THE AUSTIN EXAMPLE
UNAFFORDABLE AND UNSUSTAINABLE
Below are the numbers from a recent Austin budget proposal (pg. 244) http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/budget/11-12/downloads/fy12proposed_budget_vol1.pdf
Austin Animal Services
2008-09 Actual $ 5,397,428
2009-10 Actual $ 6,008,659
2010-11 Estimated $ 6,883,679
2011-12 Proposed $ 7,612,186
2008-09 Actual $ 5,397,428
2009-10 Actual $ 6,008,659
2010-11 Estimated $ 6,883,679
2011-12 Proposed $ 7,612,186
As you can see, the cost for Austin's Animal Services has increased over half a million every years for the last several years leading into their "no-kill" effort. In addition to the above increases, the city also had a bond issuance that included $12 million to build the new animal shelter that just opened several months ago. http://www.fixaustin.org/pub/bond_language.pdf
The question is how can a community afford this? While it's understandable that Austin is in a far different position than most communities considering they are in the heart of the highly profitable oil industry. I filled my tank today, so I definitely get that. As a result, their foreclosure rate is less than a third of the national average during these trying times for many. http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/atxpansion/austin-area-foreclosure-rates-decrease
Despite the fact that this community is in a better position than most, their constituents have be burdened with tax increases http://www.myfoxaustin.com/dpp/news/local/042110-Property-Taxes-On-the-Rise-During-Sluggish-Economy and 792 school teacher and staff layoffs http://muse-musings.blogspot.com/2011/03/austin-isd-school-board-votes-to-lay.html. While the additional $2.2 million animal services is costing Austin is only one item in their budget, one has to wonder how this is affordable to Austin, let alone less affluent cities across the US. The fact is that it's not.
SUSTAINABILITY
Looking at above budget for Austin Animal Services, and the fact that they have increased by over half a million each year for several years running, there's no sign of the costs for this "no-kill" effort leveling off. Clearly, there will eventually be resistance at some point as tax rates continue to increase.
That may explain the choice now for Austin Pets Alive to also handle the overflow of animals for San Antonio. By taking the "no-kill" effort to San Antonio and aligning it with Austin, the movement will have the ability to place the additional costs elsewhere for a while. Think of it like Bernie Madoff and his pyramid scheme, he found new investors to get funds to pay earlier investors that he was showing paper profits for, In this case the "no-kill" movement can pass on the escalating costs onto San Antonio for a couple of years, then they can possibly come back to Austin for more funding, or find another community to align with. As happens with all pyramid schemes, the house of cards will eventually tumble.
I find it strange that Austin is such an affluent community yet their owner surrenders are considerably higher than those of the State of California. http://workingtohelpanimalstodaytomorrow.blogspot.com/2011/07/yep-austin-you-have-big-problem.html
HONESTY HELPS thanks "Jake" for this information. Surely our officials will be able to see how "No Kill" not only hurts the animals but also hurts our community as a whole. Rancho Cucamonga is another example of the costly "No Kill". They went from $800,000 a year for animal control to over $2 million in just one year and it has been rising since. And they didn't build a new shelter so no excuses on that one.
4 comments:
SHOCKED AT NATHAN WINOGRAD'S COMMENTS AT MARCH 24, 2012 ALBUQUERQUE, NM WESTERN STATES CONFERENCE
I am elated to have discovered this blog. I participated in the Albuquerque, NM "Western States No-Kill Conference" held Saturday, March 24, 2012. Nathan H. Winograd spoke on "Building a No Kill Community."
WAS I EVER SHOCKED AT NATHAN WINOGRAD'S demeanor and "YOU'LL DO IT MY WAY OR NO WAY ATTITUDE!" In front of concerned people- many of us long-time animal rescuers, Nathan very rudely rejected ideas and questions. Nathan stated (as did his fellow presenter Michael Mountain) that it is useless to try and educate and/or actively involve our young people on the issues of saving the lives of millions of innocent dogs and cats. Additionally, Nathan made negative remarks about the T-N-R programs! What a shocker! How can you even begin to stop the HOMELESS and EUTHANIZIA issue if you never take steps to prevent the problem from the onset? Michael Mountain made some very "cutting" remarks about "crazy cat women" and made it appear during his presentation that he (Mountain) is "above" the rest of us in his (Mountain) intellect, his dress ... basically that those of us who are trying to save these animals lives are just beneath him (Mountain.)
