JOHN SEEWER, Associated Press

2 months ago

FILE – Joe Wurzelbacher, also known as “Joe the Plumber,” laughs while talking outside of his home in Holland, Ohio, Oct. 16, 2008. Wurzelbacher, who was thrust into the political spotlight as “Joe the Plumber” after questioning Barack Obama about his economic policies during the 2008 presidential campaign, has died, his son said Monday, Aug. 28, 2023. He was 49. His oldest son, Joey Wurzelbacher, said his father died Sunday, Aug. 27, in Wisconsin after a long illness. (AP Photo/Madalyn Ruggiero, File)

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Samuel “Joe” Wurzelbacher, who was thrust into the political spotlight as “Joe the Plumber” after questioning Barack Obama about his economic proposals during the 2008 presidential campaign, and who later forayed into politics himself, has died, his son said Monday. He was 49.

His oldest son, Joey Wurzelbacher, said his father died Sunday in Wisconsin after a long illness. His family announced this year on an online fundraising site that he had pancreatic cancer.

“The only thing I have to say is that he was a true patriot,” Joey Wurzelbacher — whose father had the middle name Joseph and went by Joe — said in a telephone interview. “His big thing is that everyone comes to God. That’s what he taught me, and that’s a message I hope is heard by a lot of people.”

He went from toiling as a plumber in suburban Toledo, Ohio, to life as a media sensation when he asked Obama about his tax plan during a campaign stop.

Their exchange and Obama’s response that he wanted to “spread the wealth around” aired often on cable news. Days later, Obama’s Republican opponent, U.S. Sen. John McCain, repeatedly cited “Joe the Plumber” in a presidential debate.

Wurzelbacher soon faced intense media scrutiny and acknowledged that he didn’t have a plumber’s license, saying at the time he didn’t need one because he worked for small plumbing company owned by someone else.

Wurzelbacher went on to campaign with McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. But he later criticized McCain in his book and said he did not want him as the GOP presidential nominee.

His sudden fame turned him into a sought-after voice for many anti-establishment conservatives, and he traveled the country speaking at tea party rallies and conservative gatherings.

He also wrote a book and worked with a veterans organization that provided outdoor programs for wounded soldiers.

In 2012, he made a bid for a U.S. House seat in Ohio. But he lost in a landslide to Democrat Marcy Kaptur in a district heavily tilted toward Democrats.

Republicans had recruited him to run and thought his fame would help bring in enough money to mount a serious challenge. But he drew criticism during the campaign for suggesting that the United States should build a fence at the Mexico border and “start shooting” at immigrants suspected of entering the country illegally.

Wurzelbacher returned to working as a plumber after he gave up on politics, his family said.

Funeral arrangements were pending. Survivors include his wife, Katie, and four children.

___

Associated Press writer Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.

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Samuel “Joe” Wurzelbacher, who was thrust into the political spotlight as “Joe the Plumber” after questioning Barack Obama about his economic policies during the 2008 presidential campaign, and who later forayed into politics himself, has died, his son said Monday. He was 49.

His oldest son, Joey Wurzelbacher, said his father died Sunday in Wisconsin after a long illness. His family announced this year on an online fundraising site that he had pancreatic cancer.

“The only thing I have to say is that he was a true patriot,” Joey Wurzelbacher — whose father had the middle name Joseph and went by Joe — said in a telephone interview. “His big thing is that everyone come to God. That’s what he taught me, and that’s a message I hope is heard by a lot of people.”

He went from toiling as a plumber in suburban Toledo, Ohio, to life as a media sensation when he asked Obama about his tax plan during a campaign stop.

Their exchange and Obama’s response that he wanted to “spread the wealth around” aired often on cable news. Days later, Obama’s Republican opponent, U.S. Sen. John McCain, repeatedly cited “Joe the Plumber” in a presidential debate.

Wurzelbacher soon faced intense media scrutiny and acknowledged that he didn’t have a plumber’s license, saying at the time he didn’t need one because he worked for a small plumbing company owned by someone else.

Wurzelbacher went on to campaign with McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, but he later criticized McCain in his book and said he did not want him as the GOP presidential nominee.

