From Del. Glen Glass:
Dear Constituents,
I have been leading the fight in Annapolis and in Harford County for a no cost opt out of smart meters, and for citizens to keep their electric analog meters. Smart meters only benefit monopoly utility companies, not the citizens of Harford. These meters start fires, increase bills, invade our privacy, and cause health problems.
Last year my bi-partisan smart meter opt out bill was cross-filed by an urban Democrat Senator from Baltimore. Unfortunately my bill was killed in the economic matters committee by members of both parties. Even my own Delegate, Mary-Ann Lisanti voted against my bill which ultimately killed it; her vote against my bill was both hurtful and disappointing. Call Delegate Mary-Ann Lisanti, and Senator JB Jennings, as well as the other Senators and Delegates and tell them how you feel about this issue, 800-492-7122. I also believe Legislators should not receive any political donations from these monopoly utility companies.
Right now we have an opt out that costs $75 up front and $11 monthly. I believe because we have a Governor that supports a no cost opt out; the Public Service Commission was incentivized to reduce the monthly opt out fee to $5.50. This is a great victory for those who support a no cost opt out as well as for MarylandSmartMeterAwareness.org. BGE is also trying to raise our electric rates $180 a year per costumer to pay for the cost of the smart meter systems; I am opposing any fees and support a no cost opt out for smart meters. Go to MarylandSmartMeterAwareness.org or call my office, 410-841-3280 for more information. I have included below, the president of MSMA’s response to the recent PSC ruling.
Thank you and have a great holiday,
Delegate Glen Glass, 34A
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Dear Editor
Maryland Smart Meter Awareness (MSMA) welcomes the Maryland Public Service Commission’s (PSC) decision to reduce the monthly opt out fee we pay to BGE from $11 to $5.50. But we agree with the dissenting Commissioner, Harold Williams, that there should be no opt out fee at this time. Just as in almost all other rate proceedings, we should determine the opt out fee, if any is justified, when the PSC responds to BGE’s proposed rate hike for the cost of the smart meter program. BGE recently asked for a $180 increase per year per customer to recoup the cost of the smart meter program. But the PSC’s decision on that rate hike request will not occur for quite a while. If the customers who received smart meters are not paying yet for any of their smart meters, why should we be stuck with these punitive opt out fees?
Even if an opt out fee was justified, the PSC decision exceeded even the number presented by BGE based on current opt out rate of about 4%. Instead, PSC accepted BGE’s unrealistic estimate that the opt out rate would fall to about 2.6% to 2.9%. Bas; on BGE’s own numbers, the opt out fee based on the current 4% opt out rate should have been about $4.26. A more objective analysis by Office of People’s Counsel yielded an opt out fee of only $3.51.
If anything, we think the opt out rates are likely to remain at the 4% level or even increase. First, almost all the customers in the opt out program have already paid their up-front $75 penalty fee, and they still remained in opt out status. That is unlikely to change now, particularly with the opt out fees going down. Second, there are still over 16,000 customers who have refused to let BGE in their homes to change the meter. Many of them will be added to the opt out roles by default.
While the $5.50 is unfair to all opt out customers, as the dissent points out, this has a disproportionately unfair impact on low income families. They can barely afford current rates without paying for opt out costs. To make matters worse, a large percentage of them live in multifamily dwellings with much larger concentrations of radiation. This is due to the banks of smart meters many of them are forced to live next to. The typical electric smart meter emits from 10,000 to 190,000 intense pulses of radiofrequency microwave radiation per day. If you live near a bank of 20 meters, you receive 200,000 to 3,800,000 pulses a day.
But it is not just people getting sick from all this radiation. Smart meters invade our privacy by furnishing BGE, its contractors and any hackers with a phenomenal amount of personal data about us. And if this was not enough, MSMA is getting lots of reports about customers with skyrocketing bills right after their smart meters were installed. We advised them to exercise their right to get a nonsmart meter from their utility at no charge. When they did so, their bills returned to normal. We therefore urge all BGE’s customers to take advantage of these lowered opt out fees and exercise their right to opt out of the smart meter program.
Katherine Kheel, President for Life (Maybe it should say Acting President)
Maryland Smart Meter Awareness
I, I, I, … my, my, my….
“her vote against my bill was both hurtful and disappointing”
Poor ego-driven baby!
No fan of Glassman, but appreciate him opposing the cost of opt out meters.
This is Delegate Glen Glass, not HarCo Exec Barry Glassman.
Why not ? Neither one is good for Harford County!
This mistake is probably why Mr. Glass keeps getting elected; God knows it’s not because Mr. Glass has leadership skills. He has talked about nothing but “Smart Meters” for nearly 5 years now. He tells agrees with everything a voter says to him and then votes exactly how Mr. Impallaria tells him to.
That’s because he is trying to save his constituents from the false readings of the “smart meters”, that are generating higher bills to line this greedy utility company’s pockets.
The irony of “No kidding…”
NO KIDDING, Glassman and Glass are two different people people.
Sorry, meant Glass.
“Delegate” Glass’s opposition to Smart Meters stems from the fact that they are smarter than he is!
Smart Meters don’t cause fires, don’t increase your bill, don’t zap you with unnecessary radiation, etc.!
I guess if he keeps wasting time on this ridiculous charade, at least he’s not screwing up something else!
Sending this moron to Annapolis to represent you is the biggest waste of your tax dollars that I can think of!
Glen, please retreat to your toy box on Ford’s Lane in Perryman and you really should take off your tin foil hat!
You are incorrect. The “smart meters” are generating higher bills and those who are denying this in the State legislature are being paid off by BGE.
Delegate Glass is an embarrassment to Harford County and the State.
I now have a new respect for Delegate Lisanti and Senator Jennings. These two at least understand and get it and are willing to stand up to Delegate Glass and his moronic fight against smart meters. Delegate Glass has accomplished nothing for his district. He’s a one trick pony that contributes nothing that we can be proud of.
Delegate Lisanti and Senator Jennings, thank you for being the intelligent voice in Harford County on this issue.
That’s because the Delegates that condone the “smart meters” have been paid off by BGE…..
To Mike from Bel Air,
I have known Delegate Glass for many years and your comments are ridiculous. Glen is a serious Delegate who has researched smart meters for more than 4 years. Your response shows you know nothing about SMs and Senator JB Jennings and Delegate Mary Lasanti who will not listen to any one who is knowledgeable about SMs. Go to Marylandsmartmeterawareness.org and look at the facts for yourself. The citizens of Harford County can be proud of Delegate Glen Glass and his hard work on the Smart Meter issue.
Haha – this is the most clear wording I have seen yet from Delegate Glass! You must have had your mother’s help.
An “urban democratic senator?!?” He can’t just say the senator’s name, it has to be “urban?!?” He’s hurt and dissapointed that his own rival killed his bill, which has been rejected in committee every year since it’s inception?
I’m appalled at some of these childish comments. Some of your names says it all.
I, for one am very glad that Delegate Glass stands up for the people of Harford county. Maybe some of you should try to get to know someone before judging them. Learn about politics,history and go to Annapolis during session (January -April). Get involved with your county. I know Delegate Glass, he’s a good man who stands by his convictions. He has good values, and morals. The most important thing is he is a man of God. He fights for his Constituents. I feel like a few of these comments were rude ,unfounded and tasteless. Glen does not vote with Impallaria or any other colleague, for that matter. Glen votes for what is best for his Constituents .
The smart meters are generating higher bills with the same usage. When I asked representatives from BGE about this they claimed that the new meters are more accurate because they are digital and the old meters were analog and suffered from wear, causing the lower bills on the older meters. Are we to assume that the technology that BGE used for decades was flawed and caused lower bills to consumers? Does anyone really buy that explanation? The bottom line is the new “smart meters” are generating higher bills with the same usage and someone is pocketing the extra cash. BGE should be investigated……
To Raven:
I understand how you feel. But can I ask you how he stands up for Harford County?
1. Harford County residents are struggling financially.Instead of proposing legislation to help those in need, he is on a smart meter crusade that is only supported by fringe groups who are liberal.
2. Does he ever make a speech on the floor to stand up for Harford County?
3. What happened with his Boycott of the Special Session? He ended up attending. and Voting.
4. Rumor has it he doesn’t attend his own caucus meetings, how is that representing Harford County?
5. How are his constituent services?