Gov. Gray Davis can hardly speak about the state's electricity crisis without reminding you that he wasn't present at the creation. He didn't make this mess. The crisis is real.
Power is in short supply and prices are soaring.
The utilities, trying to transform themselves from regulated monopolies to nimble competitors, are struggling. The challenge for Davis is to keep the lights on without giving away the store. So far, the signs are not good. Davis this week was aping the utilities' lines, warning that traffic signals would soon go dark and hospital emergency rooms would be left without electricity. The governor sounds like he is panicking at a time when a firm hand is what's needed.