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We Have Ringers, Ladies and Gentlemen !!!

Should I feel flattered?

Yesterday I posted a couple of items about the Trenton YES “Committee,” how it was founded, funded and controlled by NJ American Water and its paid consultants The Moriah Group – from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Remember that city.

Those posts generated several hundred views and several comments. Thanks!

Some of the comments agreed with me. Some didn’t. Fair enough. But, a few oddities.

Take a look at this post: Check the comments, especially one by “Sam B.” I will quote it in full, since it sounds like it was definitely written by someone who has drunk the NJAW Kool-Aid:

An interesting discussion, but I for one don’t like paying higher taxes. Based on what I’m reading on ths issue, selling the water system outside of Trenton will lower my taxes, which is something that affects all of us.

Trenton is no different that any other community in New Jersey where elected leaders are struggling to fund critical services and programs. This is an opportunity for Trenton to sell something that has little impact to me or anyone else living in Trenton.

Do we really want to pay higher taxes and water rates to maintain a water system for people who do not even live in Trenton or even pay Trenton taxes?

Now, a funny thing about these here blogs: I have all of my comments set to be Moderated before approval. That way, I can review any comments for rude and abusive language, and weed them out (unlike, say, the Comments section of one of our local dailies); I can also delete obvious spam such as sales offers for handbags and porn.

Other things that come along with each of the Comments are items such as email address and the IP address and Internet Service Provider (ISP) where the messages originated.

So,  with that information, I found out a funny thing about “Sam B.” The email address is an anonymous Hotmail account, and probably not traceable with my meager tools.

Care to guess where the Comment from “Sam B” originated? Come on, wanna try? Chattanooga, Tennessee !!! Imagine that. What a coincidence!!

OrgName:    EPB Telecom
OrgID:      EPBTE
Address:    P.O. Box 182255
City:       Chattanooga
StateProv:  TN
PostalCode: 37422-7255
Country:    US

NetRange:   74.205.128.0 - 74.205.143.255
CIDR:       74.205.128.0/20
NetName:    EPBTELECOM
NetHandle:  NET-74-205-128-0-1
Parent:     NET-74-0-0-0-0
NetType:    Direct Allocation
NameServer: NS1.EPBINTERNET.NET
NameServer: NS2.EPBINTERNET.NET

On a whim, I looked at the Moriah Group website, just to see if maybe a guy named Sam worked there? Imagine what kind of a coincidence THAT would be.  There is no Sam, but there is a Scott B.

A helluva coincidence. Should I feel flattered by the attention?

Now, I can’t say for sure that the Comments on my site in favor of the water sale in favor of the sale from “Sam B” or from “Just Wondering” (that message came from Reston, Virginia, another hotbed of PR firms and lobbyists) came from NJAW or American Water. Nope, I can’t say that.

But they sure as hell did not come from anyone who lives in Trenton!

As I responded to “Just Wondering,” I don’t mind a company like NJAW winning an open bid. I wouldn’t mind NJAW openly advocating for this sale. That’s the American Way.

I do mind LIKE HELL that NJAW wants to put its thumb on the scales of a fair election by pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into a fake “Committee” and has ringers writing fake anonymous Comments on a Citizen’s website.

So, “Sam,” and “Just Wondering,” unless you want to use your real names, and unless you live in this town, STAY THE HELL OFF MY BOARD, AND STAY THE HELL OUT OF OUR ELECTION!!

UPDATE: I found another one!  “Common Cents” is actually from St. Louis County Water Company, another American Water Affiliate. I am so honored, to be getting all this attention!!

OrgName:    St. Louis County Water Company 
OrgID:      SLCW
Address:    535 North New Ballas Road
City:       St. Louis
StateProv:  MO
PostalCode: 63141
Country:    US

NetRange:   192.234.148.0 - 192.234.148.255 
CIDR:       192.234.148.0/24 
NetName:    COWACONET2
NetHandle:  NET-192-234-148-0-1
Parent:     NET-192-0-0-0-0
NetType:    Direct Assignment
NameServer: NS1.COMCASTBUSINESS.NET
NameServer: NS2.COMCASTBUSINESS.NET
NameServer: NS3.COMCASTBUSINESS.NET
Comment:    
RegDate:    1992-10-19
Updated:    2004-05-03

RTechHandle: VHH-ARIN
RTechName:   Hyers, Victoria H
RTechPhone:  +1-856-672-2736
RTechEmail:  vhyers@amwater.com 

OrgTechHandle: SCOTT49-ARIN
OrgTechName:   Eddy, Scott A
OrgTechPhone:  +1-618-433-4042
OrgTechEmail:  scott.eddy@amwater.com

5 comments to We Have Ringers, Ladies and Gentlemen !!!

  • Just Wondering

    You don’t leave a way to contact you directly- only a way to comment- but I will have you know I am sitting in my room on Jersey Avenue. I don’t know enough about the internet and how it connects beyond the guy coming here and setting it up, but I am certainly here in Trenton and NOT in Virginia!!

  • Kevin

    I will give you the benefit of the doubt, and thanks for the interest. Just for the record, care to disclose any professional interest in the outcome of this discussion, or are you simply a Trentonian following all sides of the debate?

  • Just Wondering

    I started looking around when I heard about the yes side…your blog came up

  • Marc

    I called this from a mile away. I started writing a msg to you to look up the IP address and noticed you posted this! If they were smart, they’d have a box hooked up and trenton and would be doing all their posting via remote.

  • Kevin

    So, Just Wondering – What are your thoughts on how things stand? Have you spoken with any of your local candidates on the matter? Have they given you any good information?