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Debate rages as fluoridation issue moves to Nov. 7 vote
Both sides agree to disagree
By Daniel Hindin
What was advertised as the first of two public forums about water fluoridation on Sept. 22, turned out to be a heated debate on the issue, Measure S, which will appear on the Nov. 7 ballot.
The measure has, in recent weeks, sparked both public debate and legal proceedings. Sunnyvale residents will vote whether or not the city should accept fluoridated water from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) should the SFPUC choose to move its facilities from San Francisco to the East Bay.
Measure S is supported by Sunnyvale City Councilman Tim Risch and Vice Mayor Jack Walker. But former Sunnyvale Mayor Stan Kawczynski, along with other members of the community, adamantly opposes the measure.
Sunnyvale Director of Public Works Mark Dettle started the debate by explaining Sunnyvale's current water purchasing situation. Sunnyvale receives almost half of its water from the SFPUC, almost half from the Santa Clara Valley Water District, and minimal amounts from wells and recycled water.
Dettle emphasized the importance of having multiple water sources for safety purposes and in order to keep different options open for emergency situations such as the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, during which one source of water was unavailable.
Dettle said if the SFPUC decides to fluoridate its water and the people of Sunnyvale vote not to accept it, the price of a new contract and replacement water will bring the city's annual water costs up to $15.48 million, up from $4.2 million. Dettle added water rates could increase from 50 percent to 100 percent.
Kawczynski disagrees. He said he has asked the city for documents supporting the large increase or any of the other different estimates they have given.
Sunnyvale's field services manager Bill Wisen, who calculated the city's estimates, said he has notes from a discussion with authorities from San Jose and Santa Clara, as well as Semi-Tropic Water Bank, that verify these numbers. He has refused to provide these notes and has failed to provide any documents, or any further documentation, that support his estimates.
Walker, who also supports fluoridation, said the opposition were using their words "to frighten and intimidate." He said chlorine and fluoride are only toxic in one form and that fluoridation is a safe and effective means of dental hygiene.
Kawczynski disagreed: "Although the Center for Disease Control (CDC), American Medical Association (AMA) and World Health Organization (WHO) officially support water fluoridation, they make statements from the other side of their mouths, as well."
State Chair of Environmental Health Dr. Donald Lyman countered, "Fluoride works very well--it protects the surface of teeth. There is no issue. There is no controversy. It's been used for over half a century. Our opponents say that fluoride is bad for you, but they've probably also seen Elvis recently."
Jeff Green, director of Citizens for Safe Drinking Water disagreed. "This isn't a dental issue. Ingested fluoride can't help tooth decay, only topical application directly to the tooth can help. Mountain View is the only town in the last 27 years to vote for fluoridation. This substance that they're talking about putting in our water can't be put in the ocean or even given away--it's hazardous waste. Water is the most precious element in the world--don't ruin it."
"When I was on city council and looked at studies, I always asked who's making the money. Always follow the money," Kawczynski said.
Risch, among the most vocal proponents of Measure S, concluded, "This goes far beyond a dental health issue. Our opponents can't accept the fact that we'll lose 50 percent of Hetch-Hetchy water, which is considered the champagne of water in this area."
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
