OPT OUT UPDATE
AVA Editors and readers
The California Public Utilities Commission has been meeting since November 2nd for 2 weeks to discuss the Smartmeter Op Out regulation they accepted last year. The meeting includes the Department of Ratepayer Advocates (DRA, part of the CPUC), The Utility Reform Network (TURN,) Aglet, the Emf Safety Network, The Center for Electro Smog, and others.
What's up? A discussion of the Opt Out charge, safety concerns, research needs and community Opt Out. Currently some stubborn Mendocino residents are refusing what they deem as 'punitive' opt out portion in their bills and have received 15 and 3 day notice of power or gas cut off . Several years back, a family home burned because of candles used when PG&AE shut off the power because they could not pay their bill. Several family members died, The CPUC changed shut off policy because of this., but not in the Smartmeter situation. Is this a fair way to treat dissenting power consumers, who pay for their power, but challenge the Opt Out charge?
In Maine, the controversial Opt Out issue is suspended while being considered. In California, everything rolls on as discussion takes a distant back seat. During the heat of contention last year, when over 50 cities and counties were saying no, the regulating CPUC allowed utilities to roll out and waited 4-5 months before they created Opt Out provisions and ignored complex real concerns. Now the CPUC claims it is not fair to those on the Smartmeter program to absorb the Opt Out cost of others. Recall Mendocino Supervisors voted unanimously to support local concern and did not want SmartMeters. Mendocino was forced to have them.
The discussion includes: unresolved health concerns, the re-installation cost of analog meters, the right to self read and avoid Opt Out monthly costs, and the double charge of opt out plus the rate increase that pays for the Smartmeters and the roll out. PG&E and other utilities used contracted less trained installers to cut cost while they intend to use more expensive normal staff to return analog meters in many counties that said, “No!” via a resolutions. Furthermore, installers ignored signs on residential meters saying no Smartmeter The CPUC accepted Roll Over policy essentially creates more work for themselves and costs for ratepayers, who didn't want the Smartmeters.
The issue is bigger than Northern & Southern California. Maine has had a law suit regarding the Smartmeters and the Opt Out. Texas, Connecticut, Alabama, Illinois, Vermont and Hawaii are disputing them. Outside of the US, British Columbia has a class action suit against the meters and Australians complain of fires and similar problems.
There are many facets to the issue, but the most important is the health impacts to those individuals that have become electro hypersensitive because of Smartmeters, and can not live in proximity of a meter or regular AC power. Smartmeter RF impact is more intense in dense apartment and condominiums where a one meter opt out is spurious. Often 30-50 electric and gas meters can be sited on one wall that could be a bedroom and even residential housing can be dense.
Sandi Maurer of the Emf Safety Network noted that PG&E reported that 3.5 million Smartmeters were inactive (unable to report) and 5.5 million active in April. Many Smartmeters do not operate in our geologically challenging county and are being read by meter readers. Are Opt Out fees paying to read these inactive meters as well?
A DRA representative said self reading often leads to errors and are difficult to handle when rules only allowing 3 months back billing, Yet this reporter noted a couple local self readers with no real problem and only annual true up meter reading visits. The DPR recommends Levelized Billing programs that use previous year figures with true ups and thus less meter reading and lower opt out rates or none. Also solar true ups often come a year after readings. This same representative noted that the impacts of Maine's court battle may change the way things happen in California. Meanwhile Sandi Maurer says her organization is suing the CPUC because the CPUC ignored her science supported concerns around health, and formal request for serious research twice. PG&E appears content with the CPUC study (Shield Study) that bench tested Smartmeters at rate payer expense. Yet, a recent report in Bakersfield found more meters erroneous reporting higher rates, beyond the level reported in the Shield report. The roll out has been flawed from the beginning, starting in Bakersfield where the meters were installed three or more times due to untested technology failure. The bottom line is the CPUC allows the utilities to charge the ratepayers for the mistakes. If a PG&E worker offers you a non Smartmeter, that says Smartmeter on it, it is the first generation wired version that was supposed to use PG&E's power line that failed. They have a lot of them and we paid for them.
