OT: California wildfires update

[Drtxhorn]

I agree but I blame it less on a green energy and initiative and more at the corruption of Cali government due to lobbying for PG&E to self-regulate. They cut corners on safety to try and make up for their bad contracts.

PG&E is a monopoly that self-regulates and will be bailed out by tax payers while screwing over smaller companies. This is why you need regulations and consumer protections in capitalism. PG&E is proof that not everything is solved/remedied by a true free market system.

You really think that PG&E is operating in a free market in CA? They're the only energy provider in the entire state. There aren't any competitors because the state won't allow a competitive energy industry to exist. If they just introduced any semblance of competition things would improve dramatically.

 

[clob94]

Yes, being extremely selective sounds like the logical way to compare things.

To be fair-- life is selective. No?

 

[FlourBluffHorn]

Why do you have to bring up trailer parks? What did they ever do to you?

Bell!

 

[FlourBluffHorn]

PG&E

Sounds like the name of a Grocery Store..LOL

 

[elcapitan009]

To be fair-- life is selective. No?

Is fall the season for cherry picking?

 

[elcapitan009]

You really think that PG&E is operating in a free market in CA? They're the only energy provider in the entire state. There aren't any competitors because the state won't allow a competitive energy industry to exist. If they just introduced any semblance of competition things would improve dramatically.

Yes and no. The goal of any company in a free market system is to grow and push out smaller competition (i.e. set up a monopoly).

PG&E got so big that they essentially lobbied/bought/bribed their way into the monopoly position. Now they want to abandon bad contracts that they signed and still keep their monopoly position. They may get punished by the voters but even then, the damage is done.

PG&E is the acting bad party. But what led us here is government failure by allowing PG&E to have self-regulation and overreach. Cause and effect of corrupted capitalism.