gfretwell,
Grounding really doesn't do anything to provide a stable voltage reference. If there is voltage on the system or conductor that is being grounded, it doesn't go away when you ground it. In reality, the grounded conductor that the utility supplies is not at "earth" potential if you measure to "remote earth" (earth not close enough to the grounding electrode system to be influenced by the voltage drop in the earth around the grounding electrode). The utility grounded conductor has a voltage to remote earth equal to the voltage drop on the primary and secondary grounded conductor from the source to the point where you take the measurement. There is no way to eliminate this voltage. This is the main source of stray voltage problems in pools, and the code actually requires that we energize the pool bonding grid!!!
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The thinking is that you are establishing a grounding system bonded at the service (or 2d building disconnect)and any ground shift would make the ground reference rise and fall with that shift. The reality is dependant on the quality of your ground electrode. That is the reason why I like the Ufer, that also catches the steel in the floor (and walls in Florida). Add the bonding to plumbing and equipment.
If you do get a ground shift from the utility grounded conductor, it will be reflected in anything you are likely to touch and you are literally the bird on the wire.

The code rule for single point bonding has only to do with parallel paths for grounded conductor current. You are still the "bird on the wire" when there are parallel paths. Parallel paths are required by the code on the line side of the service and prohibited on the load side. The electrons really don't know what side of the service that they are on, so why are the parallel paths safe and required on one side of the serivce and unsafe and prohibited on the other side of the service?
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In our data applications we did use a separate EGC and we supplimented it with big bonding wires run with the data lines. There ended up being a lot more copper on the ground side than what we had on the phases.
There are no studies or data to show that useful to solve data noise problems.
Don

Don(resqcapt19)