Thursday, August 20, 2009

WATER NEWS HEADLINES designed to keep you believing in Randleman Dam

A smooth summer...
As far as Greensboro water flows, it has been a very smooth summer.
In fact, too smooth.
No trouble. No restrictions. Plenty of water to go around. No news is bad news to the dam scammers.
It is their goal to keep water in the news, and each time Greensboro water makes headlines the scammers inject another dose of propaganda about Greensboro's "water deficiency"....and that it was absolutely necessary for Greensboro to have purchased 53% of Randleman Reservoir. NOT.
Greensboro's water shortage is a fabrication. It was how the City got the approval for the Randleman Dam in the first place. And water shortage is how the City plans to finish the Randleman Dam. And never get caught.
Every bit of propaganda that Greensboro churns out is designed to keep you on board with the dam projects in Randleman. This issue is a powder keg. The City perps fear that citizens and voters will discover they have been tricked. Water use is declining and they are doing everything to keep the public from knowing. Greensboro's fabricated need for Randleman’s water is getting harder to pitch with each new year. The spin continues.
Yesterday the dam scammers decided it was time to toss out some news that would justify the dam. The Water Resources department likely sent out a strategically designed press release and, as usual, the news media went for it. All day long WSJS radio made announcements about the lack of rain and what Greensboro is planning to do. All that was missing was the melodramatic audio track. And the dam scammers celebrated because the news release accomplished their objective--reinforcement for the dam.
You heard words like “No panic yet” and “caution,” precisely what Greensboro wants its citizens to hear and fear. Why?—because Greensboro is involved in a cover-up after building a dam it never needed and falsely justified.
News & Record reporter Jason Hardin ran with the story too....
"GREENSBORO — With grass turning brown and cracks snaking their way through dried up backyards, this summer is starting to look a lot like 2007. With little rain in recent months, reservoir levels are falling, and the city may begin ramping up water purchases from its neighbors."
He interviewed Director Williams and wrote it up just the way it was told to him. As usual it was all reporting and no investigating. Besides, why should the N&R start investigating now? It has given the dam all the good press the City ever wanted and it never dug for the truth.
I kept N&R editor John Robinson well informed in the 90's that water use was declining and Robinson consistently withheld the good news from N&R readers. Insiders wanted that "good news" withheld because it was bad news for the dam. Declining water use became a huge threat to the approval of the $150 million project in Randleman. That's why the N&R would not report it, and that's why I was fired as water conservation manager--for reducing water use.
A decade has passed, water use has declined and the News & Record refuses to to publish EXHIBIT A--my water use history CHART containing damaging evidence implicating the City of Greensboro in fraud against its citizens.
City to start buying water from Burlington and Reidsville
That's one headline from yesterday. It leads you to the conclusion that Greensboro won’t have to make those purchases once Randleman Lake is producing. First of all, those water purchases from neighboring cities are not necessary. Greensboro is buying water from its neighbors so it can report that it is buying water from its neighbors. It's all for show. It's all part of the dam scam.
Director Williams is quoted earlier this year claiming that "Randleman's water will be cheaper" than Burlington's. In a pig's neck! What a pass the local news media has given Williams' ludicrous claim. Williams forgot to include the price tag for 53% of Randleman Reservoir in his figures. Buying 53% of Randleman Lake is like his wife reminding him to buy toilet paper ....and he brings home 212 rail cars full of Charmin. Greensboro is expanding its water resources by 75% while its water demand has declined since 1995 AND THE LOCAL NEWS MEDIA WILL NOT INFORM ITS READERS AND VIEWERS OF THIS LUNACY. What a sad commentary about the disappearance of investigative reporting!
Greensboro predicted a skyrocketing need for water and the prediction never materialized. In fact, water use has substantially declined ever since 1995. Only those who happen to discover my blog know how much water use has declined--and why. The City of Greensboro, the Water Resources Department and the local news media are suppressing the facts and using every opportunity to keep you believing Randleman’s water is necessary. It is not. It is a scam.
Greensboro is trying to finish what it started and not get caught in the fraud of the century. For a decade now everything that’s Randleman is spun with Utility-Speak to fortify a bad project that was packaged and sold to citizens as something Greensboro needed for survival.
The goal of yesterday's news release was to get you thinking the reservoirs are low. They are not. But if the news media says they're low, then citizens will believe they are low. And low reservoirs are good because that's how Greensboro got the dam in the first place--by dropping its reservoirs as a scare tactic.
Water czar Williams says, "The reservoirs are at 70%" on August 19. Well la-dee-da. Years ago we would have celebrated reservoirs at 70% on August 19th! That was good news! Now with much less water being used daily than in the 90's suddenly the reservoirs at 70% is a cause to put the city on notice. That's pure propaganda.
My backyard has some cracks that are about 1 inch wide,” said Williams, head of the city's water resources department. Williams has a penchant for exaggeration. Every time he is quoted in the newspaper or on television you can find Williams hinting of doom and gloom and pitching Randleman reservoir as the only solution. He simply trying to finish what he was hired to do in 1997---get Randleman dam by hook or crook---and not get caught lying. But Williams lies every time he speaks to the media. And Williams is almost to home plate. He has almost achieved what he was hired to do by hook or crook in spite of declining water demand and the disappearing need for Randleman's water. The Randleman Dam scam is still a secret despite all the evidence I have furnished.
One inch cracks?
Do you really think Water Czar Williams has 1 inch cracks in his backyard? That's pretty dramatic! I have not heard about any seismic activity lately, have you? That's his way of saying it is really dry out there ....and it is a good thing we have Randleman on the horizon. When this story breaks Williams will be one of the first dam scammers to crack. He will sing.
Williams also said yesterday that he is requesting a 5 to 6% water rate increased. He failed to tell any news agency yesterday that his water sales are down--way down--and that's why he needs more money. Private sector businesses downsize when sales nose-dive, but public sector monopolies like Williams' water utility just keep right on expanding. Unchecked expansion. No media asking questions. It does not get any better than this for the crooked in politics. About a year ago in 2008 the City and N&R Jason Hardin ran with the exact same story that he published yesterday. How original! The hidden goal was the same----to keep everyone on board with the Randleman Dam. Guess what?--water use went down 3 million gallons a day since last year! Do you ever see that in print? And did N&R reporter Jason Hardin shove my CHART under Williams' nose and ask him questions about Greensboro's declining water demand? NO! Why, not, Jason? Is it because the N&R czars don't want you poking around in facts? Is this why you became a journalist? Why didn't you call me for my opinion. My blog has been up for 15 months and the EPA has certified me as an expert on this subject. Does your newspaper not even seek opposing views from local experts any longer?
Which local news agency is going to be the first to publish my CHART showing Greensboro's water use history compared to Greensboro's water needs forecast?
What a bunch of weak-kneed reporters and spineless editors we have in the Triiad! Stop making a mockery of journalism! Verify my numbers with Greensboro's water department and publish the dam CHART!
And you Greensboro bloggers who consider yourselves watchdogs and healthy alternatives to the pathetic state of journalism today--where are your dam opinions?

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