1/19    The L.A. Times has a long article on CA's energy problems:
        http://www.latimes.com/business/reports/power/lat_dereg001209.htm
        \_ wow 600% profit. It looks like energy stocks are very profitable.
           What are their stock symbols?
           \_ Er, they're gonna get their asses sued off in the next couple
              months..  I wouldn't want to be caught holding their stock.
              \_ For what?
                \_ For nothing.  They haven't broken any laws or contracts.
                   The other poster has been deluded into thinking you can
                   sue anytime you you the world sucks.
                   \_ for illegal price fixing of the CA wholesale energy
                      market.   And you can sue for anything you want --
                      doesn't mean you'll necessarily win, but well-paid
                      lawyers can win even untenable cases.
                      \_ There wasn't any price fixing anyone can prove.  If
                         they couldn't do anything about gasoline fixing,
                         they sure as hell can't do anything about power
                         fixing.  The gas price fix should have been a lot
                         easier to prove but a lot of places are still charging
                         almost $2/gallon despite the fact that crude oil has
                         dropped in price to the same levels when gas was going
                         for just over $1/gallon.  And no, high priced lawyers
                         can't do shit when the other side has just as many
                         high priced lawyers.  You took away the wrong lesson
                         from the OJ murder trial.
                         \_ They can do something about it, they just won't.
                            It is all a matter of political will. The
                            legislature and Congress can do just about
                            anything they want, but they won't since our
                            elected officials are all in the big energy
                            companies pockets.
                            \_ And you would have them do what?  Deny the laws
                               of supply and demand?  Econ 1.
                               \_ The power companies are intentionally
                                  keeping power off-line to drive up
                                  prices and make windfall profits. 25%
                                  of our power plants are offline for
                                  maintanence? I don't think so. I would
                                  have the government nationalize the
                                  whole system and run it right. Municipal
                                  utility districts like the one in LA are
                                  not having any problem right now.
                                  \_ Yes and can you _prove_ your
                                     alt.conspiracy?  Exactly.
                                     \_ Why is proof required? Deregulation
                                        was tried and it failed. Let's go back
                                        to what works.
                                        \_ Ok, I can agree with that but I'm
                                           not ready to wave the conspiracy
                                           stick.