His sudden fame turned him into a sought-after voice for many anti-establishment conservatives, and he traveled the country speaking at tea party rallies and conservative gatherings.

He also wrote a book and worked with a veterans organization that provided outdoor programs for wounded soldiers.

In 2012, he made a bid for a U.S. House seat in Ohio, but he lost in a landslide to Democrat Marcy Kaptur in a district heavily tilted toward Democrats.

Republicans had recruited him to run and thought his fame would help bring in enough money to mount a serious challenge. But he drew criticism during the campaign for suggesting that the United States should build a fence at the Mexico border and “start shooting” at immigrants suspected of entering the country illegally.

Wurzelbacher returned to working as a plumber after he gave up on politics, his family said.

Funeral arrangements were pending. Survivors include his wife, Katie, and four children.

Associated Press writer Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.

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Security guards and portable toilets spotted at PG&E substations around San Francisco could be linked to a recent break-in at a facility, raising safety concerns among consumer advocates amid attacks on power grids across the country.

According to the San Francisco Police Department, the break-in occurred at 8:39 p.m. on June 9 at the PG&E substation on Leidesdorff Street near Commercial Street.

“We witnessed an unauthorized break-in at a San Francisco substation and are working with law enforcement to investigate,” PG&E spokesman Jason King confirmed, adding that there were no power outages related to the incident.

According to initial police investigations, an unknown person gained access to the facility and manipulated a control panel in the electrical system. PG&E security personnel notified the FBI after the incident.

Dispatch audio recordings from the time of the incident described it as “sabotage” and classified it as malicious mischief or vandalism.

District Manager Aaron Peskin, who represents the area, didn’t know if guards were stationed at other PG&E substations in San Francisco, but said the incident may have been a reason to add them.

“If there are guards, I’m assuming it’s not because of broken transformers, but because they hacked into one of their substations,” Peskin said.

When asked if the incident resulted in an increased security presence around the utility’s San Francisco substations, King said he couldn’t name specific security measures to “avoid giving anyone a roadmap.”

Security guards and mobile toilets were spotted at three substations in different parts of the city.

Attacks on the power grid in the United States

Recent attacks on nine substations in North Carolina, Washington and Oregon have increased concerns about power grid security.

The New York Times reported in February that the FBI had offered two $25,000 rewards for information leading to the conviction of those responsible for two shootings at a North Carolina substation in December and January. The January incident left 45,000 people without power for five days.

Recent attacks have made network security a key priority for North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC).

“The increase in physical attacks on the nation’s power infrastructure underscores the need to continue to assess potential grid vulnerabilities and determine whether additional security controls are needed to more fully protect this critical infrastructure going forward,” said Rachel Sherrard, spokeswoman for NERC. in an opinion.

According to one report, PG&E spent $300 million protecting substations after a San Jose substation was hit by gunfire in 2013, causing $15 million in damage.

The San Jose incident prompted a brief statewide safety assessment, according to Thomas Long, director of regulatory strategy at the Utility Reform Network, a California consumer advocacy group for utilities.

“There was some effort [California] “The Public Utilities Commission needs to look into whether PG&E and other utilities are taking care of the adequate security of these substations, but that was many years ago and I don’t recall there being a public inquiry,” Long said.

It has long been questioned whether regulators will hold PG&E accountable for making proper use of its revenue, which is funded by the high utility fees paid by consumers.

“I don’t know if PG&E is doing enough security efforts given the money taxpayers are paying,” he said. “Our tariffs fund PG&E to provide these security guards at the substations.”

The California Public Utilities Commission did not respond to comment at the time of publication.

In late April, thousands of customers in Downtown and Chinatown were without power for five days after a fire at a PG&E underground vault at 640 Clay St. The San Francisco Fire Department responded in less than four minutes, but it took PG&E 20 minutes to arrive at the scene.

The delay in emergency response time and restoration of power prompted Peskin to convene a May 18 hearing where residents of affected areas criticized the utility.

“There have been numerous failures of vaults and other PG&E equipment over many years,” Peskin said at the hearing. “This particular incident is characterized by the fact that […] power was restored to the last buildings and individuals 123 hours later.”

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