PG&E fined for El Dorado fire
By Denny Walsh, Sacramento Bee
Once again, human error has cost Pacific Gas and Electric Co. millions of dollars.
It was announced Thursday that the utility giant and two companies working for it paid $29.5 million to the federal government to settle lawsuits over two forest fires in 2004.
The old bugaboo of carelessness combined with high-voltage power transmission lines caused the fires in national forests, this time in El Dorado and Trinity counties.
Since 2009, PG&E has shelled out at least $16 million to state and federal governments in connection with wildfires.
“These fires cause lots of damage, and some of the harm cannot be remedied with money,” said U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner in announcing the most recent settlements at a Thursday news conference.
This fining of companies is such a scam.
It is people that do wrong and they should be punished. Especially when they are higherups risking lives and property for a bigger bonuses.
Fining companies like PGE puts more money into our over paid government and takes it from the rate payers. It’s a hidden tax.
Same with fining banks and wall street companies.
We accept these scams and we are fools for doing so.
The decline of America won’t last for long. Soon it will be a collapse.
The most ignorant generation will be America’s last generation.
On my cell phone so I suspect there are errors above. Sorry but this whole fining criminal companies bugs me no end. Criminals should go to jail and rate payers should not be forced to pay. Why are we so stupid to let it happen?
Are people really This ^ stupid?
Joe,
Gotta disagree, I think the younger generations are smarter than we ever thought of being, just by the sheer fact that they have access to exponentially more amounts of info instantly. Can’t wait to hear your highly intelligent, grammatically correct, well phrased response telling me I’m the root of the destruction of modern civilization!
I didn’t say anyone was dumber or smarter. I said ignorant.
How does that get by you?
As for having access to information, how does that make a diferrence in a person being smart?
Big picture, Let me ask you a question, if there are five frogs on a log and two of them decide to jump off how many frogs are left on the log?
Seriously what is your answer?
FIVE!
Is This^ what passes for clever in conservatard world?
Joe is right on. Hold individuals responsible, not companies. You and I pay when companies or government agencies are sued. The reason they are sued is the lawyers know they have deep pockets and can raise rates and taxes to cover loses. The court system allows it and we all end up paying.
The newer generations are indeed less educated. I.Q.’s don’t change much.
The SAT had to be recentered a few years ago because averaged scores had dropped so much. Since the unions and educrats and politicians took over, our schools have entered a downward spiral and that is with pumping in about twice the money per student. Our technical and scientific graduate schools are filled with non-Americans, but our law schools are bulging at the seams.
What we need is another government program to rectify a collapsing society.
Sure.
SPI lost valuable timber that could have been harvested for profit for SPI and they would have created good paying logging jobs getting the timber. PG&E should have paid for the value they destroyed voluntarily, but they had to be sued to do the right thing. SPI should not have to suffer because PG&E cant do their job.
No child left behind probably played some part in this, as well as tenure, but don’t get me wrong, most teachers are very good at what they do, and care greatly, but some are being allowed to do a great injustice to our kids.
What were we talking about? lol