What Would JUSTIN Do?

GO JUSTIN!

Dog breeding/PRESS TELEGRAM
Re "L.B. OKs dog breeding, with regulations" [Page 1, Feb. 22]:

Congratulations to Justin Rudd! The City Council's unanimous decision to adopt a dog-breeding ordinance can be credited to Justin and his tireless efforts to maintain Long Beach's dog-friendly reputation.

Justin's leadership allowed the citizens to partner with the City Council to draft a law that benefits everybody. Thank you for your continual contributions to make Long Beach a better community.

Jennifer Gonzalez

Long Beach

RUN JUSTIN RUN

Dear Editor:

I have been shocked and confused for the last two weeks, but my shock has turned to relief. I learned that Justin Rudd pulled himself out of the running for councilman. I was shocked, initially, because he is the perfect fit for public service. Shock turned to relief after hearing from grass roots supporters he would reconsider his run for office.

I write this letter to you, urging those in this city to support and vote for Justin Rudd, to replace Frank Colonna. Justin is much like his bulldog; tenacious and enthusiastic. But make no mistake. Justin is far more than an "activist for animals". Look at this guy's resume and list of accomplishments, which are totally and completely focused on the betterment of this community. Justin Rudd is a "One Man PR Campaign" for Long Beach. He attracts more business to our town than any single event or person has, with the exception of the Grand Prix. Day in and day out, he works for us. Even without a title, he has been working for Long Beach residents for many years.
Justin has been promoting education to our youth through his Spelling Bee Contest. His "Beach Clean Up" has been going on for years. He supports every faction of this community. He unifies in a very diplomatic way. Never boastful or self-serving, he is the ideal of a public servant.

His one fault is that he wants to represent us all on all issues. That is impossible. His standards for himself are so high, that he pulled out, fearing he would not represent us all. The groundswell of support has been over the top times 1,000. His popularity is no fluke. This man is dedicated to OUR quality of life. Our children, our streets, our safety, our tax dollars. spent the way we desire.

I believe we, as a comnunity, are more concerned with quality of life than how our sidewalks and alleys appear.

Justin Rudd has accomplished more than most of us contribute to our comunity in a lifetime. Please consider his selfless devotion to Long Beach, when you place your vote.

Respectfully, A. Brown, Belmont Shore

Justin brings CIVILITY to City Council as Dog Breeding Passes

L.B. OKs dog breeding, with regulations
By Jenny Marder, Staff writer

LONG BEACH — It's not uncommon for the City Council to have a moment of silence for a deceased resident.
But Tuesday, at the request of local animal activist Diana Lejins, a moment of silence was held for "the 1,580 dogs who lost their lives because of overpopulation."

That moment was a fitting introduction to discussions surrounding the newly revised dog breeding ordinance, which would give the city more teeth to enforce illegal animal breeding.

The City Council voted unanimously to pass the first reading of the ordinance, and discussed a set of proposed fee changes, which will come back for vote at a later date.

"We need to monitor this closely as a council," Councilman Patrick O'Donnell said.

While some said they would have preferred a total ban on breeding, residents at the meeting overwhelmingly supported the ordinance and praised the council for listening to their concerns in crafting it.

The Long Beach Municipal Code has prohibited dog breeding for decades. But the American Kennel Club, which holds regional dog shows at the Long Beach Convention Center, recently pushed for the new ordinance after learning of the prohibition. The revised ordinance would impose considerably more restrictions on breeding, Deputy City Attorney Richard Anthony said.

Changes would include an $18 increase in unaltered-dog licenses, a $500 fee to acquire a breeding permit and two new staff members to enforce the policy. The ordinance limits breeding to one litter per permitted household per calendar year and limits permits to breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club. It also requires that all cats be spayed after they reach a certain age.

An animal control officer and a public health associate would be hired to enforce the ordinance. The Long Beach health department would also take a stronger role in education and investigations targeting illegal breeding.

"It's not perfect, but I think with the two officers, it could work," said Lejins.

Residents urged the city to enforce the new breeding policy and to educate residents onthe importance of sterilization. They called the motion "democracy in action." The city impounded a total of 4,126 dogs in 2005, according to Wesley Moore, animal control services officer at the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services. That number has remained level over the past few years, but dropped over the past decade from 1995, when 6,378 dogs were impounded.

