Like Garlic to Vampires: Pew Shrinks from FFA's Colorful Badge

Good afternoon.  Today I’ll start with a document close to home.  I just came across.this work order history for AWU’s fluoride operations for 2009-10.  Now, when some of us toured the Ullrich plant in summer 2009, we were told in effect (despite the heavy corrosion we noted on-site): “Don’t worry, be happy.  The operation is totally automated and therefore foolproof.”  This report shows otherwise, revealing an ongoing series of problems with both pumps and gauges. True, it can be attributed to everyday industrial wear and tear. However, when the super-corrosive hazardous waste—yes, EPA-designated hazardous waste—added to our drinking water eats away at the machinery,  pump leaks endanger the chemical workers in hazmat suits, while failed flowmeters can lead to overfeeds into the public water supply affecting everyone.  Like one  in Kalamazoo, Michigan earlier this year that made the news. Plus, if the chemical is corrosive enough to damage new, regularly serviced equipment, think what it’s doing to the lead-containing pipes in Austin’s older buildings.

On to another subject: the Pew Trusts.  Pew is one of a trio of immensely powerful bureaucracies—along with the joined-at-the-hip CDC and ADA—that work feverishly to force fluoridation on the entire US population by influencing local governments.  Its effects can be felt here in Austin, where, a year ago, Libby Doggett, acting unofficially and without authority, used the weight of her high level position at Pew to pressure Austin city councilman Martinez.  More recently they’ve meddled heavily in the affairs of Portland OR and Wichita KS--suffering humiliating defeats in both places.

While most of the ADA’s and CDC’s talking points are crafted by nameless bureaucrats, Pew has a communications manager named Matt Jacob in charge of its message.  In a recent presentation to Florida dentists, Jacob lamented the failure of his lobbyists to convince 100% of Americans to embrace industrial waste in their drinking water. And I’m proud to say he gave Fluoride Free Austin partial credit for that failure.

Jacob admitted we—the opposition—will win by talking about the very real health harm fluoride causes, unless his minions can distract the public with a brighter, happier “message wheel”:  healthy teeth, attractive smiles, and all the favorable consequences thereof.  But, we talk about those things too. We want them for everyone too.  The difference is we appreciate that water fluoridation does absolutely nothing to bring them about.