Letters to the editor, March 17, 2008

Errors influence Humane Society coverage

I am not a big believer in rebuttals but in this case, I'll bite the bullet. The article on March 5 "Humane Society warns it may stop city services" contained a few errors:

• The average cost of spaying and neutering animals is $38,000 per year, not per month.
• We raised $62,125 in adoption fees last year. We don't not co-mingle adoption fees and donations. Donations are in a separate account, hopefully to be used to improve our kennels for the animals, not for day-to-day operations.
• We have 30 city kennels, 20 county kennels, 19 puppy kennels, and 31 cat kennels.
• The rate of pay our workers receive ranges from $8.25 per hour to $15 per hour, with most of them receiving the $8.25 per hour rate. That's only .25 cents over minimum wage. Not much, considering the stress they are under on a daily basis, having to put healthy loving animals to sleep, or dealing with irate customers who blame us for their animals being in here.

In a March 12 editorial, "Humane Society dogged by financial problems" Mr. Shackford took a couple of pot shots at us. Of course, the one about us spending $34,800 per month just to spay and neuter animals is totally off target since, as I explained above, that's what we spent for a year, not a month.

The one about us being perceived to be rude and difficult to deal with, probably depends on whom you are talking to. I do know that my staff starts out being pleasant to each customer. But, it is sometimes hard to maintain a pleasant attitude when you are being called every four-letter name in the book. They are here trying to do a good job and uphold the animal control laws. If pet owners would follow the laws there would be very few problems.

Carolyn L. Atsye
Barstow Humane Society Manager

Democrats show more support for home-schooling

It was a Republican appointee to the bench - the party that always talks of freedom and rights, that recently criminalized the actions of many home-schooling parents.

It was the Democrat State Superintendent of Education Jack O'Connell (who ran unopposed in his re-election) who stated that he "continues to support parental choice when it comes to home-schooling."

My wife and I home-schooled all of our children from first grade through 12th because of our religious convictions. We did not condemn the public school system then or now. It has a critical mission and needs our support, but with that said, parents, not the state, should have a say in their children's education. My wife and I were some of the pioneers in the home school movement and desperately tried to convince our fellow home-schooling parents (and the Home School Legal Defense Association) that the party of Lincoln was not a friend (even Barbara Bush opposed home schooling).

Maybe people will start thinking about who best supports their interests this June and in November.

Bob Conaway
Barstow

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