So I figured we've never really discussed the political aspects behind the blackout here, and everyone has their solutions, so I thouhgt this press advisory/article might jump start things....
http://www.commondreams.org/news2003/0903-17.htm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 3, 2003
3:03 PM
CONTACT: Center for Responsive Politics
Steven Weiss 202-857-0044
Electric Utilities Have Given Millions to Lawmakers Investigating the Blackout
WASHINGTON - September 3 - Members of the House committee investigating last month's massive Northeast electricity failure have raised more than $7 million from electric utilities over the past 15 years, new figures from the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics show.
The 57 members of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, which opened hearings today looking into the causes of the worst blackout in U.S. history, have raised $7.2 million from the industry in their campaign accounts and leadership PACs since 1989. The committee members collected $2.3 million in the 2002 election cycle alone and have taken in more than $675,000 so far in the current cycle. The money was raised from electric utility employees and their families, and from industry political action committees.
Committee Chairman W.J. "Billy" Tauzin (R-La.), who is leading the hearings, has raised more than $377,000 from the electric utilities industry since 1989, all but about $10,000 from industry PACs. But he's not the committee's top recipient of money from the industry. That distinction belongs to Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), the committee's top-ranking Democrat, who has raised nearly $649,000.
Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) is the committee's No. 2 recipient of money from electric utilities, with nearly $571,000. Barton heads the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, which has jurisdiction over energy policy issues. Tauzin is third on the list.
In an industry whose political giving is dominated by large investor-owned utilities, the trade group representing smaller cooperative utilities is the largest contributor to the committee. The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association has contributed nearly $596,000 to current committee members since 1989, virtually all of it coming from the organization's PAC.
Southern Company, one of the largest electricity distributors in the country, is the second most generous donor to the committee, with $481,500 in contributions. TXU, the Dallas-based utility holding company, is third with more than $335,000 in donations. FirstEnergy, which has been blamed for errors that led to the blackout, is 14th on the top contributors list with more than $200,000 given since 1989.
Overall, electric utilities have contributed more than $85 million in individual, PAC and soft money donations to federal candidates and parties since 1989, nearly two-thirds of that to Republicans. Contributions from the industry have risen each election cycle during that period -- including the 2002 cycle, which followed the most expensive elections in history in 2000.
The industry's contributions slightly favored Democrats in the early 1990s, but shifted dramatically after Republicans took control of Congress in the 1994 elections. Since then, the industry has favored the GOP with more than two-thirds of its political donations.
For charts that break down contributions from the electric utilities industry to each member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, top contributors within the industry and more, visit the Web version of this report at the link below.
http://www.capitaleye.org/inside.asp?ID=100
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