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yurbud Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Mar-11-05 08:39 PM
Original message
letter to LA Times on Arnold's Enron ties blackout
Here's my letter


John S. Carroll, Editor

David Lauter
Deputy Editor/Daily

Michael Kinsley
Editorial and Opinion Editor

Los Angeles Times
202 W. 1st St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Dear Mr. Carroll,

I’m curious why you haven’t covered the story of Arnold’s connection to the energy blackmailers who created the deficit that was used to flog Gray Davis and demand a recall, which Arnold won, only to dismiss a lawsuit the state had filed against the energy companies to recover overcharges.

Not only have you not covered this, when I wrote a letter to the editor about it, you printed the letter Jan. 11, 2004, but deleted a reference to Arnold’s ties to these corporate criminals, which is bold-faced in red:

Every time Schwarzenegger talks about our budget crisis and overspending, a reporter should ask him if is going to try to get back the billions Enron overcharged us for electricity during the manufactured energy crisis since he met with Ken Lay as soon as a suit was filed to get our money back and the recall effort began soon after. Arnold has said he will settle the suit for pennies on the dollar. If former Enron Chairman Ken Lay isn't a special interest, who is? The rest of us, who have to make our money by going to work every day, instead of scamming people with the Bush administration's collusion?


Now this story that you have ignored has made Project Censored’s 2005 list with this lead paragraph:


Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “solutions to California’s energy woes” reflect those of former Enron chief Ken Lay. On May 17, 2001, in the midst of California’s energy crisis, which was largely caused by Enron’s scandalous energy market manipulation, Schwarzenegger met with Lay to discuss “fixing” California’s energy crisis. Plans to “get deregulation right this time” called for more rate increases, an end to state and federal investigations, and less regulation. While California Governor Gray Davis and Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante were taking direct action to re-regulate Califonia’s energy and get back the $9 billion that was vacuumed out of California by Enron and other energy companies, Schwarzenegger was being groomed to overthrow Davis in the recall. Thus canceling plans to re-regulate and recoup the $9 billion.


You can see the rest at http://www.projectcensored.org/publications/2005/13.html and I have included a copy.

This is information voters in California desperately need before they re-elect Arnold or even trust him with any of his proposed initiatives.

Could you please fill out the enclosed card and tell me why you aren’t covering it?

The Card:

Please check one of the boxes to explain why you haven’t covered Arnold’s connection to, and favors for, the energy companies that blackmailed billions from California:

  • We think there's not enough evidence even though we ran the story on Arnold meeting Ken Lay.

  • Cowardice. We fear retribution from Arnold's big business masters.

  • Complicity. We are owned by Arnold's big business masters.

  • We are as star struck as Wisconsin tourists in Beverly HIlls

  • There is no sex involved.

  • Fox News hasn't told them it's important yet.

  • laziness. We didn't read the Greg Palast and Katherine Yurica articles people sent us, and would require actual investigation instead of reprinting press releases.
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PROGRESSIVE1 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Mar-11-05 08:40 PM
Response to Original message
1. KICK
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blm Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Mar-11-05 08:45 PM
Response to Original message
2. You should cc Editor and Publisher and Columbia Journalism Review.
Edited on Fri Mar-11-05 08:46 PM by blm
And even to Romanesko.

In fact, you should RESEND your letter WITH those ccs in BOLD PRINT.

That would REALLY put them on notice.

I'm recommending this for greatest page.
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yurbud Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Mar-11-05 09:22 PM
Response to Reply #2
10. Who is Romanesko?
I hadn't thought of the others. I'll do that.
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blm Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Mar-12-05 02:53 PM
Response to Reply #10
12. Romanesko is linked at Buzzflash.
hit the mediagossip link
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yurbud Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Mar-12-05 08:51 PM
Response to Reply #12
15. will do
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Babel_17 Donating Member (948 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Mar-11-05 08:45 PM
Response to Original message
3. Good for you
That whole situation in California is nausea inducing.

But it's ultimately up to the people of California to demand redress for those outrages. Their representatives in congress should be protesting for them.

Grrrrrrrrr
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WyLoochka Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Mar-11-05 08:53 PM
Response to Reply #3
6. The point of the OP is that
most of the people in CA don't even KNOW because the media has blacked-out all factual reporting and wouldn't even dream of lifting a finger to investigate.
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GetTheRightVote Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Mar-11-05 08:47 PM
Response to Original message
4. I hope they get them all in the end for being the criminals they are
:kick:
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Trillo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Mar-11-05 08:48 PM
Response to Original message
5. Wow, that edit really changed the 'connect the dots' of your letter.
Edited on Fri Mar-11-05 08:50 PM by SimpleTrend
Without the deleted sentence, the tie in to Ken Lay and Enron would not be obvious to any readers, and thus you were made out as semi-literate.

In the past when I've written letters to the editor, (not the LA Times, but a small weekly paper with reported financial ties to them) its been my impression that they will never contact you personally. Either they print your words, or not. They will never email back or in any other way acknowledge you. Sometimes, it appears they send some words on to a paper in a far distant state, for re-writing and publishing.

It's one of the reasons I stopped subscribing. I wasn't a human being, a neighbor, or even a customer to them. I was just a subscriber: a paycheck.

Oh, they'd occasionally call to ask me to resubscribe.
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ailsagirl Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Mar-11-05 08:57 PM
Response to Original message
7. Great letter!! Keep us posted if you get a response!!
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yurbud Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Mar-11-05 09:23 PM
Response to Reply #7
11. I don't expect a response, just want them to know they are whores
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blm Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Mar-12-05 02:54 PM
Response to Reply #11
13. When you cc news watchdogs, you are more likely to get a response.
.
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yurbud Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Mar-12-05 08:50 PM
Response to Reply #13
14. did it
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The Backlash Cometh Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Mar-11-05 09:02 PM
Response to Original message
8. kick ass good!
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Acryliccalico Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Mar-11-05 09:10 PM
Response to Original message
9. kick ..................n/t
:kick:
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yurbud Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Mar-19-05 10:40 PM
Response to Original message
16. LA Times editor responds
I need to do some research, but I think he's wrong.






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