 Most of us just received a mailer from the supporters of Proposition 16: Taxpayers Right to Vote. It is an initiative to require any city wanting to start or purchase alternative energy, instead of from PG&E supplies, to get a two-thirds majority of its voters to approve a project. As we have seen recently, it is next to impossible to get that kind of majority to approve anything.
 Interestingly enough, the sole financial supporter of Prop. 16 turns out to be PG&E. They have committed to spending $35 million to get it approved by voters in June. This is the same company that is now requesting a $3 billion rate increase over the next 3 years, about a 30 pecent increase in our current rates. Even the California Board of Realtors has come out against this, which is not the most progressive group in the state.
 Increase our rates? Stop the ability of cities to purchase alternative energy from someone other than PG&E? Sounds like a blatant power grab to me. Search the web and find out what is really at stake.
This article appears in Apr 29 – May 6, 2010.