LETTER: Democracy wins at UBCM with regard to Smart Meters

Dear Editor,

The BC Liberals' attempts to silence the growing Smart Meter controversy have failed at the Union of BC Municipalities convention with delegates voting for a province-wide moratorium. Could the heavy-handed, dictatorial edicts of Rich Coleman and the Liberals have actually prompted this clear vote for democracy, pushing back this denial of democratic process, denial of human rights, and denial of freedoms and liberties enshrined in our Canadian Charter?

This is, of course, not the first time the Liberals have attempted to force an unacceptable political position onto BC residents without consent or due process. The dust has hardly even begun to settle from the HST fiasco. But it is obvious that the BC Liberals have long held total disregard for the citizens, and pay little heed to our wishes and concerns except when they want our vote.

The right to live freely and safely in Canada was hard-won by our forefathers in the last two Great Wars. And those rights were upheld and protected on Friday by delegates at the UBCM. But Rich Coleman is not interested in concerns from local government. He has stated that the BC Liberals and BC Hydro will ignore the Municipalities vote for a moratorium, ignore the voice of the people. Our democratic rights and freedoms will still be severely damaged by the BC Liberals as they continue to force smart meters onto every home without consultation, choice, due process, oversight, attempting to use intimidation and bullying tactics to silence discussion and dissent.

These issues have raised questions about legality and corruption and political connections which benefit only those in power at BC Hydro and within the government, as described in the Tyee and Watershed Sentinel articles:

http://www.thetyee.ca/Opinion/2011/03/07/SmartMeterProfits/
http://www.watershedsentinel.ca/

But is it beyond the point of no return as Mr. Coleman claims? Thousands of people have chosen to defend the right of choice on their own property. They have boxed in their meters to stop the changeout, while still leaving them accessible to meter readers. If enough people do this while continuing to pay their Hydro bills, will BC Hydro throw them into the dark? Is this what we really have to worry about, or should we be more concerned that the BC Liberal action is throwing us into the Dark Ages?

Doctors' diagnoses of various medical conditions recommending avoidance of pulsed, manmade radiofrequency electromagnetic fields are being ignored. People with Electrohypersensitivity, a condition characterised by severe reactions to wireless radiation, similar to a peanut allergy, are being ridiculed and attacked, even though the Canadian Human Rights Commission recognizes this as a legitimate medical condition. People who want the right of choice for their homes are signing the online Petition at Citizens for Safe Technology Society as well as using the hard copy Petition in their neighbourhoods. We thank John Horgan, NDP Energy Critic, who continues to present these Petitions in the Legislature.

To borrow from President Kennedy: