I have, like most of you, tried to work with our appointed GM's for the past 30 years.. with little success except for the kind and generous late Dan Knapp.
We now have an opportunity to change the history of hostility between LAAS staff and the rescue community with the appointment of Brenda Barnette.
I am aware that not everyone in this community believes as I do that Ms Barnette is committed to many of the same ideals as us, and they are certainly welcome to their opinions...however, predicated on her success in Seattle, the overwhelming support she received from her staff and volunteers in Seattle and the reports that ADL ( not always in tandem with my approach to dissent I might mention,) has garnered from those who have worked with and for her, I am willing to trust Councilman Koretz' choice of Mayor's Villaraigosa appointment and throw my support behind her. I hope the rest of the community will do the same. She will need your input and your energy to turn this department around.
We must give her a chance to do that."
Michael Bell
She will need a lot more than input and energy. How about 200 new employees, ones who are dedicated and devoted to animals, not there for a paycheck.
ReplyDeleteI have utmost respect for Michael Bell, and for good reason.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, do we need more positive ensdorsements with the ADL-LA still slamming-home their recent reincarnation to friend of the Mayor? It seems to me that the purpose of this avalanche of "APPROVED" stamps only serves one purpose (because, hey...she's in, okay?): Discredit all detractors and skeptics.
It's really too bad that Barnette will have to depend on one "staffer" to "train" her in the ways of the Department, the Council and the City --the other "staffer" will fade back into the woodwork where she quietly collected her enormous pay before--and it's even more too bad that the former "staffer" will be her most "trusted" adviser.
If Ms. Barnett is as savvy as she appears (read: able to politic with the best of them), she will make a big media splash, be the nice lady on TV with the cute little animals (read: NOT PIT BULLS) and watch and listen closely to what is available to her.
Then, after we're all cozy-- someone should get the axe and move on to yet another City Department--or not. Only then, will Barnette have a real chance to make a difference..if that is possible.
None of her SHS policies will work here. Not the selective intake policy, nor the pitbull policy, nor the temperament test policy. Will this Board, who has forever forbade temperament testing give in (to Bickhart) and allow these "un-adoptable" dogs to be labeled to death? That's one way to bring up your save rate numbers....but that kind of sounds like Ed Boks-style tactics... which fooled quite a few people before. We can only wait and see.