FOR the past 10 years, the official policy of the city of Los Angeles was to inhibit the development of green power alternatives to fossil fuels for electricity production through discounts to the largest users that prevented them from installing solar panels or buying clean energy privately.

Belatedly, the Department of Water and Power has jumped into the green energy movement and started frantically buying wind power from neighboring states by outbidding other utilities by as much as 20 percent. Then they pass through the full cost to ratepayers without even needing a public vote or discussion - without even calling it a rate increase.

And now the city that has relied on smokestacks belching noxious gases from coal-burning power plants for so long it is stumbling madly into the solar energy business without having a clue about what it's doing - except for the certain knowledge that the city will stick the public with the bill.

Politics always takes precedence over policy at City Hall, and self-service always prevails over public service.

First, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the City Council approved putting a measure on the March 3 primary ballot to coerce business and industrial firms and public agencies into using the DWP exclusively to install solar panel on rooftops.

They've labeled it Proposition B, but BS would be more fitting. They're calling it the "Green Energy/Good Jobs" plan when the reverse is is true. This is about creating city jobs that pay lots of green by exploiting the public's desire to develop good energy sources like solar power.

After all, this plan was put forward by a front group for the Internation Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. This is the powerful union led by Brian D'Arcy that represents all DWP workers, except for some top executives, and rakes in 5.9 percent pay raises on top of their already huge salaries and commits millions of dollars to make sure the city's elected officials do its bidding.

City Hall could have allowed DWP officials and outside consultants to conduct a thorough study of what is entailed in harvesting the sun's rays for electricity. City officials could have let the DWP Board of Commissioners conduct of a full and open debate, and then taken responsibility by approving their solar plan without putting it on the ballot.

Instead, they chose to put the plan on the ballot - with no questions asked, no information available on costs and benefits. It's essentially a blank check for rate increases and an ineffective program that they will say is what voters wanted if it passes.

Given City Hall's track record of raising millions of dollars from special interests to beguile the populace into submission, the March solar energy measure will probably pass. That is, unless the 85 percent of the people who don't vote suddenly wake up from their stupor and start acting like responsible citizens.

Already Villaraigosa is working his powers of seduction to break the solid opposition among environmentalists to this phony IBEW plan by making a lot of vague promises about how he will spend a lot more public money subsidizing other solar energy initiatives.

Again, there's been no study, no planning, just a lot of hollow promises about giving away a lot of public dollars by a city likely to be facing a $1 billion budget shortfall over the next two years.

This is no way to run a city. It's no way to achieve positive goals like less dependence on fossil fuels.

And squeezing every last cent out of the working people to give to unions, corporations and consultants is no way to restore credibility to a government that has lost the confidence of the people.

Ron Kaye is the former editor of the Daily News and founder of the Saving L.A. Project. Contact him through his blog, RonKayeLA.com.