THERE WERE NO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ALBUQUERQUE ANIMAL CONTROL (WELFARE) DEPARTMENT AT THIS MARCH 24 CONFERENCE. THERE WERE NO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ALBUQUERQUE MAYOR'S OFFICE. THERE WERE NO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ALBUQUERQUE CITY COUNCIL. THERE WAS NO MEDIA COVERAGE ... NOT TELEVISION, NOT NEWSPAPER, NOT RADIO. IF WINOGRAD and MOUNTAIN HAVE SO MUCH "POWER" IN THE NO-KILL COMMUNITY, WHY DIDN'T THE TWO OF THEM ASSURE THAT THE ABOVE-MENTIONED REPRESENTATIVES WERE IN ATTENDANCE?
As one of the women setting beside me stated "We should have saved our $100.00 (paid to register for this conference) ... Used our $100.00 toward our T-N-R project ... Our 100.00 would have paid to spay/neuter several cats.
Of course, Nathan Winograd was selling his books ... as fast as he could sign them! (FYI: Many of your PUBLIC LIBRARIES have Winograd's book(s) on their shelves. You DO NOT have to purchase Winograd's books and therefore PAD WINOGRAD'S POCKETS!) I am glad that I attended this conference ... because I now know first-hand that the "glowing B.S." I had been fed is indeed .....
Apparently, Winograd believes that he is a GOD. As a Licensed Paralegal and B.S. Criminal Justice Degree, I worked for criminal defense attorneys for years .... on a daily basis, exposed to the same INFLATED ego that Winograd displays. As for Winograd and Mountain's "better than thou" attitudes ... we are NOT "crazy cat women". All of the rescuers that I work with are intelligent, stable, well-educated, hard-working, tax-paying citizens. Many of us are single-parents who have raised our children without any help from the system (the same system that Winograd and Mountain make their livings from.) We work 60-70 hours a week at our employment, balance our children's school and sports activities, are furthering our college education ... ALL THE WHILE dedicating every single spare minute and spare penny to our T-N-R projects; our dog and cat adoptathons; presenting to local civic groups; and working toward cooperation with our local Albuquerque Animal "Welfare" Department.
(CONTINUED)
SHOCKED AT NATHAN WINOGRAD'S COMMENTS AT MARCH 24, 2012 ALBUQUERQUE, NM WESTERN STATES CONFERENCE
I left this conference shaken and in shock! I spent Sunday praying about the belief's and hope and inspiration that I have tried to hold-on to throughout the years of working at my job all day ... and then setting up all night setting T-N-R traps. In tears each time that an Albuquerque Animal Control ("Welfare") van passes me on the street (cages full of innocent dogs and cats) . Possessing the knowledge that at least 400 loving, innocent, full of life and at one-time hope dogs and cats are being SLAUGHTERED by Albuquerque Animal Control (Welfare) Department. Rather than Winograd and Mountain padding their pockets to stand in front of these trusting conference attendees and blowing smoke, Winograd and Mountain could have better utilized their time to meet with the Albuquerque City Politicians and Albuquerque Animal Control (Welfare) Department to STOP THE KILLING!
To all of you participating in this blog and to the FOCUSED animal rescuers out there, please DO NOT allow the Nathan Winograds and Michael Mountains to alter or mislead your belief in the true mission that we are trying to accomplish. WE ARE NOT ABOUT THE MONEY!! Thank you for reading this. Have a GREAT Day!
Changtu, I did a post on your comment, check the beginning of the blog. Thanks.
You have observed very interesting details,Great posting..!
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