Forum on beltway connections to Enron
From: Tim Scanlon <parcival@erols.com>

Dear DC Alliance Members -- You may wish to attend this Feb. 6th Forum:

Forum on Corporations resumes, after the holiday hiatus, the First Wednesday in February (2/6).

Mark your calendar now to get the inside skinny on the Beltway connections to the Enron collapse!

Enron's business model was built entirely on the premise that it could make more money speculating on electricity contracts than it could by actually producing electricity at a power plant. The company's strategy of turning electricity into a speculative commodity was a direct consequence of electricity deregulation.

Although much ink has deservedly been spilled describing Enron's association with George W. Bush and members of his administration, the importance of Enron's association with Senator Phil Gramm and his wife Wendy (who was once chairwoman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission) has yet to be explained by Beltway media insiders. Yet the association is a key one in the history of electricity market deregulation.

Tyson Slocum of Public Citizen's Critical Mass Energy Program will explain these important aspects of Enron's collapse at the February 6 Forum on Corporations -- noon -2 p.m., IPS conference room as usual, 733 15th St. NW, Suite 1020..