Nice cut-n-paste of a PGE press release.

PGE forgets that all this does is serve as a painful reminder of all the taxes collected from us that were supposed to have been paid to the local governments by Enron Corp. They never made it, of course, and are gone for good.

As far as Newhouse is concerned, the papers there can't be blamed for this sort of puckering. They're puckering at the other end, too: the New Orleans Times-Picayune just announced massive layoffs, and there's legitimate concern that New Orleans may be the first of many cities without a paper at all if Newhouse and Tribune Media cuts continue. Naturally, this sort of sycophancy just accelerates the decline, but it's understandable with the number of editors and reporters who fear the only thing they're going to be asking of their former readers in two years is "Business, mister?"

This is actually a tax that customers pay, and is merely passed through PGE to the local governments. Why this is newsworthy? Must be a slow day.

In other breaking news: Portlanders and many of their fellow Willamette Valley neighbors happily paid PGE $1.8 billion in 2011 so that PGE could earn $147 million and pay out $79 million to its shareholders.

As a follow up to our recent breaking news, twitter follower @whyis powerprivatelycontrolled sends this message: The ten Non-employee directors at PGE only earned about $100,000 each last year and the five named executives only raked in over $5 million total so that PGE ratepayers could pay their municipalities back the $50 million.

PGE does a lot of advertising do they? Not.

It only has its own YouTube channel where you can watch its stored propaganda:

http://www.youtube.com/user/PortlandGeneralElec

And if it doesn't advertise then why this job posting?

https://pgn.igreentree.com/CSS_External/CSSPage_JobDetail.ASP?T=20120524083830&

The implication was that the story was run because PGE is a big print advertiser for the Newhouse chain. Job postings hardly qualify as a big advertiser. Other than the rare safety ad PGE is not a major print ad buyer. Car dealers retalers yes PGE no. Get real.

the position listed is as "management of PGE’s branding, advertising, web site, customer and marketing communications, external communications and media relations." Maybe they don't do much print advertising but they still need a head of advertising. And what are they advertising anyway? You have no choice in buying the product.

Safety messages , clean energy choices, and time-of-use options are going to be pushed soon. You do have a choice whether to heat your house with a heat pump or natural gas and same goes for water heating.

Mike, do you work for PGE?

No But I work in the utiliy field.

Hey Mike, some of us most certainly do NOT have the choice of heating with natural gas. I've lived in various parts of Clackamas County for 15 years now and have never had that option. My choices right now are wood or PGE.

That PGE bill has gone up $100 per month in the winter each year with no increased usage. That is, the first year we lived here, our PGE bill was $500/mo. in the winter. The following winter it was $600/mo. This past one, $700/mo. That's damn near a house payment and just plain ridiculous.

"Mike" works at NW Natural Gas.

PGE does do a lot of advertising. Mostly for their "green" bulls**t.

Sorry you don't have a choice ex-bartender but many do.The service territories of Northwest Natural Gas and PGE overlap and many people do have a choice. Jack define what you mean by "a lot of advertising" When and where was their last print ad? Seen a few safety related (the danger of downed powerlines etc.)TV ads. I can't remember the last time I saw a PGE green power ad. Most of it is billing inserts.