The local news has never reported Greensboro’s gross over-estimation of its future water needs

19% above projection is NEWS
Tonight’s national news media is reminding us that the unemployment rate was projected to rise to 8% before the stimulus package came to the rescue—and now unemployment is at 9.5%. That means unemployment is now 19% above President Obama's projection. That's news!


27% below projection is NOT NEWS
Greensboro projected that in 2008 water use would be 42.4 million gallons a day (mgd). The actual amount of water used in 2008 was only 30.9 mgd.
That means Greensboro overestimated its water needs by 27%. Is that news? Apparently not because the local news media refuses to report it.


A 19% error in the employment rate is important enough to be covered by all the major networks, but a 27% error in Greensboro water use in not significant enough to get the attention of the Greensboro News & Record, The Rhinoceros Times, YES! WEEKLY, WFMY News 2 or FOX8 WGHP-TV. Why?

How about you bloggers?—Greensboro over-estimated it’s 2008 water use by 27% to justify the Randleman Dam. Is that important enough to share with your readers?

Bloggers—Greensboro's projected water use was overestimated every year for the past 13 years to justify the Randleman Dam. Is that news worth passing to your readers?


The truth about Greensboro water use is embarrassing to the local news media that has routinely published the City propaganda it has been fed. But aren't you bloggers different? Aren't you the alternative to the broadcast and print media that's been so asleep at the wheel? Why have you not investigated the Randleman Dam Scam? Why are you not asking questions after all the evidence that's been provided?


Greensboro overestimated its water needs by 27% and now it is expanding its waterworks by 75% at a cost of $70 million. Water use has declined since 1995 and nobody is challenging this expansion. And Greensboro's bloggers don't think this is news. Do we need an alternative to the alternative?

No truth and reconciliation for water conservation

City Council rejects water rate hike

City Council has just approved a 2009—2010 budget while rejecting the 6% water rate hike staff was requesting.

The water rate will remain the same as in 2009 when a 9% water rate increase took effect this past January.

Shhh! Don't dare mention declining water use!

While discussing the proposed water rate increase both the City Council and the City Staff took great care to avoid any mention of the fact that less water is being sold these years.

It would be downright dangerous for citizens to learn that less water is needed today than in 1995 when the scam for the dam was forming. Citizens might begin asking why Greensboro is increasing its water supply by 75% at a cost of $70 million when water use is declining.

Greensboro is in its 15th year of propaganda releases about its "water scarcity." The objective is to cement the “necessity” of the Randleman Dam in citizens’ minds ...and keep their wallets wide open for the needed funds.

Greensboro's best one-million-gallon-a day water customers--textile mills--have relocated to Asia and now the residents must make up for all the lost revenue. The only people who know this are you---the readers of my blog.

Low reservoirs by design

During non-drought years Greensboro's reservoirs were lowered on purpose for the visual effect they would achieve. The dam scammer’s efforts won broad support for the grab of Randleman’s water because they made it look like Greensboro was "running out of water."

Greensboro citizens became so convinced about water scarcity that if Mars had water they would fund a “galactic pipeline” to go after it. And that’s exactly where the dam scammers want the people—uninformed and fearful that Greensboro is short on water. It isn't. Greensboro has an adequate supply of water. And Greensboro could add lots more water to its supply with a fraction of its investment in Randleman's water. For example, Greensboro could begin a water conservation program. FACT: Greensboro quietly ended its award-winning water conservation program about 5 years ago.

Dam spin
Dam spin is on everything said and everything published by the City of Greensboro. The City has lied, falsified reports, rejected best management practices, eliminated its water conservation program and suppressed information like declining water use to insure the acquisition of Randleman water continues without any hiccups. And thanks to the total silence from Greensboro’s news media the citizens remain duped and willing to pay the bill.

The money has to come from somewhere
On Monday, water resources director Allan Williams offered the council members an alternative plan to take $2.1 million out of the department’s reserve (citizen’s money) for the year. He said that aging water lines need to be replaced. I don’t doubt that. It's what Williams won't say that is important---that water use is declining and so are his water sales.

Just remember, Williams cannot give you the real reason for needing more funds. I can. Water sales are way down and yet the waterworks continues to expand. That means more revenue is needed for operations and expansion. It will either come from rate hikes .....or the Greensboro treasury. When asked what happens if he does not get his 6% hike in January, Williams said it will be 10% in July.

Council decided there will be no water rate increase this coming year. Williams says the needed $2.1 million will instead come from the "water reserve fund." To drink you must pay. The money has to come from somewhere.

Obsessed with GROWTH

Greensboro has always been obsessed with growth. Most residents are aware of that. And most residents know that the City Government of Greensboro always gets what it wants. Fifteen years ago when the foundation for the dam scam was being laid, insiders had become convinced that water was needed for Greensboro’s growth. It was NOT needed for survival as they claimed. That was a lie.

The dam scammers knew that rate-payers and taxpayers would not fund the Randleman Dam for GROWTH. So what did they do? They tricked citizens into funding the Randleman Dam for SURVIVAL.

There's no better way to get people's attention about water than to run out of it. And that's what their scheme was--to appear that Greensboro was running out of water. And once that fear took hold, they knew that citizens would fund the Randleman Dam and state and federal authorities would have no choice but to approve it.

It was a perfect plan and it worked. Greensboro propaganda and photos of dry reservoirs made everyone a believer. In 1999 I told one of my pastors that water use had gone down 3 straight years. He said, "Mike, that cannot possibly be true." I could not convince my own pastor of an irrefutable fact. Arrrgh!

And when I told N&R editor John Robinson numerous times that water use was going down he turned a deaf ear. Once he even said to me, "Well, we have a water conservation program now, so water use SHOULD be going down. That's not news when something is supposed to happen and it happens."

The only glitch to the dam scam was the drought. While the City was selling down its reservoirs for visual effect, along came a drought and caught City Hall completely off guard. The drought made the water managers crap in their pants and Ed Kitchen crap in his pants. The City had created such a high demand for lawn water that the reservoirs were down when the drought hit. Suddenly Greensboro had no water to sell. Greensboro was actually facing a federally ordered evacuation if the reservoirs ran dry.

I was there and I saw how it all came down. The tension was real. Right after I designed this billboard that went up on High Point Road I was fired. Greensboro got caught selling off its supply of water to justify the Randleman Dam. One hand did not know what the other was doing. City Hall was in panic mode.

I knew the truth and I would not lie for my bosses. I knew that Randleman Dam was a terrible solution to a simple problem. Several City incentives were actually encouraging lawn watering to run the reservoirs dry and convince everyone that Randleman Dam was needed by 2000.

IT WAS SO SIMPLE: Solve lawn watering and you solve Greensboro's water shortage. It was so easy to do, but Greensboro officials like Mayor Allen, City Manager Ed Kitchen and Water Director Allan Williams wanted the dam at any cost so they put the City at great risk. The rest of the City Council became dam scammers because of their silence.

Once the dam was finally approved Greensboro took immediate steps to reverse the numerous incentives it had placed on lawn watering. The result was more water in the reservoirs.

It's simple. To justify any public works project, simply demonstrate that the current program or service is inadequate and a threat to operations. You would think the news media would be suspicious about expansion projects like the Randleman Dam. Nope.

Since the beginning of time countries have proven that they will do ANYTHING for more water---including going to war. Greensboro’s dam scammers never invaded Randleman with tanks and troops, but their tactics were covert. The "ends justified the means" in their minds, so lying and cheating to get at Randleman’s water was permissible. The displaced farmers, the people down steam, me and my family and my career---we were all just collateral damage in a covert effort to grow Greensboro to compete with Charlotte and Raleigh.

You can hire a hit man for about ten grand. With $150 million dollar project up for grabs, plenty of underhanded things get done. People get crushed. Isn't it interesting that the Greensboro news media cannot a thing wrong with a $150 million deal. It is suspect of no wrong doing at all.

The grab for Randleman water

(Click on graphic to view full size)

Water runs uphill
Greensboro obtained a state permit to withdraw up to 28 million gallons a day from the Deep River and never replace it. That means the geography downstream from the Randleman Dam will be missing 28 million gallons per day of Deep River water.

You could say that water always flows from higher ground to lower ground—except when power and money cause it to change direction, defy nature and actually flow uphill---to Greensboro.

Randleman water will increase Greensboro’s water reserves by 75% (SOURCE: City of Greensboro web page)

Greensboro's waterworks is expanding by 75% while its water use is shrinking. And you are among the very few who know.

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YES! WEEKLY says DAM SCAM is a “top ten best story"

The DAM SCAM story finally breaks—almost.

After serving up 15 months of hard evidence in my blog about water fraud and cover-up in Greensboro YES! WEEKLY has finally broken the media's silence.

