ANIMAL ISSUES BULLETIN
September 20, 2011
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** Government Programs that Hurt Animals and Taxpayers
** Save the Salmon
** Does Obama Care about Clean Air?
** Update on Ferret Cruelty at Triple F
** National Feral Cat Date
** Johnson Twins Retrial Postponed Again
**Maryland Votes for Animals’ Announcements
** Bat Advocates and “Contagion”
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-- Animals and Politics and Deficits … Oh My! –
As lawmakers ponder what programs should be eliminated or reduced in order to whittle down the deficit, the public—especially animal welfare advocates—should know how Congress and the White House can save money and help animals at the same time. Bottom line: Government programs that harm animals and accomplish little to nothing for the American people should be cut.
Michael Markarian of the HSUS has compiled a list of the government programs that should go, and he explains why in his Animals and Politics blog. To get information that will help you be persuasive when communicating to your lawmakers about the cuts you favor, go to http://hslf.typepad.com/ and read “The Kindest Cuts: Budget Reductions to Help Animals.”
Among the programs on animal welfare’s chopping block are:
Chimpanzees in Research: $300 million
Wild Horses and Burros: $172 million
Lethal Predator Control: $110 million
Animal Testing: Tens of millions of dollars per year
You can pass along your suggestions to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction by using the on-line form provided at http://deficitreduction.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact .
Readers are also urged to contact their own members of Congress to advocate for these proposals. Identify lawmakers at http://capwiz.com/fund/dbq/officials/
Here is a sample message:
The U.S. Government could save more than half a billion dollars by eliminating programs that hurt animals and do not serve the public good. These programs include using chimpanzees in research (savings of $300 million); wild horses and burros round-up ($172 million saved); lethal predator controls ($110 million saved) and outdated animal testing (tens of millions saved annually). I urge members of this committee to take a look at these programs and talk to experts from the HSUS and other organization. If you do this, you will understand why funding them is both a waste of taxpayer money and cruel.
Another area that lawmakers must not overlook is agriculture subsidies. Billions of dollars in taxpayer money is going to industrial agriculture in subsidies. Recipients of these subsidies include the most profitable farmers in this country. Instead of the current wasteful system, Congress could support small family farmers and reduce deficit spending by capping eligibility to farmers with adjusted gross income of $250,000 or less and by capping the total amount of money an entity can receive under the commodity payments program of the Farm Bill at $125,000 or $250,000.
It is time for Congress to stand up to corporate factory farms. Big agribusiness needs to be off the government trough. And when subsidies are granted, it should be to foster innovation and provide incentives for these corporate farms to implement best practices for the care of its animals and for the health of the environment and the American public.
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-- Save Our Salmon and Steelhead --
The Sierra Club tells us that since 2001 salmon recovery plans from three different administrations have failed to provide our salmon and steelhead with a real shot at survival (much less recovery), and all three plans have been stricken down by federal courts upholding our environmental protection laws.
The message from the courts could not be more clear: The government’s efforts have been insufficient. Bold action is required. To take action and personalize a message that will go to President Barack Obama, CEQ Chair Nancy Sutley, and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, go to:
https://secure2.convio.net/sierra/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=6835
Here’s the text of the message prepared by the Sierra Club:
Federal Judge James Redden has ruled your Administration's Columbia Basin salmon and steelhead plan inadequate and illegal. Your administration now has the opportunity to pursue a new path to recover wild salmon, rebuild jobs, protect communities, and invest in the clean energy economy. Many thousands of jobs, the fate of our wild salmon, and the integrity of the Endangered Species Act hang in the balance.
I call on you to bring together the affected stakeholders and assess all credible recovery options - including the removal of the four lower Snake River dams - so that we can be certain that these salmon are here to nourish and inspire future generations.
Snake River salmon are a miracle of nature. Fighting hundreds of miles upstream and thousands of feet in elevation, against obstacles natural and human, to their natal streams to spawn their next generation, salmon inspire us for their persistence and determination. And the Washington, Idaho, and Oregon mountain habitat of this one-of-a-kind species is also unique. Standing between 4,000 to 7,000 feet, this is the largest, wildest, and best-protected salmon habitat remaining in the "Lower 48" states. This area is considered the "Noah's Ark" for salmon. If they can reach this habitat, wild salmon and steelhead will thrive once again.
But these Snake River fish, and all that they provide, remain today at risk of extinction.
Your Administration's current salmon policies will neither protect these one-of-a-kind species nor reconnect them with their unique habitat. Four dams on the lower Snake River threaten the very existence of these fish. Salmon can survive some dams, but Snake River salmon and steelhead must travel past eight of them - and that is four too many. The facts are clear: science, law, and economics all point toward removing the four lower Snake River dams to protect these one-of-a-kind species and reconnect them to their one-of-a-kind habitat. The limited services these dams provide can be replaced with effective, affordable, and salmon-friendly alternatives. Right now, we have an opportunity achieve sustainability: wild salmon and productive farms and a healthy economy and clean energy. With your leadership, we can responsibly and successfully address and solve these issues in a manner that can serve as a model for the nation.
Your Administration is responsible for protecting Snake River salmon and I urge you to make this part of your legacy. Please start work today with affected stakeholders to develop a lawful, scientifically sound salmon plan that includes the removal of the lower Snake River dams. Allow these remarkable salmon to again reach their ancestral habitat and provide us all with the bounty they bring from the sea.
