Listen to the hearing at http://lacity.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=103&clip_id=8081
With no speaker cards for public comment received--although Zine said "the critics are here"--the hearing was brief and breezy; and without Tony Cardenas --who has always been very outspoken and knowledgeable about LAAS, the questions were pretty tame and general. Zine and Smith reminded Barnette of the "crumbling environment" state of the department is suffering from due to bad morale since the Boks fiasco and the fact that there is no money for the Department.Smith: "We have acutally shrunk the Department" and are offering "fewer services." Brenda Barnette, speaking with a measured tone and a slight Virginia accent stated that she would spend time in the shelters and let everyone speak their mind and "be respectful."
Jan Perry's main concern was the prevalence of the "dumping" of "pit bulls and Rottweilers and those type of dogs" and asked how Barnette felt about free spay neuter programs ( which we have, but not enough of them). Perry said she wants to be first on Barnette's list for "outreach" for spay neuter service to lower income residents.
Zine: We have no money. How are you gonna turn the department around? How will you lift morale?
Barnette: I'm a fundrasier and will be in the shelter working with people.
Barnette said that her Sunday "meet and greet" --which she referred to as a "Town Hall Meeting"-- was productive. She stated that if she can get the cooperation of 70-80% of the staff and community, then she intends to achieve an 80% save rate within 5 years and be very close to that in 3 years.
Chairman Smith noted that "amazingly" there were no comments from the public. The Committee moved to send Barnette's appointment to full Council and the motion was passed. Barnette's appointment confirmation will move to the full council for a vote on Tues. Because a public hearing was already held, NO PUBLIC TESTIMONY will be heard at the Council Meeting. It was concluded and stated by Zine, that "Somebody has to run this Department" and they all wished her luck. So, lot's of internet hoopla for and against Barnette...but nobody showed to speak up....as usual.
Best of luck, Ms. Barnette. We're with you...just tell us what you want to do.
Considering the threats made by the ADL, would you expect anyone to show up and speak? It's called terrorism plain and simple. Anyone in rescue would be scared because all rescuers are over limits, etc. and have to worry about retaliation. The truth is there, links are provided showing Barnette to be nothing more than a schemer, a destroyer of animal control. Just because she says no kill doesn't mean she is one.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if they would carry out any of the threats but I can see why it would make people uneasy. So do these threats endure through the reign of Barnette? Maybe she should denounce them. As far as her being a "schemer" I don't get that. Looks like King County was a mess and she tried to take over. That story is now dead.
ReplyDeleteIt remains to be seen what she really thinks and what she will really do. Councilmembers told her today that she has a disgruntled staff on her hands and no money. They wished her luck. She'll need more than that.
About Me, the story is not dead, there are still lawsuits in King County ongoing and Barnette is right in the middle of them. King County became a mess after the mandate to go no kill without any additional funding to back it up. Some things had to be sacrificed in order to do the no kill mandate. Besides when you have someone like Barnette refusing to take animals from those shelters and importing dogs to take homes from the shelter animals, what can you expect? She didn't try to help the shelter animals, she tried to destroy the shelters and when you do that, you turn the public away and thus the shelter animals have to die.
ReplyDeleteThe story of the campaign to have her appointed without question is , if not dead, moot.
ReplyDeleteIf there's a lawsuit in which she (or SHS) is a party, send us the case number and filing court name>>> laboardwatch@gmail.com
http://www.nwcn.com/news/Animal-Control-Officers-Guild-files-lawsuit-against-King-County-79081157.html
ReplyDeletehttp://kcanimalcontrol.blogspot.com/2009/12/acog-files-pdr-complaint-in-snohomish.html
http://kcanimalcontrol.blogspot.com/2009/09/violation-wac-16-54-170.html