Categories
Letters To The Editor Opinion

What They Said (November 27, 2014)…

Greg Cravens

About Toby Sells’ story, “West Memphis Plans for Big River Crossing”…

The exhibit will include a trailer park, a working Walmart, and real live tornado damage.

Jeff

About Wendi C. Thomas’ column, “Bicycle Bias”…

This is what the discussion on bicycles has boiled down to? Race?

CL_Mullins

About the continuing lack of trolleys downtown …

How can the lack of trolleys be such an accepted reality. We live in South Main and enjoyed hopping the trolley to a variety of locations on the route. We were frequent visitors to Mulligan’s in the Pinch and to ballgames at AutoZone Park via transportation provided by the trolley system. Without these trolleys, downtown takes a step back. The trolley line is the spinal cord of the entire downtown experience. It is especially needed as Bass Pro Shops gets closer to opening.

Please get them back up and running, even if service is limited; buses are not the same. Five trolleys running the river loop with a GPS app letting you know where they are, will bring them — and downtown — back into the limelight they both should enjoy.

Steve Stoerger

About Louis Goggan’s story, “So Far, So Smart” …

Long-time politician Ian Randolph says he likes smart meters because he is able to track his use of electricity better. However, the IBEW Local 1288 Union of Memphis Light, Gas, and Water, says, “Smart meters can identify which appliance is drawing current, but the utilities only show your total usage online, not the itemized cost of each appliance.”

How are you going to lower your costs if you don’t know which appliance is drawing the most electricity? And what benefit is online information to seniors who have little involvement with computers?

MLGW President Jerry Collins says one of the advantages of smart meters is that meter readers will never have to come onto your property, and this will “give you a greater level of home security.” A smart meter is a computer. Bill Hawkins of the International Brotherhood of Electricians says a thief can pull in front of your home with a computer with specialized equipment and turn off your alarm and your utilities.

Meters can be remotely operated by MLGW, so that all the time that you are lowering your thermostat, the utility company can be increasing your meter’s rate of speed. The sole purpose of smart meters is for politicians to make money.

Carole Fincher

About Memphis’ pollution and its effect on asthma rates …

In 2014, Memphis ranked as the second-worst city for asthma, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. While there are a myriad of asthma triggers, we know that a key trigger is ground-level ozone, which we have in abundance in Memphis. Did you know that the American Lung Association rated our ground-level ozone quality as an F? Not only does ground-level ozone trigger asthma attacks, it causes a host of other respiratory problems. Children unfairly bear this burden, due to their developing lungs. As a mom, this alarms me.  

As parents, we do everything to protect our children, but we can’t buy clean air for them. We have to fight for it, by raising our voices and letting our elected officials know that our children need protection. The Clean Power Plan will require reduction of air pollution from coal-fired power plants, which are a tremendous contributor to the formation of ozone. Join me in telling Senator Alexander and Senator Corker that we insist on clean air for our children’s health by supporting the Clean Power Plan!

Lindsay Pace

Categories
News News Blog

MLGW Council Committee Passes Smart Meter Opt-out Resolution

DSCN0868.JPG

At a meeting of the Memphis City Council’s Memphis Light, Gas, and Water Committee this morning, members passed a resolution that will allow any Shelby County resident to opt out of receiving a smart meter at no cost.

In a previous meeting, council members and MLGW executive staff debated about whether or not there was a fee associated with opting out of smart meters, which will provide more detailed information on energy consumption than conventional meters. Councilwoman Janis Fullilove emphasized that she had received hundreds of calls from people expressing their desire to opt out of receiving a smart meter. Fullilove said some citizens informed her that when they contacted MLGW’s Customer Customer Care Center about opting out, they were told that there would be a fee associated with having their meters removed.

During the meeting, MLGW President Jerry Collins expressed that there never has been a fee associated with opting out of receiving a smart meter. If customers wish to opt out, Collins said they should call 544-MLGW. A form will be sent to those customers, and they must fill it out and send it back to MLGW to finalize their request.

MLGW’s smart meters have been creating controversy since they’ve been introduced. Some citizens have expressed worries about the meters potentially invading their privacy, creating a fire hazard, and possibly increasing utility bills.

In August, the city council approved a $10 million contract for MLGW to install 60,000 smart meters between December of this year and June 2014. There will be individual smart meters for electricity, gas, and water. MLGW anticipates installing meters in all Memphis and Shelby County residences and businesses by 2020.

Categories
Fly On The Wall Blog Opinion

Smart Meters and You

[slideshow-1]