Wind or Hot Air?

WBZ TV offered a brief segment about wind power. Not enough. Not enough substance, but maybe they'll increase their coverage and explain more.

Keep watching!

WBZ Video

Has anyone noticed .....?

To add to the laundry list of OLD BUSINESS that the Middleboro Selectmen successfully ignore, has anyone noticed the TRASH FEES?

Weren't there promises to re-visit the issue, address the costs?

It has been discussed that it should become an Enterprise account.

Maybe the Middleboro Selectmen could employ those ghostly haunts to get their business accomplished.

Cape Wind: MMS hearing

Based on the uninformed comments of others supporting DIRTY COAL, the following were posted:

More Wind Mills or Hot Air?
Coal is Dirty!

CapeCodToday reports of efforts by BIG COAL to oppose Cape Wind and coalminers opposition to continued MTR:

The coal miners come to Cape to complain
Coal country residents come to Cape Cod for last night's MMS hearing

Ask locals to help them stop destruction of their mountaintops

Thousands of families across Appalachia will continue to see their homes, communities, rivers and streams destroyed by the toll of mountaintop removal (MTR) coal mining if "big lies from Big Coal" - including such coal-financed groups as the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound -- are permitted to stop Cape Wind and other clean energy power projects.

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A house and county divided

Rep. Matt Patrick's comments:
Comments to MMS at Cape Wind Hearing 3/10/08
Ratepayers are paying $9 million a month to keep the Canal plant running at about 17% of its capacity

And we don't even need its electricity
I am State Representative Matthew Patrick of the Third Barnstable District. I am a long time member of the Legislature's Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Committee and I have volunteered many years to environmental causes on Cape Cod.

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The suggestion was offered at the time that energy is a complex issue with wide-ranging implications and CapeCodToday has provided extensive coverage that bears watching.

Lazy folks?

Has anyone noticed that whatever question or issue I raise regarding Middleboro and the function of the Town or the Board of Selectmen, there's a contingent of Nattering Nabobs of Negativity and Management by Hysteria who assure you, the taxpayer and the one who pays the bills that IT'S BEEN TAKEN CARE OF!

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Rest easy on your pillow, THEY'VE taken care of it! Whatever your wish or your concern......oh, that silly matter of the $500 deductible on town insured vehicles? Taken care of! An audit of those +212 items that are insured? Taken care of! You don't have an answer or a resolution. Maybe you're too lazy to ask the questions. Afterall, it's only your money.

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Some of us watch the daily increase in the price of oil and it's pretty staggering with no indication of a temporary levelling.

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By this Tuesday, the price of oil had crested above $109 a barrel, more than doubling since 2005, and a gallon of regular was already averaging $3.22 at U.S. gas pumps with the latest price leaps yet to register. Estimates for oil at $130 a barrel this year and $150 in 2009 are now common. Something else had changed as well -- the mood of the Saudis and the leaders of many other petro-powers. LINK

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Other municipalities have been pro-active in addressing energy consumption, but not so Middleboro.

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The issue has been raised and the Nattering Nabobs of Negativity and Management by Hysteria dismiss the issue with the same contempt of the pat on the head and THEY'VE TAKEN CARE OF IT! THEY'VE made sure municipal energy consumption has been reduced. How? Well, they can't tell you. And that Town Hall? No insulation? Not to worry!

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Tiring of hearing the non-factual nonsense about municipal energy use in Middleboro, I requested the energy consumption in the same fashion that you receive on your monthly G&E bill by first sending an email to the G&E and asking whether I should request that information from them in the desired format or from the Town Clerk.

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Receiving no response, I requested the information from the Town Clerk, as Keeper of Public Records, in writing, who in turn forwarded my written request to the G&E.

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Since NO ONE in the history of Middleboro, it would seem, has requested the energy consumption information, a TIZZY was successfully created.

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The initial response from the G&E indicates an exemption from public records statutes and much else.

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The estimate provided by the Town Clerk indicates the cost to provide the requested information is $2,789.20. Clearly, there are municipal energy bills that might be included within this estimate that are of no interest.

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The public records request will be narrowed to the municipal buildings of interest, beginning with the Town Hall and re-submitted.

