By Brian Anderson
Valley Times

May 30, 2001

OAKLAND - As President Bush unplugged Gov. Gray Davis' plea for caps on erupting energy prices, House Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt and a handful of local Democrats called Tuesday for greater federal involvement in reining in an uncontrolled power market.

At a Tuesday hearing in Oakland, Gephardt, D-Mo., charged the Bush administration with taking a "do-nothing approach" toward solving the state's energy crisis and said ordering price caps on mountainous power costs was "the right thing to do."

"We would hope the President would move away from the single-minded devotion to drilling and take sensible, short-term action that may be different from what the power suppliers and energy producers want," Gephardt said. "This is a do-nothing approach from the administration and it's an unacceptable response from our highest elected officials."

His comments came during a meeting of business and school leaders from Pleasanton, Danville and other Bay Area cities who told the House delegation that escalating energy costs threaten to plunge the state's economy and education system into a black hole.

Money that could have been used to buy new books for school libraries or upgrade equipment and improve training at area businesses is now earmarked for sky-high fuel bills, invited speakers told Gephardt and Reps. Ellen Tauscher, D-Alamo; Barbara Lee, D-Oakland; Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco; and Lynn Woolsey, D-Petaluma, among others.

"Over the last three years, we have been forced to double our energy budget," said Pleasanton schools Superintendent Mary Frances Callan. "So, in deed, if we are not going to leave children behind, we do need to be aware that this energy crisis is eating at the very resources we need to educate our youngsters."

Callan said her district budgeted $155 per student solely to cover energy bills next year. That translates to a new part-time librarian for each school, part-time counselors for all secondary schools, 9,000 textbooks or 23,000 library books for the 13,283-student district, she said.

Gary DeAtley, president of California Sun Dry Foods in Danville, said the energy crunch could force businesses to look outside of the state for new homes where power is not a problem. While he acknowledged that moving was not the ideal solution, he said it was an option if a fix is not quickly implemented.

"I think we've all heard today that no matter what our situation, we all have a need in California, the Bay Area and nationwide for constant electricity, reliable electricity and for electricity we all can afford, DeAtley said.

Others told the House Democrats that the poor, old and disabled should not be forgotten. Often on fixed incomes, they are more quickly affected when the power goes out and energy bills rise, speakers said.

"Higher electricity and gas bills for senior citizens on meager incomes cause them to cut back on food, medications ...," said Harold Taylor, an East Bay representative from American Association of Retired Persons. "They, the power companies, are ripping us off."

Hearing organizers said the gathering allowed elected officials to listen to the people themselves about energy problems that have plagued California. But it also allowed a smattering of local politicians to don white hats with consumers in a good versus evil battle that on Tuesday seemingly exploded in all directions.

In addition to the President's denial of price caps, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco refused to issue an order requiring federal regulators to restrict wholesale energy costs. State Assembly leaders along with the city of Oakland had asked in a lawsuit filed last week that power prices be capped.

Hoping to force Bush to change his mind, or at least face the ire of consumers, Gephardt pledged Tuesday to pull the Electricity Emergency Relief Act onto the floor of the House from the Energy and Commerce Committee. The legislation calls for managing demands on power sources, among other provisions.

"Even though the President is saying what he said today, which is what he had said before today, if we get it on his desk and he hears from the people of California, Oregon, Washington and other states across the country, he will be forced to listen to the people and may have second thoughts about signing that legislation," Gephardt said. "This is a problem that everyone is starting to feel. We still can pass a price cap bill."