[link|http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/business/columnists/dan_gillmor/3218620.htm|State bears some blame in electricity gouging]

If you go on vacation, leave your back door unlocked and put up a sign that says ``No one's home,'' you should not be surprised when other folks take advantage of your stupidity and rob you blind. Unhappy, yes, but not surprised.

Yet everyone is shocked, shocked that the energy wheeler-dealers at Enron took advantage of California's lame attempt at electricity deregulation. Imagine that: The sharpies manipulated prices after the state all but issued an engraved invitation.

...

For all this, it's vital to remember that the fleecing of California in 2000 and 2001 didn't just happen because of some corporate malfeasance and federal nonfeasance, no matter how much we might like to think so. California itself bears much of the responsibility, starting with the bogus but ballyhooed deregulation.

The virtuoso finger-pointing among California politicians is a race from truth.

Gov. Gray Davis, who was stampeded into ill-advised, massively expensive power purchases during the crisis, is one of the most ardent deflectors of blame. He shouldn't get away with this revisionism.

I read his columns all the time. He's up on Hollywood's attempts to throttle HDTV, the RIAA's attempts to ruin CDs(copy protect them), Microsofts various exploits and so on and lays out what's going on really well.