Dear editor,
I don’t get much out of Tom Fletcher’s column, finding his analysis shallow and his perspective immovably aligned with the corporate interests that govern us.
In his March 16 column (BC Hydro, others going gaga over smart meters) Fletcher takes the opportunity to insult the intelligence of B.C. residents who may oppose the introduction of “smart” meters based on a potential health hazard.
In this everyday hazardous world, it would have been much more interesting if Fletcher, instead of cheerleading, had examined the sources of contention he himself identified:
1. The hurry, because Gordon Campbell “decreed” it must be done by the end of 2012;
2. BC Hydro’s exemption from a cost-benefit review by the BC Utilities Commission;
3. The high cost of new meters, accompanied by a proposed 50-per-cent increase in hydro rates.
For readers who would like a refreshing change from the type of commentary politely known as puffery, I recommend a recent column by Will McMartin, published in The Tyee and available online at http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2011/03/07/SmartMeterProfits/:
First to Profit from $1 Billion Smart Meter Program: Liberal Insiders
There is also a wealth of information and fearless truth from Rafe Mair at The Common Sense Canadian website at http://thecanadian.org/k2/item/409-save-bc-hydro.
These are only two of the many sources of alternative commentary available to people who aren’t satisfied with what they read in mainstream media about what is happening to this province under the BC Liberal government.
It’s not necessary to settle for toadyism.
Anne Bauman,
Cumberland
