“I believe in the municipal ownership of these monopolies because if you do not own them they in turn will own you. They will rule your politics, corrupt your institutions and finally destroy your liberties.” Tom Johnson, Mayor Cleveland, 1901-1909
Facts Over Fiction
Unveiling the Tactics Behind
“Responsible Energy San Diego”
Addressing SDGE’s employment of propaganda techniques. The false assertions are made by SDGE via individuals hired to maintain the existing status quo.
SDGE has established a political action committee (PAC) named Responsible Energy San Diego, funneling $600,000 into it. The primary objective of this PAC is to thwart the introduction of a public power option in San Diego, aiming to safeguard their daily profits of $1 million. They are rapidly disseminating misinformation and employing scare tactics that inaccurately depict the nature of public power and the potential operations of the Power San Diego ballot initiative.
Below are their top nine focus-group tested “arguments” against public power. We refute them, stand up for truth and identify the propaganda technique being used.
🚩 The Power San Diego initiative is a costly gamble that puts taxpayers on the hook for billions of dollars with no plan and no guarantee of rate reduction or lower bills.
Every non-profit municipal utility has lower rates than SDG&E. There are more than 40 in the State of California. Some well-known municipal utilities in California include:
- Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)
- Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)
- San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)
- Anaheim Public Utilities (APU)
- Burbank Water and Power (BWP)
- Pasadena Water and Power (PWP)
- Glendale Water and Power (GWP)
- Palo Alto Utilities (PAU)
- Redding Electric Utility (REU)
- Riverside Public Utilities (RPU)
🚩 The City already faces a billion-dollar deficit. The Power San Diego proposal would saddle taxpayers with $11-$13 billion or more in new debt to purchase an electric distribution system that already exists.
Scare tactic – Disinformation
The public already paid for the distribution system and the numbers cited here are not independent but put forward by SDGE to oppose the threat to its profits. SDGE’s fictitious cost estimate is 3x to 4x higher than the $3.5 billion Power San Diego estimate that relies on the costs developed in the City’s multi-million dollar municipalization feasibility study.
🚩 The initiative provides no analysis on the full cost of a government takeover of the electric distribution assets and as drafted, requires no voter approval for the final cost.
Scare tactic – Disinformation
The initiative costs are based on cost figures developed by the City in an independent municipalization feasibility study in 2023.
🚩 Municipalization threatens our local economy and quality of life by pulling funding and resources away from basic city services.
Scare tactic – disinformation
The municipal electric utility would be self-funded by customer revenue as an “enterprise fund” and would impose no new financial burden or obligation on the city or basic city services. The municipal utility would operate with its own management and funding just as it does now – it would just be owned by the public and not run for profit.
An enterprise fund is a type of fund used in governmental accounting to account for activities that provide goods or services to the public for a fee that is meant to make the entity self-sustaining. It operates in a manner similar to private business enterprises, with the intent that the costs (expenses, including depreciation) of providing goods or services to the general public on a continuing basis be financed primarily through user charges.
🚩 Managing critical challenges such as homelessness, housing affordability, street repairs, and crime in San Diego is already a significant undertaking for the city. The potential expenses associated with acquiring and operating a reliable energy grid could put funding and resources for other essential programs at risk.
Scare tactic – disinformation
The municipal electric utility would be self-funded by customer revenue as an “enterprise fund” and would impose no new financial burden or obligation on the city or basic city services. The municipal utility would operate with its own management and funding just as it does now – it would just be owned by the public and not run for profit.
An enterprise fund is a type of fund used in governmental accounting to account for activities that provide goods or services to the public for a fee that is meant to make the entity self-sustaining. It operates in a manner similar to private business enterprises, with the intent that the costs (expenses, including depreciation) of providing goods or services to the general public on a continuing basis be financed primarily through user charges.
🚩 A government-run utility in San Diego would not be able to match the level of reliability SDG&E has provided customers for the last 130 years.
Red herring /scare tactic
It would be the same system with existing union workers invited to move to work on the same terms. Public electric utilities are renowned for high reliability and customer satisfaction while SDGE was rated last, or near last, in the West in utility commercial customer satisfaction in 2022
🚩Operating and maintaining an exceptionally complex utility system serving more than 1 million San Diegans and tens of thousands of businesses – including hospitals and schools – requires expertise and focus.
Red herring/scare tactic
It would be the same system with same employees under different management with the mission to provide its customers in the City of San Diego with reliable, affordable electric service.
🚩 This initiative provides no plan for responding to critical events and emergencies, including wildfires – putting San Diego in danger.
Red herring/scare tactic
🚩 The Power San Diego initiative outlines a leadership board that does not require any experience in managing the electric grid for the 6th largest city in the nation.
Untrue
The function of the Electric Board, which will meet monthly, is to assure that Power San Diego faithfully carries-out its defined mission and purpose. Power San Diego will have expert full-time executive management with deep experience in managing the electric grid. A public oversight board will assure the interests of all San Diego communities are taken into consideration in Power San Diego planning and operations.
Propaganda Techniques
Typical propaganda techniques are:
- Disinformation (basically lying to protect an existing financial interest)
- Scare Tactics
- “Red Herrings”
All of the statements need to be understood as self-interested, i.e. paid for by people hired to protect their status quo interests.
Examples of red herrings in arguments include:
- Introducing irrelevant information or anecdotes that have no bearing on the topic at hand.
- Attacking the character or motives of the opponent rather than addressing their arguments.
- Bringing up emotionally charged or controversial topics to shift the focus away from the main issue.
- Using complex language or technical jargon to confuse or obfuscate the discussion.
We can fire SDGE!
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Power San Diego Campaign Office Location
4120 30th St. Suite 101
San Diego, CA 92104
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Tuesday – Thursday: 10am – 7pm
Friday: 10am – 5pm
Saturday & Sunday: 5pm – 7pm