HEART Ordinance or Your RIGHTS?

I am going to condense this, boil it down to basics that will tick you off but I took it right from the new law in Albuquerque. First, let me say I have been to that city, a mix of Old Town traditions that I admire, and smog and poverty and modernization that repels me. It is right at the foot of the Sangre De Christie mountains and stretching to its west is a rough land that supports a few depressed trading towns like Gallup and some old Indians and sheepherders trying to eke out a living. Everyone else seems to have gravitated into the space age metropolis known as Albuquerque.

So who are the people of the city who elected the Moron Mayor that got this bill passed? I am guessing they are people who came in from the hard land or from Mexico looking for a better life. Others are just old hippies, middle-aged Indian supporters or young tree huggers who only care about their own narrow-minded agenda. When I was there (do not ask me which group I belonged to) it was a city just beginning to find itself.

When I think about it, it would have been a prime target for the animal rights whackos to move in and take control of a city with its mind on other things, its government ripe for the taking. It also is a city that figured its citizens, a lot of whom don’t even speak English much less read or write our language, wouldn’t notice. And don’t blame just the Moron Mayor, he had accomplices and one such group is pretty obvious because the vets, no, not soldiers, veterinarians, had to be planning how they were going to spend all this extra income.

A lot of new enforcement jobs will be created and paid for by the fines and fees generated and, well, you get it.

Here is what the citizens of Albuquerque New Mexico let happen.  The Mayor of Albuquerque and the Albuquerque Animal Care Center (AACC) just walked off with American rights we fought to preserve. Now that bothers me more than kicking a dog. Say it is just about pets? Sure. You can be SURE that if this stands, it will spread like a plague and everyone everywhere will be infected. My daughter is freaking out about what she calls "the insanity" and here's what it looks like:

• You have to get a permit to keep a pet and if you and your neighbor have a falling out and they complain, bingo, there went your permit and your pet.

• If you upset your dog or cat by giving it a bath or a training correction and that pesky neighbor reports you, you can be charged with misdemeanor cruelty and your pet can be hauled off and put out of its misery!

• Rescue, feed or otherwise take care of a stray and don't report it to the Alb Animal Control people and they can say you're a “finder” or "hoarder."

• Your vet is now required to report everything about you when you take the dog in for a rabies shot or the required microchip.

• Spay/neuter is of course mandatory and if you claim some kind of exception, like your vet says the dog is too old or sick to have the surgery, the Mad Mayor can require your dog be re-examined (at your expense) by another vet. You do have the option to fork over $150 for a permit to duck the surgery.

• Then you have to pay that $150 every year even though they can revoke it at any time.

• You have to be a model citizen with no record and you can’t be associated with anyone the Mad Mayor is mad at or you can be denied that permit.

• Your home can be inspected any time, without warrant or provocation. Hear this! A suspected drug dealer can only be raided with a warrant but you can be raided without legal proceedings if you own a permitted animal.

• If you are granted that permit you must display it and the law in one-inch high lettering in the front of your property! You have to advertise for the city and the Mayor! A big sign that violates a sign ordinance!!

• It’ll cost you another $150 for a permit to breed your permitted dog or cat.

• You can’t keep a promising pup for more than six months.

• If the pup or kitten gets “sick” during the first week, you pay the new owner's vet bills because if you don’t, you will wind up paying the new owner’s legal fees too.

• Even if every puppy is pre-sold, you are required to advertise the litter locally and include your permit number.  Does the city council own shares in the newspaper?

• If you live in any of the 5 surrounding counties and take your pet along when you go into Albuquerque to shop, visit a friend, or attend training class, you have to pay up and get an Albuquerque pet license.

Unconstitutional? Not according to the Albuquerque City Council which proudly stated it expects legal challenge and isn’t at all worried.

The Mad Mayor, the City Council, the Money Grubbers, the Animal Rightists – they must all be celebrating over this victory, planning what else they can get away with and how to spend the money and throw their unchallenged weight around!!!

The people of Albuquerque got took. Snuck up on while they were sleeping or planning tourist attractions. What can you do if you (thankfully) don’t live there?

And here’s a real kicker. Contributions over $25.00 have to be checked out by state law but if you use money orders for no more than $24.95, you can sign different names to the money orders and give as much as you want that way.

That's how the politicians get around political donation limits.

And here’s an idea. Why don’t you call Ron Gustafson and ask if you can send a check directly to a local radio station to help pay for “voter signature needed” announcements??? In fact, PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS should be running free as a public service to the citizen’s of Albuquerque but we can figure the stations are not willing to give up all that campaign advertising revenue.

Who is running against the Mad Mayor in the next election?