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Last Revised: April 1995

Now, most people understand that the few workers left after the downsizing and centralizing of this greedy corporation did their best under impossible conditions during this latest natural disaster, but the corporate goons have become way too blatant in their disregard for the public. Please read this article because there is a way we can fight back!

In January my neighborhood was down for six days and nights. In this latest storm it was only four days and I am not upset about that per se. In fact I think it can be quite cozy with candles although being alone in the dark with the sound of trees crashing around you gets old pretty fast.

My point is that had P.G.& E. not laid off 3000 workers in order to maximize profits for its stockholders and fat cat C.E.O.s there would have been an adequate workforce available to fix all the outages in a reasonable time. And if P.G.&E. had not cut off local phone access through its 800 number that can pop up anywhere it seems (except Sonoma county) we could have talked to dispatchers who actually know where places like Camp Meeker, Monte Rio and Cazadero are. I talked to P.G.&E. personal (the rare times I was able to get past the busy signal) in Stockton, Fresno and San Francisco. They were all very pleasant and ready to spew the P.G.&E. party line until I started talking unions with them and acknowledged the position that their bosses were putting them in as underpaid flak catchers. All of them warmed quickly and made it clear that they are not happy about the layoffs and the threat of more downsizing.

So when suddenly my little battery operated radio started spewing out slick P.G.&E. "public announcements" about how we should have patience and that their first priority was to get us all back on line as soon as possible and how they were working around the clock for our benefit, I realized once again what bullshit these guys are capable of. I thought about how the workers that are down in the mud and muck are just as pissed as the rest of us at this situation and how they and the voices in Stockton, Fresno, San Francisco and who knows where else (I heard reports from people who talked to Iowa and Utah on that 800 number) are the ones who catch our rightous wrath while the C.E.O's sit in their comfortable and insulated offices well above the frey--well it just made me mad, dear reader!!

So how do we exact our revenge and try to get some justice?? There is something we can do. Because P.G.&E. did such a lousy job in the January storms, there is already an investigation pending at the P.U.C. about their emergency perfomance. To add insult to injury P.G.&E. is applying for a rate increase (Have they no shame? The answer is NO) and tied to the hearings for that increase is a chance for us, the little guys, to make our input.

This means you need to take ten minutes out of your life and write a letter. Address it to: Public Utilities Commission, 505 Van Ness Ave. #5303, San Francisco, 94102 and refer to Application 94-12-005. You should also send a copy to Kim Malcolm who is the administrative law judge. You can also call Diane Feinstein at 415-703 2423 and register your feelings with her. I'm sure you all have your own opinions about this situation but if you are at a loss for words you might ask them to re-evaluate their 3000 worker layoffs and their centralizing of their phone system. Also there are many questions unanswered about the state and maintenance of their equipment.

And finally if you can make the big sacrifice and actually attend one of the hearings on their proposed rate increase, the closest one will be in May in San Francisco. Hey folks, if we aren't willing to take the time to fight back against these guys then maybe we deserve to be kept in the dark!!

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