Nov. 10, 2004 - 19:25 MST

THE WONDERING JEW

It Smells

I often wonder just how some of these pooh-bahs get away with working for outfits that they officially have been working against. Or why generals etc., begin to work for the industrial folks. Or why many people up there in wealth and or power can get by with some of the things they do.

The latest thing to come to my eyes is local, but demonstrative of what I go on at length about.

This morning's Rocky Mountain News has an article by Jeff Smith of the same paper. In part:

State advocate ending utility battles

Consumer Counsel's Reif to be executive for power supplier

"A consumer advocate who battled electricity deregulation and fought for better local telephone service is leaving his post to join a wholesale power supplier."

"Ken Reif, 53, will step down at the end of the month from his $101,000-a-year job as director of the Colorado Office of Consumer Counsel to become vice president and general counsel of Westminster-based Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association."

"Tambor Williams, executive director of the Colorado Department Regulatory Agencies, will choose Reif's successor after consulting an 11-member consumer board appointed by the governor."

"Ray Gifford, former chairman and now president of the Progress & Freedom Foundation in Washington, said Reif, "did a great job protecting the interests of Colorado consumers."

"Reif said the OCC is still needed, pointing to the current public hearings on Xcel's proposal to build a new coal-fired plant. "The OCC is a proven way to make sure the small voices of consumers are heard."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

One smile in this that makes me laugh is the title of this particular organization, "Progress & Freedom Foundation," now ain't that a red-herring hoot ?

In my opinion this all too often happens, a person who has been in the position of regulatory control or oversight, resigning and going to work for for one of the entities he was at odds with during his tenure.

I know that things are not black or white and are interspersed with an infinite array of shades of gray.

Seems to me that a person who for a good part of his or her career has been in opposition to and in partial control of an industry or business suddenly quitting and going to work for the folks he opposed for so long, has either -- gone crazy -- or been offered a darn sight more money that he was making.

Reif is making $101,000 a year in his present job. How the heck much do I suppose Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association has offered him and with what additional perks ? Damfino. But I would be willing to put ten bucks or so on them paying a damnsight more than the $101,000 a year he gets now.

It is easy for a person to get red in the face, pound the table and scream, "There oughta be a LAW," yeah riiiight, but isn't that one of the reasons we are in the plight we are in ? And have any of the laws in existence stopped abuses like Enron et al have perpetrated ? Or Halliburton raking in the dough over Iraq ? We got laws, oh boy do we ever have them, are they doing any good ? Debatable it seems.

'Tis a very unpalatable meal on our plate and if it tastes bad It Smells . . . . . . . .

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