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-- Don’t Delay Air Quality Protection –
The Sierra Club wants the public to know that President Obama has asked EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to withdraw the proposed new national ozone standards, delaying until at least 2013 a safeguard that would protect our families from dangerous smog pollution. Half of U.S. families live in communities where the air is literally unsafe to breathe -- and President Obama is looking the other way. These protections from smog would have improved our communities and saved billions of dollars in health costs.
To send a quick on-line message to the Obama Administration, go to
https://secure2.convio.net/sierra/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=6975&s_src=611BSCAC01
Here is the text of the message which should be personalized for maximum impact:
I am shocked and extremely disappointed in your request to EPA Administrator Jackson to withdraw the draft of the Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
I expect your Administration to do everything in its power to stand up to coal and oil polluters who continue to cause illness and premature death in our communities.
A healthy economy requires clean air and healthy people. I urge you to remain vigilant in your support of strong environmental safeguards that protect our air and water from polluters and keep our communities thriving.
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-- Update on PETA Ferret Cruelty Expose --
After meeting with PETA and reviewing the organization’s evidence, the U.S. Department of Agriculture inspected Triple F Farms and confirmed PETA’s findings of multiple Animal Welfare Act violations. The USDA's inspection report details, among other atrocities, that newborn ferrets fell through gaping wire cage bottoms and that ferrets were denied adequate food, water, and veterinary care and subjected to major surgeries performed by improperly trained lay employees in unsanitary conditions. Triple F is now under federal investigation. Read the full report to learn about the rest of the USDA's findings. Go to:
http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/archive/2011/09/15/Abuse-and-Death-at-Ferret-Factory.aspx
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-- Celebrate National Feral Cat Day --
On its 10th Anniversary back in 2001, Alley Cat Allies launched National Feral Cat Day to raise the public’s awareness about the issues surrounding feral cats, promote Trap-Neuter-Return, and recognize the countless numbers of people around the country who unselfishly care for feral cats. As part of National Feral Cat Day, people in communities across the nation hold events to educate the public and improve the lives of feral cats.
This year National Feral Cat Day is October 16. To check on events in our area or to organize an event yourself, go to http://www.alleycat.org/NFCD?gclid=CJ-y5KSMrKsCFUuK4AodqkaO4g
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-- Justice Delayed is Justice Denied --
According to Wikipedia:
"Justice delayed is justice denied" … has become a rallying cry for legal reformers who view courts or governments as acting too slowly in resolving legal issues either because the existing system is too complex or overburdened, or because the issue or party in question lacks political favor.
Animal activists who have been waiting for justice for Phoenix, the dog who was set on fire in Baltimore back in 2009, are still waiting. We’re not sure why. Latest news is that the retrial of Travers and Tremayne Johnson has again been postponed. The new date is November 18 , which will be nearly two and a half years after the incident.
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-- Maryland Votes for Animals (MVFA) Announcement --
The Statewide Spay/Neuter Task Force that MVFA initiated working with Speaker of the House, Michael Busch, has all of the animal welfare members of the group appointed by the Governor as follows:
MVFA - Amy Hanigan
HSUS - Tami Santelli
BARCS - Darlene Harris
MDSPCA - Aileen Gabbey
Carroll County Humane Society - Nicky Ratliff
Howard County Animal Advocates - Ann Selnick
Professional Animal Workers of MD - Paul Miller
Prince George's Co. Humane Society - Tamela Terry
These people are tasked with designing a program to help alleviate the overpopulation of Maryland's cats and dogs.
Also, MVFA wants to announce some important additions to MVFA's board of directors as follows:
Frank Branchini has been elected to our board to be in charge of public relations. For anyone involved in animal protection in Maryland, Frank is a household name because of his long-term dedication to helping animals. Welcome, Frank!
Darlene Harris has been elected to our board to be in charge of social networking. Darlene has proven just how good she is at social networking when she organized the Michael Vick protest in Baltimore last year. Welcome, Darlene!
Lynn Hopkins has been doing a great job on MVFA's board as Co-Secretary in charge of our database. Now she's taken on additional responsibility and will serve in the crucial role of Secretary. Thank you, Lynn!
Lastly, MVFA is gearing up for our next Third Thursday Meetup in October to be held in Delegate McIntosh's district in Baltimore. Delegate McIntosh is the powerful chair of the House Environmental Affairs Committee that hears many of our animal protection bills. Therefore, MVFA wants to grow our membership in that locale. More news about this meetup is coming soon.
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-- “Contagion” --
The movie “Contagion” was released on September 9. The film is about a mysterious, fast-spreading virus that kills countless humans around the world. In the end, it is concluded that the virus was linked to bats.
Bat Conservation International (BCI) is concerned that the issues raised by this film may damage the cause of bat conservation. For decades, BCI has worked to change negative perceptions about bats. BCI’s official statement:
"Although bats sometimes harbor pathogens, any risk pales in contrast to the benefits bats provide. In fact, bats hunt and reduce the number of insects carrying diseases such as West Nile Virus. And scientists recently concluded that bats save American farmers billions of dollars a year by consuming crop-destroying pests. Bats also pollinate many valuable plants and disperse seeds that help restore damaged rainforests. In North America, right now, bat populations are being decimated by their own disease, White-nose Syndrome, which does not affect humans. For centuries, bats have been threatened because of misinformation and myths. We hope this movie does not encourage such needless fears."
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