>> ANTONIA, THANK YOU.
JOINING ME NOW TO EXPLAIN ALL OF
THIS, DALLAS COUNTY JUDGE CLAY
JENKINS.
JUDGE, FOR A NEW YORKER LIKE ME
THIS SOUNDS CRAZY.
OUR UTILITIES, THEY’RE
REGULATED.
BUT TEXANS DECIDED YEARS AGO
THEY WANT TO PRIVATIZE THE
MARKET AND MAKE DECISIONS FOR
THEMSELVES AND THIS IS WHAT YOU
END UP WITH.
>> TEXANS DIDN’T DECIDE THAT.
ELECTRIC COMPANIES AND THE
GOVERNOR DECIDED THAT.
AND THEY SET ABOUT A SCHEME THAT
BENEFITS LARGE COMMERCIAL USERS
WITH ROCK BOTTOM PRICES WHO CAN
HIRE PEOPLE TO WATCH THE MARKET
CONSTANTLY AND HEDGE AGAINST
RISK BUT THEY DIDN’T PUT IN THE
NECESSARY PROTECTIONS FOR
REGULAR SMALL BUSINESS AND
REGULAR PEOPLE.
AND SO YOU HAVE SITUATIONS LIKE
THIS.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO
WORK LIKE AN ADJUSTABLE RATE
MORTGAGE ON YOUR HOUSE WHERE
THERE IS A TOP END THAT THEY CAN
CHARGE YOU, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE,
BECAUSE TEXANS DIDN’T PUT ANY
REGULATIONS IN PLACE WITH THE
GOVERNOR’S TEAM, GRIDDY IS ABLE
TO CHARGE PEOPLE $10,000 AND
$20,000 TO EAT AHEAT A SMALL HOM
TEXANS, CUT OFF THE AUTOMATIC
BILL PAY ON THE YOUR CREDIT
CARDS FOR THESE EXORBITANT RATES
AND DON’T PAY THEM.
>> IS THERE ANY RECOURSE,
THOUGH, BECAUSE THE MARKETS ARE
PRIVATIZED IN TEXAS THERE’S
ALWAYS THIS RISK SO NOW IF WE’RE
SAYING TO PEOPLE IN TEXAS, WE’RE
GOING TO INVESTIGATE THIS, YOU
SHOULDN’T HAVE TO PAY YOUR BILL,
WHO’S GOING TO PAY THE BILL?
IS THE GOVERNMENT GOING TO PAY
THESE BUSINESSES?
BECAUSE IT’S GOING TO BE LIKE
WINNING THE JACKPOT FOR THEM.
>> WELL, FIRST, WE NEED AN
INVESTIGATION TO SEE IF THESE
BUSINESSES DID EVERYTHING WITHIN
THE SPECS OF THE LAW, AND IF NOT
WE GET THE CUSTOMERS OUT ON THAT
BASIS.
THE GOVERNOR GOT US INTO THIS,
HE’S GOING TO NEED TO GET PEOPLE
OUT OF IT.
IT IS FUNDAMENTALLY UNFAIR FOR
THE GOVERNMENT TO SET UP A
PREDATORY PRICING SCHEME, CATCH
TEXANS UP IN IT, AND THEN LEAVE
THEM HOLDING THE BAG.
IN A WEEK, BY THE WAY, WHERE
MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE
SEEING THESE HIGH BILLS WENT FOR
DAYS WITHOUT ANY POWER OR WATER.
>> IT IS AWFUL IN EVERY WAY.
THERE’S THIS IDEA OUT THERE,
THOUGH, THAT DEREGULATION IS
GOOD FOR PEOPLE.
THEY CAN CHOOSE WHAT THEY WANT.
BUT REGULATION IS PROTECTION.
AND NOW TEXANS HAVE BEEN LEFT
UNPROTECTED.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
YOU NEED SOME REGULATION IN A
COMMODITY MARKET LIKE
ELECTRICITY.
ELECTRICITY IS NOT THE PLACE
WHERE YOU WANT TO ALLOW
GAMBLING.
MOST OF THESE CONSUMERS DIDN’T
KNOW THEY WERE GAMBLING.
JUST AS WHEN YOU BUY AN
ADJUSTABLE RATE MORTGAGE ON YOUR
HOME YOU WOULD BE SHOCKED IF
YOUR MORTGAGE BILL WENT UP 100
TIMES MORE IN A MONTH, AND THEY
CAN’T BECAUSE THERE ARE
REGULATIONS TO STOP THAT FROM
HAPPENING.
THERE WEREN’T ANY CONSUMER
PROTECTIONS PUT IN FOR PEOPLE,
FOR REGULAR PEOPLE.
THE SYSTEM IS BUILT FOR THE
LARGE COMMERCIAL USERS.
AND SO THINGS LIKE WEATHERIZING THE PLANT SO THAT PEOPLE WOULD
THE PLANT SO THAT PEOPLE WOULD
HAVE POWER IN EXTREME COLD, OR
SETTING SBAND
SETTING BANDS OF WHICH VARIABLE
RATES CANNOT GO HIGHER THAN.
THESE WERE NOT THOUGHT UP --
WELL, THEY WERE THOUGHT UP
BECAUSE CONSUMER ACTIVISTS ASKED
FOR THEM BUT THE GOVERNOR’S TEAM
REJECTED IT AND HERE WE ARE.
>> WHAT’S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE
YOU SEE IN DALLAS?
>> WELL, TWOFOLD.
WE’RE TRYING TO GET WATER TO
PEOPLE AND THE GOVERNOR HAS CUT
OUR VACCINE DISTRIBUTIONS IN
HALF AND SENT THOSE TO PEOPLE IN
OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE AND SO
AS WE COME BACK OUT OF THIS
WE’RE TRYING TO VACCINATE OUR
SENIORS WHERE WITHOUT THE
VACCINE TO DO IT.
>> WHY WOULD HE CUT THE VACCINES
IN HALF?
RIGHT NOW WE NEED ALL THE HELP
WE CAN GET ON ALL FRONTS.
>> WELL, THAT’S A GREAT
QUESTION.
THE FIRST TIME WE HEARD FROM
ANYONE ON THE GOVERNOR’S TEAM
WAS THREE DAYS AFTER OUR PEOPLE
HAD BEEN WITHOUT POWER AND THAT
WAS TO TELL THEM THAT -- TELL US
THAT DESPITE THE STATE GETTING A
RECORD NUMBER OF VACCINES THIS
WEEK, OURS IN DALLAS-FORT WORTH
WOULD BE CUT IN HALF AND SENT TO
OTHER AREAS OF THE STATE.
YOU KNOW, I’VE GOT 80-YEAR-OLDS,
75-YEAR-OLDS WHO HAVE BEEN ON A
REGISTRY LIST SINCE JANUARY
WAITING FOR THAT FIRST SHOT.
THIS IS THE MOST VULNERABLE
POPULATION AND WE HAVE TO GOT TO
GET THEM VACCINATED.