He is completely within the law. Stern helped craft the state's original campaign finance disclosure rules included in the Political Reform Act of 1974. Peace shows no signs of kowtowing to the power industry, said Michael Shames, executive director of Utility Consumers' Action Network in San Diego. Over the past two years he withdrew from the issue. . . . The amount of money was going up from the utilities, but his activity in the utility area has decreased.
Peace has close personal ties as well as campaign-finance links to the industry.
David Malcolm, Peace's longtime political friend and San Diego port commissioner, was recently hired by Duke Energy as a consultant. Instead, the port commissioners leased the plant to Duke Energy. His role includes steering campaign donations to candidates. Several years ago Takashima left Peace to work for Edison. He returned to state employment to help Peace craft deregulation policy.