From Del. Glen Glass:
Dear Editor:
As you may know, I introducedHouse Bill 878 which is the Public Utilities – Smart Meters – Opt-Out Option this past Legislative Session in an effort to allow Marylanders the ability to Opt-Out out of having a Smart Meter installed. Unfortunately, the Bill was ruled “unfavorable” by the Economic Matters Committee and died.
There is evidence that suggests these meters may be dangerous to our bodies and the environment. In addition, these meters are very intrusive because they monitor what is happening in the home and also give the utility companies the ability to shut your electric off at any time. The utility companies haven’t provided any documentation which states they are safe. These large monopoly corporations are good and necessary but they can be like an aggressive dog; they are safe as long as they are kept on a leash. I support reregulating the utility corporations.
Since deregulation, which I opposed, our utility rates have doubled and the utility companies have raked in approximately $40 billion a year – in a bad economy! With Smart Meters the need for Meter Readers will no longer be necessary, which is a savings to the companies. Even though the companies are saying they’re retraining those in danger of losing their jobs because of the Smart Meters, some employees will still ultimately lose their jobs.
However, when I attended the last Public Service Commission Hearing on Smart Meters, a temporary Opt-out/Deferral was put in place that you can take advantage of. Unfortunately the PSC does not know exactly how long this deferral will last or when a decision will be made but you do have options at this time. At this moment, you can still keep your analog meter and there is no fee to have a smart meter removed and replaced with an analog meter. To Opt-Out/Defer, all that is really needed is for you to send a certified letter to BGE or Pepco indicating you do not wish to have a smart meter installed in your home. Included in your letter should also be the following information:
– the date that you are writing the letter
– your home address
– your BG&E billing account number
– your handwritten signature
Send certified mail with delivery confirmation to:
Baltimore Gas and Electric Company
ATTENTION: Legal Compliance Department
PO BOX 1475
Baltimore MD 21203-1475
Send a copy of your exact same letter to:
Regina L. Davis, Maryland PSC
Compliance with PSC Order # 84926
6 ST PAUL ST
BALTIMORE MD 21202-6806
and
Pepco
701 Ninth St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20068
It is also recommended that you post a notice near your meter stating your opposition to the installation of smart meter and not to install a smart meter at this premise per Public Service Commission Interim Order# 84926, dated May 25, 2012.
Please check out my interview with Comcast Newsmakers regarding Smart Meters:
http://www.comcastnewsmakers.com/video/district-34a-update/
Sincerely,
Your Servant and Delegate Glen Glass
More dangerous than having a cell phone next to your head? More than high volume from ear buds? More than your wireless router? Reckless drivers? Life can be dangerous, yes, but how much? If you want to be taken seriously, provide context with your claims.
http://www.smartmeterdangers.org/
There is factual evidence showing the high levels of radiation created by smart meters, but there’s no definitive evidence that they’re safe. I’d rather not have one of these meters 30 feet from where my children sleep, just in case.
Just fold yourself a hat from Aluminum foil and you will be fine
Wow Porter , for a guy that “doesn’t want to get into a match about this ” you sure are doing your best to incite one. I smell troll.
Bob, having had plenty of experience dealing with David A Porter on other threads, he is deliberately antagonistic and completely uninformed. Don’t even waste your time getting into a contest with him. In his feeble mind, he is always right even though he is clueless.
And B, you have shown a propensity for simply challenging anyone that has a point of view, or gives a damn about anything, regardless of it’s merit. And you still hide behind an anonymous name. Because light would reveal you to be the timid hateful ignorant little person that you are.
Bob, when you revealed yourself to be just one of those guys that subscribes to as many fringe news outlets as possible, the match was on. Your fears are just that: fears. And you are here simply to stoke the fears of other weak minded people who share your lack of research because of your myopic point of view. Stupid is a condition, ignorance is a choice.
And who do you work for? The tinfoil hat line is really getting old. Only those paid to work for telecommunications companies are willing to belittle those who want to protect their families from dangerous wireless radiation. Thousands of peer-reviewed studies show harm to humans, animals, insects and plants from exposure to wireless (radiofrequency/microwave = RF/MW) radiation. Whether from ‘smart’ meters, wifi, wii, cable TV boxes, cell and cordless phones, wireless keyboards and mouses, parking meters, baby monitors, RFID chips or the many other wireless devices and their infrastructures, this radiation adversely affects brain, hormonal, cardiac, immune and reproductive functions, with resulting sleep and cognitive impairments, fatigue and depression, hyperactivity and agitation, heart arhythmias, tinnitis, cancer and more. Regardless of exposure intensity levels, the effects are most often seen under conditions of constancy over a period of time, and with modulation of the wave. (See: http://www.EMRActionDay.org/science. ) The studies that establish these cause-and effect relationships are suppressed by the trillion-dollar wireless industry.
Read the disclaimer at the bottom of the page all you brave people:
USE OF THIS SITE DEPENDS ON AGREEMENT WITH OUR DISCLAIMER: This website is intended to help advance knowledge and stimulate further research. While all reasonable precautions have been taken to ensure the validity of the information given, no warranty is given towards its accuracy. It is not intended to substitute for medical advice nor as a final statement with regard to possible prevention and avoidance recommendations or potential biological effects. No liability is accepted by the authors for damages arising from its use or misuse and interpretation by others. All references to smart meters refer to wireless devices, which may vary in their emissions.
Copyright SmartMeterDangers.org 2011
The Baltimore Sun just posted an article today about smart meters in Pennsylvania catching on fire. It’s apparently so serious that the Public Service Commission is meeting tomorrow at 2pm to discuss the dangers of a similar event happening in the meters already installed in Maryland.
I don’t think a tinfoil hat is going to protect my family from an electrical fire.
There are hundreds of academic studies that prove wireless radiation is harmful to biological beings. See: EMRActionDay.or/science
Water ingested in sufficient quantities will kill you. Waking up in the morning increases your heart rate and correspondingly your stress level. Your website espouses a tremendous number of technological advances in the last sixty years that you now want to take a look at because you think there might be a problem. Go back to the stone age. Take your spears and go hunt for your meals and if you are unable to do that because you feel hurting an animal is another overt act of environmental terrorism then start foraging for berries and roots. I’m sure you’ll live longer for all your aversion to the modern world. By the way… you might want to stay off the internet since it is likely to adversely affect the way you perceive reality.
I suggest the voters get rid of you because your are a ‘whack-a-doodle.’
Ah yes…..the sheep will line up to criticize and ridicule Glass for trying to prevent more loss of freedom and privacy. In the near future , once the “smart grid” that BGE has been touting is in place , people will understand the true reason for these “smart meters”. Imagine getting that notice that tells you that “due to the new GREEN regulations , consumers will limited to “x” number of electrical credits per day”. Think “peak rewards” – except mandatory and on a larger scale and there will be no “reward”. Imagine getting a notice from BGE telling you that the “smart meter” has detected an old , inefficient appliance and that you must replace it or face a penalty on your next bill.
This is what is coming if we let these smart meters become mandatory. It is much easier to stop the handcuffs being put on you than to fight to get them removed.
Oh….and Bob, regarding your statement, you sound like a Big Brother conspiracy whack job. Some of us have moved past “1984”. Please move to another planet!
Glen, you are an idiot (and and embarassment to our district). Your entire argument is based on “There is evidence that suggests…” B.S. You really should take your Beverly Hillbilly’s truck, stand beside the road and wave until the next election, when (hopefully), someone else will fill the seat that is currently being wasted with your “keister”….Oh, and have a great weekend everyone! 🙂
The people who are opposed to smart meters are the same who are opposed to rate hikes. They expect to have unlimited energy without paying for it as, I guess, they feel the electricity will just materialize somehow for their benefit with none of the consequences.
We live in an energy rich environment with more people needing more energy every year. International Energy Agency data shows that the average use of energy per person increased 10 % from 1990 to 2008. In 2008 the USA used more than twice as much as the second highest user (Europe) and grew by 22%. With more energy use there is more pollution.
Glass and his supporters do not seem to have a wide view of energy use and its constituent problems and are just taking a partisan position in the hope that that will translate into votes. We, as residents on Spaceship Earth, must take what steps we can to sustain our planet and provide for future generations. It is only right and proper for us as a society to require all to do their part. The smart meter is no different than automobile inspections that keep dangerous and polluting cars off of our roads.
