Dave Smarts letter finally in TGN

The only way to get the facts is through petition article in Templeton To the Editor: 3/5/2013

Dave Smart Templeton To the Editor: After reading the recent letter from Commissioner Gregg Edwards, it was clear to me a posture to scare, intimidate and warn customers of the misconceptions that a grand scheme to hostily take over the Light and Water Department by a selectmen super position was a farce. The fact is the people will finally have a chance to get the light and water in a position to be transparent and honest about the investments and charges for things on their bills. A recent customer charge reduction and news of a lower cost than National Grid charges for power proves they have not worked for the rate payers and are trying to fool us with lower rates as a way to show they get it done. It’s anything to try and change the voters’ opinions. In 2009, we got it done to us all for a $4 per month customer charge for 3,600 meters, equal to $168,000 income per year extra, over 500,000 to date. Questions asked the commission about key issues are often deflected to be addressed at a later meeting and never brought back up. One topic was so negative a response, we were forced to push harder and find out why customers’ requests go without any response. The obtuse answers given for pilot formula, accountability with a wind turbine audit, and many other issues that are secret were put on hold. The legality of providing public documents questioned leads one to think that a bigger issue is worth protecting and not to be leaked out. With the commission having a defensive mode, the requests were all met with a, “we will raise your rates attitude.” Scare tactics are a result of a mindset of fear and vulnerability. The fact that a pilot formulas existence is never put in ones hands, compared with APPA standards, reveals a very different calculation is used. At first, one reading Commissioner Edward’s letter would tend to think the selectmen are after a power grab and want to rule the town and drain the department financially. Nothing is further from the truth. The fact is that poor judgment and bad investments in power production capabilities and lack of transparency in costs related to them are never allowed in private industries. If wind power is so good to invest in, why is our co-op with Princeton all but over? Why is the use of the Renewable Energy Credit a secret and totaling $870,000 while the town gets nothing extra? Scaring the rate payers is the only way to label the whistle blowers and make the people that care about Templeton the most look as bad as they can. Rumors started about my petition are many and all false. Job loss, rate hikes and service cuts are only a few. None of this is true and an obvious tactic to spread falsehood only comes from the dark in the light department. The commission brought on my resolve after the treatment of the previous commissioner requests was, like mine, also met with a negative response and harsh attitude not fit for a commission to use on anybody for any reason. The only way for the town of Templeton to get to the real facts is the petition I have brought to the voters. In the end, I will have given the people the voice to get to choose the lighted path the Templeton Municipal Light and Water Plant gets to follow. With great pride, I bring the petition forward and will look forward to the debate on town floor on Article 6. Please join and question the way they don’t feel it’s our business. It is our business. Templeton business is all of Templeton’s business. Dave Smart Templeton