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Of greater concern is the willingness of some to dismiss a valid question regarding municipal expenses out of laziness. It seems that when the G&E bills are paid by the Town Accountant, they are not charged to a department or building, but rather simply paid. Department heads are not accountable for their energy consumption or reduction. This is much the same issue raised regarding the vehicle insurance costs.

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At what point do we decide the pat answers don't work any longer and we need to continue to ask questions?

Water, water, everywhere .....

The Town Charter charges the Middleboro BOS as WATER COMMISSIONERS.
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For a variety of reasons, the Middleboro Selectmen never seem to pay much attention to water and ignore it until a crisis is created like the one that prevented the tax rate from being set until water rates were increased.

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Last year, the former Town Manager, Jack Healey told the Selectmen that fees had not been increased in almost 20 years and reminded them that rates needed to be addressed.

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Instead of addressing the matter, the Middleboro Selectmen ignored it.

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Because the Water Department is an ENTERPRISE ACCOUNT, it must be self-supporting.

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Last week, Selectman Wayne Perkins spoke on Selectman Adam Bond's radio program and said all the politically correct and predictable things one might expect regarding the importance of water as a resource and of course, the Lakeville IMA (Inter municipal Agreement).

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Last year, I raised the issue on numerous occasions about the need to begin a public dialogue to address separating the water and sewer departments from the Board of Selectmen. Clearly, the Board lacks the time or inclination to pay adequate attention to the need and the ratepayers deserve better.

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My suggestion precipitated the immediate knee-jerk reaction from the usual whining negative crowd that insists that management by crisis has worked fine in the past and will continue to do so.

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In 2006, a town committee reviewed the method other municipalities employed with their water and sewer departments. Selectman Patrick Rogers served on the committee and indicated that other municipalities found it most effective to combine water, sewer and DPW.

Tom White served as Chairman of that committee and indicated that the report should be available prior to the end of 2007. A public records request has been submitted for that report, but I am not optimistic. Perhaps this serves as an example of why committees don't always work.

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There are future issues that require planning and consideration that are conveniently ignored at cost to ratepayers, particularly FEES. That the former Town Manager indicated FEES had not been increased in almost 20 years would seem important enough for the BOS to heed. Selectman Patrick Rogers has raised the issue repeatedly of WATER DEVELOPMENT FEES for new customers, like a buy-in fee.

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In order to better serve the region, it is likely that a regional water authority will come into being that to include at least Carver and Lakeville. As such, it would seem of greater future importance to ratepayers to ensure a separation.

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Emergency water service was extended by the Middleboro Board of Selectmen to a new residential customer in Carver last year that should have received Town Meeting approval according to the Carver IMA. Town Meeting voters were never asked to approve the new service. It would seem to be another issue that bears monitoring by a separate governing body.

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Ratepayers can submit a petition to the Board of Selectmen requesting a warrant article to be added to the Town Meeting Warrant with the signatures of 10 registered voters. Is it time to get involved?

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Since a permanent change would include a Charter change, my initial suggestion was to consider an 'advisory committee' of perhaps 3 members appointed by the Board of Selectmen. That 'advisory committee' would seem to function well meeting no more than monthly. Is that a sensible approach for ratepayers?

Energy Resources #2

Cape Cod Today has consistently posted a great deal of pertinent energy information and the following is offered for those who might have overlooked the article:

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Tapping the source

The power of the oceans
A key feature is that the turbines use technology and components developed from the wind industry, that already exist and that have been developed over the last 20 years. It is only the support structure that is truly new and innovative.Last year I came across the story of Dutch company Kema and their energy island idea - basically a variant on the usual pumped hydro energy storage concept where water is pumped out of a space below sea level then allowed to flow back in, generating power as it does. The "island" uses wind power to pump water out of the enclosed area. An obvious extension to this idea would be to harness ocean energy as well - letting wave and/or tidal power supplement the output of the wind turbines. An attraction of this concept is that it potentially allows a large amount of new energy storage to be brought online - and this storage would be along the world's coastlines, where most of the population lives....
In the United States, at the southern end of the Bay of Fundy, lies Passamaquoddy Bay, which has long been a target for a tidal power development - first initiated in 1935 by the Public Works Administration under the Roosevelt administration, then halted by Congress a year later. John F Kennedy revived the 550 MW project in 1963, however the plan died with him (spawning one of the stranger JFK assassination conspiracy theories I have come across).
Further south, in the Martha's Vineyard area, two underwater turbine projects are trying to get started - one a 300 MW proposal from Oceana Energy Company and the other from Natural Currents Energy Services. Other projects are being considered in the Cape Cod and New Bedford areas - part of a "gold rush" for good tidal power sites (the most desirable ones usually have hourglass figures, to get maximum force in the incoming tide) which has seen the FERC issue 47 preliminary permits for ocean energy projects (and generated mainstream news coverage on the NBC network)... The Oil Drum.

