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--> --> Gov. Davis is shortcircuited on energy Daily News, Los Angeles If only the entire state of California had been hit with a rolling blackout for five minutes, we could have been spared Gray Davis' uninspiring, televised whine. But alas, the power held strong, and Californians got to see their governor try to say "It's not my fault" in as many ways possible. In (Democrat) Davis' mind, the blame for the energy crisis belongs first and foremost to former Republican Gov. Pete Wilson for signing on to the state's bogus attempt at "deregulation" - never mind that Democrats in the state Legislature unanimously backed the bill. Next, Davis points a finger at the federal government for refusing to bail out the state by capping prices on wholesale electricity. Never mind that price caps in California largely created this mess in the first place. Washington is unwilling to repeat the state's mistakes, and that has Davis miffed. ... And Davis would like us all to forget that he refused to confront the energy disaster last summer, when all the warning signs - shortages and Stage 2 power alerts - were already in place. ... Faced with artificially low energy costs, consumers saw no reason to conserve, and the utilities couldn't afford to meet their demands. ... And now that Pacific Gas and Electric has filed for bankruptcy protection, the state probably has little chance of recouping the billions it spent on Davis' costly lesson in basic economics. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing