Mom's Call to Action Against PG&E

THE MOTHERS "ACTION PLAN"

On Wednesday, November 10th, a group of Moms from
Hunters View, a public housing neighborhood of Bay
View Hunters Point made the arduous journey to Folsom,
California to address the Board of Governors of
California Independent Systems Operator.

Just a few days before they had learned indirectly
through a press release from the Mayor and their
Supervisor, the decision to delay the closure of the
old Hunters Point power plant till 2007 with no
guarantee of closure even then. The Women, who were
not consulted in this so called 'Action Plan,' whose
toddlers need heavy medication for asthma and eczema
because of the cloud of particulate matter belched out
of PG&E's smoke stacks located within yards of their
homes, were angered at yet another broken promise.

They told their stories, once again, of the medical
emergencies and life threatening illnesses that
dominate their children's lives. For several women
this was the fourth time they pleaded their cause
before CAISO in Folsom.

They listened to the Board's deliberations.

What came down was the frightening tale, apparently
created by PG&E, of unacceptable risks of power
outages if the Hunters Point Power plant is dismantled
before a complicated assemblage of additional power
purchases, more fossil fuel burning equipment, new
power lines and other schemes are put securely in
place that will keep a select few of energy companies
assured of profits.

The Market Surveillance Committee gave a report
assuring everyone that the possibility of Energy
Corporations gaming the market, as was done in
2000-2001, is now blocked.

Ah ha! this supplied the motive for these ridiculous
projections. The corporations in the energy business
got caught gaming the market, so to keep the money
(schemed, not earned money) flowing into their
pockets, they decided to apply high pressure scare
tactics to a young new Mayor and an eager to please
those in power Supervisor. The intimidations did
succeed with our elected officials and their
unreasonable fears of black outs caused them to
concede (like the spineless Democratic Party) to the
demands of PG&E's with their lies about "unacceptable
risks."

Having followed, through the years, contradictory
declarations of future energy shortages, then proof to
the contrary and then proof that we will in the end
have and excess of energy, the Moms now know for sure
that if anyone will represent their unacceptable
risks i.e. their children's' worsening illnesses, it
will have to be only themselves.

It is obvious they have no representation in City
Hall.

Even the Department of Elections sided against these
most vulnerable of citizenry in the South East
neighborhoods around Bayview Hunters Point.
When all else failed in their efforts to get someone
in City Hall to help them get the right to breathable
cleaner air, they conducted a petition drive to recall
Ms Maxwell.

On the day they delivered 6000 signatures, two hundred
more that required, they were informed that an
ordinance of the City Charter says the Mayor will
appoint the new Supervisor, should their petition be
deemed sufficient.

This surprise came from the same Director Arntz who
had approved the wording we demand election of a
successor in that office copied straight from the
handbook on recall rules given to them by the
Department before the people collected one signature.
And the wording spoke the intent. The Citizens wanted
a new and more conscientious Supervisor that of course
was chosen democratically.

Was Director Arntz ignorant of this rule himself when
he approved the original wording, or was he decieving
us? Either way any other neighborhood would demand
that he be fired.

After this bomb shell, it wasnt really much of a
surprise when the Department declared the collected
signature insufficient. The manager of the signature
collectors reviewed the petitions to learn the reasons
for so many disqualifications. Then she presented a
list of disputed disqualifications to the Election
Commission. Disenfranchisement is what the community
calls the impossible standards applied to most of
signatures, including the application of rules that do
not exist as well as with holding those declared not
registered from review. It was sort of like a
literacy test you are not meant to pass. The
conclusion of Director Arntzs is still being disputed.
Even the exercising of the democratic right to recall
to have decent representation in City Government is
denied this community.

The residents of Bayview Hunters Point see that they
will have to take things into their own hands. They
are not as easily frightened as those in power at City
Hall. Their rage is growing and they are tired of
having their and the childrens health and well being
placed at the bottom of our City's priority list. They
are angry at being so long ignored!

There will be a demonstration at the front gate of the
PG&E plant on Wednesday December 8th, 2004 at 12 Noon.


The Moms urgently request that all progressives in the
City join them in their revolt against this shameful
injustice.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

NOTE: Here are some additional sad facts.

In March 2004 Mr. De Shazo, transmission manager,
announced that CAISO had no Environmental Justice
Policy and, further, he didnt see a reason to have
one. CAISO is a 501c3 non profit and receives special
tax breaks for ignoring the sicknesses caused by their
policies.

On November 2, the Environmental Protection Agency
told Marie Harrison of Green Action in effect that
they cannot deny a permit to continue operating the
Hunters Point Plant because insuring adequate power
generation in San Francisco takes precedence over
adverse health effects on the residents.

The annual compensation of PG&E CEO, Mr Smith is
$10,517,611. Weekly, thats $202,261 and daily it is
$40, 452. This includes salary, bonuses, stock awards,
payouts and "other compensation."

Kevyn Lutton