So how much love did you give the campaign to free Portland from this monopoly and create a public power district here?

I actually support a professionally run, properly formed PUD for Portland. But Erik Sten and Randy Leonard taking PGE over? Sorry, I passed on that one. And as soon as their clumsy little power grab failed (thank heaven), they dropped the concept of public power like a hot potato.

PGE CEO Peggy Fowler said, "Even what I get paid compared to the average PGE employee is well below what you see in other places."

That statement makes me wonder what the average PGE employee earns, and whether PGE's salaries are reasonable for the Portland area job market.

Based on its overall performance in overseeing PGE, I bet the Oregon PUC has allowed PGE to charge ratepayers for excessive salaries for PGE employees.

I don't know about that, if you CoP or govt get into stuff, you'll see crap like the item about the Water Bureau wanting to raise fees by 17.8% this year.

http://wweek.com/columns/murmurs/#35.18

Explain to me again what has inflated 17.8% in providing us water they get free from Bull Run?

The timing could've been better, but Ms Fowler seems to know what she is doing. I am wondering about the PUC letting them get away with high rates after energy prices have collapsed - unless you want to count the cost of green power.

"Explain to me again what has inflated 17.8% in providing us water they get free from Bull Run?"

Sorry, I forgot they have to pay for the FT WEBmistress on the Water Bureau blog (which conveniently neglects to mention any price increases).

Number one suggestion - Hire TorridJoe from the Fire Department, he's blogging all day anyways.

Fowler said, "The senior executive plan pays out over the rest of my life and while it looks like a lot of money..."
I say, "It doesn't LOOK like a lot of money. It IS a lot of money. Don't patronize us"

Fowler said, "Even what I get paid compared to the average PGE employee is well below what you see in other places."
I say, "Huh? Is she saying that since her pay is 20 times the average employee instead of 30 as it might be elsewhere, that she represents a great value?" (Disclaimer - just throwing out the 20/30 numbers, I haven't done the math)

Fowler said last month that she and her husband also suffered investment losses due to Enron's implosion.
I say that she is foolish to mention her losses, when many many many families lost EVERYTHING in Enron's collapse. She appears to still be clothed, fed, and secure.

I've been annoyed with the PGE logo and support for every status quo policital stunt for many years. Including every tax increase or scheme.

The sucking up, pay offs and pretense of community boosterism while gouging the rate payers to fund the lavish and insulated structure of the monopoly makes this a fitting end to an era.

But I could be wrong.

Monopoly power companies jack up the rates (for the little people) so high that the average person has trouble paying them. Then they offer "rate relief" for "low income" ratepayers. The catch? You have to kiss their feet and be grateful that you have such a nice power company.

If that's the definition of a compassionate corporate citizen I don't want it.

A PUD? Anything would be better (and provide more accountability) than the PUC regulated (a PUC, by the way that is run largely by power company executives to protect the utilities, not the ratepayers) corporate model we have now.

Did you know that it is not illegal for a corporation to:
1. Rig corporate board of directors elections.
2. Use corporate(ratepayer)money to defame, impugn or otherwise attempt to promote an individual to the board or keep someone else off the board.
3. Use corporate (ratepayer)money to sue a stockholder with the objective of keeping this stockholder off the board of directors.
4. Use corporate (ratepayer)money to lobby, influence or otherwise "buy off" lawmakers to insure the above activities get legal protection.

I know. I tried to run for the board of directors of our monopoly power company. All it got me was insults, defamation and being threatened with a lawsuit funded with my money as a ratepayer.

This also explains why CEO's get huge salaries because the CEO determines who serves on the board, not the stockholders.

People wonder why everybody is getting out of stock market right now. I wonder why anybody in their right mind is buying stocks with those rules of the game.

This is Salmon blood money that this woman is shamelessly sucking up. The citizens of this country continue to bow down and kiss the hand of the kings and queens and little lord paulsons everywhere. Incredible.

Is she single? Maybe we could travel together...