Good afternoon, Mayor and Councilmembers.  Much has happened since I last stood here.  From November 4-9, Professor. Paul Connett, the nation’s foremost critic of water fluoridation, a distinguished environmentalist, and co-author of The Case Against Fluoride, visited Austin.  On his first day, he spoke here during citizens communication—as those of you who were present  will remember—and on his last day, he spoke before the Travis County Commissioners’ Court, where he was accorded great respect.  All this is now on You Tube, just Google Connett + Austin to bring it up.

While here, he had a packed schedule.  There were moments of levity, as when he was presented with The Cake Against Fluoride, but mostly it was a serious and busy week for him. He had a wide variety of speaking engagements and radio interviews in various venues. 

He also participated in in some small-group events, and one I want especially to mention is the meeting with several City Council members’ aides that’s on the CD I’ve passed out. It took place on November 9 and was recorded openly by Linda Greene.  Representatives from the offices of Council members Cole, Spelman, Morrison and Shade attended and if I’ve left anyone out I apologize; I wasn’t there.  But this CD seems to record a genuinely fruitful meeting, with Dr. Connett making his points convincingly and those present paying attention, even to asking probing questions.  One point he dwells on—apart from the fact that ingested fluoride does nothing to improve teeth—is that fluoridated water—health threat though it is—not the only, or even the gravest such threat facing us. Today, we’re beset by environmental toxins at every turn:  in food, water, air.  But, it’s the one most easily remedied, “if we had the political will,” because it involves nothing more than turning off a tap.  And by the CD’s end, voices can be heard beginning to agree.  As the writer Victor Hugo put it, “Armies cannot stop an idea whose time has come.”  We’re not asking for armies:  we’re just asking the City to turn off the fluoride tap.  Thank you.