The Governor of Texas is now both condemning the price hikes and investigating the companies. So there may be hope that folks will see a moratorium on their electric bills (and cancelations) and hopefully those already wiped out financially will get back on their feet between state and federal aid.

I'm really hoping something better will come out of this mess. If anything it only goes to prove exactly why we need better social safety nets in place. Not just relief funds for those facing disaster, but also why government restrictions and oversights are needed in areas that are going to affect large swaths of people. I know there are people (and myself included) who largely don't trust the government overall, but there is a need for agencies that help ensure people are looked out for and that the drive for ever-more profit does not cost human lives.