Gov. Gray Davis addressed graduating Cal State Fullerton students during commencement exercises Friday. Gov. Gray Davis told graduating Cal State Fullerton students Tuesday that the state s economy is strong despite the energy crisis and that their job prospects are bright. Lu Ping, who is overseeing Hong Kong's return to Chinese rule in July 1997, also said in a lecture and forum that a provisional Hong Kong legislature with a term of no more than one year would be indispensable during the transition. But citing a need for increases, the Democratic governor called for a tiered system in which people who use the most electricity would pay the most - as much as 37 percent more if they use more than twice their minimum allotment. The more you conserve, the more you save.
Conservation is our best short-term weapon against blackouts and price gouging.
The governor s decision to offer the utilities at least some rate hike money brought a sharp response from lawmakers and consumer advocates. He is going to pay them off completely for all their mistakes. The governor took the unusual step of reserving air time on statewide television at a time when he is slipping in polls and surveys show that the public is increasingly concerned about the energy crisis. . . The speech took on greater urgency as the California Independent System Operator, the entity that oversees power distribution, warned Thursday that the state will face 34 days of rotating blackouts if consumers and businesses use the same amount of electricity this summer as they did last year.