It's Just Too Risky

I may not ever again vote for or against any California state propositions. It may well be good to simply pass on those items on the ballot, and get on with the important things like determining who's next in line to nail Eyepatch, or who gets to host the California Wine and Seafood Industry Tribute.

California's proposition 16 will pass...whether I vote no or whether I don't vote at all. It will pass because of the $28,000,000 of PG&E money already thrown at it to get it to pass, and in this state, propositions with the most money always win. Almost no money has been allocated to the losing "no" side, so it will pass.

In 2006, PG&E outspent SMUD 24 to 1 to prevent the Yolo annexation. I knew that the annexation would fail when, 6 weeks before the election, I spoke with my mother about the propositions and she towed the exact same line that Stan Atkinson was paid $2,000,000 to tell her: "It's just too risky." Then and there, I knew it would fail.

Prop 16 will follow the money, and will follow these cute "Taxpayer's right to vote" slogans, making it a 2/3rds hurdle to allow entities to develop their own public power agencies. When you outspend 24:1 against a 50% requirement for Yolo, I imagine PG&E will have to only spend, say, 12:1 in the future because of the 66% requirement. It's a beautiful thing.

Truthfully, I say screw Yolo county. If they voted to keep their electric rates 30% higher than if SMUD would have been their provider, well, that's their business. That they get to absorb this $28,000,000 (and whatever else hasn't been spent yet) into higher rates, well, that's their business. "It's just too risky," they were charged to hear and think. I'm personally thankful that I live in a public power domain.