Last week YES! WEEKLY listed the "ten best stories" it did not have time to cover, and DAM SCAM was among them. This is progress! It probably means that very soon YES! WEEKLY will become the ribbon-cutter on the biggest municipal fraud in the history of Greensboro.

I feel like Lloyd (Jim Carrey) the dolt in Dumb and Dumber when he asks Mary, “What are my chances with you Mary?—maybe… one in a hundred?”

Mary replies, “M-m-more like…….one…. in a.... million.”

Carrey thinks for a moment—and then he leaps for joy—because he got what he was hoping for—a CHANCE with Mary!

Lloyd says, "So you mean there's a CHANCE!"

YES! WEEKLY has given me the same hope that Mary gave Lloyd. Even if YW only dips its foot in the water fraud, that’s a great start.

Once the smelly muskrat is out of the bag, Greensboro’s ostrich media will have little choice but to weigh in on the DAM SCAM. And once the citizens find out they have been scammed.......oh boy!

I have to give YES! WEEKLY a big “thumb up” because I was pretty tough on it calling it YES! WEAKLY (see story) for not attending my presentation and not even replying to my invitation.

News editor Jordan Green's “Best Ten Stories I did not get to” was most congenial. Thank you!

And if you didn’t have time last week to address this “Best Story,” maybe you will make time this week.


Jordan, why not start with my CHART? (Click to enlarge)These are not my numbers but City of Greensboro water department numbers. Why not begin by verifying my CHART with Water Chief Allan Williams and see if it is correct?

Now beware, Williams is a water-seller, a waterworks expanding engineer and a hired dam scammer who puts dam spin on everything to undergird the no-longer-necessary Randleman project. Williams will try to explain away my CHART using methods that won’t wash…but he will try his best.

Jordan, ask Williams why he does not show Greensboro’s water use history on his water website. Ask why he is hiding it. Ask him how former Utility Director Ray Shaw’s forecast of future water needs have been so terribly wrong? Ask Williams if Shaw’s bogus forecast was fabricated to justify the dam?

DAM SPIN...

Remember, Water Chief Williams is in a perpetual jam with the dam. When he signed on to his Director job in Greensboro he agreed with the scammers to present the Randleman Dam as Greensboro’s only salvation no matter what the facts say. Now Williams must cover up the facts and keep the water-shortage myth going so nobody catches on to the scam.


Water demand has been declining for many years and the drought is over, but if you analyze Williams’ statements over the past few years they always include subtle warnings about “water shortage.” DANGER and FEAR are essential elements of the propaganda that defend Greensboro's grab for Randleman’s water. We used to say often that we had to have the Randleman Dam by the year 2000 or Greensboro could run out of water. Now Greensboro is saying that it does not need Randleman water until 2012. And why should anybody believe it given it's horrible record of forecasting?


You could also ask Williams that in a drought would Randleman Lake be FULL, or would it be EMPTY like every other area reservoir. Randleman was never intended for drought mitigation, but since manufacturing has relocated to the far east and Randleman water can no longer be used to recruit industry, drought mitigation has become the revised justification for the dam.


STUPID CHART TRICKS

Beware Jordan, Williams will probably show you a CHART of his own making that does not display a declining water use trend line as shown in my CHART. Williams' CHART will likely show the full range of daily water usage beginning at 1 gallon on the “Y” axis and go all the way up to 60 million gallons. That’s a sloppy way to build a CHART but it will allow Williams to falsely claim “Water use has not changed much at all since 1995.” That's a lie.


Raleigh touches Greensboro?

Raleigh actually does touch Greensboro when you observe earth from the moon! And the two cities nearly touch even if you look at a map of the eastern US. What's missing is a close-up map showing the two cities. Williams' CHART won't be a close-up like mine.

Since this CHART is so important, let me warn you further about the CHART Williams is likely to pull out and contrast with mine.

If you check an Internet CHART on the price of GOLD (about $920 an ounce), that CHART doesn’t begin with just one dollar on the “Y’ axis. It begins at $880 on the “Y” axis and extends up to $1,000. That’s called the range.

A range provides a close-up of what's important. It’s the same as looking at a map of eastern North Carolina to see all the geography that lies between Greensboro an Raleigh.

If the GOLD CHART began with just $1.00 at the bottom of the range on the “Y” axis it would look like the price of GOLD has not changed at all! And that’s the trick Williams is likely to play on you. That's because he and the dam scammers do not want anyone to know that water use has declined for 15 years while they continue to expand the waterworks. Get it WEEKLY?

