Mailbag: Smart meters are an invasion of privacy
What is happening to Glendale Water & Power?
These smart meters will infringe upon our privacy even more, and as an American citizen, I don’t want to receive a letter telling me that their “new smart meter” that was installed zeroed in on my wash day, and that I could have reduced my wash water intake by washing the whites and darks together in one load! Or that I left two lights on instead of one while on vacation. I certainly don’t live in a socialistic country yet, nor do I want to.
If we need to build more dams, then why haven’t we? Year after year, we become less free, because our elected officials ignore the real solutions to our energy and water problems. We need our tax money to be used more wisely, creating ways to save these trillions of gallons of rainfall that have been forever lost and wasted.
What we don’t need is another created “bureaucracy department” to grade its consumers, and if these smart meters are going to infringe upon our privacy even more, these departments will flourish. My home is my “castle,” so I resent “big brother” wanting to move in with me! And it saddens me that everyone is going along with it.
We need real and long-lasting solutions to solve this crisis, not one that is designed to control each and every household. This plan just chips away more of what’s left of our freedom.
EDWINA L. HUGHES
Glendale
What happened to the timing?
It is with relief that the construction project on Grandview Avenue and Kenneth Road in Kenneth Village has finally come to an end.
It seems, however, that there is now another problem at this intersection. On a recent evening driving west on Kenneth Road, I found myself in a line of 10-plus cars stopped at the red light. It subsequently took the duration of three green lights for me to get through the intersection. The next day, with a stopwatch in hand, I timed each green and red light at the intersection. The Grandview green light (Grandview Avenue heading north and south) lasted about 30 seconds. The Kenneth green light (Kenneth Road heading east and west) lasted about 17 seconds.
Also, I counted the number of cars flowing in each direction and found that at this time of day (9:30 a.m.) more cars were flowing in the east-west direction on Kenneth Road than were flowing in the north-south direction on Grandview Avenue. I am sure that during the morning commute, as schools are opening, and in the afternoon, as schools are closing, there are many more cars flowing east and west, but it would take a detailed study to find the truth.
Needless to say, I have never waited three lights to travel through this intersection.
I am sure, however, that the timing of these lights has been changed and I am just wondering why. I would hope that the city’s transportation division would look into this issue.
DEAN BRIGGS
Glendale
Street runs both ways with activist judges
In a Feb. 4 letter, “Not time to rebuke Supreme Court,” Lynn McGinnis criticizes President Obama and his fellow Democrats for rebuking the conservative majority on the Supreme Court for its recent decision granting corporations “free speech.”
As I recall, certain members of the religious right have prayed for the deaths of liberal Supreme Court justices when they supported positions with which they disagreed. It seems to me these activist justices are getting off easy with a simple rebuke from the president.
La Crescenta
Thanks for no bad chicken jokes
Regarding the recent story about the hen that made a home near Glendale Community College (“Streetwise hen saved,” Feb. 3).
I would like to congratulate the Glendale News-Press, in all its stories about this frisky fowl, not doing one “chicken crossing the road” joke or pun.
Recalling the countless pun-based headlines I have seen over the years, not just in the News-Press, this restraint is admirable.
ANTONIO E. GONZALEZ
Glendale
Treat staff with respect, dignity
The new police chief looks to have a lot on his plate nowadays. And it’s become clearer as to why the old chief left (“Armenian officers sue dept.,” Jan. 26).
Let’s hope that this case is resolved, and that the Police Department treats all of its staff as they should — with respect and dignity.
ANI MURADIAN
Glendale
Don’t waste taxpayer money on lawsuit
How much is this lawsuit going to cost the city (“Armenian officers sue dept.,” Jan. 26)? And how much of a fight will the city put up with taxpayer money before they finally cave in and settle? All the money spent on appeals on the last case involving civil rights issues with the Police Department didn’t really amount to much. We, the taxpaying citizens of this city, still had to pay up for the incompetence of a few bad apples. I hope the Glendale News-Press covers this case closely, because they’ve apparently missed all the signs leading up to it.
GEOFF YAZZETTA
Glendale