Your comment seems to indicate that you agree with me on the real reason for implementation of smart meters. While you and I disagree on how to deal with energy conservation , I applaud your straight forward comment without the need to be “COMMON” or dumb enough to be a “$heep” .
PTBL,
I am a resident and a citizen of the USA, not Spaceship Earth. You have spent too much time at WDW. My citizenship comes with certain rights and freedoms. And, yes, certain responsibilities.
You agree that the real eventual purpose of smart meters is goverment control of how much electricity I am allowed to use and when I am allowed to use it. Today, the marketplace determines that. Today I choose how much I use and part of my choice is based on how much I can afford to pay for. In the future that you and others envision it will be based on how much some bureaucrat says I am allowed to buy and how much environmentalists allow to be made. I reject both. That is socialism in the extreme.
The idea of consumer choice makes for a valid enough argument; why bring ridicule upon yourself by bringing up the issue of safety? What makes a smart meter more dangerous than a regular meter? Is it powered with a plutonium battery?
If there is evidence that smart meters emit a “dangerous” level of radiation (“dangerous” being relative to the radiation emitted by microwaves, cell phones, etc…), then Del. Glass should elaborate on that point. Otherwise, using ridiculous arguments to defend an otherwise credible position only serves to erode the credibility of your position.
I agree. The safety issue worries me far less than the privacy and control issues that smart meters bring.
Bob, I don’t want to get into a match with you on this, because as far as I know these things do not present anymore threat to your privacy than having a meter reader walk up to the front of your house and reading off the device in front. When I was growing up we had a gas meter reader come into our home, to our basement and read off the meter located there. Certainly a substantial violation of privacy by today’s standards but necessary to continue to receive the service at the time.
A few months ago a woman (anonymously) posted she knew they could read from the meter what appliance you were using and at what time. While the notion makes me question her information, I also wonder what possible value knowing you are using your shaver versus your blender provides to anyone at all.
Precisely what do you think a smart meter is going to do to invade your privacy other than reporting how much energy you use and at what time? By the way, this would aid the electric provider in knowing what your trend is for power usage so they can make intelligent decisions about when to pull in more power from the grid.
@Porty
“While the notion makes me question her information”
This silliness (anonymous woman claiming old meters can be read from afar) you can look at and question the legitimacy of the information, but straight up facts are too hard for you? Come on! I may have had to catch your secret ability to be honest in another forum, so I will ask my question a 3rd or 4th time. If Mr. Gahler’s letter is accurate and the memo is not a forgery, is Sheriff Bane being honest?
For those living in fear of the BGE/Smart meter world conquest, I apologize for jumping in on this story.
I answered that last time Onpoint. I’ll leave the answer to that question there. Use your real name so Sheriff Bane can take you to court for defamation of character. Or cower in fear.
If there was someone that Bane was going to “take to court” wouldn’t it be Mr. Gahler who has already caught him between facts several times? Face it, he isn’t going to court and he isn’t responding because he was caught red handed. And it was a yes or no question that you did not answer.
Funny Porter wants you to cower in fear. It is the same management technique used by Jesse to control the office. If we could use our real names without fear of being targeted by Mr. Porter’s hero, people would be amazed at who is waiting for Jesse’s departure.
Consider the source. And if you aren’t brave enough to say things without attaching your name to them (like Mitt Romney’s tax returns), then do the thoughtful and tactful thing and say nothing at all.
Oh, that is why Bane has not come out to defend himself, a lack of courage (as you so accurately point out) to go with his lack of integrity. Thanks
Or you are beneath his contempt.
No, I think he just enjoys lying to people.
Mr. Porter , I explained some possible scenarios in my first comment (3rd from the top). I don’t want to get into a “match” with you either. I post my concerns on here only to get people to think about the other possible uses of smart meter technology. BGE would have you believe that smart meters are being installed only to benefit the customer. There are many benefits to having smart meters , such as the one you mentioned and others such as not needing meter readers (unless meter reading is your job) and real-time power outage reporting. But what about the other side of the coin? A meter reader coming into your home does not log all of your electricity use patterns and store it on a computer. A meter reader also does not broadcast out into the airwaves what is going on in your house. For me , giving up privacy is a huge consideration because I believe that you can never be sure how the information will be used in the future. If you have no worries over the privacy issues then go ahead and have a smart meter installed. All I am asking for is the ability to opt out.