You have three avenues of recourse, two at the CPUC. Make complaints and inquiries at the Consumers Affair Branch or the DPA, both accessible via 415.703.2782 (ask for the specific department and mention SMs., but follow up with a letter to the specific division c/o 505 Van Ness Avenue San Francisco, CA 94102. The latter organizations are somewhat on the side of the ratepayers. Or you can support Maurer's Law suit www.emfsafetynetwork.org or checks to Box 1016 Sebastopol, CA 95473 to the EMF Safety Network. Those wanting tax credit for support over $100 should write the check to EON (Sister organization) to send to same location. The whole option aspect of this has been won via vigorous dissent, resolutions and disgruntled rate payers. PG&E per a new CEO acts like options were always available when in fact, big blue representatives tersely told ratepayers there was one choice: Smartmeters. Strong work up and down the state has won us that right. If you want a continued change, then support Sandi Maurer, a long time adamant opponent. The SmartMeter issue is not resolved and may be resolved by a variety of law suits. There is no doubt that the controversial meters, violated privacy, private land use and personal health. The latter will continue to plague a company whose business was solely electrical and now includes health intrusive communication tactics. PG&E does not know what they are doing, have demonstrated this, and use the CPUC to cover their errors with our money. We deserve a fair process that does not walk over rights and health concerns. Contention has gotten results. Support Maurer's Lawsuit!
Greg Krouse
SmartPhilo
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IT AGES WELL, IF WE DON’T
Greetings Mr. Anderson and Mr. Scaramella:
“Subject: News you won't get in the NY Times or NPR, bicycling, things that suck.
http://killinghope.org/bblum6/aer110.html
I had just returned to New Jersey from bike riders' paradise in Florida when the mega-storm (why do they give names to these goddamned things?) hit and I had to spend three days without electricity. Got to read three back issues of the AVA which had arrived while I was gone. Like Harper's and El Pais, the AVA ages well. My favorite section, Off the Record, doesn't go stale. Mr. Scaramella's contribution to this section about milk prices was a good read even by the light of four candles.
I send the link to Blum Reports just in case you don't know about it. It is, like your work, real, unpollyanacized solid journalism. It can be read or listened to without complex decoding skills, unlike the NY Times or Katrina vanden Heuvel's parody of The Nation, or the more hideous everyday, NPR. Despite my anger at the delays in delivery, I will be renewing my subscription to the AVA when it expires. And if needed, will make contributions to keep it afloat as I do with CounterPunch.
I'm not a violent person, but there are times when I want to choke Leonard Lopate, Cokie Roberts, and Steve Inskeep. In fact, I want to do so every time I hear these smug, sanctimonious imbeciles talking about anything. I get the same psycohopathic impulses on those rare occasions when I read the Times or The Nation. Bleeping vanden Heuval has turned the magazine into a feeble, "Lefties Home Journal". What can one expect from the daughter of a friend of "Wild Bill" Donavan, founder of the CIA?
Anyway, thank goodness for Blum's Reports, The AVA, Harper's and The Withlacoochie Bike Trail. And thank goodness I can still ride for hours and hours on my fast, blue Cannondale road bike. My R-300 was made in Pennsylvania by a work force of mostly women welders. It has a label that says "Made in the USA", and the people who made it were unionized. Unfortunately, several years ago Cannondale was bought by a foreign company--guess which country, and a short time later the plant in Pennsylania was closed and production was moved to you know where.
We seem to be seeing the effects of the Reverse Midas Touch: everything is turning into excrement.
Enough rambling. Samantha--or was it Sandra, has left a fucking mess. I have a lot of cleaning up to do.
All the best,
Louis S. Bedrock
Roselle, New Jersey
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CHORNOBYL REPORT
Editor and Fellow AVAers,
"Chernobyl (or Chornobyl, as it is now known in independent Ukraine) on April 26, 1986, experienced an explosion in reactor number four that throws a long shadow which still blights land and lives. At 1:23am that morning two miles south of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in a city of 50,000, the children of the now abandoned Pripyat kindergarten lost their innocence. Strewn on the floor, "cardboard pictures of Lenin as a young boy and as a leader -- the Soviet equivalent of baseball cards." "Dolls in various states of dress and dismemberment, loll on metal cots where the children once napped." 30 people died in the blast and fire or were exposed to lethal radiation. The fallout, 400 times more radioactivity than was released at Hiroshima, drove one third of a million people from their homes, and triggered an epidemic in thyroid cancer in the local children. The economic losses have amounted to hundreds of billions of dollars, while evidence of government bungling and secrecy emerged in its wake. And it sped the breakup of the Soviet Union. The radioactive elements of reactor four continue to smolder beneath a concrete and steel crypt, built in a hasty manner after the explosion, now threatens to collapse. A slow-motion catastrophe continues to unfold. Authorities report that the cancer fuse lit by Chornobyl will cost 400,000 lives. "It is a fire that can't be put out in our lifetimes. Several million fled their homes, and several million continue to live on contaminated land." "Children splash in puddles where the road has been hosed down, splash in radiation." While 240,000 men and women who worked the front lines of the disaster are afflicted with cataracts -- the hallmark of affliction of atom bomb survivors in Japan. In the 1990s there were 230 "excess" deaths in Pripyat from heart disease, leukemia and other cancers. Furthermore, it takes 20-25 years for some radiation induced cancers to appear. The Chornobyl Road has just begun. "That April day, 1100 buses lined up at Pripyat. By 5pm the city was empty. Gaspodi, Gaspodi, Gaspodi -- My God, my God, my God. Many of the 3400 brave men who took part in the containment of reactor four absorbed a lifetime dose of radiation in seconds. The shelter installed over reactor four is risky. The hottest spot in the sarcophagus at 3400 roentgens an hour would deliver a lethal dose in a few minutes." "The shelter is a threat to the people working here, to the residents, and to the environment." A new giant steel arch is in the process of being installed over the reactor. It will cost $800 million and it's the largest movable structure created on Earth.
