BCUC Body Slam Of Run-Of-River Rapaciousness.....

.

.....Rafe Thinks It's The Real Deal

From Mr. Mair's most recent column in The Tyee:

".....The Campbell government has based its very existence on its rivers policy which is a shameful sham. It encourages the destruction of our rivers beyond repair so that large international companies can produce power which must be purchased by BC Hydro at prices two to three times the value on the spot market. Because this power is mostly produced during the spring run off when BC Hydro has full reservoirs and lots of power, private power is all but useless for British Columbia customers and will be exported at a huge loss by BC Hydro.

The policy is madness. If you doubt me, read Dr. John Calvert's book Liquid Gold. (Calvert is on the SORS Board of Advisors). Given these facts, no intelligent observers -- as are the members of BCUC -- could fail to see that the government's rivers policy was a colossal mistake......."

So.

Rafe thinks that the BC Utilities Commission did the right thing for the right reasons.

Which is good to hear, because I myself was not convinced of that initially.

But that doesn't mean that Mr. Mair is convinced that everything is going to be alright.

Why?

Well, based on past performance, Mr. Mair thinks that the BCUC may soon go the way of the Dodo bird thanks to the very fine work of the best CEO money can buy:

".....This issue is a political one and it involves a government protecting not the citizens but its corporate paymasters. Rather than do what is right, I predict, Campbell will not permit BCUC to embarrass him.

The BCUC decision is a marvelous victory for all who laboured so hard to expose and end an atrocious policy. But it won't last because -- and you can bet on this -- Campbell will legislate his power policy so that Plutonic's shares will rise again at the expense of us the voters....."

Oh boy.


______
Oh, and just in case you missed this story because you were sitting on the beach reading CanWest papers over the weekend because you couldn't get a Globe in Sechelt......Well, Mr. Mair has a thing or two to say about that too......Ha!
And if you want another well-informed point of view with lots of good, informed background, check out Alison's post on the matter.

.