ONE MORE TAKE ON THE CATS OF WOODSTOCK
Cats! Cat licenses! Do you believe it?
What's next? Budgie licenses? Gerbil licenses? Where does it stop? City needs a little more cash? No problem. Let's get the suckers to pay to license something.
They've tried the cat license thing before and it has failed every time because council knows damned well that the public do not see any need for cat licenses. Unlike stray dogs, cats do not pose a threat to the public. When was the last time you heard of someone being attacked by a stray cat?
Cats tend to avoid strangers and even feral cats pose no threat. At the very least stray cats are a minor nuisance not unlike squirrels. Hey now there's an idea. If you've got a tree on your property that's home to squirrels you have to buy squirrel licenses. Are you listening council? Here's your chance for another cash grab. Squirrel licenses! Go for it! Their financial justification for this shameless cash grab is more bullshit and sleight of hand.
This is from the Heart FM news (let's leave this one up, OK guys?).... "It's in response to animal control figures for the city that show cat control cost 61-thousand dollars in 2007, while dog-related costs were just 13-thousand."Dog related costs are just $13,000?? Well sure, if you don't count things like leash-free dog parks.
What's the set-up cost and annual maintenance costs for the two doggie parks? Aren't those dog related costs? Let's add up ALL the dog related costs. Let's really go out on a limb here and maybe TELL THE TRUTH!It's strange that this cat licensing became a priority shortly after the two doggie recreation centres opened up. It's only strange until you realize that the money from cat licenses will help offset the additional costs incurred by the city for the dog parks.
One of the selections on Jim's cat park poll is, "Dog parks are discriminatory." He's right and now the doggie fanciers are getting cat owners to pay their freight.If council is short of cash to pay for dog parks they should raise the fee for a dog license rather than screwing over cat owners. Remember, it's only a matter of time before they go after the squirrels.
aw
12 comments:
The cat business is silly and inconsequential if you view it in isolation and you are supposed to view it that way. You're not supposed to look at the big picture and figure out what is going on here. It has nothing to do with cats or dogs ......or squirrels. It has everything to do with council coming up with any lame excuse they can to rationalize scooping more money from the taxpayers. Make no mistake about it. This is a tax and like most taxes there is no real justification for it other than councils' requirement for more money. Why do they need more money? Because they keep spending more money ... on FLUFF! (thank you Linda Shank)
Let's take a look at the bullshit they came up with to justify cat licenses. They want you to focus on the fact that cat control costs more than dog control. That supposedly justifies taxing responsible cat owners to pay for the actions of the trailer park trash that allow their cats to reproduce like rabbits and just toss the kittens out the window??? Do you think the people responsible for the problem are going to buy licenses? Think about it. It's bullshit. Let's punish the innocent.
This isn't going to reduce the stray cat population or in any way solve the cat control problem. It solves council's problem though. Council only has one real problem and that's finding ways to squeeze more money out of the taxpayer to pay for crap like leash-free dog parks.
If we're going to install tracking and ID chips in anything it should be members of Council and the city administration. They are the ones we need to keep under surveillance ... and I know exactly where to insert the chips.
aw
Wow. Posting to your own post. You seem to really dislike dogs.
Are leash-free parks part of municipal animal control? I would say they're rec, not animal control.
Take a deep breath and count to 10. Licensing cats is not the end of the world as we know it, plenty of other municipalities do it.
BTW-- did you know that there is currently a bylaw in the city that allows you to call and get a cat picked up on your property that's not yours?
If my well-intentioned neighbour's cat was pooping in my flowerbeds every day, and after discussing it with the owners s/he continued to poop on my property, I'd be calling to get him picked up pronto.
Yeah well the comment was sort of a post-script and if you read it you know that I have no problem with dogs. You also know I have a problem with politicians pandering to silliness like leash-free dog parks.
Differentiating between dog control and dog recreation is just silly. It's tax dollars being spent on dogs. Animal control is necessary. Publicly funded doggie parks are bullshit. I had a dog for fourteen years. I did not expect my neighbours to pay for doggie recreation. I used a goddam leash.
I also have no problem with anyone protecting their private property from roaming, pooping felines. Responsible pet owners do not let their cats roam and poop at will. Unfortunately its the responsible ones that will feel obligated to obey the law and buy a license. The owners of the roaming poopers will ignore it.
This isn't about dogs and cats. It's about a council that will pander to one group and then turn around and pick the pocket of another.
Agreed. (on the matter of picking our pockets)
Agreed. (on the matter of picking our pockets)
Just so you know the facts about cats,they can and are a problem especially when you have irresponsible cat owners dropping them off,not spaying them and then add them to the feral cat problem and you have MAJOR,MAJOR problems.
I know as I came from Simcoe,Ontario which is in Norfolk county and they have such a major problem they have asked for expert opinions from all over Canada and beyond.
They began a catch and release program,where they spayed them and gave them rabies shots,then released them back to where they got them.
