Refusal to Publish Mayor’s Critique of Meters

[A_Britishcolumbian]

Posted by: Jayda on April 25 2014

Media Refuse to Publish Mayor’s Critique of Smart Meters

April 23, 2014

The following guest editorial about smart meters was written by John Ranns, the longtime Mayor of the District of Metchosin on southern Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Mayor Ranns wrote this guest editorial in November 2013 and submitted it for publication to the Victoria Times-Colonist and subsequently to other major newspapers in British Columbia. When his secretary followed up with the Victoria Times-Colonist about the status of his submission, the newspaper said it would not be publishing the piece because the piece was not topical. Mayor Ranns received no other replies from major media, and ultimately no major media outlets published his piece.

Read for yourself the opinion that British Columbia’s news outlets saw unfit to print.

Guest Editorial on Smart Meters

by John Ranns, November 2013

What I find most disturbing about BC Hydro’s forced imposition of smart meters is how readily politicians of all parties have abandoned fundamental principles of a free society in order to accommodate bureaucratic expediency. Individual freedom demands that government has boundaries. As far back as the 1600s the concept that individuals need sanctuary from government was established in British Common Law (still applicable in British Columbia), clearly stating that your home is your castle and the sovereign will not cross your threshold without following due process. Except now they have. In one stroke, the Province is saying that lawful citizens no longer have a choice in what enters or leaves their homes.

Although debate has been carefully steered to encompass technical arguments and ignore principle, there are two facts about smart meters that cannot be denied: They emit radiation into your house. And, when Hydro chooses, they will gather and disseminate personal information, which previously would have required a court order.

Whether the radiation is harmful or ultimately proves to be safe is not the point. What is critical to the issue is that many people believe it to be harmful, and now their sanctuary, along with their peace of mind, is denied them. Nor does it matter how little you may care what government, corporations, and hackers know about what you do in your home. What matters is that the safeguards protecting others who do care must remain in place.

And forget the argument that people are free to go somewhere else. In our current economy most people in this province who have a job and a mortgage have no choice but to stay where they are and do what BC Hydro dictates. For populated areas, supplied electricity has become more essential to life than supplied water. Urban regulations will not permit alternative sources. And those who could legally go off-the grid can rarely afford the expense. BC Hydro is a government-established monopoly, so there are no competitors to turn to for service provision. Under these circumstances the only protection an individual has are our elected representatives. Except in this case, regardless of party, they have determined that what is good for business is more important than long established individual rights.

Recently, politicians of all description prominently displayed poppies and paid homage to the sacrifices made by previous generations who understood that to maintain a free system over time it is necessary for certain principles to be inviolate. Government must conform to the principle rather than change the principle to accommodate the wishes of whoever happens to be in power. It is why we have Constitutions. Unfortunately many politicians these days don’t seem to think that way. They do not recognize that our jobs are not only to represent our electorate, majority and minority, but also to serve as guardians of the free system. Sadly we seem all too willing to thoughtlessly forfeit our freedom for the latest of fleeting conveniences that our runaway technology may provide.

John Ranns

Mayor, District of Metchosin

http://www.250news.com/blog/view/31768/ ... april+25th?

[Woodenhead]

Posted by: Jayda on April 25 2014
abandoned fundamental principles of a free society

That happened decades ago. I don't know why smart meters (of all things) are the soapbox to use to get into that angle.

[BelieveNothing]

brilliant common sense critique!

It gives me hope when I hear another human being think and speak this way.

Thank you for posting, this would have done wonders on mainstream... no wonder they wouldn't allow it.

Mayor Ranns is Gold!

[LordEd]

And, when Hydro chooses, they will gather and disseminate personal information, which previously would have required a court order.

Please support this fact. Google shows its been repeated by the non "major media" without question.

Key points:

• What "personal information" is gathered?
• How does the addition of smart meters alter the law to require or not require a court order?
• Why would they "disseminate personal information"?
  

http://www.bchydro.com/energy-in-bc/pro ... ivacy.html

All customer information collected by your new meter will be handled in accordance with B.C.’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. This Act prohibits BC Hydro from selling or disclosing personal information to third parties, unless authorized to do so by law.

Also a self-contradiction contained within:

debate has been carefully steered to encompass technical arguments

But makes an argument based on unproven technical assumptions

Nor does it matter how little you may care what government, corporations, and hackers know about what you do in your home

[A_Britishcolumbian]

Key points:
What "personal information" is gathered?
How does the addition of smart meters alter the law to require or not require a court order?
Why would they "disseminate personal information"?

the smart meters are monitoring every cycle, every hertz, that is extremely detailed info, and that info is recorded in context, in real time, and can be read/seen as such. that is personal information.

that fact means the data can be interpreted to see when you are home or not, and exactly what you are doing and when you are doing it. monitoring a household in such detail would have previously required a court order.

if that isn't bad enough, that data then gets broadcast to anyone that chooses to capture it. they do disseminate to disseminate, they disseminate when the read/retrieve the data via their unsecured network.

[LordEd]

the smart meters are monitoring every cycle, every hertz, that is extremely detailed info, and that info is recorded in context, in real time, and can be read/seen as such. that is personal information.

that fact means the data can be interpreted to see when you are home or not, and exactly what you are doing and when you are doing it. monitoring a household in such detail would have previously required a court order.

if that isn't bad enough, that data then gets broadcast to anyone that chooses to capture it. they do disseminate to disseminate, they disseminate when the read/retrieve the data via their unsecured network.

Follow-up questions to test your "understanding"

• What is a hertz, and what does it represent?
• What SPECIFIC information is extracted and recorded "every cycle"? (Please include units of measure)
• Define "real-time"
• What model of smart meter is BC Hydro installing?
• What specific data is being transmitted in the data packet?
• What equipment is required to intercept from their "unsecured network"
• What protocol does the BC hydro meter use?
• Given a data packet stream, how does one convert that information to a name or house address?
• Given a data packet stream, how does one tell that I am using the dishwasher?
• Given a data packet stream, how does one tell that I am using the dishwasher AND am at home?
• Given a data packet stream, how does one tell that I am using a hair dryer?
• Phone companies record the date and time of calls for billing purposes without a court order. Explain how this is different and why a court order is not required.
• Cell Phone companies record the date, time, and location of calls for billing purposes. Explain how this is different and why a court order is not required.

[Daspoot]

I believe the Smart meters are transmitting Hertzes in the chemtrail/contrails in order to activate the microchips they implant in flushots (which are 99% mercury I hear). This has manifested into the measles outbreak of late.

if you want smart-meters, you are going to get measles. it's as simple as that.

I believe the launch date for this nefarious plan is Y2K. Don't say you weren't warned. Soon you will be knee-deep in hertzes and spotted with mercury measles.

[goatboy]

I always laugh at people concerned about privacy complaining about it from a computer on the Internet. If you're really concerned about privacy this is the last place you want to be.

[LordEd]

I would just be happy if the people making anti-smart meter arguments would use the correct units of measure when making technical claims.

Don't get up BC, here's some of the answers for you:

A hertz is a unit of frequency. It basically means "per second". A 60 Hz electrical sine wave means that the sine wave repeats 60 times every second.

BC Hydro is using Itron meters. This also indicates the network used will be "Openway" (https://www.itron.com/newsAndEvents/Pag ... stem-.aspx)

https://www.itron.com/na/PublishedConte ... 0Meter.pdf. This would indicate the meters can collect demand information in intervals of 5 - 60 minutes

You said that the network is "unsecured". Can you give this a read and explain it to me?
https://www.itron.com/na/PublishedConte ... erview.pdf