Nutcases Attack Winograd

I have no idea what motivates numerous angry attacks on Winograd from anonymous sources who never provide proof of Nathan’s purported failures.

These people—there are two of them—are almost desperate to convince me to post “facts” about Winograd’s “failures,” that they make up stuff about his projects.

When I disagree with these two nutcases’ opinions, they shoot back I should have learned from our common experience with Boks that Winograd, and all persons associated with his projects, are lying. This does not follow logically let alone empirically.

These two nutcases then post comments that soon it will be announced that Reno was a failure and that Winograd’s recommendations for the Kings’ County shelters have been rejected, as if that discredits the validity of Nathan’s consult results.

They even send me articles that they allege “prove” Winograd’s no kill has failed. Reading these articles never has revealed “facts” that prove anything about Winograd.

It is like saying Bush is a warmonger, therefore they head of all national governments are warmongers.

Doing a brief Internet search on his Kings County consult and recommendations certainly does not reveal any evidence the Supervisors have rejected his recommendations. In fact, all Internet evidence indicates that more than 2/3 of his recommendations are immediately being acted upon and the rest will be decided on sometime during August.

There was a town hall meeting on the Winograd consult on April 14, and it appears most of his recommendations were passed, according to a local newspaper article.

I found no information that the Reno shelter is failing—none. I have talked to their shelter director a few short months ago who provided me with official municipal and SPCA data. They support the claim of no kill status except in the one area of cats, which had killing increase from 10% to 13% during the past quarter.

So desperate are these nutcases, they merely repeat their litany that I was fooled by Boks therefore everyone is a liar except for shelters, like County, that are a million light years from no kill.

There are a million tons of public data that indicate Winograd is not failing although some of his consults fall short. Even those regarded as failures by these nutcases are doing better than LAAS, New York City, Pheonix, LA County and a dozen other real failures. Their only response is that everyone but them is a liar and that should be enough to convince me everyone is a liar.

I write this not only because the nutcases post their hatred of the man citing bogus data of failure, but there are also very credible and intelligent persons who share their anger towards Winograd for some reason or another.

Some fear lawsuits by Nathan, stating they were so threatened by him before. But what did they say about him that elicited his threats? Were they the nutty accusations they are now making behind his back that they are sending to me?

Below are two current articles found on the Internet. One is dated before an April 14 town hall meeting about Nathan’s recommendations, and one dated April 17 about the results of that meeting.

Look you two, you desperately need professional help to deal with your anger, whomever you are.

Below is the April 17 article from a Seattle on line newspaper.

http://www.komotv.com/news/local/17509724.html

King County demands immediate animal shelter upgrades
By KOMO Staff

KING COUNTY, Wash. - County leadership is demanding immediate upgrades for the county's animal shelters following two scathing reports that identified "deplorable" conditions at the county-run shelters.

Last month a county-hired consultant reported on the conditions and a lack of accountability at the shelters. Nathan Winograd said he found cages that were dirty enough to be labeled as a breeding ground for diseases, and animals were left without food or water.

Animal control officers dismissed the consultant's claims as one side in what they call a "he-said, she-said" mix-up. But on Thursday county officials said the egregious reports leave no time to waste. Officials demanded immediate changes, including new cat cages, new dog runs, additional staff and, most importantly, a change in the shelters' culture.

"Animals should not be considered by society or by government as disposable," King County Executive Ron Sims said.The county's Kent shelter is 35 years old. The long-term plan is to replace it. The changes bear a $1 million price tag. Most of the money will come from donations and fees, and the rest from the county coffers.

"We want to create a model animal welfare program," said council member Julia Patterson, D-SeaTac.County officials said the upgrades are just the beginning; the long-term fix is a work in progress. The county will determine whether it should stay in the animal shelter business or hire a private business to take over. The decision is expected in August.

Another article:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/358607_animal11.html

$965,000 for animal shelters
County comes to agreement, proposes immediate fixes
By GREGORY ROBERTSP-I REPORTER
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Putting an end to their squabbling over the King County animal control program, the County Council and County Executive Ron Sims jointly outlined an agreement Thursday to spend nearly $1 million on immediate improvements and to plan the transformation of the much-criticized operation into a national model of excellence.
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"It's a responsibility to provide humane care and give every healthy or treatable animal a home," Council Vice Chairman Dow Constantine, D-Seattle, said at a news conference announcing the agreement.
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The joint announcement represents an easing of the tensions that were heightened by a council consultant's March report that was harshly critical of Sims, who oversees the county's animal control and care services.
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Under the agreement, the county will replace all cat cages and add dog runs at or near the main animal shelter in Kent to reduce overcrowding and the risk of infectious disease. Spending also will go to expand veterinary services, review agency operations, add to the shelter staff, assess building and equipment needs and hire workers to enhance placement of animals for adoption, coordinate volunteer activity and improve public outreach.
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Of the $965,000 in spending, about $570,000 would come from an animal benefit fund built up over 20 years from donations by people licensing their pets, adopting animals or simply making charitable contributions. The rest will come from the county's capital budget.
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Sims, Constantine and Council Chairwoman Julia Patterson, D-SeaTac, said a group comprising representatives of the executive, the council, the sheriff, the prosecutor and Public Health -- Seattle & King County will meet over the next four months and present the council with a plan for 2009-11. The plan will include recommendations for how to deliver services and measure their effectiveness, for what animal-care facilities the county needs and whether the county should reorganize its animal-care bureaucracy or possibly join with outside agencies to provide the services.
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"I'm very encouraged," animal-care activist Claire Davis said after the news conference, which she attended. "I think today is a very good day for animals in King County."
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Davis is president of a local anti-euthanasia organization and also is a member of a council-appointed citizens advisory committee that in September issued a report damning the county animal-care operation. County animal control director Al Dams has said his agency has either effected or is acting on about two-thirds of the committee's 47 recommendations for reform, including improvements to kennel maintenance and recordkeeping and expansion of veterinary care and volunteer activity.
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But when the consultant last month also slammed the system, council members publicly expressed their anger and frustration with Sims' failure to correct problems.
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Sims reacted angrily to the report, too, flatly denying its accusations of mistreatment of animals and vowing to counterattack.
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"Will we bite back? No question," he said late last month.
Sims took the report's criticisms personally. His staff sought to portray the consultant -- national anti-euthanasia activist Nathan Winograd of California -- as a sort of animal-control guerrilla executing a carefully crafted battle strategy.
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The ferocity of Sims' response startled some council members.
"The subject of animal care in King County has become a very emotional issue," Patterson said at the outset of the news conference. "It also, unfortunately, has become an issue that has divided King County government."
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But that breach has been repaired, the council members and Sims said.
"Once we got through the rhetoric, we've discovered that we share the same vision," Patterson said. "What we've decided, collectively, is we want a model animal care and control program."
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And Sims said, "We know we can do a heck of a lot better."
It's clear, Sims said, the county needs a new shelter. Beyond that, he and the council members said, the county will strive for a "no-kill" program, in which only incurably ill or vicious animals will be euthanized.