5/1     New study offers conclusive proof that blackouts were a scam:
        http://www.ftcr.org/utilities/rp/rp002193.pdf
        \_ So this seems to be saying that if you elect morons to run your
           state you get what you deserve.
           \_ Who deleted my Gray Davis troll?
              \_ 1 4373373d y0uR Tr011. I hax0r3d r00t. -Al g0r3
           \_ ^state^country
              \_ ^country^world in general
        \_ The real problem was this: the various morons in both the state
           legislature and the governor's office knew nothing about power so
           they hired some power people to tell them about power and trusted
           everything they were told without even a quick once over critical
           reading.  They voted on it sight unseen and we all got fucked.
           What else is new?  It started under Pete with a (D) legislature
           and then continued and was made worse by Grey and the (D) legis.
           Pretty much it comes down to the politicians in this state are
           just too dumb to run the state properly.  They have no clue wtf
           they're doing and it has very little if anything to do with which
           political party they belong to.
           \_ So you're advocating the government hire top professionals
              who know a lot about a subject, but aren't involved monetarily
              to come up with a workable long and short term solution that
              can be done politically, while they aren't politicially active
              themselves, and do it quickly, but do a great job. Plus the
              government should also know intrinsicly that whether the advice
              they are given is valid, rational, and the best one possible.
              Woohoo! Let's do that!
              \_ same kinda of top professionals that advised the  state to
                 spend $90 milllion on Oracle licenses the state didn't need?
              \_ That'd be nice but out here in the real world I'm advocating
                 that politicians stop fucking with things they don't
                 understand and at least read the fucking reports they spent
                 my money to have written on the topics if they insist on
                 breaking things.  That is not too much to ask.
           \_ No politican can do much if the power generators are colluding
              to pull power off the market, which they clearly were.
              \_ The politicians created the laws and incentives that allowed
                 them to.  You don't blame the fox when you put it in charge
                 of your hen house and find a bunch of dead hens the next day.
                 \_ Sure, you blame yourself but you shoot the fox anyway.