|
El
Universal (Mexico City)
English-Language
Section — The Herald
http://www.mexiconews.com.mx/
There is
only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please.
And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the
consequences.
— P.J. O'Rourke
US humorist, journalist,
& political commentator
(1947-)
Those who profess to favor
freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want rain
without
thunder and lightning.
— Frederick Douglas
(1817-1895)
A
legislative act
contrary to the Constitution is not law.
— Justice John
Marshall
(1755-1835)
US Supreme Court Chief Justice
Who
are a free people? Not those over whom government is exer- cised, but those who live under a
government so constitutionally checked and controlled that proper
provision is made against its being otherwise exercised.
— John Dickenson
(1732-1808)
Source: Farmer’s
Letters, 1767
An
unconditional right to say what
one pleases about public affairs
is
what I consider to be the
minimum guarantee of the
First Amendment.
—
Justice Hugo L. Black
The most important
service rendered by the press and the magazines is that of educating
people to approach printed matter with
distrust.
— Samuel
Butler
The only security of all
is in a free press. The force of
public opinion cannot be resisted when permit- ted freely to be
expressed. The agitation it produces must be submitted to. It is
necessary, to keep the waters pure.
—Thomas Jefferson
to Lafayette, 1823
To the press alone,
checkered as it is with abuses, the world is indebted for all the
triumphs which have been obtained by
reason and humanity over error and
oppression.
—
James Madison
Restriction
of free
thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It
is
the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us.
—
William
O. Douglas
A journalist is a grumbler, a
censurer, a giver of advice, a regent of sovereigns, a tutor of
nations. Four hostile newspapers are more to be feared than a thousand
bayonets.
—
Napoleon Bonaparte
If
all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure
it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed.
— Benjamin
Frankli
|
August 6, 2008
Democracy in Action
By Jack D.
McNamara
The Alpine
City Council met Tuesday at 6 p.m. for another marathon session of
contradictions, inconsistent assertions and the parade of offended
politicos’ egos.
The
subject? The long delayed animal shelter project. How long? Since May
2003 in my direct observation.
In
the instant case of the August 5 meeting, an action was actually taken.
After a
long and heated discussion, the council voted unanimously to approve a
“conceptual” plan for a new animal shelter on the east side of Alpine
near where the old Marathon road intersects with Highway 90.
Two
plans were available for the audience and the council. A surveyed plat
of the 38 acres recently acquired from the General Land Office (GLO)
was on display in the front of the room. Amit Rangra, currently the
head of the Animal Advisory Board, presented the two plans and
discussed them (including a price of perhaps $600,000). Councilman
Gerald Raun polled the large number of Alpine Humane Society (AHS)
members present and we discovered Raun and the AHS were in agreement
with the second plan presented. `Raun made the motion and rookie Mayor
Jerry Johnson moved the question along through the motion’s second from
Councilman Avinash Rangra and the council voted unanimously to proceed
with the project.
Sadly,
however, Avinash Rangra found it necessary before the vote to launch
into a long, emotional and unnecessary defense of his son Amit’s role
in the project.
Amit
Rangra needed no defense but neither did the Alpine Humane Society and
their current president, Glenn Ramsdale. The Alpine Humane
Society members are responsible citizens petitioning their presumably
responsible elected officials.
This
particular chapter of what the Alpine Avalanche calls a “saga” was
initiated at the council meeting of July 1, 2008. Gerald Raun placed an
item on the agenda. Neither the Humane Society nor the Advisory Board
was present at the July 1 meeting.
The
minutes of the meeting, approved Tuesday night, very competently
describe what happened. Councilman Rangra used the July 1 occasion to
seize the initiative to criticize the Humane Society.
“10.
