Boks Picks Knaan, ADL Threatens Both

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The new "Stop the Killing" bulletin is a classic example of the ADL propaganda machine trying to pass itself off as being credible. But the only credibility in it is the fact that Animal Services Commissioner Debbie Knaan was just chosen by Ed Boks to be his new Assistant General Manager for Operations and that ADL has already put her on notice that if she doesn't behave unprofessionally and work to undermine her boss, they will go to war against her like they go to war against everyone they haven't hand-picked. They also "endorsed" her hiring with back-of-the-hand "praise." That could be the worst news Knaan has received since she got the job

I am not privy to the machinations that led to the decision to appoint Knaan despite her lack of management experience (this was one of my foremost worries about other activist candidates and why I opposed them), but many humane activists seem to applaud the decision and not just because certain other local activists didn't get the job.

What I can say with full confidence is that ADL's assertion that their recent picketing of the Mayor's residence and his appearance at a Westwood theater was the cause of Knaan's hiring, is at best amusing and most assuredly wrong.

The ADL assertion that Boks and mayoral staffer Jim Bickhart favored department veteran Linda Gordon over Knaan and were overruled by "higher ups" in the Mayor's office can't be anything but wishful thinking. If we're going to traffic in rumors, let's at least traffic in credible ones. The mayoral directive on choosing Assistant General Managers sets up a clear process that doesn't involve the Mayor meddling in the decisions. You can see the directive at the Mayor's website, by the way, if you don't believe me. When it comes to attributing things to the Mayor's office or any specific staffers, ADL has a consistent track record of being as wrong, so why should this time be any different?

ADL's assertion that the Mayor or someone close to him, symbolically held a gun to Boks' head and made him choose someone Jim Hahn had appointed to the Commission just doesn't make sense at a time when Villaraigosa is obviously cleaning house of Hahn holdovers on his commissions and elsewhere.

ADL goes on to offer Knaan a thinly-veiled threat about not becoming a "rubber stamp" or a "yes woman." (Surprising they didn't add "concubine," since they seem so ready and willing to toss salacious personal attacks at anyone they don't like these days; but, I digress.) They advise her, without naming names to contact "the experts" (such as the "experts" who did their analysis of LAAS statistics earlier this week, no doubt) who can help her become the Superwoman of Spay/Neuter.Knaan probably needs help to get up to speed in her new position, but she certainly needs neither ADL's idea of experts nor their toxic advice.

It remains to be seen whether this was a good choice by Boks, but it's laughable for ADL to suddenly take credit for it and promise to make Knaan their next target in the next breath. Why don't they just admit that Boks made this decision, condemn it, and skip the stalling tactics? If Knaan behaves in a professional manner, she's bound to end up on their hit list sooner or later. Professionalism is one thing ADL can't abide.