Ford on SmartMeters

By Ford Greene

Smart Meters Should Not Be Forced Upon Us - a Marin Voice

PG&E's tactic violates our national history respecting the ancient adage that a human's home is his, or her, Castle, such that that the poorest person may in her cottage defy all authority. William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, stated "The poorest man may in his cottage bid defiance to all the force of the Crown. It may be frail; its roof may shake; the wind may blow through it; the storms may enter, the rain may enter; but the King of England cannot enter-all his force dares not cross the threshold of the ruined tenement!" Our nation's high Court emphasizes the primacy of the constitutional protection for persons in their homes and curtilage. Indeed, physical entry of the home is the chief evil against which the wording of the Fourth Amendment against unreasonable searches and seizures is directed. Centrally, the Fourth Amendment stands for the right of citizens to retreat into their homes and there be free from unreasonable governmental intrusion. The high court has been vigilant in extending this concept in the face of new technological threats to the sanctity of the home, including the warrantless use of a thermal imaging device to explore details inside one's home.

PG&E may as well be the government, the Crown. No longer is it a utility whose aim is to serve the public's interest, which interest the Public Utilities Commission is charged to protect. PG&E is now a corporate monopoly empowered and protected by the State. No longer does it serve us. We serve it.

An essential societal interest, our right to the peaceful occupation of our private sanctuaries has always been accorded heightened constitutional and statutory protection so that the peaceful enjoyment of our homes is without unwanted intrusion. We have a strong privacy interest to be left alone in our homes. We have the right to consent to - or to reject - intrusion.

PG&E's heavy-handed installation tactics disregards core constitutional principles. Its SmartMeter plan mocks the crux of constitutional protection and violates our right to rely on them. Marin County Sheriff Robert Doyle should protect our rights, not help PG&E trample them.

Pretend that SmartMeters' radio-waves are benign, don't tend to lower sperm count and motility, don't adversely impact people with radio sensitivity, respect ownership of private information, aren't vulnerable to hackers and won't immediately double one's utility bill or trigger the security lighting. Assume that the technology is sound, without risk, respects your ownership of private information, and is not aimed at increasing rates, just like PG&E says.

If SmartMeters are good, why is PG&E's installation of them so bad? Why the summary abrogation of the sanctity of our castles? Sheriff Doyle should slow PG&E down, make it respect citizens' rights and get installation permission. Otherwise, as Marcellus said in Shakespeare's Hamlet "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark." What's rotten is while we putatively have rights, we don't have protection nor do we have any choice.