Rivertown
Cat People
“Cat in the Mist” by Kasia Ociepa
March 25, 2014: Mayor Wade Harper has a plan to end crime in Antioch. He’s going at the root of the problem: Cat ladies.
Remember those foreclosures in 2008, when so many homeowners who lost their homes dumped their cats off downtown? (In violation of CA PENAL § 597f: Animal Abandonment) That’s when the rescue groups went to work spaying, neutering and feeding the dumped cats.
Intrepid crime fighters of Antioch
Well, Mayor Harper is about to crack down on those criminals. The rescuers and the feeders that is. They’re not criminals yet but they will be when the crime fighters on the City Council – led by Police Chief Cantando, Mayor Harper and Councilwoman Mary Rocha – pass the new Animal Ordinance.
“Let them bring their problems to the City Council; we don’t have time for them.” – Chief Alan Cantando
The new law makes it a misdemeanor to feed the abandoned cats downtown. Never mind that the ban conflicts with CA Penal Code § 599b which makes it a crime for an individual or corporation – Antioch is a Municipal Corporation – to cause dumb creatures unnecessary suffering. Chief Cantando was asked about working with the rescue groups to humanely reduce the number of abandoned cats, and he said, “Let them bring their problems to the City Council; we don’t have time for them.”
The Ordinance will make it a misdemeanor to have more than three dogs or five cats in your home unless you pay a kennel tax of $108 per year, and submit to a home inspection by the authorities. Rescue groups like HARP and Rivertown Cats will also have to pay $108 for each volunteer foster home.
Councilwoman Mary Rocha has a particular dislike for cats
The ordinance was written by the Antioch Animal Services of the Antioch Police Department: Pound Supervisor Monika Helgemo, Chief Euthanizing Officer Aguanaga, Chief Cantando and councilwoman Mary Rocha – who happens to have a particular dislike for cats. She was overheard saying, “If I could kill every one of ‘em I would.”
It’s an ordinance written by the police, for the police, interpreted by the police and enforced by the police.
Mayor Harper, at a council meeting on January 14, had to ask the Animal Control personnel how they would be interpreting the Ordinance that they wrote. “Separation of Powers” may be in the Constitution, but it’s not something we need in Antioch.
“Only if they’re sick…or a nuisance.”
When the cats are no longer being fed, they will really get sick if they aren’t already. Wade asked Monika at the January 14 meeting, “Are you impounding them?” Monika answered: “ Only if they’re sick…or a nuisance.” Sick, hungry cats, a nuisance? Certainly Wade and Monika don’t want that to happen. But they’re ready to move in when it does.
Citizens ought not interfere
There was a big turn-out opposing the Ordinance at a previous meeting. Because of all the excitement, the Council delayed voting until tonight. Not that they needed time to study the issue, but they did hope everyone would forget about it, stay home and let them quietly cast their votes. Citizens ought not interfere with democracy in action.
How Antioch Politicians Scapegoat the Weak to Deflect Attention from their Ineptitude
March 25th, 2014 Antioch launched their Cat Extermination Campaign, led by Police Lieutenant Robin Kelly, Councilman Gary Agopian, and City Manager Steve Duran, who helped the Lieutenant say the big numbers.
Lt. Kelly got us all on board with her Powerpoint Education Blitz, during which she blamed the rescue groups (who mean well but need to be educated) for causing “the Feral cat threat.” Even though it’s the rescue groups, not Lt. Kelly, who trap and neuter and try to find homes for cats that are dumped downtown; and they’ve been doing it for years, before the Lieutenant even knew there was a problem.
http://www.ci.antioch.ca.us/CityGov/citycouncilmeetings.htm
“Thank you for your passion.”- Wade Harper
The meeting went almost as planned; the room was packed with people worried about what will happen to the cats when the Starvation Ordinance goes into effect.
The Council made the rescue groups wait four hours, hoping they would get tired and go away. But the crowd stayed anyway, irritating Councilman Agopian past endurance. After twenty people got in their two minutes at the mic, Mayor Wade Harper thanked them for their passion, and voted to starve the cats.
“People Need to be educated” – Lt. Kelly, Antioch PD
The extermination campaign started off with a breathtaking presentation by Lt. Kelly, who oversees the Antioch Animal Shelter. So jaw-dropping was it, the guy beside me was moved to whisper, “Wow, she sure hates cats!”
She piled on the evidence for domestic cats being the worst scourge on earth: Quotes from Wikipedia and visuals on the big screen from groups like PETA, known for their endorsement of euthanasia as a first resort, and notorious for rewarding shelters that increase their kill rates with money and gift baskets of vegan treats.
http://www.examiner.com/article/peta-advocating-for-animals-by-killing-them
“The Problem Is So Bad I Didn’t Even Know About It” – Lt. Robin Kelly, Antioch PD
As evidence of the problem Kelly showed a photo she took of a couple of cats sitting on the sidewalk. The Feral Cat problem is so bad, she said during questioning by the Council, that she “Did not even know about it until two and a half months ago.”
The big numbers came up when Lt. Kelly made up how much the City would have to pay if TNR is instituted: $324,601 and 89 cents and $157,533 and 89 cents. But since the rescue groups already do all the work, the City wouldn’t have to pay anything, just get out of the way.
“Just Say Ditto”
Then it was the public’s turn. The rescue groups were ready with their own graphs and studies. Unfortunately they couldn’t show them, having only two minutes each to tell their side. Mayor Harper was so eager to speed them on their way that he recommended they “Just say ditto, if someone has already said what you wanted to say.” But if they wanted to take their two minutes anyway, and waste everybody’s time, that would be OK too, he said.
