| Unleash the Beach News presents Your Vote For The Santa Monica Dog Beach
Senator Ted Lieu has asked us to elicit support for the dog beach from all the candidates running for office this year in the State Assembly 50th District.
This district is comprised of Santa Monica, Malibu, Brentwood, Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Carthay Square, West Hollywood, much of Hollywood, Hancock Park, Miracle Mile, as well as Pacific Palisades, Topanga, part of the Santa Monica Mountains and Agoura Hills.
We have done our due diligence by contacting each of the candidates and their campaigns a few times to make sure they understood the issues and tried to get a clear picture of where they stand regarding the dog beach. We are happy to share this information.
Assemblywoman Betsy Butler - who is currently serving in the South Bay enthusiastically endorses a pilot dog beach. She has already conducted meetings with involved parties to try and help get a dog beach pilot program in Redondo Beach. Redondo is probably a more difficult location as some of the city officials involved strongly oppose it. Admittedly Santa Monica has a head start on Los Angeles as we have the full support of the City Council, and now we also have the support of Senator Ted Lieu. Betsy promises to work wholeheartedly with Sen Lieu and a dog beach is something she truly believes in. Even though she does not have dogs herself she sees how happy all are at dog beaches. She is also on the Assembly committee that would oversee this issue should it end up in the legislature. A staunch environmentalist, Betsy is endorsed by the California League of Conservation Voters on all issues, including water quality, ocean protection.
Mayor Richard Bloom - 'I think I've already answered your question by voting for the pilot project in Santa Monica. I haven't changed my position, continue to think it is worthy and would vote accordingly in the legislature. So, I am glad that Sen. Lieu is on board and am happy to lend my support." Richard is a member of the Coastal Commission which could weigh in on this. Although in the first vote of 2005, he voted no, he has changed his mind in the 2011 vote and now thinks it would be a great asset to the city. A pilot program would be essential to prove that a dog beach can work as well here as it does in the almost 60 other dog beaches in the state.
Brad Torgan - "I support your attempts to create a pilot off-leash dog park at Santa Monica State Beach... State Parks’ concerns are very real, and shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand, especially when it comes to things like liability and resource protection. That said, you have something now that you didn’t have in 2006; evidence of over six more years of experience with dog parks at urban beaches in cities like Long Beach and Huntington Beach.That makes a pilot program, a time limited experiment if you will, a perfect compromise. If Senator Lieu has asked you to request a commitment to work with him from the Assembly candidates in AD 50, then that commitment he has from me. This is a bipartisan no-brainer". Brad was the Chief Counsel for State Parks for several years and stood for their position in the dog beach battles in Santa Cruz. However he feels that since Santa Monica is an urban beach plowed daily, there is not the same concern for wildlife habitat; and the fact that we have community support and City Council support is important to him. He is the only Republican running for this office.
Torie Osborn - We have tried to reach Torie many times, and received a letter from Madeleine, her campaign manager that she is too busy before the primaries to get back to us. We then contacted her p.r. people who contacted her campaign manager for us. I finally was able to speak with Madeleine and she told me Torie knows nothing of the issue. I happily emailed her all the relevant documents and history of the dog beach campaign, told her I was happy to answer any questions, and also told her that her response was going to go in this newsletter. I followed up again earlier in the week and was told she would try to get something out. We are still waiting...
Of course there are different issues to consider when voting, but wouldn't it be great to get a candidate who will enthusiastically help us and Senator Lieu make our dog beach happen!
PLEASE EXPRESS YOUR OPINION BY VOTING.
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| Don't forget to sign our online petition if you haven't done so and to enlist your friends. GO TO:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/allow-the-city-of-santa-monica-to-create-a-pilot-dog-beach
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