From IDA:
Please Attend Final Two Critical Meetings Next Week To Shut Down The L.A. Zoo Elephant Exhibit And Send Billy To A Sanctuary
On Monday, December 1st, the L.A. City Council's Budget & Finance Committee will hear the motion (#08-2850) presented by Councilmember Tony Cardenas to close the elephant exhibit and send Billy to a sanctuary. Then on Tuesday or Wednesday (we'll let you know as soon as we have confirmation) the full city council will again hear the motion and make its final vote.The L.A. Zoo is planning to bus their supporters to both meetings. At previous meetings, we've equaled or outnumbered them. We can't stop now! Come to both meetings and send the message that there is clear and strong support for closing the exhibit and ending Billy's years of isolation and deprivation. (If you can only attend one, please attend the full council meeting.)
We need everyone's support at these important meetings!
WHAT: Budget & Finance Committee meeting
WHEN: Monday, December 1 at 1pm
WHERE: L.A. City Hall, 200 N. Spring Street, L.A., 90012, John Ferraro Council Chamber, Room 340
SIGN UP: Please arrive early and sign up to speak during the public comment period on this important issue. Be sure to mark on your public speaker card that you are "for proposal." Your comments should be focused on fiscal as well as humane issues, especially as the City of L.A. is facing an enormous budget deficit and plans to make major cutbacks in city services.
WHAT: Final vote by L.A. City Council
WHEN: Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 10am -or- Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 10am (awaiting confirmation)
WHERE: L.A. City Hall, 200 N. Spring Street, L.A., 90012, John Ferraro Council Chamber, Room 340
SIGN UP: Same as above. Keep your comments positive, emphasizing the good that the city council can do for elephants by voting to approve the Cardenas motion.
Considering the City of L.A.'s dire economic straits, we cannot afford to build a $42 million elephant exhibit, paid for with taxpayer money, that still will be too small for elephants. So please come to these important meetings and express your support for stopping this ill-advised exhibit where elephants will continue to suffer and die prematurely.
- Thirteen elephants have died at the L.A. Zoo since 1975. More than half never lived to age 20. Elephants have a natural lifespan of 60-70 years.
- Billy is held in solitary confinement, where he spends his days repetitively bobbing his head up and down in a tiny zoo pen. A win means he will be able to start a new life in a natural-habitat sanctuary where he'll have the space, natural conditions and companionship that all elephants so desperately need.
Help free Billy and keep future elephants from suffering at L.A. Zoo! Don't stop your efforts now!
FOUR IMPORTANT ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE:
1. Attend next week's committee meeting and final city council meeting!2. Speak at the meetings during public comment.
3. Call and write the members of the Budget & Finance Committee before Monday.
Even if you've written the five council members who make up this committee before, please write again using the new message points below.
Please keep your communications concise and polite. Negativity will not get us the votes we need! Remember, we are trying to influence city officials to support our position, and we accomplish this by making sound arguments. Please don't give anyone an excuse to vote against this important motion!
Use the following talking points which are geared toward the budget issues:
- The Budget & Finance committee has the unique opportunity to take positive action on this important fiscal and humane issue.
- Do the right thing for taxpayers and for the elephants by voting to stop construction of the elephant exhibit at L.A. Zoo.
- It's wrong to waste $42 million in taxpayer money on an elephant exhibit that still won't provide the space elephants need to thrive.
- Taxpayers and the City of L.A. just cannot afford the increased cost of care for a large number of elephants. Elephants are the most costly animals to keep in a zoo.
- Too many elephants have suffered and died prematurely at L.A. Zoo from painful health problems caused by inadequate zoo conditions. Treating these problems has cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years -- and the health problems won't stop in a renovated exhibit that is still too small for elephants.
BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
District 2 - Wendy Greuel
Phone: 213-473-7002 Fax: 213-680-7895
Email: councilmember.greuel@lacity.
District 8 - Bernard Parks
Phone: 213-473-7008 Fax: 213-485-7683
Email: councilmember.parks@lacity.org
District 11 - Bill Rosendahl
Phone: 213-473-7011 Fax: 213-473-6926
Email: councilmember.rosendahl@
District 12 - Greig Smith
Phone: 213-473-7012 Fax: 213-473-6925
Email: councilmember.smith@lacity.org
District 14 - Jose Huizar
Phone: 213-473-7014 Fax: 213-847-0680
Email: councilmember.huizar@lacity.
