I'll paste here a press release from a few days ago -- haven't seen
anything about it in print, except the Greg Palast piece that Brian
McKenna cites.
Gene
For Immediate Release
October 3, 2003
Contact: Doug Heller
(310) 392-0522 ext. 309
Schwarzenegger: Total Amnesia?
Enron E-Mails Show Arnold Met With Ken Lay During Energy Crisis
Santa Monica, CA —Internal Enron e-mails confirm that
Arnold Schwarzenegger was among a small group of executives who met
with Lay at the posh Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel in May of 2001, in
the midst of California’s energy crisis. The Foundation for Taxpayer
and Consumer Rights, which obtained the e-mails, is calling on
Schwarzenegger to acknowledge the meetings and disclose the information
that was presented and discussed. The meeting with Enron occurred ten
days after rolling blackouts darkened California for two consecutive
days; Schwarzenegger has previously said that he does not remember such
a meeting.
“You don’t meet with America’s most well-known corporate crook in the
middle of California’s biggest financial disaster and not remember,”
said FTCR’s senior consumer advocate Douglas Heller. “Mr.
Schwarzenegger should come clean about what happened at that meeting
and if he shares Ken Lay’s views on energy regulation.”
The documents provide a list of invitees to the hastily arranged
meeting and a list of those who actually attended. Only eleven of the
45 invitees attended, including Schwarzenegger. The meeting was meant
to be an opportunity to gain business community support for Enron’s
“comprehensive solution” to the energy crisis. In one e-mail, Enron’s
VP of Public Relations wrote: “We’d like to position this meeting as
an insider’s conversation of what’s going on with the energy situation.
This meeting should be for principals only.” (emphasis in
original)
FTCR contends that Enron policies were responsible for the severe
energy crisis California faced in 2000 and 2001. The group noted that
the crisis had dramatic implications on the state economy and state
budget and will continue to impact consumers for years to come. FTCR
has called for a repeal of the deregulation and supported SB 888 (Dunn)
to re-regulate the state’s electricity system. FTCR has been critical
of Enron’s involvement in the California energy crisis, in which the
company developed schemes for manipulating the power market that forced
massive price spikes in the state.
“Since it was apparently important enough for Schwarzenegger to attend
despite the last minute notice, Schwarzenegger should now explain what
happened at his meeting with Enron’s Ken Lay and whether or not he
supports electricity re-regulation,” said Heller.
A copy of the documents are available from FTCR.
-30-
FTCR is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization. FTCR does not support
or oppose candidates for office and takes no position on the California
recall.
---------
Douglas Heller
Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights
http: //www.consumerwatchdog.org
doug@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
ph. 310/392-0522 ext. 309
Brian McKenna wrote:
On this weekend, this should be the most important political story in
the
national news media, but it is no where to be found.....fairly shocking
political news to say the least..... .....not Arnold's Hitler-Envy
and career groping behaviour
http://gregpalast.com/detail.cfm?artid=283&row=0
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