March 18, 2010
"The Price of Power" was updated on July 8, 2010.
The City of Los Angeles has a $200 million-plus budget deficit. Some workers are losing their jobs. Others are taking pay cuts and unpaid days off. But there's one city agency where layoffs and furloughs don't exist. It's the city-owned Department of Water and Power. Last year DWP workers won pay raises worth some $300 million over the next five years. Meanwhile, the mayor wants to add a surcharge to electric bills to pay for green energy projects. Anchor Val Zavala takes a look at the department where electric power meets political power with sometimes shocking results. Plus, writer Marcos Villatoro shares some thoughts about his electric bill. And, who doesn't love a train? Especially one that could get you from L.A. to San Francisco in less than three hours. But at what price? SoCal's Saul Gonzalez looks at the promise and perils of California's proposed high-speed train.