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.