They can't take in anymore cats,the vets refuse to do anymore other than put them down,if they are sick and they have no answers.
My own answer would be to put them all down as they problem is of such a magnitude that it is the only HUMANE thing to do for these animals.
It all boils down to responsible pet owners!
As to the cash grab by council,figure in their problems regarding cash or rather lack of:muli-million dollar city hall,being sued by Magna over Cami,being sued by the contractor over your senior's home[can't think of the name right now]and trying to be a MAJOR city without first cleaning up the problems of a minor city such as poverty,lack of affordable housing,etc.I warned Mayor Harding AND city staff but I forget,Mayor Harding and staff don't see that there is a problem and have it under control!
But that's okay,I found my name,Charlene Smith/Woodstock,Ontario under topix and I listed other places to find my comments which just might not show Woodstock in a positive light.
I also did tell people to remember my name though...
"It all boils down to responsible pet owners!"
Not quite. It all boils down to responsible pet owners being penalized for the behaviour of irresponsible pet owners. The cat problem is not caused by responsible pet owners.
Stray and feral cats are a community problem and the cost of control should be born by the community at large. Making responsible cat owners buy licenses makes no more sense than making responsible rat owners buy rat licenses because the city has a rat problem.
As to the cash grab by council, the only reason they need more cash is because they have mismanaged what they had. They have no reason to be fiscally responsible because they can always get more by taxing something. Every problem you mentioned has been caused caused by ineptitude and bumbling on the part of city and county council.
You want to give them more money? More money won't make them smarter or more responsible.
IActually,I don't feel they deserve any more money period.
I also agree with your comment about irresponsible pet owners.
I have had people's cats spraying and using my garden for their bathroom and am pissed about it.
Everyone knows cat spray is impossible to get rid of on plastic!
They have even sprayed on my window outside!!
I have two indoor cats that have only been outside when I go out,they stay with me and go in when I do.
I have had two cats this winter actually run in to our place!
My cats automatically attack not only because of their nature at territory but to protect me as they believe I am the BIG CAT,their mommy.
I have also made the point of comparing what council is doing/not doing to other cities I have lived in.
I have already told the mayor amongst others that they are heading for disaster with this city if they don't deal with the problems now before they keep expanding.
Our mayor and council remind me of Toronto's and I have compared the two in the media.
Also I pointed out to them earlier last year and in the paper,that they are dealing with the SAME ISSUES that Norfolk county has/is dealing with:nursing home,landfill issues[recycling/garbage]hospital,doctor shortages,water/sewage,hydro and land issues too.
Woodstock could actually learn something from them BECAUSE the land[environment]is important,think Carolina forest,they have a world biosphere in the long point region,managed forestry,they have numerous walkin clinics for their size,
They also seem to have a [public]friendlier mayor and council.
They are approachabled AND actually listen to concerns of their constituets.
I haven't found that since moving here.
Charlene
Charlene:
I've got two cats too. Pretty much the same situation as you in that they are primarily indoor and do not roam unsupervised. There's a family of feral cats in my neighbourhood and they like to hang out on my side porch and spray.
Cat licenses will do nothing to solve it. Councils love to tell us that throwing more money at them will solve our problems. It never works for us but it works for them. They get the money. That solves "their" problem.
If we can't get our councils to act responsibly how can we hope to get pet owners to act responsibly?
I and many others have taken up the call across Canada to remind people that EVERY elected person from the regional to federal levels of government in FACT work for US the VOTERS of Canada.
Once in power,they seem to forget this and as our voting counts show,people have NO FAITH in them nor do they inspire any of either.
With our'new tough on crime'legislation,it is up to US to make sure they are just as accountable as we the ordinary Canadians are.
I personally don't care how many public inquiries are as they need to be held accountable to the voters of Canada.
I also don't care if they are past,present or future politicans,I expect them to clean up their governments as they are answerable to US.
People and politicans also need to remind them that WE hold the power.
Just as we the voters elect them into office,we have the power to vote them out of office too.
I can also tell you from having contact with people all across Canada,voters are very,very disgusted with our elected offials from EVERY party.
Charlene
"Just as we the voters elect them into office,we have the power to vote them out of office too."
And their replacements will be no better because once elected they are not answerable to us. They are answerable to the party.
Once elected our governments "rule" until the next election. They do not "govern." We may elect our governments democratically but we do not have democratic government.
That was one of the reasons I voted FOR not only the new electoral system but also for Jim Bender as an Independent.
I believe the newer system would have been more favorable as YOU vote FOR who YOU would like to see elected at your government level rather than the party.
Although I concede that there would still be the problems at a national level as there would still be an old party monopoly,it would have at least begun the change that is needed so very badly at all levels of government.
As people become more disallutioned with ALL of our government leaders and we see the changes happening in the U.S. and around the world,I believe that people are waking up and taking notice.
It's why I remind people that change IS possible.If not for me than for the next ones coming behind me and why I keep striving for a better world for them.
Charlene
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