Saugerties wakes up
There has been an incredible backlash against the Saugerties citizens that are raising issues about the placement of water meters on their properties. I find this situation so important to the growth of political awareness in Saugerties. I have struggled to get my parents to research these issues that I have known about for years through alternative media. I commend Greco and Aiello for searching for real answers beyond the government-sponsored propaganda the mainstream media spews.
I also find it very disconcerting that the Saugerties Times is joining the national trend in journalism by becoming pro-establishment. Just like its sister paper the Kingston Times that attacks Mayor Shayne Gallo on his behavior, there was no mention of the reporter challenging the Town Board or the supervisor or even try to find out the source of disconnect between the town government and the citizens. The article focused on the citizens’ behavior and never went in depth on issues raised.
This is a device that is being placed on peoples’ personal property. Property owners have a right to question its safety and they have a right to challenge the government about invading their property.
The real issue is the Clean Air and Water Act. Even though this legislation was introduced to protect the environment and the American people from corporations toxic waste, current environmental policy has been about sacrificing human well being for the good of the environment. Today, the Clean Air and Water Act works to defend the corporations and also promote big government. For example, there was a recent case brought to the attention of Senator Rand Paul about the EPA taking over someone’s property because it was determined after it was purchased that it was wetland. I encourage you to research that case to see first hand how the government is manipulating the environment to serve its own interests. Scarier is the story of John P. Holden, President Obama’s science czar, who has openly written about population control as a solution to our environmental problems. Obama gave a pass to BP who decimated our gulf waters and the economy and health of the Gulf Coast population. Corporations blow up mountains and contaminate water causing cancer in West Virginia, and they get a pass and a tax break!
The skepticism of the government, I feel, is stemming from recent evidence that the government is violating our civil rights by spying on us, arresting us without warrant, taking our guns as protected under the Constitution, and so much more. The government has a very cavalier attitude towards it citizens, disregarding their concerns until people are ready to explode. I am beyond thrilled that Saugertesians are taking a stand against the status quo and speaking out about what works for them. I used to be embarrassed to say I was from Saugerties as it always seemed to settle for petty power play politics over taking a stance on real issues. I am embarrassed no more.
Sarah Hyatt-Dahman
Saugerties
Read the story on the Glasco meeting and a previous story focusing on meter safety and the town’s rationale for purchasing them
Cost, not health, is issue with new meters
At the Glasco Water District meeting at the Glasco Fire House on Aug. 27 an attempt was made to explain the need for the installation of new “smart” water meters in the water district. Both residents and non-residents explained the danger of RF radiation from so called “smart” meters. Above the shouting and emotions displayed opposing the new meters, it was not made clear that basically these new meters are not much different from the present meters. Today a meter reader must go to each house and connect a device to extract the readings of the gallons used. In the future a vehicle will simply drive past the house with a device which will query the meter through an RF device to obtain the reading. The new meters are not smart! They simply respond with a 2 watt burst of RF energy for 1/4 of a second containing the reading of gallons used. They do not continually emit RF energy. They are sitting there “listening” for a query. This will be done twice a year! This is quite different from our portable phones which we have in our houses which continually emit RF from the base unit to the portable receiver. The new meters are similar to our garage door openers which many of us use on a daily basis. The receiver in the garage is sitting ‘listening’ for the request to open from the device in the car. When we push the button in our car, a short burst of RF energy is sent to the opener and the door opens. So what’s the real problem? The real problem is we, the residents, are spending nearly a million dollars for new meters that we don’t need. New federal regulations go into effect as of January 2014 which prohibit the installation / replacement of lead / brass devices when replacement or new installations are needed (with the current water meters). So the water district should have on hand a supply of nonmetallic meters for those situations. It will take many years to recover the dollar savings of an individual walking house to house versus the cost of the new meters and reading devices. Will the district lay off any employees? Probably not! So why are we being burdened with a new debt which we really don’t need? I am opposed to the new meters because of the debt, not because of the RF radiation. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
John Gaetjen
Saugerties
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