Safe Drinking Water on Radio Show

On Saturday, Feb. 25, from noon to 1pm, on KSCO 1080AM, Dr. Biles, a local holistic dentist, will interview Jeff Green, the national director of Citizens for Safe Drinking Water, on the subject of fluoridation. Topics covered should include the latest scientific research connecting fluoridation to bone cancer in young males and to significantly higher lead levels in consumers of fluoridated water, as well as the current call by 11 EPA unions for a nationwide moratorium on fluoridation because of these and other health concerns. This is a call-in program (479-1080) so get your questions ready.

Those of you following the fluoridation debate in Santa Cruz County probably already know that the California Supreme Court has let stand an Appeals Court ruling stating that citizens have no right to vote on whether or not their public water systems are fluoridated, which clearly puts the 1999 vote by Santa Cruz City voters against fluoridating our water in jeopardy. Since Watsonville voters actually voted in 2002 for an initiative setting standards for which fluoridation agent should be used, there is still some chance that their initiative may still stand, since the court ruling still left that decision to be made at the local level.

Those who followed the court case closely know that there were irregularities in the process: The California Dental Foundation was allowed to intervene on behalf of the state, but citizens who mounted the successful initiative effort were not allowed to intervene on behalf of the city, even though the record showed that city officials supported fluoridation against the will of the people. This meant that all parties to the lawsuit actually supported fluoridation, and thus the court case was just an elaborate rollover by Watsonville's city attorney. Also, significant precedents in case law concerning the rights of charter cities, which SC and Watsonville are, were ignored, as was concurrently existing state PUC law that gives citizens the right to vote on fluoridation.

The Santa Cruz Citizens for Safe Drinking Water, who sponsored the successful SC initiative, are regrouping in hopes of convincing our City Council to resist the state's attempts to fluoridate our water, especially given the bogus nature of Watsonville's court case. If you too are concerned about the adding of this toxic waste byproduct to our drinking water, please listen to this radio show and then give me, Theodora Kerry, a call @458-1734 or reply to this email. Thanks.