Wading through a bunch of cats
A few were for the cat-feeding ban. Cats kill wildlife, cause disease and stink the place up. Worse, they make it impossible for a grown man to walk his dogs without having to “wade through a bunch of cats.”
https://www.facebook.com/Rivertowncats/posts/774110382607787?stream_ref=10
“Vicious, un-Christian and cruel to starve animals to death.”
But most were against starving the cats. One was a man who runs a business downtown, had to walk back to his office that night and was “more worried about getting mugged by meth-heads or shot by the gang-bangers who live nearby, than some cat urinating” on his feet. He called it “vicious, un-Christian and cruel to starve animals to death.” Mayor Harper thanked him for adding a little humor to the proceedings.
AND THE DRAMA QUEEN OF THE EVENING AWARD GOES TO…
Politician-turned-Ecologist Gary Agopian declared house cats to be an invasive species, threatening the ecology of Antioch’s downtown parking lots. He called the Council “gutless” for pretending to give any consideration to the public comments.
“I will not be mocked” – philosophy of Gary Agopian, the sitting councilman
His tirade started when someone objected to his criticism of the rescue groups for not working harder longer. He began by summing up his philosophy of government saying, “This is not a dialogue, this is a monologue; I am a sitting councilman and you will not disrespect me.” Concluding his statement by saying, “I will not be mocked,” he demanded an immediate vote on the Ordinance as-is.
Wilson and Rocha, citing their love for animals, vote to starve the cats
After a lot of hemming and hawing, declaring their love for animals and their devotion to their own personal pets, Wilson and Rocha voted to ban feeding, voted to limit pets per household, and if you’re over the limit, voted to require a Kennel License fee of $108.00 to pay for the inspection of your house by the Antioch Animal Welfare Authority, Lt. Kelly.
“When you just stop feeding them, then what?” Councilman Tony Tiscanero meekly asked. He questioned what the long term effect of the feeding ban would be and wondered what would happen to the rescue groups’ TNR efforts. He wanted to give them a chance to keep on begging Animal Control to work with them, rather than against them on “TNR” even though Animal Control discourages public involvement that interferes with their euthanasia program. But Councilman Agopian would have none of that.
The City Council will be voting on the final approval and subsequent implementation of the Cat Extermination/Multiple Pet Taxation Ordinance on Tuesday April 8th, 7PM.
The Wade Harper Miracle: Antioch Crime Down, Quality of Life Up, or
Antioch Politicians Harper, Cantando and Rocha speak with Forked Tongue
City Council, April 22, 2014
Only a year and a half into his term, Mayor Wade Harper announced he had fulfilled his promise to rid Antioch of crime, except for a few odds and ends. With beatific smile, the former pastor shrugged off the three homicides that rang in the new year, but shared the tender story of what he keeps in his wallet: photos of the slain, so he can remember to pray for them.
Accentuating the Positive
Murders aside, “there’s too much negativity and not enough positivity,” says councilwoman Rocha. Accordingly, the positive is what Wade is accentuating, with the help of Police Chief Cantando.
Crime Down
Crime is down the Chief tells us. Though rape may be up 200% in Antioch, it isn’t really, because it’s only up due to the new FBI definition of rape for reporting purposes, which now includes boys. Before 2012 boys couldn’t be raped in Antioch.
The Appliance Guy at Lowe’s
Adding anecdotal evidence to the Chief’s statistics, Mayor Harper reports that when he was at Lowe’s, the appliance guy told him that things were getting better.
Focus on Speed Bumps
Continuing his message of hope Harper adds, “We’re not focusing on violent things any more. My emails are about speed-bumps. That tells me we just have little quality of life issues, and that’s good.”
Previously…
Quality of life issues have surfaced before. At a previous negative-tone meeting, one of the complainers carried on about a knife-fight he had just witnessed a couple blocks away. “That guy had a knife this long!” he said. “And he was wielding it like a ninja! Where were the cops?”
Complaining about her near miss with some muggers in the Save Mart parking lot, an octogenarian announced she would be taking her quality of life into her own hands by moving to Brentwood.
Then a Certain Neighborhood Group came with their perpetual complaint about being threatened by drug dealers at the Deer Valley Shopping Mall. Some people are never satisfied. You’d think they would get tired of complaining about drug dealers and fights outside their businesses, month after month. Certainly the Council was tired of hearing about it.
Euthanasia Down
“We all love our furry friends,” purred Mayor Harper when the Animal Shelter staff received the “Be Kind to Animals Week” Proclamation scroll.
Sad, frazzled Animal Services Supervisor Helgemo reported that euthanasia is down. A job like hers would sadden anyone who has half a heart. Her boss, cheerful Chief Cantando reported that between January and March, only 82 cats and 101 dogs were killed in the shelter he oversees. Kicking off “Be Kind To Animals Week” Cantando announced that he will begin enforcing the Cat Starvation Ordinance.
Say what? Didn’t Rocha make it clear at an earlier council meeting, in front of a crowd of rescue groups, that she was giving them – and the cats – a six-month grace period?
Clear as mud.
Misdirection, Doublespeak or Just Stupid?
This is actually what she said:
Rocha: “I want to include a six month temporary solution. I want to go ahead with the ban.”
Tiscareno: “Your motion is supporting the ban on feeding in public places, but you want a six month window to enforce the ban? Or put the ban together?”
Rocha: “To work.”
Harper: “She’s not proposing a six-month waiver of the ban.”
Rocha: “No.”
Duran: “To clarify, the motion is to pass the ordinance as written…”
Rocha: “Right, and I gave a six-month to come to some conclusion and we’re not dangling it out there, ‘Well I don’t want to do it today, I’ll do it tomorrow.”
Confuse yourself here:
http://www.ci.antioch.ca.us/CityGov/CouncilMeetings/040814/
http://www.ci.antioch.ca.us/CityGov/CouncilMeetings/042214/
Creature Creek 