How much is that doghouse in the window?
Tuesday, August 21st, 2007 by eblogToday we humbly dedicate a song to Brownsville city officials: “Gimme Shelter,” by the Rolling Stones.
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We appreciate the city’s concern for our pets. And we know that they were responding to one of those knee-jerk laws that were enacted after the Katrina disaster. But sometimes it looks like this put-the-pets-first stuff is getting a little out of hand.
The city spent nearly $5,000 to buy 80 animal carriers, so people could evacuate their little kitties and puppies in the event of a storm.
Shouldn’t evacuations be the up to the pet owners? Whatever happened to personal responsibility?
And five grand? Surely the city could have been a little more frugal. Heck, for one grand we could have bought a few rolls of 1-inch fencing material, a crimper and some clips, and built enough pens to house a couple of hundred critters. After the storm passed and residents recovered their animals, the pens could have been broken down for reuse.
We don’t suppose anybody called our friends up the pike, to see about renting some of the pens that already exist for use at the annual livestock shows.
At least our intrepid mayor didn’t embarrass himself on national television. Over the weekend the Weather Channel sent correspondents to check out the area’s preparations for Hurricane Dean. They found Mayor Pat Ahumada and a bunch of other officials hunkered over tables, working diligently. Ahumada was pulled aside and asked what the city was doing to ensure residents’ safety.
Mayor Pat responded that he was the mayor of this town and he knew what to do. He had experience handling hurricanes and everything was going to be all right.
The reporter asked again what specific measures had been taken, and the mayor again said that he was an experienced mayor and he was confident that whatever the city did, it was the right thing.
Imagine if he’d told the national viewing audience that the officials were busy hammering out a deal to buy 80 poochie boxes.
Yeah, the floods are threatening
My poodle’s life today.
Gimme, gimme shelter
Or I’m going to fade away.
(Apologies to Mick and Keith)
