Skit of the Second Neighborhood Information Meeting

This is a hard one to blog. How to make light of such a grave situation? Names are removed to protect innocent people for I don't have their permission to reveal their identities. But those who were present should know who these people are.


Rep and Engineer from AT&T giving people the song and dance about why they need the CPT to be built on SMS grounds and in particular that very spot.

First Engineer claimed that this CPT will improve AT&T's coverage within 0.5 miles outdoor or 0.34 miles indoor from this CPT. When showned the signal strength coverage map from AT&T's official website, AT&T's rep changes the story to "anticipation of future needs" and "to make sure 911 calls will be routed promptly with the cell phone congestions". AT&T Engineer also claimed there are no alternate sites that would fullfill the criteria given to him.

Rep said, "How would you like it if you dial 911 and there is no access?"


Note: FCC regulations state that 911 calls are top priority, landline or wireless. Even if a phone does not have service, carriers are required to route 911 calls and maintain the clarity for the duration of the calls. For wireless, Enhanced 911 (E911, 1996) requires cellular carriers complete all 911 calls, not just those of their subscribers. (fcc.gov)

Note2: Since there is no "blank spot" in the vacinity of SMS (probably in the whole Silicon Valley), there will be no issue of 911 calls not being completed. So the Rep was using the century old scare tactics.



A Phantom was at the meeting, sitting quietly throughout. At the end of which he stood up, "I probably shouldn't introduce myself because I'm going to get a lot of flak. I'm so-and-so from the city council."

When asked by residents about what needed to be done to kill this CPT project. He irritably replied, "It is out of our hands." ..(blah blah blah)..

(residents interrupted in outcry, "what do you mean 'out of your hands'?")..

Increasingly irritable, "The school board had entered a contract with AT&T for the project." ..(blah blah blah)..

(more residents wanted to can the project. They asked how).. Sounded annoyed, "I don't know. They had entered an agreement. Someone has to look at it to see how to back out of the deal."

(residents interrupted to protest loudly).. Sounding irritated, "It's been on the [city] planning website since June 2009." ..(blah blah blah)..

(more residents objected loudly and in discord).. Sounded untruthful, "It is not a done deal." ..(blah blah blah)..

Sounded bored, "It's not about money because this is proposed in 2009 before the big financial crisis hit." ..(blah blah blah).. "Through strong management we have done really well in this city and have enough buffer to weather this downturn. But the buffer won't last forever." ..(blah blah blah)..


The bottom line is that this Phantom is not to be trusted. (Then again, how many politicians can we really trust?)

Every time a resident asked, "How to kill the Cell Phone Tower?" and "What do we need to do to kill the Cell Phone Tower.",

The replies were basically and repeatedly, "It is out of our hands." and "It is not a done deal.". The Phantom always came up with an answer that basically said, "You can't." and "I'm not going to help you!"


What is really going on here? How far along is this proposal/deal/agreement/contract?