I just walked out to my mailbox and received  “Important Information Regarding Your Privacy” from Verizon Wireless.  You probably got one too.  Usually I throw these out.  You probably do to!

I guess it is lack of sunshine or some related malady, but I actually decided to read the damn thing.  Verizon was telling me that it wanted to share my call history with its “Verizon family of companies” but not “unrelated third parties”.  Wow, how nice of them.  They claimed that they want to share this personal data “to better serve (my) communications needs…”.  What great folks at Verizon!

But here is the kicker.  Verizon was not asking me to OPT IN to this wonderful opportunity to have my phone records shared.  Verizon said that if I did nothing, they would send my private information to their “family of companies”.  The Privacy Notice actually required me to OPT OUT by “calling us at  800-333-9956 and following the recorded directions.”.

That’s right.  By ignoring the letter, Verizon “… assume(s) that you give us the right to share this information among our affiliates…”.   Doing nothing will cause my Privacy Rights to disappear.  

I always thought that I retained my rights unless I consented to give my rights away.  Well dear reader, it appears that is not the case.  It appears that I yield my privacy to corporations unless I actively stop them from   taking it.

800-333-9956… CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

Let me see if I got this right.  According to the Brattleboro Reformer’s Saturday edition, quoted by Julie on the Front Page, New Hampshire might experience transmission line problems in 2018 if Vermont Yankee shuts down in 2012. Specifically, the Reformer says:

“In New Hampshire, however, it appears the situation is more acute and that there will actually be lines that overload if Vermont Yankee is not relicensed,” … simulated findings showed potential deficiencies were expected to rise under certain conditions in 2018 absent improvements to the grid, which were similar with or without Yankee in operation.

Where has New Hampshire been for the last 40 years?  Didn’t they know the VY license ended in 2012? And the story also notes that “improvements to the grid” make the problem disappear.  Did they plan on improving their grid, or were they waiting for us to relicense VY?

Did New Hampshire offer to send money to Vermont’s Decommissioning Fund?  Did New Hampshire send fire trucks to put out the fire in 2004, or help look for missing nuclear fuel, or help remove tritium leaking into their river?  We all know the answers.

Why then should Vermonters feel guilty about shutting down Vermont Yankee in 2012 to avoid transmission problems in New Hampshire in 2018?

Remember your motto, New Hampshire:  Live Free or Die!