RED SPOT INSTITUTE SPECIAL REPORT, "DWP, This is your light....and power"
If one has some spare time and is up for a drive. Take a day and head up to the Owens Valley. As you proceed pass the "Fresh Jerky Stand" near Olancha, one gets a stark reminder of the cost incurred in the quest to build a "City of Angels".
Dust devils prance across what was the gem of the Owens Valley. In the wind, one may be able to hear the ghost horn of the "Bessie Brady" as its pulls up to the dock on the Cartago side of Owens Lake with another cargo of silver from the Cerro Gordo mines. Silver that Teamsters hauled to Los Angeles to help financed the growth of the city in the late 1880's. A lake that is no more.
Grow, Los Angeles did, and some years later, William Mulholland came to the valley as a young utility engineer, to alter the landscape forever. Thus, forever linking the DWP's legacy and Los Angeles at that, to the folklore and hearts of its people. Hearts for many, that still hold hurt and anger for generations of local families, forever effected by the actions of a young DWP.
Years later, the legacy of the nation's largest utility, was front and center yesterday as Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa named attorney and former DWP Commission President, H. David Nahai as the General Manager, pending City Council approval.
Nahai will take the reins of a bloated, inefficient, and wasteful example of government, sinking fast. First on Nahai's list of tasks, is selling a "Snake Oil" of a proposal to raise water and electric rates. This, as the Mayor and Nahai will want you believe, is to help the utility upgrade its aging infrastructure. Further, your increased rates would provide the "investment base" to pay for a "Greener and Kinder DWP". Yet, cynics will opine on who will benefit from these investments.
On the theme of cynics, especially "Valley Cynics", Los Angeles Times Davis Zahniser has a story on a DWP proposal to restructure rates based upon geographical location. This will surely spark dialog. Especially when people find that the valley will get a cut in their bills. Could this be a "Kilowatt of a Carrot" to help sell the rate hikes ?
Whatever way the DWP "glows and flows" so does the direction of the city. Yet hours to the north, winds spread the toxic dust of past deeds that still await their "day of reckoning".
Labels: dwp, H David Nahai, mayor antonio villaraigosa, Owens Valley, red spot special report
Posted by Red Spot in CD 14 @ 10/30/2007 05:48:00 AM
10 Comments:
You actually hit on one thing that really sucks about the DWP rate restructuring. As a concession to the Woodland Hills N C with support from Dennis Zine, the DWP caved into giving them favorable rates on the grounds that the A C that they claim is optional in the rest of the city, is required there because it's hotter so they need a reduced power rate. AND reduced water rate, so they can do like Dennis himself does, and treat their lawns like they're living in England or the midwest, instead of doing the sensible think and planting drought- resistant landscaping, as is encouraged in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley. Out there, they're penalized for using too much water and having inefficiently built homes and lawns. Silly them.
So the valley has bigger homes than the westside and ocean communities since land is cheaper, then they claim that because they have big wasteful homes and lawns, they must have cheaper utility rates.
Ripoff. And the Daily News, as a Valley paper, encourages this.
With the increased heat lately and poor air quality, A C is not just an unnecessary luxury on the west and eastsides either. The reason people swelter in Hollywood heat in old apartments with fans is they're too poor for their A C.
Antonio, if you want to do something useful, run a campaign publicizing this giveaway to the Valley on the backs of the poor and just as deserving on the "other" side.
So it is going to be "rates" not "race" that divides the city?
If our "40 to 70 year(s) old" infrastructure is in such need of repair how can there be a surplus of money at the DWP that is turned over to the city's general fund every year? If there is a surplus shouldn't it be used to upgrade the decrepit infrastructure? Sounds like either another phony emergency or a dereliction of duty by our city's leaders.
Swiller is a partner in Renewable Resources Group, a private company that promotes the use of alternative energy — an objective that dovetails with Villaraigosa's goal of increasing the amount of renewable energy sources in the DWP's power mix.
Swiller said he co-founded Renewable Resources in 2003, before Villaraigosa decided to run for mayor a second time. Still, he acknowledged that the city could one day be a customer for his firm, whose website declares that its "expertise is at the nexus of politics, finances + renewable resources."
"I feel comfortable that I was doing this before he was elected. I'm committed to it personally," Swiller said. "I feel deeply that these energy issues are important not only to the city but to the country."
October 29, 2007 6:58 PM
Anonymous said...
funny, nahai donated to Perry, and she's the one questioning his appt
02/13/05 H. David Nahai
(Attorney, Nahai, Land)
Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Jan Perry
Council Member - CD9
1262279 - Jan Perry Re-election Committee A - Monetary Contribution Received
(IND - Individual)
[Period: 01/23/05-02/19/05]
$500.00 [Election: 03/08/05]
02/02/03 H. David Nahai
(Attorney, Nahai Law Corp.)
Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Council Member - CD14
1250526 - Villaraigosa for Council A - Monetary Contribution Received
(IND - Individual)
[Period: 01/19/03-02/15/03]
$100.00 [Election: 03/05/03]
04/01/05 Hamid David Nahai
(Attorney, Hamid David Nahai)
Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Antonio Villaraigosa
1275257 - Villaraigosa for Mayor 2005 - GENERAL A - Monetary Contribution Received
(IND - Individual)
[Period: 01/01/05-04/02/05]
$1,000.00 [Election: 05/17/05]
2:36 I'm sure you'll be a hit at City council when you mention that in public comments tomorrow.
This is just what Greig Smith says he' going to say -- let's see how he's received. However his newer tracts already have the best power line infrastructure in the city.
Let's see how he's received?
By the Council or by the ratepayers?
I'll be there. Could be fun.
David Nahai, who has no experience with mega corporations, giant utiiltles, governement consensus buidling and dealing with union issues will be annointed, GM of DWP. it's a joke, right?? the man lives in a $2.5 million home and his kids go to private schools. Even on the GM's salary it will be tough to pay all the bills. so what will happen? Will he sell his law practice or will he keep it in a "blind trust." Will we be told that he will not make money off of his new position and that his law firm won't be getting lots and lots of city business because of his new job?? Ha, Ha. We've been through this one before. But wait, Nahai believes in Green Power!! that is all we should be concerned with. Wow, the Mayor has learned nothing about hiring general managers.
The unions won't be a problem. He's been pandering to them all along, and he doesn't see any wage issues. But how could he be appointed otherwise?
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