Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

kpete

(71,953 posts)
Fri Jan 13, 2012, 10:29 AM Jan 2012

PG&E diverted safety money for profit, bonuses

PG&E diverted safety money for profit, bonuses

Eric Nalder, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, January 13, 2012

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. diverted more than $100 million in gas safety and operations money collected from customers over a 15-year period and spent it for other purposes, including profit for stockholders and bonuses for executives, according to a pair of state-ordered reports released Thursday.

An independent audit and a staff report issued by the California Public Utilities Commission depicted a poorly led company well-heeled in its gas operations and more concerned with profit than safety.

The documents link a deficient PG&E safety culture - with its "focus on financial performance" - to the pipeline explosion in San Bruno on Sept. 9, 2010, that killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes.

The "low priority" the company gave to pipeline safety during the three years leading up to the San Bruno blast was "well outside industry practice - even during times of corporate austerity programs," said the audit by Overland Consulting of Leawood, Kan.



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/12/BAUS1MOSUC.DTL#ixzz1jLftIgvS

20 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
PG&E diverted safety money for profit, bonuses (Original Post) kpete Jan 2012 OP
Sounds criminal to me. Nt xchrom Jan 2012 #1
More proof atreides1 Jan 2012 #2
And not a surprise, either. Corporatization for profit has an ugly pattern. SharonAnn Jan 2012 #4
+1,000 freshwest Jan 2012 #18
Cause. Meet Effect. vminfla Jan 2012 #3
+1 million freshwest Jan 2012 #19
Almost sounds like PG&E needs to have its assests siezed, its executives cstanleytech Jan 2012 #5
And all the executives' personal assets should be siezed - with nothing left for spouses or heirs. Lasher Jan 2012 #14
I know someone who was injured in the blast and who lost their home -- Hell Hath No Fury Jan 2012 #6
Yeah, let's build more nuclear power plants in California, what could go wrong. closeupready Jan 2012 #7
i was on a boat excursion in Morro Bay barbtries Jan 2012 #8
Profits uber alles Smilo Jan 2012 #9
Capitalism out of control. SoapBox Jan 2012 #10
It's easier to steal from the poor. TahitiNut Jan 2012 #13
Good thing they have person-hood JJW Jan 2012 #11
There is no statute of limitations on murder The Second Stone Jan 2012 #12
Sounds like CEO bonus time!!! Uncle Charlie Jan 2012 #15
Add Obstruction of Justice to the Charges AndyTiedye Jan 2012 #16
PG&E is like the Mafia! bayareaboy Jan 2012 #17
Good ol' Pacific Greed and Extortion Jack Rabbit Jan 2012 #20

atreides1

(16,062 posts)
2. More proof
Fri Jan 13, 2012, 11:22 AM
Jan 2012

This just once again shows that businesses can be trusted to do the right thing...place the needs of the consumer over profit.

SharonAnn

(13,771 posts)
4. And not a surprise, either. Corporatization for profit has an ugly pattern.
Fri Jan 13, 2012, 11:46 AM
Jan 2012

Public utilities provide a great serrvice to the public when they are regulated properly.

Privatization of utilities only results in extravagant pay for executives and stockholders and equally extravagant costs for the public.

Every privatization that I know of has caused utility costs to increase exponentially. I don't know of a case wherre they've remained about the same or even, god forbid, lowered.

But ongoing operations, such as safety, are compromised and executives are extravagantly compensated.

cstanleytech

(26,202 posts)
5. Almost sounds like PG&E needs to have its assests siezed, its executives
Fri Jan 13, 2012, 12:23 PM
Jan 2012

arrested for multiple crimes from embezzlement to murder and then broken up into itty bitty little pieces.

Lasher

(27,531 posts)
14. And all the executives' personal assets should be siezed - with nothing left for spouses or heirs.
Fri Jan 13, 2012, 03:33 PM
Jan 2012

Justice cannot otherwise be served.

 

Hell Hath No Fury

(16,327 posts)
6. I know someone who was injured in the blast and who lost their home --
Fri Jan 13, 2012, 12:50 PM
Jan 2012

He had burns over 40 percent of his body. Along with is burns, he is still dealing with major PSTD -- in fact, he was just given a therapy dog to try to help him cope with the trauma.

FUCK PG&E.

I hope they are sued into oblivion for their criminal negligence of our pipelines.

barbtries

(28,752 posts)
8. i was on a boat excursion in Morro Bay
Fri Jan 13, 2012, 01:19 PM
Jan 2012

years ago, and the captain of the boat said as we passed the power plant, "pacific graft and extortion"

this had to be in the 80s or very early 90s.

Smilo

(1,944 posts)
9. Profits uber alles
Fri Jan 13, 2012, 01:40 PM
Jan 2012

These companies make me sick and yet the stockholders go around as if their shit doesn't stink and look down on us "minions".

Honesty and integrity in corporations is non-existent.

SoapBox

(18,791 posts)
10. Capitalism out of control.
Fri Jan 13, 2012, 01:50 PM
Jan 2012

Any blathering about protecting our capitalist system...is just now days, wrong.

The "system" is out of control and is simply, to use the newish word, "vulture" capitalism.

...stealing from the poor and giving it to the very rich.

TahitiNut

(71,611 posts)
13. It's easier to steal from the poor.
Fri Jan 13, 2012, 03:01 PM
Jan 2012

They (we) can't defend themselves. (Besides, there're more of them.) It's so easy, it can be delegated to the drones while the elite play golf.


 

The Second Stone

(2,900 posts)
12. There is no statute of limitations on murder
Fri Jan 13, 2012, 02:48 PM
Jan 2012

and it is time to go after the creeps that got bonuses to make decisions to divert the money.

AndyTiedye

(23,500 posts)
16. Add Obstruction of Justice to the Charges
Fri Jan 13, 2012, 07:03 PM
Jan 2012
Video: PG&E destroyed a video of events at its gas-control center in Brentwood the night of the explosion, violating a state order.

bayareaboy

(793 posts)
17. PG&E is like the Mafia!
Fri Jan 13, 2012, 11:10 PM
Jan 2012

But of course that demeans the mafia,

sorry Icepick Tony.

Look up Tom Mooney and Warren Billings on google.

PG&E has been doing this crap for years.

Jack Rabbit

(45,984 posts)
20. Good ol' Pacific Greed and Extortion
Sat Jan 14, 2012, 03:13 AM
Jan 2012

How it lives up to its reputation as the poster child for why public utilities should be owned by the public.

Latest Discussions»Latest Breaking News»PG&E diverted safety ...