No influence in political, business or general life has proven so corrupting to government, so demoralizing to the press and other public opinion-forming organs, or so vicious in lowering the moral ideals or integrity of the people as private companies operating public utilities.

The Arena Magazine July 1905

THERE ARE A lot of good reasons for San Francisco to move toward taking over Pacific Gas and Electric Co.'s local power grid and setting up a public power system. As we report in this issue, a fairly conservative study by the nationally known utility consulting firm R.W. Beck strongly suggests that the city should acquire its own power-distribution system. Most of the big, successful public power systems have done that. And the numbers, according to a Bay Guardian analysis (see "The Case for MUD," 10/10/01), show that San Francisco could sell revenue bonds to pay for the system, cut rates, and still have revenue left over to help support the General Fund.

But there's another reason, maybe less tangible but every bit as important: San Francisco needs to get PG&E the hell out of local politics.

For most of this century the private utility has been among the most venal, corrupting influences on city hall and public policy. PG&E money, PG&E arm-twisting, and PG&E threats have kept public power off the civic agenda (despite the fact that San Francisco is mandated by Congress to operate a public power system). PG&E has bullied and intimidated the press (including getting a reporter, J.A. Savage, fired from her job at a trade journal because she once worked for an antinuclear group and had written for the Bay Guardian). PG&E has been a key part of the downtown power structure that's spent millions of dollars (through groups like the Committee on Jobs) in a blatant attempt to crush progressive politics and undermine progressive leaders.

These folks have got to go. And the best way to get rid of them is to condemn and take over PG&E's local system, so the city no longer has any official relationship with the company.

• • •

In other news: Sup. Chris Daly has taken a lot of shit from the press for his arrest while protesting the Hastings law school parking garage. But let's face it: he was right. And the tactic worked – the fuss he generated brought new attention to the issue and spurred state senator John Burton to use his own special tactics to force the arrogant Hastings board to back off.