By Kelly Rayburn
Daily Bruin Contributor
Freshman assemblyman Paul Koretz (D-West Hollywood), whose
district includes UCLA, suggests it is better to shut down state
offices than to leave private businesses or residences in the dark
during California’s power crisis.
A Bruin alumnus, Koretz has introduced Assembly Bill 22x that
would require state facilities, not essential to public health and
safety, be the first to go without power in the case of rolling
blackouts.
“This way we ourselves are part of the solution
directly,” Koretz said.
“Our concept is not to shut down state buildings for a
whole day, but to take a chunk of time out of the day, like 12 to 2
p.m., when a lot of people aren’t there anyway, and shut off
the electricity,” he continued.
The bill will require a two-thirds vote in both the senate and
the assembly to pass because it is an urgency statute.
If it does pass, the state capitol could be among the buildings
to go without electricity, but not state prisons or state
hospitals, Koretz spokesman Scott Svonkin told The Associated
Press.
But it is too early to predict how popular the bill will be
among other legislators, according to Koretz.
“I’ve just introduced the bill and it is still very
new,” he said. “It has generated a fair amount of
interest and discussion.”
“Some people will like the fact that we’re
physically helping ““ that we’re sharing the
pain,” he added.
Director of UCLA Energy Services, David Johnson, said the impact
of shutting down any type of facility needs to be carefully
considered.
“The priority in which entities go ““ meaning whether
they have to shut their power off or not ““ should be based on
the function of the entity, not its general classification,”
he said.
While some UCLA facilities could go powerless without
significant consequences, shutting down others, like those used for
research could seriously hinder the academic process, he said.
Since the legislative term’s opening this year,
members’ efforts have been almost completely consumed by the
energy crisis.
“This is a start that’s been like no other in 100
years,” Koretz said. “Two months ago energy was one of
the few things not on my platform.”
Koretz added that the crisis has taken away from the rest of his
agenda of gun control, labor, the environment and AIDS and
tobacco-related issues, which he focused on as a West Hollywood
city councilman.
“All our efforts have gone toward solving this dramatic
crisis,” he said.
While attending UCLA, Koretz helped to establish Bruin Democrats
and he graduated with a degree in history in 1979.
Last November, Koretz won the 42nd district by defeating four
opponents, including UCLA student Ivka Adam, who ran as the Natural
Law candidate.
BILL ADDRESSES ENERGY CRISIS AB 22x would
require state facilities to shut down before businesses or
residences in the event of an emergency. SOURCE: Assembly Bill 22x
Original graphic by CONNIE WU/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Web
adaptation by CHRISTINE TAN/Daily Bruin