Ludington Considers Ban on Feeding the Homeless

[XLFD]

The headline stood out on page three of today's Ludington Daily News.  How callous of an idea, to not allow people to feed the homeless under penalty of law.  If someone feels compassionate enough or hospitable enough to share a morsel and some beverage with those who are down on their luck, what is a local government entity doing telling me I cannot do such an act of caring.  But before I bloviate any more here is what the article with the title above said*: 

 

The Ludington City Council Monday will consider approving a ban on feeding the homeless...

City Manager John Shay is recommending the council approve an ordinance that would ban people from feeding the homeless in the city and stated that the council’s Public Safety Committee is recommending adoption.

In notes to the council, Shay stated that feeding the homeless has led to an increase in complaints about the homeless having many litters and making messes in residents’ yards.

 

Having many litters?!  Before you start urging the local food banks, soup kitchens, and your local church who do so much for all those that do fall through the cracks in our society (particularly those who do so through no fault of their own) to muster their forces and defeat this ordinance, realize that I have done one alteration of the newsprint to suggest a point.  "The homeless" was a substitution for "stray cats", who are indeed homeless in a sense.

                            Please, don't feed the members of this '80s rockabilly group under penalty of law.

 

Am I writing this to defend the wisdom of feeding stray cats?  No.  Am I writing this to defend the right of someone to care enough about a starving animal to share food with it without having to be declared an outlaw, defend themselves in court, and pay a hefty civil fine because they dare have the compassion to help one of God's creatures survive another day?  Yes.

 

When any government starts trying to regulate the freedom of individuals to care about other living creatures, we should begin to know that government is overstepping its authority.  A City Government has no power to tell you whether you can feed that alley cat, anymore than it can tell you that you cannot take it in or nurse a sick one back to health.  Here are some facts about feral and stray cats from our Canadian friends:  Feral Cat Project

If, in a few years, an emaciated ex-City Manager John Shay came up to me on the street and begged me to give him some of my food, the second thing I'd do would be to give him some food.  The first thing, of course, would be to remind him of the restraining order I had on him, LOL.  Compassion of individuals should always defeat the social engineering of power-hungry City Halls. 

 

[Marty Redman]

Verrry clever.  City Councils are like that in Illinois too.  Pass laws just because they can.  Each law makes you unable to do more and more and more.  Some day all youre rights will be gone. 

[AQUAMAN]

Well, this type of ban has already been approved in many other communities, mostly large ones, I didn't realize little Ludville had a cat problem yet. When you start to see stray cats wherever you go around town, you know the problem is there. As for now, I don't think we've reached that point yet, so this new ordinance, becomes another questionable act, and keeps making city hall council members look like they have absolutely no clue as to the more serious problems that face the town each and every day in this faltering economy with record high unemployment. Shay/stray/strange priorities if you ask me. Welcome aboard Marty, sorry to hear Ill. is also another wasteful state.

[Sweater Cows!]

I had a lady in at work who was telling me about her catching strays and getting them fixed. good lady.

[Guidothesemipsuedocaptitalistpig]

I am familiar with the Canadian feral cat project. It helps tremendously, but is not the be all end all. But I have yet to see the government be this either.

[XLFD]

I don't think the Canadian plan is perfect either, but I think it's more humane and workable than criminalizing the feeding of strays.  They had the first reading of that ordinance tonight; if it's like previous ordinances written by our current City Attorney, read it closely.  There may be some other objective this law is after rather than to just starve some strays, involving the impingement of more individual rights of the citizens.

[masonco]

Problem is...If those cats could be caught and neutered it would not be a problem cause the population would "dye off". The serious problem is these cats have several litters of kittens in a year and those true feral kittens are where the danger is.

 

 

[XLFD]

Perhaps we should set humane cage traps for them and have LPD Chief Barnett or CDD Heather Venzke take them into Scottville and release them at the Riverside Park when they travel there for their new jobs, LOL.

Good to hear from you again, Masonco; I always get worried about you and/or your hubby when we haven't heard from you for awhile.

[masonco]

After they make them (the cats) sterile. Umm that sounds bad too.

 

You can contact me at my listed email address to catch up. If you don't have it, private message me. I do get messages that way. Life has been extreme ups and downs lately.

 

 

[Guidothesemipsuedocaptitalistpig]

Sorry to hear Masonco I will continue to pray for you and yours here.

[AQUAMAN]

Nice news flash tonight: apparently when I made the same comments above about Shay and the CC, they have banned me from posting comments in the LDN. Another freedom of speech lost due to higher and more refined priorities. As I stated earlier, it's a damn shame these people at the CC have no higher regard for the duties of their office to the people of Ludington, stray cats is NOT what I would call a high priority for the council to vote on nor even consider during these turbulent economic times, but then again, we the people are just considered dummies and stooges anyhow right?

[Willy]

There are two sides to this story. Cats do carry diseases that can be transmitted to humans. One in particular is "toxoplasmosis". This disease is a parasite which is transmitted thru cat feces and can be picked up by humans who come in contact with the soil. For persons such as children, pregnant women, unborn children, elderly folks and those with low immune systems this disease can have very serious affects. Also, I doubt there are very few animals whose feces that can match the foul smell of cat sh-t. It would be nice to feed these cats if their population was on the small side but where there are large numbers, cats can be a real problem.

[AQUAMAN]

I know I drive in town everyday, and I know X bikes around a lot too downtown. Personally, I have NOT witnessed this alleged cat problem at all. I have seen it elsewhere though, and it's obvious in nature. Anyone else know where to look? Also a tip of the hat to Willie for the information on the parasite.