The 800 Pound Gorilla That Will Elect Tom McClintock

FreeRepublic.com ^ | September 6, 2003 | Avoiding_Sulla

[Avoiding_Sulla]

Let's keep this simple.

The 800 pound gorilla is the one that would attack Senator McClintock were he wrong about being able to rescind those contracts.

First, here's the underlying plan regarding the issue that is most important to the opposition in Tom McClintock 3 issue platform in his run for governor, right from off his website at http://www.tommcclintock.com/tomsplan/energy.cfm. He has made every effort to tell the world about it.

Void the Energy Contracts

Governor Davis ignored the energy issue as the crisis was building, and didn't spend any time dealing with it until blackouts were already upon us. Then, Davis had his chief negotiator, a consultant for the energy companies, negotiate with those energy companies and sign $42 billion dollars in massively overpriced energy contracts.

Senator McClintock has pledged to immediately sign a stipulation for the court case seeking to void those contracts, admitting that Governor Davis' negotiator had a conflict of interest, allowing the court to void those contracts and save the people of California a small fortune.

"Those contracts were negotiated under a clear legal conflict of interest by Davis' chief negotiator. This governor won't stipulate to these simple facts because it would require him to admit wrongdoing. I'll certainly admit Davis has done some things wrong!

Second, how do you know it's most important thing to the opposition? Because, out of all the scheming to get Senator McClintock off the ballot, to make it appear that he can't win, has been the opposition's complete silence on the matter.

This is so obvious, you know that my suspicous nature has caught wind of something very important to all of us.

You know that most probably McClintock is right on this issue.

You know because the opposition doesn't want to challenge him because any challenges must eventually lead to proving that McClintock is right.

And the media plays along and doesn't make an issue of it either, because McClintock is right.

[Avoiding_Sulla]

So, conservatives, stop arguing with these FReepin' Schwarzenschmucks, and make sure every body in the state knows about Tom McClintock's plan.

The only reason the moneyed interests, their media, and Pete Wilson's machine are afraid to beat Senator McClintock over his head with it, is either he is dead-on right, or they are waiting until October 5 to reveal how wrong he is. Either way, we must make this issue the grassroots buzz all over the state.

FReepmail, Email, and get on the telephone and tell this to everybody you know. The media and the opposition will not be able to black it out any longer! And then watch out.

If anybody else has a better or simpler plan, please speak up!

[Nachum]

I can hope and dream the McClondike is going to win. The reality is more that he will pull enough votes away from Shwartzenblogger to let BustaNAZI win.

[hole_n_one]

You couldn't find an already existing thread about the recall election, huh?

[Avoiding_Sulla]

Do It!

Do It NOW!

[Andy from Beaverton]

McClintock is right, but he is unelectable as a governor in Mexifornia. That's reality and you must accept it or you will let Cruz be gov.

[per loin]

Please write in more dramatic, bold, and large size, colored letters. Seeing such assinity on the part of Arnold's enemies advances his campaign.

[sinkspur]

McClintock is blowing smoke up your skirt about those contracts.

He cannot simply "void" them; rather, he will waste California taxpayers dollars trying to take them down in the courts, and the energy companies will fight him every step of the way.

In the end, he will lose.

[Conservative til I die]

McClintock will finish a distant third. Please put down the crackpipe.

[Holden Magroin]

Arnold Schwarzenkennedy's opposition to Prop 54 is the last straw. Any conscientious conservative will vote no on that man.

[Avoiding_Sulla]

What's the matter, sink? Didn't what I wrote at the end of #1, er, sink in? Here, let me highlight what I shouldn't need to if you think you have a real issue.

The only reason the moneyed interests, their media, and Pete Wilson's machine are afraid to beat Senator McClintock over his head with it, is either he is dead-on right, or they are waiting until October 5 to reveal how wrong he is. Either way, we must make this issue the grassroots buzz all over the state.

If you want to get people to abandon Senator McClintock for our own good, why not prove him wrong instead of bloviating?

[sruleoflaw]

Love your tag line or post name. It's too bad you don't live up to it. Arnold is about as conservative as a Kennedy liberal -- a real treasure in the Conservative Hall of Fame.