Down time,
Diana Vance
Deadtree, Mendocino
PS. Cyrus Vance is not my father, that's my brother. And he works for the FBI. Brigadier General Daniel Vance, daddy was drafted three months before he turned 18 and shipped to the Philippines for World War II; one of three men in the 20th century to be promoted from drafted private to General without West Point. And after he worked five years on Apollo 11 he was given one of the first hundred metals walked on the moon. With a United States Army salute, Diana Vance, Deadmen, Mendocino
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WE KNOW BETTER
AVA,
Having read Mr. Kester's "plea for help" in the October 24 issue of the AVA, I am left wondering if I am not the only one who rolled my eyes in disgust?
Kester, like so many other inmates who use the AVA as a forum to solicit sympathy, portrays himself as a victim. A victim of his public defender, a victim of the district attorney, a victim of his tattoos, etc. And in doing so, pleads for funds, penpals and tears from our community.
Puh-Leeze! If Kester had any integrity or remorse for his hideous crime he would use the AVA as a forum in which to apologize to his victim's family, his family, the community and to his daughters. Instead, in typical sociopathic parasitic fashion he uses it to panhandle money from the community.
The facts in his case speak for themselves. Kester was at a well-known meth hang out when he came upon Jason Blackshear who, incidentally, had a protective order against Kester. Kester would ultimately beat Blackshear to death, then, to ensure he would not survive, placed a cord around Blackshear's neck. So now we fast-forward to Linda Thompson's representation of Kester. Thompson as we all are aware is certainly no F. Lee Bailey. But in her defense, she had little to work with. The district attorney had a slamdunk case against Kester. Kester knows this. But again, in typical sociopathic parasitic fashion he is using his attorney as a way to manipulate and panhandle in the AVA. If one should be inclined to make a donation, please direct it towards Kester's victim's family, or to the social service agencies in the community who will no doubt carry most of the burden of providing for Kester's children while he serves his life sentence.
As for you, Mr. Kester, your legacy is now that of a man convicted of murder. Do not let the final words you say to your community in the AVA be that of begging for money and sympathy. Let it be words of remorse and sorrow for your victim and all family members affected by your crime. For once, be the inmate who graces the AVA with some integrity and class, not as a needy victim. Because believe me, Mr. Kester, we all know better!
Alan Crow
Ukiah
PS. All my best to Mr. Flynn Washburne
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FRISCO KNOWS HOW
Editor,
I clearly remember the grief that beset me when Willie McCovey hit a line drive that was caught by Bobby Richardson, ending the seventh game of the 1962 World Series.
That grief never went away until, on my 70th birthday, the Giants won the World Series. And now, a mere two years later, they've won again!
The city of San Francisco was wise to set up the huge screen in Civic Center for the fans who couldn't be in Detroit, and what a party it must have been - citizens rejoicing together. I wish I could have been there. It made me think that perhaps San Francisco will once again be worthy of the phrase "the city that knows how."
Susan Bright Winn,
Ashland, Oregon
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WHIMSY
Editor,
On a whim, I searched up AVA on line and found it still there...in paper too.
I couldn't find any photos or cartoons. Do they, if any, not translate to web use?
I'll search later for comments about Cockburn, but...does, or can, anyone replace him?
And why aren't my cartoons, and letters etc, somehow not findable at search of the AVA site? C'mon. You don't need to bury the past, do you?
