This report was published in July 2000. It should be considered outdated and is kept online for historical purposes only.

Please click the link below to see the latest information on the Bush Pioneer - Ranger Network

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Pioneer Profiles: George W. Bush's $100,000 Club
 
Name: R. Steve Letbetter
Occupation: CEO, Reliant Energy
Industry: Energy & Natural Resources
Home: Houston, Texas

   

Political Contributions:
Bush Gubernatorial Races: 
 $0
Republican Hard Money: 
$0
Republican Soft Money: 
$0
Democratic Hard Money: 
$0
Democratic Soft Money: 
$0
Federal PAC Hard Money:
$0
Total Contributions:
 $0
Soft Money from Employer:
$153,000
to Republicans:
$120,000
to Democrats:
$33,000
Reliant is the new name of the former Houston Industries, the parent of Houston Lighting & Power. It turned a $622 million profit in ‘99. Letbetter recently replaced Pioneer Don Jordan as CEO of this company. Jordan recalls his toughest challenge as completing Texas’ first nuclear plant. The South Texas Nuclear Project went 15 years and millions of dollars over budget. Reliant was the fourth largest employer of Texas lobbyists in ’99, spending up to $1.8 million on a phalanx of 43 lobbyists. Between ’95 and ’98, the company’s political action committees spent $631,324 to influence politicians, moving $25,000 to Bush. Bush has been reliable for Reliant. When Texas deregulated its electric markets in ’99, Reliant achieved its goal of making ratepayers bail it out for the cost of its nuclear plant, which cannot compete in an open market. Exploiting a “grandfather” loophole, Reliant never installed modern pollution controls on filthy old power plants that have annual air-pollution emissions equivalent to that of 670,482 cars. 


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