The Monday, December 8 Los Angeles Times included an op-ed dealing with an issue which could be of grave importance to pets throughout California. The piece, by Jennifer Fearing, the chief economist for the Humane Society of the United States, deals with a proposed tax on veterinary bills and is headed, "Fido can't balance the budget." (Page A 19.)
Fearing opens:
"Across California, municipal animal shelters and humane societies are reporting increases in pet relinquishments this year as high as 30%. Families losing their homes in the credit crisis or losing their jobs are dropping off their Fluffies and Fidos, adding moral and emotional insult to economic injury.
"And Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has found a way to make matters worse. Included in his November budget proposal, but lost amid major political hot potatoes like the vehicle license fee, was a plan to add a sales tax to veterinary services as part of the solution to the state's multibillion-dollar budget shortfall. In other words, because state leaders failed in their basic responsibility to keep government functioning, pet owners may have to foot the bill, and pets themselves may pay the ultimate price."
She discusses some government programs, such as spay-neuter programs, and tells us:
"With a sales tax possibly increasing to 10.25% in Los Angeles County, the governor's tax idea would thus take nearly a quarter of a million dollars from these critical local programs that help care for abandoned animals and prevent unwanted births."
And she comments:
"Under Schwarzenegger's proposal, these medical expenses now would be lumped into a proposed category of taxable services such as 'appliance and furniture repair, vehicle repair.' Does the governor really think repairing dishwashers and Dodges is the same as 'repairing' dogs?
"The state doesn't tax cosmetic surgeries, so why should we tax an essential medical cost for animals? We can't skimp on veterinary care without jeopardizing the health and safety of our pets and other animals in our collective care."
She writes:
"This new financial burden would not only result in less medical care for animals, it would almost certainly result in more dogs and cats being abandoned or relinquished to animal shelters. It is bad policy that would add to the taxpayers' burden through higher animal-control and sheltering costs, increase the cost of caring for animals raised for food and be a step backward in the otherwise progressive trajectory toward our treatment of animals."
You'll find the full terrific piece on line at:
http://tinyurl.com/6dubro
As legislators look to the letters to the editor page as a barometer of public opinion, please write. And your letter will let the Los Angeles Times know that animal friendly pieces are of interest to their readers and appreciated. The Los Angeles Times takes letters at letters@latimes.com
Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when sending a letter to the editor. Remember that shorter letters are more likely to be published. And please be sure not to use any comments or phrases from any alerts in your letters to the editor. Editors are looking for original responses from their readers.
Californians can learn more about this issue, and get involved, at the California Veterinary Medical Association website http://www.cvma.net/
Yours and the animals',
Karen Dawn
(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at http://www.DawnWatch.com. You may forward or reprint DawnWatch alerts if you do so unedited -- leave DawnWatch in the title and include this parenthesized tag line. If somebody forwards DawnWatch alerts to you, which you enjoy, please help the list grow by signing up. It is free.)
Please go to www.ThankingtheMonkey.com to read reviews of Karen Dawn's new book, "Thanking the Monkey: Rethinking the Way we Treat Animals” and watch the fun celebrity studded promo video.
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Date: Tue Dec 9 08:43:14 2008