Incidentally, though I haven't done any new cartoons in over a year, many are, sadly, still relevant. Check them out (ones the AVA used or not) here and use any if you wish. Free for those who can't afford anything...even a comp subscription. ( I just got $7.50 for a cartoon used by monthly Zenith, in the Mid-west somewhere.)
Can't hurt to ask, but....is there any chance of being mailed a few recent AVAs? Just curious, and actually really interested...so that I can talk about it and all.
Best,
John Jonik
Philadelphia
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THE HEART OF BLATHERTUDE
To the Editor,
Please renew my subscription to be toughest newspaper in the land. May you continue to strike fear into the black heart of capitalism and blathertude.
Here's who I read in every issue: Bruce Anderson, Jeff Costello (who got me hooked on the AVA some 20 years ago), Steve Heilig, David Yearsley, Jim Tully, Denis Rouse, Michael Gartner, Will Perrish, Todd Walton and of course Bruce McEwen. The courtroom vignettes would please a judge in old Dodge City who opened one session with the declaration: "Trot out the wicked and unfortunate and let the cotillion commence."
Some things could improve. Will the promising Darren Delmore stopped writing about boring wine people? Will Steve Sparks lose the silly questions? Can anyone fill Alexander Cockburn's brogans? I'll pay for another year just to find out.
Good book: "American Rust" by Philipp Meyer.
Good jazz: "Christian aTunde Adjuah" by Christian Scott.
Good day,
Michael Townsend
Port Townsendd, Washington
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DON’T DO IT, JAY
Bruce & y'all,
My mail delivery is not improving. Last issue I got was 10 days in transit. Current issue is missing yet, one week in.
St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento in 10 days on a speeding pony, through night and day, of course the cost was exorbitant, and sometimes the Paiutes caused delay or death. But that was more than a century ago.
It would appear that the usps is fucked. Hope my mail-in ballot makes it all the way to Oroville, an easy day's ride. As such, as a print subscriber, I'm gonna need a user id and password for the AVA's website.
WordPress? They don't know me.
Cheers & etc.
Jay Bergstrom
Forest Ranch
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PUNKED BY THE PALACE
Editor,
I wonder at what point it will dawn on Ukiah's City Council that they are being punked by this woman who purports to be the owner of the Palace Hotel? I mean, with all due respect to those who have toured this giant brick compost bin, and somehow came away thinking that it is at all in the realm of the possible for this rotted ruin to be completely renovated, I can only, as someone who had performed the incredibly labor-intensive task of cutting out and replacing pieces of rotten framing, point out the self-evident absurdity of such an idea. Just walk in the front door of the Palace and behold the rotten lath and plaster hanging down from the composting framing above. No, this building is NOT going to be renovated; just as the "winterizing” that the alleged owner claims to have done in the Journal's most recent article on the subject, consists of stapling up plastic over the broken or missing windows, only to have it blow out in a matter of days, or spreading a little tar around on what must be a mossy, rotted disaster of an ancient roof (which I would wager will only slightly decrease the roof leakage). The composting of the entire structure will continue at more or less the same rate as it has been for decades.
Do you know the expression 'cargo cult'? It refers to some of the native peoples on some of these South Pacific islands, whose lives were affected by the arrival of US military during World War II. Some of them, after all the GIs and their gear had departed, would build funky little mini-runways, hoping that planes filled with all the goodies that came along with the soldiers, would once again land there.
It seems to me that the ‘plan’ for financing the undoubtedly enormous cost of renovating the Palace, is rather like a cargo cult; the ‘owner’ is hoping that by building this mini runway with plastic sheeting over rotted windows etc., soon cargo planes full of cash will appear out of nowhere.
Barring the deus ex machina of some extraordinarily well-heeled philanthropist (who loves old buildings so much that he or she is willing to spend 10 million or so with no prospect of any reasonable return on investment) comes along to save the day, we will soon be back to the situation where we started several years ago; almost an entire city block in the heart of our humble town being occupied by a rotting, irreparable fire hazard. Salvage bricks and a much needed parking lot looks like the ‘highest and best use’ in the near term, at least. Will the City Council finally put it’s foot down on this fiasco?
Sincerely,
John Arteaga
Ukiah
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DOING WHAT WE CAN DO
To the Editor:
A response to Malcolm Macdonald’s River Views.
The Basslers and the Nesches of this county have been trying fervently, to no avail, to improve mental health care and accessibility. Slews of letters have appeared concerning the homeless and their mental and physical needs.
