FAN Bulletin #961

May 30, 2008

Dear Supporter,

Promoters of fluoridation now know that they cannot win a local referendum when there is a level playing field. By a level playing field I mean when the public is fully informed about both sides of the argument. Such a situation can occur in one of two ways: 1) the press can do their job and make sure both sides are fully aired in their columns or 2) a group of citizens can organize with door to door campaigns, public information meetings and well designed leaflets. We saw both operating in Juneau, Alaska and Dryden, Ontario. We have seen the second work effectively in communities from Worcester, Massachussetts to Bellingham, Washington. What is exciting about all four examples is that our side was massively outspent by well-heeled proponents but we still managed to win.

But the promoters know this and so they have developed three formidable tactics.

In Australia, government proponents from Queensland to Victoria have simply denied the citizens the right to vote on the matter.
In the UK, Isle of Man and a few other places proponents are organizing “surveys” in place of referenda. Such surveys can easily be manipulated to give the organizing body what they want. Please let us know if you have first hand information on where this may have happened.
Most ominously in the United States proponents are avoiding skirmishes at the local level and going for statewide mandatory fluoridation via State legislatures. Where a state has very good organizers and already experienced several or many local battles (e.g. Arkansas, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon and Pennsylvania) this effort usually fails. However, where states have not been blooded by many local battles and there is less visible organizing the effort can be successful. We saw this recently in Nebraska. We were simply too weak on the ground and the lobbying power of organized dentistry at the state level was overwhelming. Quietly, promoters have recently targeted Louisiana, where again we are weak on the ground. More about the Louisiana push in the next bulletin, meanwhile if you know any one in this state please let them know that this is happening. Ask them to contact their state legislators as quickly as possible. Make sure they know about a) our web page b) the Osmunson video c) the NRC (2006) report d) the January, 2008 Scientific American article and e) the Professionals’ Statement calling for an end to fluoridation worldwide.

Pennsylvania is also being targeted again (this is annual event) but in this state the promoters have to deal with some very knowledgeable people including one of the best grass roots activists in the country ? Mike Ewall. If you know anyone in PA please get them to contact Mike at . Because Mike is such a great organizer he is in demand on many issues so he really needs help to fight this most recent effort to take democracy away from PA.

Yesterday, we reported some depressing setbacks from Australia and New Zealand. Today we have much better news from Australia. In Victoria citizens opposed to fluoridation in Ballarat, Geelong and Warrnambool, who have hitherto had their democratic rights removed from them by an arrogant state government, have received some unexpected support for their efforts. The group VOICE of Australia (an independent organization) has stepped in to provide the referendum denied to them by the state. David McRae explains the development in a newsletter which he sent today. I have excerpted this below. The exciting news is that if enough people participate in this referendum it becomes legally binding! So will democracy return to Victoria after all? Good luck David et al.

Paul Connett
 
Barwon Freedom from Fluoridation Inc. (BAFF)
BULLETIN: 30.5.08
 
I think this is the first general bulletin since the “packed” Town Hall meeting (Geelong West) on April 23rd. It was a highly successful rally of nearly 500 people, addressed by:

Dr Andrew Harms, former Aust. Dental  Assoc. president from Adelaide  
Peter Kavanagh MLC and Cr. Barbara Abley,  former Geelong Mayor  
Malcolm McClure, founder of V.O.I.C.E. of Australia, direct  democracy community organization.

Several motions were put to the meeting, chief among them, and rapidly acted upon, were:

Send a demand to Premier Brumby to cancel  the fluoridation order given to Barwon Water  
Send a demand to Premier Brumby to remove  Chief Health Officer Dr John Carnie from office for his “serious misconduct”  in the fluoridation affair  
Send to the Premier, and publicize a vote  of “no-confidence and condemnation” of our local, government-side MPs for  their failure to stand up for the wishes of the community on  fluoridation.

Nothing has been heard from Premier Brumby since these messages were sent to him.

A great many people signed up for newsletters, joined BAFF and signed non-consent Notices to be sent to Barwon Water, following the 1,600 sent over January and March.

Interestingly, disappointingly, except for    the local media just about ignored the event, even though it was one of the biggest public rallies seen in the region over recent years. It was even a little bigger than the ‘Fluoride Crisis Rally’ at Geelong West last September.
 
REFERENDUM
 
A result of the rally was that many people showed great interest in Malcolm McClure’s organization V.O.I.C.E, and signed up for training with him to conduct the “Fluoridation Referendum” in Geelong. The conduct of this referendum is entirely independent of BAFF, and BAFF is delighted to see that it is happening.

Mr McClure has shown that it is run to the highest electoral standards, and once a sufficient number of eligible people in the region have voted it becomes binding upon the government and courts to uphold its result. He states that the Australian Constitution supports that view.
 
So where is this referendum running right now?
 
  Beckley Park Market,  Corio  Saturdays  9am ?  1pm
  Geelong Showgrounds  Market  Sundays  9am ?  1pm
  Market Square Mall,  Geelong  Wednesdays  10am ?  3pm
 
Also running in Warrnambool ( see     ) soon in Ballarat, and in Geelong almost certainly in further locations to be announced as it goes along.
 
When it was run in the Geelong Mall last Wednesday 28th Geelong’s online TV station GOTV filmed it in action and produced a news film clip of it.

If you have Quicktime software you can watch it. You can also download Quicktime from the GOTV homepage.
View the GOTV news film by going to:
 
Click  NEWS  at the top of the homepage
Then go to the column on the left headed  LATEST NEWS  
and scroll down to  Fluoride Referendum  29/5/08
 
This referendum is a completely new and separate initiative to the signing of Non-Consent Notices or any other petitions that BAFF has run before.

David McRae, BAFF e-bulletin Editor