What you listed Bob was simply paranoia. You have no facts only fear. Not really a legitimate concern for people trying to live their lives and make decisions based on facts. There’s a lot of nonsense out there and none of it seems to resemble anything credible except when Reverend Lovejoy’s wife says “What about the children?” we all seem to be driven to lose our marbles because fear drives the nutjob freight train.
Some things you may not know about smart meters :
Ah news from YouTube… is there any other credible reference you have besides a video that anyone can (and does) post?
I smell tea party.
Mr. Porter,
Are you saying that the information in the video is not credible? What statements made in the video are not credible?
Mike, what I’m saying is I do not go to YouTube to research much of anything other than entertainment. There are likely better more credible sources than someone with an agenda posting on a site that people can upload videos of themselves doing other stupid things for your entertainment and arousal.
Find them. If this is what you want to hang your hat on go for it. I also choose not to get my opinion from Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh. They are entertainers – not informers.
David, you also choose not to answer the real question. Just because a video was posted on you-tube does not mean it is not not a credible.
Just because a person is an entertainer does not mean that what they have to say is not credible. If that were so then George Clooney, Sean Penn, Oprah and others should never be taken seriously. Truth is, in my opinion, the Congress is full of entertainers not actual legislators. It’s the reason we witness kabuki theater on a daily basis from congress.
should read: …does not mean it is not credible.”
Mike , don’t waste your time with Porter. I answered his questions respectfully after he indicated that he didn’t want a “match” and yet he still went on to accuse and name-call myself and Chris. A simple “we can agree to disagree” would have been the appropriate ending to the conversation after both parties gave their opinion. As I said before , I comment only to get others to consider a different side of the story then what they may have been presented with. I posted the video because it brings up some valid points and because many people would rather watch a short video than read a long article.
Go ahead Porter , reply with another round of childish name-calling. It’s about as manly as flipping someone the bird , while going 55mph , from the safety of your car…..
Or the safety of anonymity.
The meter is the only thing about this article that is smart. It sure as hell isn’t the writer of this article.
A woman from California came to my work and said that state was doing away with smart meters it was having the affects of living under power lines? Also why did so many people make fun of the peak reward program when the electric was cut off and they lost food and miseralble hot? Is that the purpose for all to have the peak reward program?
Peak Rewards turns off air conditioning not electricity. If your food was spoiling because of that, buy a refrigerator and turn down your air. You’ll save money in the long run.
People are commenting that they want the freedom to choose here and that is why they oppose smart meters and want to opt out. If you read Delegate Glass’s piece, he states he was against de-regulation, which is what gives consumers choice on their electric providers. I just find it funny that those seeking freedom from government regulation want to force a business to provide a service in a way they don’t want to. Isn’t BGE a company too that deserves the freedom to make a profit how it wants?
You have the freedom to be off the grid. Neil Armstrong, of all things to choose from, chose the electrification of rural America as the single greatest technological achievement of the 20th Century. I’m sure the Mouth breathers back then also felt the radiation was going to do things to them. Either use the electric power on the gird the way it is offered to you, or get off the grid. Technology is not for the timid or feint of heart.
I like how we need smart meters to invade your privacy. Kinda like we need you to get ez pass tags to track where you go. Oh, and internet service providers to track you on the internet.
I guess, unless you’re crazy and buy 3000 rounds of ammunition on the internet and movie ticket and kill a dozen people.
Huh. Maybe we aren’t being spied on after all?
And library cards to track what books you read… and cable boxes to track what you watch… and discount cards to track what you eat…
smart meters will track when you are usung more power and you your bill will be adjusted for the peak use times with a higher rate. that means we will be paying different rates based on how much and when we use electricity. this has been done with large industrial plants in other states for years
and those contrails behind jets are not really condensation, it is actually a pacifying gas being spread across Amerika…
You have to admit this is an interesting debate… some who invariably lean left will jump into bed with the millionaire heads of a big corporation (the ones they despise so vehemently) just because they’ve promised the plan will make the world greener. Some will willingly ignore the obvious fact that if the corporation is embarking on an expense incurring project it is most certainly intended to benefit the corporation alone and any benefit to the customer or the environment is incidental and probably accidental as well. Funny.