Speak now, or forever hold your peace. If you can think of any reason why your new smart meter would not make a good lifelong companion, now would be a good time to speak up. Freeborn-Mower Cooperative Services will have a board meeting on May 30 to discuss a possible opt-out plan. Now is the best time to fight for one. If they vote no, you may not get a second chance. 

The more calls they get from people expressing interest in such an opt out, the more likely they will be to offer one. So please call Freeborn-Mower Cooperative Services at 373-6421 and express your interest.

Perhaps you’d like to look into the family tree of your new mate for life? Sensus. Now a quick Google search will tell you that Sensus was bought by Xylem for $1.7 billion last August. Who is Xylem? Oh, just one of these mega fascist corporations that is buying up water rights across the country much like Nestle has been doing in California, forcing farmers to pay more for their water.

Lots of money is being made available for public-private partnerships nationwide. Corporations are anxious to jump on this bandwagon. Masking their intent behind a website that purports to support water conservation and grassroots pressure on governments to invest in water infrastructure, they have established an organization called the Value of Water Coalition. This coalition advocates for privatization measures and includes as members Veolia Water, Xylem Inc., and American Water. While profiting from privatization, such companies will go to great lengths to avoid paying taxes that otherwise might fund infrastructure projects.

And who is in Xylem’s family tree? Oh, just another mega fascist corporation called ITT, famous for their Nazi connections during World War II and for supporting coups in South America.

Phil Mandsager

Albert Lea