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American Solar Energy Society offers free email updates and RESOURCES.

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Environment Massachusetts posted the following:

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Global Warming Solutions News
For Immediate Release:03/06/2008
For More Information:

Contact Ben Wright(617) 747-4313

Environment Massachusetts praises the Senate for passing the Global Warming Solutions Act
Boston-

Today the Senate passed landmark global warming legislation that will reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from the Commonwealth by 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050.

The bill, The Global Warming Solutions Act, was filed by Senator Marc Pacheco (Taunton) at the beginning of this session and approved by the Joint Committee on Agriculture the Environment and Natural Resources in November.
“I applaud the Senate for setting us on course to avoid the worst effects of global warming,“ said Ben Wright, global warming advocate for Environment Massachusetts, “with this vote the Senate has shown their commitment to making Massachusetts a leader in visionary environmental policy. LINK

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Make it happen by Earth Day!
The Massachusetts Senate passed a landmark bill to reduce our greenhouse gases emissions 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050. But it's not over yet -- now we need to pass our global warming bill in the House.
Please ask your state representative to work to pass this landmark bill by Earth Day. ACTION

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And don't forget to ask the Middleboro Selectmen what actions they're taking to reduce municipal energy consumption.

Verizon: Never Take No for an Answer!

For years, we've maintained a Verizon cell phone for emergency reasons only, but when Verizon went from whosit to whatsit service decided to cancel.

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An examination of the monthly statements might reveal that no calls had been made for ~ 3 -4 years although the battery is always charged. Cheap protection on our part that I have since discovered can be purchased even cheaper!

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In view of the misrepresentation of services provided by Verizon in Middleboro and assorted other problems that have been ignored, it seemed appropriate to cancel cell phone service at this time.

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When I terminated the service last month and was assured that all I had to do was pay that bill and we would sever our relationship, why was I unnaturally suspicious?

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Not all of Verizon could be smarmy, dishonest and deceptive!

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I believed my critics were apparently correct about my continued unjustified negative criticism!

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I reconsidered my gross unfairness of such a reasonable company.

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UNTIL I RECEIVED A BRAND NEW CELL PHONE -- NOT ORDERED BY ME --- TWO DAYS LATER!

The indictment, as yet incomplete, awaited the next month's billing.

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When I received the following month's unchanged invoice, it seemed to indicate Verizon's refusal to take NO for an answer.

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When I spoke with Daranda, a very kind employee, I attempted to carefully explain that any irritation expressed by me had nothing to do with her but rather Verizon's sleazy policies.

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Hopefully, the credits and cancellation will resolve themselves next month,

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At the Middleboro BOS Meeting on March 4, 2008, Verizon Representatives were present to present the PUBLIC RELATIONS RHETORIC.

It was memorized well. They didn't deviated from the script.

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An engineer overseas ..... paleeeeze!

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Verizon representatives insisted on the phone to many PROSPECTIVE Verizon customers that Verizon was providing LOCAL ACCESS CHANNELS when they were not.

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It required the protests of only a handful of Middleboro residents to compel the Verizon rep that the continued listing of LOCAL ACCESS CHANNELS needed to be removed the following day from Verizon's web site.

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For reasons I fail to understand, state and federal agencies seem to be ignoring yet more typical Verizon behavior without action.

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Verizon reps proclaimed at the BOS Meeting their great success with their sales promotions, failing to note the uncorrected issues.

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Maybe recipients of Verizon services need to inform others.

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And maybe we need to vote with our feet.

Other posts about Verizon.

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Verizon now makes ALL of the petty complaints about ComCast fade.

Where are the Class Action Law Suits?

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How could Verizon be that bad?