Columnist Jon Ralston: Power debate is already weak

Friday, Sept. 27, 2002 | 6:08 a.m.

So I am not surprised by the manipulative, hypocritical and shallow behavior by candidates (and some politicians not on the ballot) regarding Nevada Power.

Surprised? No. Disgusted? Indeed. Why? Their reckless disregard for the truth, their shameless dumping of kerosene on a public fire and their absolute reliance on voters' fury and gullibility is pathetic.

No one disputes that the public hates the power utility. And with some good cause. Rates are rising. State regulators found that the company treated risk management like risky mismanagement. And something must be done.

But what? That answer is incredibly complex and yet these demagogues would have us believe in sound-bite solutions so they can exploit the benighted public's ire.

You see, none of these people actually have done or can do anything about the problem of high electric rates. But what they can do is make you think they can or -- better yet -- that their opponent is soft on the issue.

It's almost as if these candidates had these meetings with their spinmeisters, who told them something like this: "Here's what to do: People abhor Nevada Power. You can't do anything, and you haven't done anything, but what you can do is make people believe that you did something or that you could do something. Or, even better, that the other guy is a Nevada Power shill. That ought to score some points because the voters are too stupid to know the truth."

Believe me, I'm not far off. So, you're saying: Why doesn't he name names? Happy to do so.

The most egregious offenders are, not coincidentally, three Democrats: congressional hopeful Dario Herrera, lieutenant governor contender Erin Kenny and attorney general aspirant John Hunt. You see, it's hard to get the party faithful -- many of whom are unregistered, poor or disaffected -- out to vote. So in the absence of any real ideas, these candidates are trying to light their campaigns on fire by igniting an anti-utility conflagration.

If Herrera wants to make Republican Jon Porter defend his vote as a state senator that allowed Nevada Power to seek a billion-dollar rate increase -- the so-called reinstatement of deferred energy -- that's fine. Instead, Herrera appeared at every protest he could and called a sham hearing as County Commission chairman and then ran an ad making it sound as if that constituted leadership.

If Kenny wants to ask where Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt, who portrays herself now as a virtual co-governor, was during the legislative debate over power, that's fine, too. But to run an ad making it sound as if she fought to stop the utility from "gouging" residents is disingenuous.

And if AG hopeful Hunt wants to ask opponent Brian Sandoval whether he contributed to high power bills here by representing a group of utility shareholders that might have benefited from rate increases, that's fine, too. But to make all manner of breathless statements about the company and to embrace public power before anyone knows the facts, or a debate has been joined, is just rhetorically bankrupt.

Speaking of public power, it's no accident Commissioners Kenny and Herrera were so excited to put that empty ballot question up in November. Now they can organize their campaigns around it. Hunt has eagerly joined in, too.

The ballot proposition says: "Should the Nevada Legislature take appropriate action to enable the electrical energy provider for Southern Nevada to be a locally controlled, not for profit public utility?"

The question itself is meaningless. The commissioners might as well have just asked voters: "How do you feel about anyone but Nevada Power providing your electricity?"

But beyond that, the county folks did not do any homework on the issue to justify the ballot question and the majority has no clue about the pros and cons of public power. And there are pros and cons.

Instead we get an almost McCarthy-like approach by these candidates and others trying to incite the electoral mob. "Have you now or have you ever been supportive of Nevada Power?" Or: "Have you now or have you ever taken money from Nevada Power?" The hope, of course, is that voters will then apply their own blacklist on Election Day.

And the saddest effect of all of this is that water authority boss Pat Mulroy's serious and substantive offer to buy the company is now being overwhelmed by opportunistic candidates trying to cash in politically. The water authority takeover may be a good idea, but we surely can't know that yet.

And the campaign being waged by the Democrats and the inevitable defensive reaction from the company will be replete with hyperbole and the same kind of exploitation of the public.

The only question is: Are you going to buy it?