Tuesday, March 5, 2013

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

14 comments:

  1. Great letter Dave! I appreciate you stepping up for the people of Templeton. Once a person starts to look into these issues, its amazing how many times they smack their head in amazement of the lack of accountability and professionalism that has gone unchecked for so many years.

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  2. Some of the residents that you had sign the petition we influenced and uneducated. You've proved it here as well, there will be a change in service from both utlities and what about the towns that can't ask for a "bail out" because they have private utitlites such as Grid, Nstar or Unitil? The town has to be separate and survive on it's own. In a matter of a few short years the Selectmen will bankrupt both utilities and then where will the town turn for it's next "bail out"? Utilities are managed as a business, they need to prebuy power 10 and 20 years in advance to do so. If the town claims their accounts, they won't be able to prebuy power this far in advance. Causing our utility bills to increase dramatically.

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    1. These utilities you speak of ARE owned by the town. It is not a separate entity. It is not a private company. It is a public utility. As a public utility, it needs to provide financial information to the town. It needs to answer to their customers. It needs to go out of its way to let the customers be a part of the decision making process by letting it known when their meetings are held. No one is talking about selling off our utilities in town. You speak false words. And if you think that this issue will end if this article fails tonight, you're mistaken. Citizens will still continue to request information and demand a certain level of customer service and accountability. If anything, it will increase. So, maybe if you want citizens to stop questioning and asking for so much info, you too should vote FOR Article 6 passing.

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    2. Very good words but no need to try and change the peoples mind on this BiAS web blog because these people are out of touch with reality! All they do is follow there leader JF and dont know what or where else to go.. We will see tonight just how concerned they think the people are with the light co and watch them walk out with their tails between their legs when it gets voted down! NO on 6!

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    3. Thank you for proving my point for me yet again. Thank you for yet another example of a rebuttal that lacks any ideas on point and resorts to insults as the only thing you are moved to write.

      The only people out of touch with reality are the ones who have been thrown off committees and not re-elected in the past two years who think their voice carries any weight or respect. Their time has passed and now it is time for professionalism to take over town government.

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    4. Anon 10:25am you sound like a robot that's been programmed to say only a handful of sentences and does not have the ability to form their own words to properly respond to an evolving conversation.

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  3. and who has pushed the town toward bankruptcy? Skeltons, Columbus, Obrien, Wilder, Mullins. 252 Baldwinville Rd - $700,000. K&P to get rid of Mr. Ritter etc. waste waste waste

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  4. If you want a commissioner who gets up at town meeting and declares "we don't care what you vote, we will not take flouride out of the water" and also CHEATS on his wife (fact, not rumor) and if you want a general manager who states" I don't work for the town", then vote no on article #6

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    1. The light and water departments are no different than any other departments in town. Taxpayers have as right to see what is going on. You have to ask yourself why is there so much push back when questions are asked? Where are the no records of what the wind turbine costs, and where was the money spent? It is fine for the Skelton followers to go on and on about what was done thirty years ago. What about the last ten years? Where did the energy tax credits go that came to 870,000 go? There are so many unanswered questions, This is the real reason Mr.Skelton has called out his troops. Don't think for a minute they are working for our benefit. All we really need to know is what they are hiding? Bev

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  5. I have read a lot of stuff on the L&W issue and at first I was standing behind them
    But as time passed, I realized that when people hold information from the rate-payers
    They must be hiding something I fully support the change to move forward, we need to do something and I hope younger population will get to meeting tonight it your's and your family's future. PLEASE VOTE YES ON ARTICLE 6. THANK YOU!

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  6. To Mr. Smart, Please do bot cry tonight but reflect on the overwelming NO to the BULLS@@T petition you have brought forward! I hope you will educate yourself before you bring your next petition to town floor! ( withoutyouropeningstatement)!

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    1. Nice Dana, which woman did you sleep with tonight

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  7. What is wrong with all of you? I really visit the blog to get a laugh and see it as a stress reducer from my very stressful job. However seeing all of you townspeople who are just out to get each other is so disheartening. You all most certainly do not have the best interests of the town in mind. You have your own personal agendas that you are trying to push on everyone. When things do not go your way you say hurtful and malicious things. Grow up. I expect the elected officials to make decisions in the best interest of the town and support what the town voters decide....even if this is not what you personally believe. You were elected to do what the town wants....not what you personally want. Please behave in a more mature manner.

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