But providing for them is a daunting task, requiring millions of dollars and hoards of helping professionals.
Responding to the needs of abused dogs is doable, especially since we have several all-volunteer animal rescue groups in our county. Just because they care about our non-human friends doesn’t mean they are insensitive to the plight of disenfranchised humans. I’m thankful we have the Daisy Pitbull Rescue group and Second Chance which provides medication, food and clothing for the companion dogs of the homeless and the Food Bank clients.
Mr. Swartout is a chronic menace to society, a drunk and violent troublemaker and troubled man. Setting him straight will take an enormous amount of taxpayer dollars and, most likely, years and years of therapy.
Frankie, the abused dog, can be rehabbed faster and cheaper. I’m thanking Miss Daisy for that.
Louise Mariana
Mendocino
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THANKS, DARK CARNIES
Dear Editor,
On Hallowe’en night the Dark Carnival came to Boonville to put on a party. Now that the Carnival has left town, it’s time to say “Thanks” to the folks whose efforts made the whole shebang happen.
So mighty thanks to The Magic Company, who not only let a bunch of upstarts usurp the holiday, but came out with experience, skills and materials that made all the difference between amateur night and a rockin’ event. Thanks to Henry, Lady Rainbow, Joansey, Mark, & Captain Rainbow.
Thanks to Anderson Valley Brewing Company, Handley Cellars and Bite Hard Cider for donations of libations.
Thanks to The Boonville Hotel for providing the food and allowing us to use their beautiful kitchen for prep and storage, and to Tucker for managing all that.
Thanks to the folks who peopled the gate and the carnival games- you all are awesome!
Thanks to Church Marching Band of Santa Rosa and SAMVEGA of St Helena for coming all the way out to this little out of the way place so that a bunch of Boonvillians could boogie down.
And thank you to everyone who showed up ready for a good time! We raised over $1000 for the Anderson Valley Health Center thanks to the generous support of all the aforementioned.
And hey, while we’re at it, a little pat on the back for the wildly creative, artistic, hard-working, talented and good looking Dark Carnies.
Until the next Dark Carnival Presents…
Tanner, Cob, Brooks, Jeremy, Julianne, Bethany, Celia, Brice, Katie, Taunia, Andy and Angela
Boonville
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THE DOWNSIDE
Editor,
I was in charge of one of the SFPD's rapid response squads on World Series Night. We rushed from location to location at 70-80mph through city streets, risking our lives, to stave off the misdeeds of the celebratory Giants fans. These great fans were setting fires to buildings, groping women, drinking, taking over intersections and assaulting us with bottles, bricks and broomsticks. We were outnumbered in every situation (1,000 people at one intersection) that we encountered, but still managed to quell this stupid behavior by 2am. The Gigantes should put out a public service message addressing this aberrant behavior. If they don't, they own it.
Go, Giants!
Sgt. Thomas Haymond, SF police
San Francisco
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OCCUPY YOUR HOME
Letter to the Editor;
A number of Occupy Mendocino members spoke before the County Board of Supervisors on October 16th in Fort Bragg Town Hall. We urged the Supervisors to use their oversight of landtitle matters , including eminent domain to halt foreclosures for the public good and demanding proof of title from the lenders. This would be a means of transferring the troubled securitized loans to the county if they set up a land bank as was done in Detroit.
According to CJ Holmes-of Home Owners for Justice, www.hofj.org this would bring a new revenue stream to the county since the lenders of Securitized Loans cannot be proven due to forged documents "robo-signed"- assignmnents and trustee substitutions and the foreclosures based on them that are already in county records prepared by banks and their lawyers.
The County could take possession of both the securitized loans and the foreclosures based on them, for just the cost of clerical work and re-issue modified loans to the property owners, thus creating a new revenue stream for the county.
Real estate market transactions could return to normal . Low cost credit could be available for county projects.The wealth of the community would stay for our benefit.
Please consider attending a Foreclosure Town Hall meeting locally, a date and place to be announced. CJ Holmes will present powerful evidence that the foreclosure avalanche is getting worse as banks are moving all their loan servicing and modifications to off-shore subsidieries, thereby circumventing the Attorney General Settlement and oversight by the U.S. Government .
We urge you to let the Supervisors know you support their use of Eminent Domain. We at Occupy urge everyone to attend FTH, particularly elected representatives as this solution to the forclosure crisis is a golden opportunity to stop the destruction of our communities, jobs and hard won family finances.
Sincerely,
Agnes Woolsey,
Mendocino
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