Andy Caldwell
If you think about it, most anything can be a weapon of mass destruction, including Kool-Aid. That, of course, is a reference to what has become a gruesome idiom thanks to the brainwashed zealots who followed cult leader Jim Jones to their deaths in Jonestown, Guyana. Ever since then, “Kool-Aid drinkers” has been used to describe people who have quit thinking for themselves to their own destruction.
It is about time that California declares Kool-Aid the official state beverage. How apropos, considering the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) program, a deceitful euphemism for mayhem and destruction that could affect millions of people who stand to lose their electricity every time there is a red-flag event in their region. Make no mistake about it, people could die as a result of this solution to a crisis that is worse than the crisis it is trying to avoid.
Due to gross negligence and malfeasance stemming from government policies which protect fuel — brush and trees, including overgrown and dead trees — California has been subject to continual fires. Right now, there are an estimated 147 million dead trees in this state just waiting for a spark. These trees are dead because government policies won’t allow thinning, clearing, logging or controlled burns. The hands-off approach has served to destroy the health and well-being of our forest areas, exposing us to a continuous threat of deadly and devastating wildfires.
When the most recent fires occurred, the utility companies were left holding the bag with respect to liabilities, which are threatening them with bankruptcy. I believe this situation is completely unfair because the utilities are not allowed, like utilities in other states, to clear-cut vegetation that could come in contact with their power lines. The point here is that it takes a spark, plus fuel, to create a fire. The utility lines may have provided the spark, but our government provided the fuel — in some cases, 100 years’ worth of fuel.
Having said all that, what is the newest stupid idea to come out of this misfeasance? PSPS that could last up to seven days.
Think about it. No electricity for up to seven days every time there is a red-flag warning in our area. No refrigerator, no A/C, no traffic lights, no ability to charge your phone, little to no gasoline, and, in some cases, depending on where you live, no water, food or sewer. Will pharmacies be able to dispense meds? Will cities be able to pump water, including the water to fight a fire? Think about the elderly, the disabled and other shut-ins. There is absolutely no plan to help these people.
Last year, people in Montecito got tired of having to evacuate each and every time another rainstorm presented the potential to create another debris flow. I don’t blame them. Unfortunately, the PSPS program may affect even more people, more frequently, for longer periods of time.
What could be worse? Well, the latest flavor of Kool-Aid is making its way down the coast. It is a plan to force the elimination of natural gas service to homes and businesses. Yeah, you got that right. Just as we are contemplating the fate of having no electricity, our electeds are wanting us to go all electric.
That right there is a special kind of stupid. What that means, in practical terms, is that in addition to losing the food in your refrigerator, you won’t be able to cook the food in your pantry, either. That is, if you have any food left to cook in the first place.