Discuss and Consider setting date for workshop with City Council,Animal
Advisory Board and Humane Society regarding the Proposed Animal
Shelter. (G.Raun) — Councilor Raun said he put this item on the Agenda
because he is beginning to get tired of waiting for the Animal Shelter
project to be completed. He said he would like the groups to get
together in no longer than 30 days and wants to know exactly where each
board stands. Councilor Rangra said the Animal Advisory Board was asked
to come up with a recommendation since the Council was not getting any
solid information from the Humane Society. He said the Council decided
that we needed to have an Animal Advisory Board composed of five
members, one from each ward, a veterinarian, animal control officer and
one council member. He said the board consisted of eight members. He
said if you look at the list there are ten members. He said the Animal
Advisory Board is waiting for the architect to supply the latest
drawing. He said the City of Alpine, a few months ago, decided to apply
for a grant. He said he does not know what purpose would be served by
having another meeting with the Humane Society. He said the issue here
is that the Council should go ahead and build the shelter on its own
instead of waiting on anyone else. Councilor Raun asked if Councilor
Rangra was suggesting that rather than trying to talk this out with the
Humane Society that the City takes on this job itself to do it.
Councilor Rangra said the City needs to go ahead and proceed. He said
if someone wants to help us out their help would be welcome. He said
right now it is the tail wagging the dog. Councilor Raun withdrew his
item from the agenda.”
Two weeks
later, on July 15, the council sent the Animal Advisory Board to walk
the plank by the novel expedient of nullifying the membership of the
city’s own Animal Advisory Board ordinance created five years
prior. A dozen members of the AHS were in the audience that night and
were denied the right to speak to the issue when the agenda item was
called.
Tuesday
night, August 5, the council was not particularly
responsive to those members of the AHS who were present at the meeting.
There was, however, a long series of questions and conciliatory remarks.
George
Bradley of the AHS asked early, “do you plan to shut us out?” He said
it was great that the city is moving forward but pointed out a defect
in the plan presented Tuesday night (no dog runs included).
Joanna
Cowell asked “Why the paranoia” of the council toward the AHS and
recommended the council amend the ordinance to comply with state law by
adding an Alpine Humane Society member to the Animal Advisory Board.
Nancy
Beckwith, vice president of the AHS, pointed out that she had 15 years’
veterinary experience and asked to be appointed to the new animal
advisory board … but she was refused.
\When Amit
Rangra displayed his two diagrams the questions became less political
and more to the point — how many animals?
Raun said
he had come to an AHS meeting two months ago and asked them about their
plans. He still had not received an answer, he said.
But both
the mayor and Raun insisted the city council was not trying to start a
war with the AHS. “Something has to be done,” Raun said, and “we (the
city) are going to do it.”
Joanna
Cowell said “We haven’t heard from the city,” and Councilman Raun
answered with a smile, “That’s why we’re here tonight.”
Glenn
Ramsdale pointed out that the “plan” was to be given to the city
attorney “five months ago” and wasn’t as of “a few days ago.”
The plan
for the building available at the city offices through Tuesday was
apparently one of six revisions referred to by Amit Rangra in his
presentation. The two plans presented Tuesday night were given to the
city staff at 4 p.m. Tuesday, two hours before the meeting. Indeed, the
Humane Society nor much of anyone else had seen the plans presented for
action by the council because Amit Rangra had not received them from
the architect.
This is
hardly an unusual circumstance with any of Alpine’s local governments.
Amit Rangra needed no defense from his father who appointed him to the
Animal Advisory Board in the first place and then reappointed him
Tuesday. That position happens to be in the crucible of an intense and
ongoing public debate.
Avinash
Rangra protested that his son had been “vilified.”
The
problem here is the same as it was in 2003. The Alpine Animal Shelter
is a disgrace. Do you want to live in a community which treats the most
helpless inhumanely?
Mayor
Johnson and Councilman Raun moved this project forward last night. The
Alpine Humane Society members in attendance stuck to their guns, were
respectful and conciliatory. The city staff and Amit Rangra did what is
required of them. The project as it now stands was competently
presented, televised on Channel 5 and the conceptual plan for the
building completed.
It remains
for the council to amend the ordinance by adding the AHS to the
advisory board as is clearly the legislative intent of the state
statute concerning animal shelters.
Councilman
Avinash Rangra, our councilman in Ward 1, was not helpful. We have
supported him through thick and thin but if he continues to unfairly
berate the Alpine Humane Society he should recuse himself from this
issue. •
|
© 