Enronigans Caught on Tape

Remember that the energy situation California had a few years ago? Blackouts, soaring prices, that kind of stuff. At the time we were told by self-designated rightist energy gurus that the cause of the crisis was out of control environmental wackos who were intent on stymieing the energy companies’ noble efforts to serve the public good. Further, we were told that the way to get out of the jam was to give energy companies a helping hand, in the form of billions of dollars in public subsidies and tax give-aways.
Reality turned out to be quite a different story. It turned out that the energy companies were actually part of the problem.
Now CBS News has obtained a copy of Enron tapes which provide a sampling of what was going on behind the scenes at the time:

Four years after California’s disastrous experiment with energy deregulation, Enron energy traders can be heard — on audiotapes obtained by CBS News — gloating and praising each other as they helped bring on, and cash-in on, the Western power crisis.
. . .
The tapes, from Enron’s West Coast trading desk, also confirm what CBS reported years ago: that in secret deals with power producers, traders deliberately drove up prices by ordering power plants shut down.

Lovely. The tapes also remind us why these publicly-minded servants cast their support to that man for the people–George W. Bush:

Before the 2000 election, Enron employees pondered the possibilities of a Bush win.
“It’d be great. I’d love to see Ken Lay Secretary of Energy,” says one Enron worker.
That didn’t happen, but they were sure President Bush would fight any limits on sky-high energy prices.
“When this election comes Bush will f——g whack this s–t, man. He won’t play this price-cap b——t.”

Secretary of Energy Ken Lay–what a missed opportunity. Imagine what an asset he could have been for America in our “war on terror.”