a grass-roots advocacy group to promote off-leash zones in beach cities for dogs and their loving guardians
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
LA TIMES is a voice of reason: 11/30/11
Thank you, LA Times, for being a voice of reason in the dog beach debate. It is time for the State Parks and Recreation Dept. to follow the State of California's own guidelines as outlined in its Research Bureau report commissioned by Senator Ted Lieu. It is time that animal lovers and their companions stop being disenfranchised from public resources. It is time that the value and importance of animals in our lives be acknowledged and recognized in a just and progressive way. 44% of households have dogs and those dogs are important members of the family. Dogs should not be disallowed their ability to enjoy mother earth. The joy of the beach is the right of all. The beaches in Santa Monica are empty 90% of the time....who are we saving them for?
Saturday, November 19, 2011
PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/allow-the-city-of-santa-monica-to-create-a-pilot-dog-beach/
WE EVIDENTLY NEED LEGISLATIVE ACTION
http://www.smdp.com/Articles-local-news-c-2011-11-18-72972.113116-State-Parks-puts-dog-beach-plan-in-the-kennel.html
Putting out the call to fair minded animal loving people involved with the politics of California who can lend a hand. Please contact us directly at georja@unleashthebeach.org.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
More News: Good, Bad, and Ugly
THE GOOD: Warren Eckstein of THE PET SHOW, a nationally syndicated radio show, has interviewed some members of Unleash the Beach and he will air this in L.A. on
Saturday November 12 at 11 a.m on KRLA am radio. He is completely in favor of the dog beach and will promote it from now on. He expects to attract many new supporters to our cause.
He will also put Unleash The Beach on his website, http://www.ThePetShow.com or www.WarrenEckstein.com The taped interviews will also appear on his website soon.
THE BAD: Thank you to the many many people who sent in messages to the Santa Monica Daily Press on their recent survey about the dog beach. Unfortuately, they chose to print the very SMALL percentage of negative ones without stating that this was by far the minority opinion. I am sending a copy of the letter to the editor I wrote to them.
Dear Editor,
I and my colleagues are very disappointed to learn of the way that you have handled your q-line survey about the dog beach pilot program in Santa Monica. I am told that you had an overflowing amount of positive responses from people who passionately want to enjoy a dog beach. And yet you chose to print the few negative responses you got because they called in on the first day. This is an outrage. If you are going to have a survey, even if it is informal, and say it runs all week, it is not fair to only print the first 5 people who called. And especially without saying anything about the hundreds who sent and called in positive responses. This is unfair and unbalanced. Many papers have online surveys where you can click yes no or indecisive. But even if you didn't have that, what you print should surely reflect the essence of what the public in good faith sent in.
Georja Umano
Unleash the Beach
Santa Monica
WHAT to do about it: If you still have those letters you sent in to q-line, re-send them as letters to the editor, and there is a good chance they will get published Also, send a copy of them to council@smgov.et and manager@smgov.net to give support to our local politicians and staff who need fortitude to deal with the state.
THE UGLY: Despite a very convincing conference call from the City Manager's office to the state in which many promises, approaches and concessions were put on the table for a pilot dog beach in Santa Monica, the response from the members of the State Parks and Recreation was completely negative. This is where YOUR LETTERS will count. Keep writing and encouraging Santa Monica to keep going. If necessary, we will ask them to lobby our state representatives if we have to go the legislative route. We will keep gathering support and we will NOT QUIT until we have a fair usage of our public beach.
Saturday November 12 at 11 a.m on KRLA am radio. He is completely in favor of the dog beach and will promote it from now on. He expects to attract many new supporters to our cause.
He will also put Unleash The Beach on his website, http://www.ThePetShow.com or www.WarrenEckstein.com The taped interviews will also appear on his website soon.
THE BAD: Thank you to the many many people who sent in messages to the Santa Monica Daily Press on their recent survey about the dog beach. Unfortuately, they chose to print the very SMALL percentage of negative ones without stating that this was by far the minority opinion. I am sending a copy of the letter to the editor I wrote to them.
Dear Editor,
I and my colleagues are very disappointed to learn of the way that you have handled your q-line survey about the dog beach pilot program in Santa Monica. I am told that you had an overflowing amount of positive responses from people who passionately want to enjoy a dog beach. And yet you chose to print the few negative responses you got because they called in on the first day. This is an outrage. If you are going to have a survey, even if it is informal, and say it runs all week, it is not fair to only print the first 5 people who called. And especially without saying anything about the hundreds who sent and called in positive responses. This is unfair and unbalanced. Many papers have online surveys where you can click yes no or indecisive. But even if you didn't have that, what you print should surely reflect the essence of what the public in good faith sent in.
Georja Umano
Unleash the Beach
Santa Monica
WHAT to do about it: If you still have those letters you sent in to q-line, re-send them as letters to the editor, and there is a good chance they will get published Also, send a copy of them to council@smgov.et and manager@smgov.net to give support to our local politicians and staff who need fortitude to deal with the state.
THE UGLY: Despite a very convincing conference call from the City Manager's office to the state in which many promises, approaches and concessions were put on the table for a pilot dog beach in Santa Monica, the response from the members of the State Parks and Recreation was completely negative. This is where YOUR LETTERS will count. Keep writing and encouraging Santa Monica to keep going. If necessary, we will ask them to lobby our state representatives if we have to go the legislative route. We will keep gathering support and we will NOT QUIT until we have a fair usage of our public beach.
OUR BIG WIN SO FAR
OUR BEST NEWS SO FAR:
On October 25, 2011
The Santa Monica City Council voted 6 to 1 for the City to find a way to work with the state to create an unleashed dog beach pilot program up to the waterline!
The proposal was presented by Mayor pro temp Gleam Davis and Councilman Terry O'Day.
It had strong backing from Councilmembers Kevin McKeown and Robert Holbrook. Councilmember Richard Bloom, who is also on the Coastal Commission, voted in favor. Councilmember Bobby Shriver gave many warnings and tried to put conditions on the proposal, but in the end he also voted yes. The lone hold out was Councilmember Pam O'Connor.
Heal the Bay Director Mark Gold had sent in his objections, seconded by lawyer Joel Reynolds from NRDC. Mr. Gold has continued to object to a dog beach on the grounds of potential pollution. The California Research Bureau Report which as surveyed over 60 dog beaches in California states that none of them have caused pollution levels to rise.
On October 25, 2011
The Santa Monica City Council voted 6 to 1 for the City to find a way to work with the state to create an unleashed dog beach pilot program up to the waterline!
The proposal was presented by Mayor pro temp Gleam Davis and Councilman Terry O'Day.
It had strong backing from Councilmembers Kevin McKeown and Robert Holbrook. Councilmember Richard Bloom, who is also on the Coastal Commission, voted in favor. Councilmember Bobby Shriver gave many warnings and tried to put conditions on the proposal, but in the end he also voted yes. The lone hold out was Councilmember Pam O'Connor.
Heal the Bay Director Mark Gold had sent in his objections, seconded by lawyer Joel Reynolds from NRDC. Mr. Gold has continued to object to a dog beach on the grounds of potential pollution. The California Research Bureau Report which as surveyed over 60 dog beaches in California states that none of them have caused pollution levels to rise.
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