[old school]

What more can Cruz do, that Gravis hasn't already done?

[sinkspur]

Nobody's making an issue of voiding energy contracts because it is not going to happen. Nobody says anything about it because it's McClintock's "crazy aunt in the basement" issue.

[Iconoclast2]

I doubt that anyone here knows the facts well enough to know whether a court would hold that California had the right to void the contracts, but up here in the Northwest the Oregon Supreme Court, the Washington Supreme Court, and the United States Supreme Court all let public utilities walk away from billions in bond obligations because of similarly arcane legal arguments.

[EggsAckley]

When they are on a spamming campaign, why find an existing thread? They are hijacking FR and JimRob won't do anything to stop it.

[EternalVigilance]

Power Contracts Lawsuit, Pasadena, California
Remarks by Senator Tom McClintock

Senator Tom McClintock
Date: May 1, 2002
Publication Type: Press Release

(Senator Tom McClintock today filed a lawsuit to void California’s costly long-term energy contracts. The suit, McClintock v. Budhraja, was filed this morning in Pasadena Superior Court. Senator McClintock is asking the Court to void the long-term energy contracts under Government Code Section 1090, conflict of interest law. Attached are Senator McClintock’s remarks on the filing of the lawsuit.)
This is a simple and clear-cut issue involving an estimated $14 billion in electricity overcharges that are now borne by 10 million California consumers as a result of the long-term electricity contracts approved last year by this administration.

Under the California Government Code, public contracts may not be negotiated by individuals who have a direct or indirect financial interest in those contracts. If that interest amounts to five percent of the official’s total income, the mere presence of the conflict voids the contract.

On January 18th, 2001, Mr. Vikram Budhraja signed an agreement with the state of California to oversee electricity purchases for the state of California, the declared purpose of which was to avert the bankruptcy of California’s Investor-Owned Utilities, including Southern California Edison.

In that capacity, Mr. Budhraja was involved in the negotiation and approval of the long-term power contracts that now obligate consumers. While Mr. Budhraja acted in this capacity, he failed to file financial disclosure statements as required by law.

When those financial disclosure statements were finally filed, they revealed that Mr. Budhraja received over $100,000 from Southern California Edison’s parent company during this period while he was also acting in an official capacity on public contracts that relieved Edison of its financial losses.

It is therefore necessary to prove just three things.

First, that Mr. Budhraja was involved in any way in the negotiation or approval of the contracts. This is obvious under the terms of his own agreement with the state, as well as repeated statements made by the governor and other state officials.

Second, that Southern California Edison had either a direct or indirect financial interest in the contracts, the declared purpose of which was to prevent its bankruptcy. This question is self-evident.

Third, that the more than $100,000 payment Mr. Budhraja received from Edison constituted at least five percent of his income.

If these three conditions are met, then under state law, the contracts are void. We believe that these three conditions have been met. We believe that the high prices now being paid by California consumers are the product of financial conflicts of interest that are forbidden by state law, and that the contracts are accordingly null and void.

California consumers are paying an estimated $14 billion more than they should be for electricity – or $1,400 in overcharges that the average ratepayer is paying for precisely nothing. These consumers have a right to the protections of state law that forbid public contracts from being tainted by any financial entanglements of their public officials. And we now ask the court to invoke that law.

This suit is being filed with the legal assistance of the U.S. Justice Foundation, a private non-profit legal firm.

[BunnySlippers]

That's why I'm voting for Arnold! Go Arnold Go!

[Avoiding_Sulla]

"Nobody says anything about it because it's McClintock's "crazy aunt in the basement" issue."

BULLSHEET. There must be good reasons to remain silent. Every post you make proves my point. If he's crazy, embarrass his supporters even if HE can't be embarrassed. But they don't because he knows the law.

[DoctorZIn]

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[EternalVigilance]

Nobody's making an issue of voiding energy contracts because it is not going to happen. Nobody says anything about it because it's McClintock's "crazy aunt in the basement" issue.

That remark is similiar to the remarks I heard about the recall itself some months ago from the leftwing of the party.

At least McClintock is willing to try to defeat the Democrats by whatever means are at hand.

With your support of Schwarzenegger, you all are joining them instead of defeating them.