Democratic Underground - Bush to make Enron victims pay for his tax cuts for the rich

Just a few years ago, President George W. Bush’s cronies at Enron stole billions of dollars from average Americans by gaming the energy markets. In Washington State, for instance, the company raked in almost $2 billion through illegal profiteering. Enron traders were caught on tape laughing about being “in the mood to screw with people” and “want to see what pain and heartache this is going to cause.”

But apparently for the Bush administration, consumers didn’t get fleeced enough. In his 2006 budget, the president is pushing to raise electricity rates in many of the same regions that were bilked by his friends at Enron. Specifically, Bush is pushing to make the Bonneville Power Administration (a network of publicly-owned dams and power plants) raise its electricity rates in order to help cover his tax-cut-induced deficits. It is a classic example of how Bush wants to rob average Americans (aka. electricity ratepayers) to finance his plans to pay off the rich.

http://www-nocache.thinkprogress.org/index.php

Smith opposed to Bush's BPA budget provisions

February 7 - WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR) responded to provisions in President Bush FY 2006 budget which would gradually force Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) ratepayers to pay market-based rates rather than the cost-based prices currently in use.

“If this plan is implemented, it would cost the Northwest hundreds of millions and possibly billions of dollars,” Smith said. “BPA’s customers are still recovering from the West Coast energy crisis and a sluggish economy. They’ve already been hit with rate hikes and they can’t afford any more. I am going to exhaust every right and privilege I have, as a Senator, to kill this proposal.”

http://www.bend.com/news/ar_view%5E3Far_id%5E3D21059.htm

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