There is not doubt PG&E must be held accountable, but California politicians are complicit in this whole tragedy.
Bloomberg (7/10/19) reports: "PG&E Corp. was ordered by a federal judge overseeing its probation to respond to a Wall Street Journal story claiming the utility knew its power lines could cause wildfires and failed to perform upgrades. PG&E 'must provide a fresh, forthright statement owning up to the true extent' of the article, U.S. District Judge William Alsup said in Wednesday’s order...Alsup has pushed to reform what he’s called the company’s 'dismal' management of vegetation near transmission lines that led to wildfires in 2017 and 2018. He ultimately backed off an aggressive fire-prevention plan he proposed in January, conceding to the utility’s complaint that it was unrealistic. But Alsup continues to keep the company under close watch. His order also cited an ABC News report about recent political campaign contributions, and demanded that the company disclose the full amounts and recipients of the donations. The judge also returned to a target he previously backed away from: dividend payments. He’s making PG&E explain why $5 billion of dividend payments were distributed before its bankruptcy filing. For both the campaign contributions and the dividends, Alsup wants to know why the expenditures took precedence over trimming hazardous trees or managing vegetation that posed a fire threat."
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"Some Republicans have seized on the idea that a carbon tax could serve as a free market alternative to sweeping environmental regulations and reforms such as those in the Green New Deal. This is troubling: If enough Republicans are beguiled into striking a deal with Democrats who favor restrictions on the use of fossil fuels, they could become complicit in an exercise that greatly expands the power of the government while reducing America’s economic output."
-Kevin Mooney, Washington Examiner
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