Posted on 05/06/2013 8:47:17 PM PDT by Windflier
Just got this in email tonight, and thought I'd pass it on to my fellow Texans. There's an important vote coming up on Wednesday, 8 May in the Texas Senate regarding smart meters. This is a call to contact your state Senator regarding this important vote.
The email:
To my Friends in Texas – I’m going to just ask you to trust me! Most of you on this list know that I’m not into “radical” stuff – and many know that although I have passed along a little info opposing Smart Meters in the past, it has definitely not been a passionate cause for me. Until now.
In the past week, at two different meetings, I’ve heard some very reasoned and intelligent presentations by educated and informed people whom I deeply respect, that have convinced me that I definitely do not want a smart meter on my house, and feel no one should!
I’m not into the medical reasons (though I’ve seen enough presentations on this by intelligent people to agree that these can pose serious problems to some). It’s the presentations regarding security risks, hacking problems, privacy matters, huge potential for outside control (already happening in some places), and on and on, that are making me passionate.
The attachments will give you plenty of background. Read it all if you have time. Or trust me! The important thing is to call and email your state Senator (and any others you have time for) today or tomorrow.
URGE THEM TO VOTE YES ON SB241 ON WEDNESDAY!
Below are some talking points – if needed – when contacting the Senators. (These are not mine, but they’re very helpful.)
For all Senators’ phone numbers: http://www.senate.state.tx.us/assets/pdf/Senate_Phone_List.pdf
TALKING POINTS WHEN YOU CALL:
PLEASE Vote in favor of SB241 !
This bill gives the citizens the right to choose whether or not we have a monitoring and control computer on the side of our house.
Or, if it has already been installed without providing full disclosure or securing permission, this bill also enables us to have the smart meter removed, if we do not want it.
Regarding the speculated cost of the opt-out provision, this bill recognizes that charging consumers to pay extra not to participate in a non-mandatory program whose benefits do not outweigh the risks nor the increased costs is irrational and irresponsible. Paying extra to protect ne's health or privacy or security of personal information is unjustified.
The bill allows us to keep our lifestyle choices (how we use our electricity) private and secure from others who have no business knowing or controlling what we do in our own home.
This bill protects Texas' grid independence; maintaining Texas' sovereignty over our natural resources is paramount and nonpartisan. By establishing a joint legislative study committee, this bill also recognizes the lack of consideration given to the potential for very serious negative health effects associated with electromagnetic frequencies.
We very much hope we can we count your support for the bill as it is written - with no amendments, repeat, no amendments!
If you have any questions or comments, we would be very happy to discuss our opinions with you. Thank you for all the work you do. And thank you even more for voting for SB241.
Senators' emails:
Brian.Birdwell@senate.state.tx.us
donna.campbell@senate.state.tx.us
wendy.davis@senate.state.tx.us
robert.deuell@senate.state.tx.us
robert.duncan@senate.state.tx.us
rodney.ellis@senate.state.tx.us
troy.fraser@senate.state.tx.us
glenn.hegar@senate.state.tx.us
juan.hinojosa@senate.state.tx.us
joan.huffman@senate.state.tx.us
jane.nelson@senate.state.tx.us
robert.nichols@senate.state.tx.us
dan.patrick@senate.state.tx.us
ken.paxton@senate.state.tx.us
jose.rodriguez@senate.state.tx.us
Charles.schwertner@senate.state.tx.us
kel.seliger@senate.state.tx.us
carlos.uresti@senate.state.tx.us
leticia.vandeputte@senate.state.tx.us
kirk.watson@senate.state.tx.us
Royce.west@senate.state.tx.us
john.whitmire@senate.state.tx.us
tommy.williams@senate.state.tx.us
Judith.zaffirini@senate.state.tx.us
Here in California, PG&E came through and installed smart meters on all of the houses in our area. Our house received one without my knowledge or permission. They do provide a way to “opt” out of the smart meters, but at a price. I had to pay a fee of something like $35.00 to have them come out, remove the smart meter, and re-install the old one. In addition, I now have to pay an extra fee of something like $10.00 per month in order to continue having the old-fashioned meter. What a scam!! I am not thrilled, to say the least, but I am paying the extra money to keep big brother at bay for little while longer....
For nearly 100 years utility customers have had strangers (meter readers) peering over their fences once a month. THAT is an invasion of privacy! But if you wanted the service you accepted it.
Now they want to read their meters remotely, eliminating the monthly peeping tom, and everyone’s up in arms! Sheeesh!
Oh, there's a very big difference, and it's in the data that's been collected on your private electrical usage.
I highly suggest doing some cursory reading on the subject to get at least a rudimentary understanding of what's going on here.
At least you're fighting back is some fashion. Kudos to you.
You really ought to do yourself a favor and do some digging on this subject. It goes a lot deeper than merely reading your meter remotely.
