Measure B means a Green LA

If all you read is the daily fishwrap or a couple of wingnut local LA blogs, you might get the impression that Measure B, the solar measure on the March 3rd ballot in the city of Los Angeles, is the product of some dark and Machiavellian conspiracy to undermine Western Civilization.
Actually, it is much simpler than that. Measure B is an attempt to create a connection between economic development, jobs, and clean, renewable power.
Measure B is the brainchild of a couple of progressive union leaders, Marvin Kropke and Brian D'Arcy of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and renewable energy visionary David Freeman, former General Manager of the Department of Water and Power. It was sponsored by Working Californians, the same group that operates this website.
What does Measure B do? It requires the Department of Water and Power to install 400 megawatts of clean solar power across Los Angeles over the next 5 years. 400 megawatts is enough clean energy to power 100,000 homes. Furthermore, Measure B has something for everyone.
For business, it provides incentives to conmmerical and industrial building owners that allow the DWP to install solar panels on their roofs and it provides bid preferences for solar manufacturers who are located in Los Angeles.
Measure B will create thousands of good, well paid jobs in Los Angeles--jobs that one can raise a family on.
Because the power installations will be owned and operated by the DWP, the citizens of Los Angeles will own the power. Utility owned power has served the people of Los Angeles well. And utility owned power is considerably cheaper the privately owned power, because no Enron-style manipulation is possible.
Another important aspect of Measure B is that it will generate power inside the city. That means it doesn't need expensive and environmentally unsound transmission lines to get to customers. And it produces power when demand is greatest, reducing the overload on the power grid that causes blackouts.
So who opposes Measure B? Right now, the fronts for the opponents are Ron Kaye, defrocked editor of the Daily News, and Nick Patsaouras, a political insider who is running for City Controller. Both are well-known for their anti-union bias and big egos. But, it is hard not to believe that the real opponents of Measure B are the interests who want to privatize power in Los Angeles so the the"free market" can take advantage of rate payers. If you were paying attention during the Enron rip-off and the mortgage debacle you will get what they have in mind.
The fact is that Measure B is the cheapest way to jump start a "Green Los Angeles" and the best way to protect ratepayers through utility owned power generation and it will provided much needed jobs and economic stimulus for Angelenos. The opponents' game plan is to obscure this point by trying to change the subject and focus on the process of getting Measure B on the ballot rather than the substance of what Measure B is about.
Don't fall for it.
To get the facts go to www.greenenergygoodjobsla.com.