of dirt,” said Amrullah Saleh, then the director of the Afghan intelligence service.

Mr. Saleh declined to discuss Mr. Karzai’s reasoning in more detail. But a prominent Afghan with knowledge of the meeting, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Mr. Karzai suggested in the meeting that it might have been the Americans who carried it out.

Yeah. The Americans did it, as usual (and I am not saying that "tongue in cheek" - I really mean it, since the Americans generally are the bad guys in these areas and with these types of things).

We're all over the Middle East and pretty much on the wrong side of just about everyone except Israel.

Want to cut the deficit? Yeah, let's take away Social Security from the up and coming baby boomers, but let's not touch the trillions of dollars being handed over to war profiteers and the Arab countries that hate our guts.

Nice work, America.

The United States Of BP

I have absolutely no ability to comprehend what is wrong with our government regarding the BP oil problem. At first, when the right wing nutjobs were calling it "Obama's Katrina," I was like, ok, here goes the noise machine again.

But the total failure of Obama and his gang to do ANYTHING is just mind boggling.

A fisherman who was hospitalized after becoming ill while cleaning up oil in the Gulf of Mexico has filed a temporary restraining order in federal court against oil company BP.

[snip]

In his affidavit, Wunstell described his experience at the hospital.

"At West Jefferson, there were tents set up outside the hospital, where I was stripped of my clothing, washed with water and several showers, before I was allowed into the hospital," Wunstell said. "When I asked for my clothing, I was told that BP had confiscated all of my clothing and it would not be returned."

And doesn't this sound eerily familiar to this?“

But perhaps the greatest disappointment stands at the breached 17th Street levee. Touring this critical site yesterday with the President [Bush], I saw what I believed to be a real and significant effort to get a handle on a major cause of this catastrophe. Flying over this critical spot again this morning, less than 24 hours later, it became apparent that yesterday we witnessed a hastily prepared stage set for a Presidential photo opportunity; and the desperately needed resources we saw were this morning reduced to a single, lonely piece of equipment. The good and decent people of southeast Louisiana and the Gulf Coast — black and white, rich and poor, young and old — deserve far better from their national government.

-----

Increased national attention was on the Gulf Coast yesterday when President Obama made a visit to assess the oil spill response effort. An official in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, is reporting that BP “bused 400 cleanup workers into Grand Isle” — at a rate of $12 an hour — to be there when Obama arrived.

I could go on and on with the comparisons, but we've been hearing and seeing the incompetency of both BP's and our government's reaction to this oil problem for more than a month now.

I'll just close with this from PBS, which is a pictorial of the damage to the wildlife in the region.

It's enough to break your heart.

The Fearful John Shimkus

According to The Wonk Room:

According to a new analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists UCS), Americans can “significantly reduce carbon emissions and lower energy bills” by implementing green economy legislation. In a two-year study, UCS analyzed the economic, emissions, and energy effects of their recommendations for clean energy, clean vehicles, and global warming standards. The UCS approach of comprehensive energy, transportation, and cap policies is similar to that in the American Clean Energy Security Act, released in draft form earlier this month by Reps. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Edward Markey (D-MA). The analysis finds that by 2030, net household savings will reach $900 a year, while oil use drops 6 million barrels a day and global warming pollution is cut in half.

(see graphic here).

However, one of our illustrious congresscritters has a problem with this, and said this about cap-and-trade programs to limit carbon emissions:

I think this is the largest assault on democracy and freedom in this country that I've ever experienced. I've lived through some tough times in Congress -- impeachment, two wars, terrorist attacks. I fear this more than all of the above activities that have happened.

So Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) fears a greener planet more than 9/11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the impeachment of Bill Clinton? Well, I did need a good laugh this morning, and now I got one.

And How Did You Do With Earth Hour?

I did my part last night and turned off the lights at 8:30 p.m. to show my solidarity with Earth Hour. Too bad no one else around me did the same thing.

Read on C&L that the wingnuttia group decided to counter Earth Hour by turning on all the lights. What dipshits.