[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 12092]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                    IT IS TIME FOR ENERGY SOLUTIONS

  (Mr. BALLENGER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, it is very unfortunate that Californians 
have to go through these blackouts, and it is unfair to the people in 
California. But what is really unfair is that Californians have a 
Governor who refuses to take leadership and responsibility for this 
problem.
  California politicians have done a disservice to the Californians. 
Gray Davis has been asleep at the switch. It is time to stop pointing 
fingers and start solving problems. Instead of spending $30,000 a month 
on political consultants and polls, and instead of pointing fingers, 
Gray Davis needs to find solutions to increasing electricity in his 
State to stop blackouts. Governor Davis should put people before 
politics.
  Mr. Speaker, blackouts in California leave the State's economy dead. 
When California dies, America's economy becomes seriously ill. What we 
need is answers and solutions, not partisan, attack-style politics. We 
all need to work together, both Democrats and Republicans, to solve 
California's problems. Creating a balanced, fair and comprehensive 
energy plan for the future that utilizes our coal and our natural gas 
will safeguard our national economy and secure an adequate livelihood 
for all Americans.

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