April 1, 2019 by Daniel Miller-Dempsey
This week I went to an info session sponsored by https://www.hinghamwater.com with some undecided friends and made the decision to sit back and open my mind. I wanted to hear the information again like I hadn’t had the benefit of hearing it before. I also spent time this past weekend listening to the execs at Aquarion with an open mind.
There is no question for me that the town of Hingham will benefit for generations to come by exercising our right to purchase the water company now.
I sat and listened to a group of talented volunteers share the unglossed facts about how it will be done and why it is important. Elders of the town who spoke so eloquently in favor of why the time is now to protect our interest moving forward in a world where private industry has a deep desire to run public utilities.
Here’s what I know. Aquarion is spending millions to keep ownership of the Hingham, Hull, and Cohasset water systems as well as untold amounts of money trying to buy public water systems in Connecticut that serve 350,000 residents.
They are paying lobbyists and recruiting volunteers to walk our neighborhoods disseminating information that is false and misleading. They are lying to our residents by purchasing full page advertisements with fake numbers. They are hosting local info sessions where they show the audience PowerPoints with inaccurate information. They are not investing our money into the infrastructure of the three towns they are servicing. They are pitting fine residents against one another in the name of corporate greed and obligations to shareholders.
Hingham is 400 years old with a proud history and a flourishing tradition of community involvement. We are a thriving community with excellent schools and exceptional existing public utilities. Our balance of history and forward thinking is unparalleled.
April 22nd is the day that we need to show up in mass to show Aquarion that we won’t be duped by their disgusting antics. We need a 2/3 majority for the purchase of the water company to become a reality. You not only need to show up, you need to bring your friends and neighbors with you. All of the facts are easily found in the link I’ve shared and if for some reason you are still undecided, there will be plenty of opportunities in the next three weeks to have all of your questions answered. Vote YES on article 10!
-Daniel Miller-Dempsey
Thanks, Daniel. One thing I’ve been wondering about is why the Town opted not to exercise the option to buy back in the mid 1980s when it came before a vote. Times and circumstances can and do change, but I still wonder what the arguments of that day were.
I’m going to ask smarter people than me to answer this for you. Stay tuned.
Well-stated!
Addressing Michael’s question: In Hingham’s 1985 Annual Report, Catherine Salisbury, the chair of that water study committee, reported that there were two reasons the committee didn’t recommend going forward: the unknown costs for a water treatment plant and pending federal water quality/safety guidelines. The committee concluded it was not fiscally prudent for Hingham to proceed at that time. [Note: This is from memory because I had the same question several weeks ago and happened to find a copy of the report. I believe it’s a fair summary of the reasons.]