BC HYDRO Part 3 (AKA) Does "No" actually mean "No" to the BC Liberals? To all of them? Some of them? And on what day?

Today's Conservative Thoughts commentary is a guest op / ed.  Unfortunately I am unable to include the name of the writer, but this is a person I have known and have respected for nearly 20 years.

 

As B.C. Hydro and Corix installers roll out across the province, targeting people who’ve refused the Hydro smart meters, the message changes constantly.

“I’ve been ordered to put a meter on every house
and I’m doing it.”, he replied ... and he did.

From 85,000 to 140,000 British Columbians have registered with Hydro to refuse the smart meters. Reasons include health, safety, privacy, time of day billing and, as one man put it, “the jack-booted way it’s being imposed”.

On January 22nd Energy Minister Rich Coleman reassured the hold-outs that meters wouldn’t be forced upon them.

On January 29th Liberal MLA Gordon Hogg issued a statement, telling people pressured to accept new meters, to notify their MLA’s.

On January 30th a Kamloops reporter wanting to confirm the government’s position, phoned several MLAs.  BC Liberal MLA and Energy Minster Rich Coleman wasn’t available, but his office sent a copy of the Jan. 22nd statement that Smart Meters would not be forced on them.

Gordon Hogg’s office replied “Mr. Hogg is no longer speaking to the media on the smart meter issue.” 

Kamloops South Thompson MLA Kevin Krueger, the only Liberal MLA who would speak, said “..We always have some people who think everything’s bad for them. …however there are some people with really unique health conditions.  I don’t want to have smart meters anywhere near them."

People felt reassured.  It didn’t last long.

Between January 28th and February 1st, the city of Kamloops was targeted for a final installation blitz. Corix, the company doing installations, employs mostly young men who are paid by piece work.  Every morning they held a team meeting during which they’re told where to go, what to say and what to do.

On January 28th, a 72 year old woman insisted to the installer that she didn’t want a smart meter.  “What part of ‘no’ don’t you understand?” she asked. 

“I’ve been ordered to put a meter on every house and I’m doing it.”, he replied, and he did.

Another woman, who has medical problems, explained why she was refusing. “Now I’ve talked to you can I be confident no one else will come install a meter?” 

"We’ll be back”, was the response.

“When?”, she asked 

The response?  ... “Maybe tomorrow.” 

One man became so exasperated, after he was asked three times why he was refusing, that he grabbed for the smart meter.  In the scuffle a Corix employee fell to the ground.  The RCMP arrived within 15 minutes and told the householder he would be charged.

The message that people could opt out didn’t seem to have been passed along to the installers.

That changed toward the end of the week. Installers were more respectful, the RCMP assured the householder that he would not be charged because, “Corix has no case, and it’s a waste of police time.”

Then Rich Coleman, in a January 31st interview, with the Vancouver Province newspaper, denied his former comments.  There would be no opt out.  The Liberals will focus on ‘re-educating’ reluctant people.

Rich Coleman is a shrewd, powerful politician.  What could compel him to disavow previous statements ... or force Gordon Hogg into silence?

Liberals are flip-flop champions but the NDP can match them. 

On January 9th the on-line Tyee, listed the entire NDP platform. The energy message was simple: “Stop smart meters.”  The same day (Jan 9th), a call to confirm this went in to the office of BC NDP Opposition Leader Adrian Dix.

"Actually if elected", said his assistant, "... Mr. Dix intended to refer the matter to a panel and would be bound by its decision."

One day later on January 10th, the same assistant told another Kamloops caller that the NDP now favoured an opt-out provision. But then on January 31st, John Horgan, NDP energy critic, said that an unnamed third party should make the decision. 

There appears to be no clear plan and no consistent message from either party.  

There was no consultation ... nor consideration ... of adverse effects before imposing this plan on British Columbians.

There is also no oversight. 

The BC Clean Energy Act exempted this, and similar projects, from scrutiny by the BC Utilities Commission.  The result has been serious consequences in the trampling of civil rights ... and serious questions about financial accountability.

Totalitarian regimes like China, Vietnam, and North Korea ‘re-educate’ their non-conformists.  Democracies accept differing viewpoints and offer freedom of choice.  If someone believes their health and safety is at stake, why should a government force unnecessary technology on them?

The Smart Meter program; touted as saving energy, and cutting BC’s carbon footprint; is absolute nonsense.  That's because most energy in BC comes from clean, renewable water. 

THINK ABOUT THIS ... the carbon emitted during manufacturing, transporting and installing the new meters, is likely to far exceed any alleged any CO2 savings.  And the financial effect of this unnecessary program is severe. 

The cost so far is estimated at $1 billion ... and we’re nowhere near done.  Experienced people calculate that it will cost as much again, to complete the grid throughout the province. 

Impulses travel from meter to meter, and eventually to a  collection pole.  That's simple enough in urban areas with houses close to each other.  It a horrible expense however in rural areas where homes are far apart ... driveways may be from ¼ to ½ mile long ... and there are no central areas for meters to transmit to.  Receivers will have to be put in along these driveways and roads and main poles provided. 

Over half of BC is rural.  Shouldn’t someone have done the math? 

Or maybe they did, and in their drive to appear to be eco-friendly they said, "We're going to do this anyway because it will make us look good, and we'll win votes, with those casual weekend greeners."

Those would be the ones that merrily shop for items that are 'disposable' and get dumped in short order in to our landfills ... those would be the ones that purchase a cup of double double extra low fat frothy flavored coffee in a disposable cup at Tim Horton's / Starbucks ... or the ones who pick up the latest must have electronic gear, only to see last months 'must-have' item end up being land-filled.

People opposed to smart meters are chastised for adding to the expense, and cost, of installing Smart Meters. In reality they are asking for a halt, before more scarce funds are spent.

The BC Conservatives have already taken the lead on this issue. 

 

On November 17th, 2011 John Cummins stated: “British Columbians are upset about smart meters and rightly so.  They do nothing to protect the environment, and the only people who stand to gain from smart meters are the Liberal insiders who get juicy contracts to install them."

"The smart meter initiative goes beyond simple monitoring of consumption.  It is clearly the intention of this Liberal government, and BC Hydro, to announce higher billing charges at peak periods. It is a terrible initiative that will ultimately cost the tax payers of this province dearly."

There should be an immediate moratorium on installations until after the election.  And ... the next government should require a complete audit of past costs ... AND an assessment of future ones.  That should be done before any more Smart Meters are installed.

Again, we have featured a Guest Commentary on Conservative Thoughts ... the floors open to you now if you'd care to share your thoughts.