That’s how Williams was able to lie in the late 90’s and claim that water use was “flat” when it was actually going down because of strategic water conservation programs of mine that were working. Williams' CHART---if he even has one---will not show a "close up" view like the GOLD CHART and my water use history CHART.

The only CHART Chief Williams is currently showing on his website is his ridiculous "Lake Performance" CHART that would even confuse Stephen Hawkins. It tells you nothing and that's exactly what Greensboro's dam scammers want you to know--NOTHING! They want to keep you in the dark and willing to pay the tab on Randleman Dam without any hesitation.

Greensboro uses 31 million gallons of water a day! Expect Williams to pull out a CHART that will likely begin with just 1 million for the bottom of the range on the “Y” axis and go up to 60 million gallons. Then he will say, "See, water use has not changed much at all since 1995 contrary to what Baron claims."

Sorry Director Williams, your bogus CHART and your explanation of "flat water consumption since 1995" just won't pump any longer.

My CHART is probably the single most damaging piece of evidence in a year's worth of my stories. It really stands alone and it speaks volumes. I am amazed that after 15 months not a single news reporter has shoved my CHART under Williams’ nose and asked questions. And not a single news reporter has even telephoned me to ask me any questions.


Jordan, will YES! WEEKLY be the first to publish my CHART? Don't you think that citizens deserve to know the truth about declining water demand and the fabricated forecast that "justified" the Randleman Dam?















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Trees more important than water

CLARIFICATION: The actual job title for the above position is "Urban Forester." I began calling this position "Tree Conservation Manager" because it is so similar in nature to my former position as Water Conservation Manager. If you spot a tree in need of a hug you can call City Hall and ask for the Urban Forester.

MORE CLARIFICATION: The truck photo above is not authentic, but the City of Greensboro really does employ an "Urban Forester." And although WATER is always in the news, Greensboro no longer employs a Water Conservation Manager or staff person. Greensboro's EPA-award winning Water Conservation program quietly ended about 7 years ago. You could not have learned this anywhere but here because the local news media has failed to report it.--MB

PlYou are invited to post your COMMENT.

Award-winning author believes Dam Scam story is TRUE

(Click to view full size)

Author believes DAM SCAM is true!

15 months now...

I began reporting the Randleman Dam Scam 15 months ago. I have offered eyewitness testimony and an inconceivable amount of evidence including a CHART detailing a damaging water use history compared to water needs forecast that supports my claim that the City of Greensboro fraudulently pursued the unnecessary Randleman Dam.

And despite having offered such exhaustive analysis over 15 months not a single local or state news agency has even so much as telephoned me for a clarification. Not one mention of the dam scam has appeared in the news.

That’s unreal! And the longer this goes on, the more foolish the media looks for refusing to investigate a $150 million dollar public works project that an insider--me--declares was unnecessary.

Now an award-winning Florida environmental author believes that Greensboro lied and cheated all the way to the Randleman Dam. Author and journalist Cynthia Barnett has reviewed my story about water fraud in Greensboro and is lending her support.

Ms. Barnett phoned me and stated that she knows exactly what I have been up against. And she believes what I have stated is true. How comforting it was to find a sympathetic ear. Then she autographed and mailed her book “Mirage” with the inscription, “You were right.”

Cynthia Barnett (web page) has been a reporter and editor at newspapers and magazines for twenty years. Since 1998, she’s written for Florida Trend magazine, where she covers investigative, environmental, public policy and business stories.

Her numerous journalism awards include seven Green Eyeshades, which recognize outstanding journalism in 11 southeastern states. Her first book, Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S., published in 2007 by the University of Michigan Press, won the Gold medal for best nonfiction in the Florida Book Awards.

Ms. Barnett said that the Greensboro water fraud story will likely become a chapter in her next book. Maybe by then a local news agency will have decided to do an investigation of its own.

I recall wishing that I had a “Jerry Bledsoe” of my own to work the dam scam the way that terminated Police Chief David Wray benefited from having Bledsoe write about the cops scandal.

Maybe my wish is coming true.

###

NEWS FLASH: I began my DAM SCAM REPORT 15 months ago! To date not a single local or state news agency has seen fit to inform citizens about the damaging content contained in my CHART! Will you write a letter to the editor? Will you blog the truth, or stand for it being blocked?

(Click on CHART to view full size)

Is the news media afraid of some powerful Greensboro conspiracy?...or is it embarrassed that it has been scammed right along with the general public?