Great post for awareness. I had the “smart meter” removed and the old style reinstalled about 3 mos. ago. The smart meter was installed last year. Location is on the outer wall directly behind our bedroom. I noticed I could not sleep at night and over the period of 8 mos. experienced a decline in health. I ran across an article regarding these meters and saw that there were very reasoned arguments for not wanting this meter, especially so close to your sleeping space. I also noticed that since the meter is gone my electric bill has been reduced by about 30 to 40 percent per month. Everyone should decline this meter. I do believe you have a RIGHT to decline it. You should post a label on your meter warning that it cannot be replaced with a smart meter. It warns the electric company that you are not agreeing to this meter.
They do it with the internets!
I really don't understand Freepers who welcome "big brother" into their home so willingly.
Thanks for the ping.
I’ve had debates on other forums regarding Smart Meters. Most people think I’m a tin-foil hat nutcase, and, personally, I like that, because it means that they will accept the Smart Meters, and therefore the utilities will get what they want - at the same time I get what I want, if this bill passes, as I get to opt out.
I think 5 to 10 years from now, when everything in one’s house is centrally controlled, many more people will want to opt out...but it will probably be too late, and I’ll be grandfathered with a good old dumb meter.
At least that’s my hope.
With the Smart Meter comes incremental electric billing (charge more at the hottest part of the day just to increase profits), the ability to shut off your power individually with no warning. Further, with the advent of so many “smart” systems, there is the threat of reading your individual systems through the meter. Data is always being transmitted along the power lines already. In addition, there is no ability to keep the utility from surreptitiously changing the power measuring algorithm without your knowledge.
We’ve had one for over five years. Our bills have been the same as when they are manually read. We also have a water meter that the city just drives by, and it transmits our water usage instead of having an employee open the cover and read usage.
The utility department can give you an hour by hour printout of any month. That actually helped us, when we had a lead between the meter and house. The city looked at the start date and when I fixed the line and gave us a cost adjustment.
I already have what I call a “smart meter”. It enables the electric company to read my meter without coming on to my property. I can keep my gate locked and I know my dogs are not getting out. What am I missing or is this NOT the device you are talking about?
Guinei Pigs in a small rowboat causing waterflow over an impeller running a generator???
Ohhh wait...That brings up a Co-Gen issue...Oops yer screwed there...;-)
Ditter, it sounds like you have one of those meters that can be read at a distance with a hand held device. Not the same as the so-called ‘smart meters’.
Search on the keyword, ‘smartmeter’ at FR and tons of articles will pop up. This thing is an insidious information gathering device that you probably don’t want.
You know, all kidding aside...(I know its hard for me at times)...
They put a smart meter on our house wihtout any fanfare or briefing on what it was supposed to do...I thought it was to make it easier to bill us...
Sure it could be monitored remotely and reduce the need for manual (onsite) inspection/monitoring...For billing purposes...
If somehow we are under the potential for regulation of our usage, and the rates of usage, somehow they want to brown us out, or shut us down completely without any input from us, as the case may be determined BY THEM, then yeah, I have a problem with it, and if these smart meters allow them to do it easier then hell yeah, lets pull their plug...
But if the agenda is clear to them and they are allowed by law to do this, what is to stop them anyway??? they don’t need to pic through and shut us down individually, they can just shut down the plants that generate the power to our grid and boom...There go the lights...
Bottom line: I would like to go back to where it is hard for them to micromanage our power usage...If we leave the lights on, we pay for it...If we conserve and do the right thing and not waste the power generated, then what the hell is the big beef then???
That’s actually a rhetorical question...
I have some “things” that keep me powered up, in cases of emergency, that they cannot regulate...And the means to keep them, if they decide to somehow desire that we give those things up...
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/smartmeters/index?tab=articles
You know...Come to think of it ours may be one of those drive-by (from the street) easy read meters also...
Ditter and I live in the same area, and CenterPoint has installed a lot of those in the last couple of years...
But, since this has come up, I will ping my State Senator and ask him where he falls on this issue/bill...that’s Larry Taylor...I will also get Senator Eltife up in N.E. Texas a call as well...Thats about all I can do...
Thanks, Stevie. Much appreciated.
Senator Eltife from Texas Senate District 1 is a “yea” on this one tomorrow...
FYI...
For many, the meter is located near a bedroom. I am concerned about the long-term health effects from the peak energy emitted by the meter. Although I am no expert on this, but it’s not hard to find testimony from medical experts and scientists who are concerned. Search for Dr. Carpenter for a bunch of information. Here is one article:
http://maisonsaine.ca/smart-meters-correcting-the-gross-misinformation/
And a related concern is not just the smart meters, but also the intermittent transmission meters (that send the information back and forth from the smart meters) that are installed throughout the neighborhoods.
Common sense tells me that surely all of this radiation is going to add up, and it may cause immediate effects to those who are especially sensitive to ongoing radiation. Also commen sense tells me that the government/industry coalition that is pushing the smart meters did not bother with careful safety studies.
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