Oct. 8, 2009
So I tried and failed to get an audience with the great Peter Darbee, CEO of PG&E Corp.
He was in town to visit employees today and I emailed the local flak, Denny Boyles, yesterday about bending his ear for a few minutes but was ignored. Boyles, called (in a roundabout way) today and told me that NO I would not be granted a visitation.
Boyles further told me that Darbee's visit to Bako was scheduled long before State Sen. Dean Florez convened a hearing on why residents' bills were tripling and even quadrupling over last year's bills.
I asked if I could ever get an interview w/Darbee and was essentially told NO. Boyles relented that he would put in a request but that Darbee rarely talks to "local media."
I was curious what PG&E's response to Florez's letter (demanding a laundry list of answers and changes in customer relations) was, but Boyles said they certainly wouldn't have a response today because the Senator "raises a lot of issues that will take time to answer. Some we have to decide what we can or can't or will or won't do."
Either way, Darbee would NOT be the one to be in touch, he said.
Funny, then I spoke with Florez who said he had just gotten off the phone w/Darbee who promised Florez he WOULD call me.
That was about an hour ago. No call yet and I'm starting to feel like the gal all gussied up in her prom dress waiting on the couch!
I'm shocked, I tell you, SHOCKED, that between the two of us Florez and I couldn't get a straight answer out of PG&E!
Swerving to a semi-different topic:
Boyles said my most recent column on this issue (Wednesday) caused a lot of concern among PG&E employees.
He said they felt I was inciting violence against utility employees and that it was racist.
The racism charge stems from the fact that during Florez's hearing, one man hollered out "Hang 'em all!" when two California Public Utilities Commission representatives were answering questions. During a similar 1979 hearing with angry residents, someone yelled "Lynch 'em!" according to reports.
I felt that reflected the level of anger and distrust that doesn't seem to have abated over the years.
I understand there is some cultural sensitivity over the word "lynch" but I don't believe it was meant in a racist manner at either hearing (more in line with what happened to cattle thieves, I think) and I certainly didn't portray it in a racist manner.
As for my column inciting or encouraging violence against anyone, that's flatly absurd.
The message of the column was for residents of Bakersfield to come together and work to get answers about why utility rates are so high here and effect some kind of positive change for the community.
Both charges, I believe, were meant to obfuscate the larger issue.
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