IMPORTANT: Since the media refuses to cover this scam it is very important that you encourage others to Google just two words--dam scam! TANKS!

How Greensboro manipulated lawn watering to get the Randleman Dam approved

Browner lawns coming this summer because irrigation metered water is very expensive!

There are two (2) reasons why fewer Greensboro citizens will be watering their lawns this summer:

REASON NUMBER ONE:
First, water rates have gone up 9% this season (and maybe even more on the outdoor meters—I don’t know). A 9% rate hike is going to put the kibosh on irrigation for all but the very wealthy. In addition, there is a financial penalty for extra consumption. It’s called an increasing block rate. Before the dam was approved Greensboro maintained a decreasing block rate that actually discounted water to customers who purchased lots of it.

By overselling irrigation water through separate meters Greensboro was able to sell off the reservoirs every summer and justify the Randleman Dam. It is amazing that nobody had figured this out sooner—that Greensboro sold its outdoor water below cost to overtax the water works and declare it inadequate.

It used to be DIRT CHEAP to water your lawn in Greensboro, but immediately after the Randleman Dam was approved Greensboro solved its artificial “water shortage” by doubling the rate for lawn water.

The City could have done that back in 1995 and spared itself from investing in an unnecessary Randleman Dam and reservoir, but certain leaders were convinced that Randleman water would help Greensboro grow bigger. Greensboro has always been about growth in case you have not noticed.

REASON NUMBER TWO:
Second, most residents have now been switched from quarterly billing (every 3 months) to monthly billing. That means when they water their lawns they will receive a huge bill EARLIER than in the past. They will learn SOONER to not do that again.

Under quarterly billing people ran their sprinklers for 3 full months before receiving a gigantic bill. So, monthly billing will cause people to operate their irrigation systems less frequently.

Water use declining...
What this all means is that Greensboro’s water use in 2009 is likely to go down again. That’s because the biggest threat to the reservoirs—lawn watering—is being nicely brought under control by stiff rate hikes.

Remember, this simple solution was implemented AFTER the dam was approved. It could have been enacted long ago…but Greensboro would have lost its argument for the Randleman Dam.

Irrigation systems represent giant holes in the distribution system. When everybody is lawn watering it drains the system and then it drains the reservoirs. Too many “openings” at one time and the system goes down.

Let me illustrate. Suppose you are blowing up a balloon with a few pinholes in it. You can puff away and stay ahead of the few air leaks. More air is going in than escaping. Now add a few more pin holes. You'll work harder to stay ahead. Eventually after adding more pinholes you just cannot keep the balloon inflated.

We call that a system failure and Greensboro experienced one in 1994. A section of Friendly Ave. was allowed to run dry and businesses had to close. That one failure focused everyone's attention on the Randleman Dam. Utility Director Ray Shaw allowed the system to go down to make a point. He knew such bad news would help get the dam. If a fire broke out on Friendly Ave. it could not have been fought, but Shaw took that chance because all of his career he wanted to build the Randleman Dam. Now you know.

That's how Shaw manipulated the water works. His policies employed incentives that encouraged lawn watering in order to tax the distribution system and the reservoirs. Very few managers knew what he was up to back then. Shaw's scheme worked perfectly. He knew that to get something new approved you must demonstrate that your current system is inadequate.

Can I get a witness? Is anybody following this? IT IS SO SIMPLE a caveman can figure it out! Do you believe Greensboro scuttled its reservoirs and its distribution system? Start believing because it is true!

Another 6% January 1st

Next January rates will increase an additional 6% and maybe more. Outdoor water meter rate may go even higher. And again, water DEMAND will DECREASE because the COST for a plush lawn will INCREASE.

Greensboro is secretly expanding its own reservoirs by making it expensive to water your lawn…but it cannot tell you its reservoirs are getting larger….or tell you that water use is declining…..because then you might question the need for Randleman Dam. You should.

That’s why they call it the WATER WORKS. It works whichever way it wants because it is a monopoly. It will always “work” even when you don’t and cannot afford its rates. The water department will always expand even when water use is declining. Only the private sector downsizes when DEMAND diminishes. Government EXPANDS even when DEMAND diminishes.

BEWARE OF SPIN...

Every announcement from the Greensboro water department has spin on it! It's been this way for 15 years now. The City has to conceal the facts and keep its citizens on board with the Randleman Dam. This is the largest scam in the history of Greensboro and it continues because the last chapter is still not written on the dam projects in Randleman.