4. Call and write the mayor and all of city council before Tuesday.
Please keep your communications concise and polite. Get five friends (or more) to send emails and make phone calls to express their support for shutting down the L.A. Zoo elephant exhibit.
If you (or your friends) don't live in the City of L.A., please contact the mayor and L.A. City Council President Eric Garcetti (contact info provided below) and express your support for closing the elephant exhibit and sending Billy to a sanctuary.
To locate your councilmember on-line, visit www.lacity.org <http://www.lacity.org/> and scroll down to "My Neighborhood" and enter your address. You can also dial 311 within the City of Los Angeles, or call 213-473-3231 from the Greater Los Angeles area.
Talking Points:
- The City of L.A. just cannot afford to waste $42 million in taxpayer money on an elephant exhibit that still won't provide the space elephants need to truly thrive.
- Too many elephants have suffered and died prematurely at the L.A. Zoo, many due to painful health problems caused by inadequate conditions including pens that are far too small. These problems will continue in the renovated exhibit because it still will be too small for elephants.
- The city council is in the unique position to help Billy, an elephant who has spent years in solitary confinement in a tiny zoo pen where he constantly bobs his head up and down, an abnormal behavior not seen in the wild.
- The City of Los Angeles has made great strides toward becoming more humane. Now it's time to include elephants by closing the elephant exhibit and sending Billy to a sanctuary as soon as possible.
CONTACTS:
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
Los Angeles City Hall
200 N. Spring St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: 213-978-0600 Fax: 213-978-0750
Email: mayor@lacity.org
EMAIL BLOCK (does not include Councilmember Alarcon; use contact form for him as indicated below):
councilmember.reyes@lacity.org
District 1 - Ed Reyes
Phone: 213-473-7001 Fax: 213-485-8907
Email: councilmember.reyes@lacity.org
District 2 - Wendy Greuel
Phone: 213-473-7002 Fax: 213-680-7895
Email: councilmember.greuel@lacity.
District 3 - Dennis P. Zine
Phone: 213-473-7003 Fax: 213-
Email: councilmember.zine@lacity.org
District 4 - Tom LaBonge
Phone: 213-473-7004 Fax: 213-624-7810
Email: councilmember.labonge@lacity.
District 5 - Jack Weiss
Phone: 213-473-7005 Fax: 213-978-2250
Email: councilmember.weiss@lacity.org
District 6 - Tony Cardenas - ORIGINATOR OF THE MOTION
Phone: 213-473-7006 Fax: 213-847-0549
Email: councilmember.cardenas@lacity.
District 7 - Richard Alarcon
Phone: 213-473-7007 Fax: 213-847-0707
Email: (use contact form at www.lacity.org/council/cd7/
District 8 - Bernard Parks
Phone: 213-473-7008 Fax: 213-485-7683
Email: councilmember.parks@lacity.org
District 9 - Jan Perry
Phone: 213-473-7009 Fax: 213-473-5946
Email: jan.perry@lacity.org
District 10 - Herb J. Wesson, Jr.
Phone: 213-473-7010 Fax: 213-485-9829
Email: councilmember.wesson@lacity.
District 11 - Bill Rosendahl
Phone: 213-473-7011 Fax: 213-473-6926
Email: councilmember.rosendahl@
District 12 - Greig Smith
Phone: 213-473-7012 Fax: 213-473-6925
Email: councilmember.smith@lacity.org
District 13 - Eric Garcetti
Phone: 213-473-7013 Fax: 213-613-0819
Email: councilmember.garcetti@lacity.
District 14 - Jose Huizar
Phone: 213-473-7014 Fax: 213-847-0680
Email: councilmember.huizar@lacity.
District 15 - Janice Hahn
Phone: 213-473-7015 Fax: 213-626-5431
Email: councilmember.hahn@lacity.org
Thank you for taking action to help rescue Billy and shut down the L.A. Zoo elephant exhibit! Please email zoos@idausa.org with any questions or call 323-301-5730.
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