And an average of four dogs a day are euthanized in Long Beach, local activist Justin Rudd said at the meeting.

The council vote was met with applause.

"We're going to put these two gentlemen, Moore and Anthony, in charge of everything from now on," Mayor Beverly O'Neill joked.

THe Editor of the PRESS TELEGRAM Quotes Justin on Dog Breeding

Enforceable dog laws
Revised breeding ordinance could make animal advocates' goals achievable.

In Long Beach, where 1,500 unwanted dogs are euthanized every year, City Council members will decide tonight whether to legalize dog breeding. As illogical as it may seem, they should.
That's because by allowing breeding and regulating it, the proposed ordinance could mean fewer dogs are bred, not more.

The city's existing ban on breeding has been in place for many years, though few people even knew it existed. Backyard breeders in any case weren't deterred because the ordinance wasn't being enforced. The only ones likely to pay any attention to the ban would be professional breeders, who are dog lovers themselves, and the last ones to want their animals to end up impounded and worse.

Long Beach had it backward. What the city needs to do is drive out of business the puppy mills and backyard breeders who make money out of animal misery by turning out ill-bred animals that too often end up in the streets or euthanized.

Animal advocates say there should be no additional breeding until the system can handle what's being bred now. But overburdened animal control officers can't handle the problem.

They would have a much better chance of it under the proposed ordinance, which would increase dog licenses by $18, levy fees of $500 on breeding permits, and use the proceeds to help pay for two additional staff members to enforce the new rules.

The ordinance, revised after a public hearing in December, requires inspections, clean habitat, nutritious food, no more than four dogs on the property, and limits breeding to one litter a year.

As animal lover Justin Rudd has said, people need to be better educated about the breeding laws, and enforcement officers need to be going into neighborhoods where there are breeding problems. That's exactly the goal of the revised ordinance.

The issue of legalized breeding arose after the American Kennel Club held one of its national dog shows at the Long Beach Arena in 2003 and its members were so impressed with the facilities, the city and the region they decided they wanted to forgo their traditional East Coast venues and move west. But how could one of the world's foremost breeding organizations hold its dog shows in a city that outlawed breeding?

That alone might not be justification for dropping the ban, even though Long Beach is the only city in the region that has one. Jack Smith, president of the Long Beach Kennel Club, says if legalizing breeding meant that more dogs would end up in the animal shelter he would oppose it himself. But, he says rightly, the proposed Long Beach ordinance would have a beneficial effect.

Smith and other professional breeders are for the revised ordinance. The Convention and Visitors Bureau is for it, for obvious reasons. Animal advocates can in good conscience be for it too, as can council members. The revised ordinance should be approved, and it should be enforced.

Justin is working with the City on Dog Breeding

Old dog ordinance back with new tricks
By Jenny Marder, Staff writer

LONG BEACH — A dog breeding ordinance that has unleashed howls of fervor over the past few months among animal activists and breeders alike will return in an updated form to the City Council Tuesday.
The revised ordinance, which would make controlled dog breeding legal in Long Beach, includes an $18 increase in unaltered dog licenses, a $500 fee to acquire a breeding permit and two new staff members to enforce the policy. City officials say the ordinance also includes safeguards to ensure animal protection.

To encourage fixing pets, the annual fee to keep an unaltered dog would jump from $36 to $54, which is slightly higher than the average cost for surrounding cities, said Wesley Moore, animal control services officer at the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services.

An animal control officer and a public health associate would be hired exclusively to enforce the ordinance. Efforts by the health department would also include educating residents on city policies and ongoing investigations to target illegal breeding.

"I believe that this does give us a tool in which we can enforce the ordinance," Moore said. "I think we will be able to enforce backyard breeders breeding multiple litters."

He believes that fees for breeding coupled with revenue from violation citations would support the new staff.

But animal activists many who prefer a total ban on breeding question whether the new regulations would be sufficient to curb overflowing shelters.

"I'd rather have no breeding until we can handle what's already being bred and what's being dropped off at our shelter," said Justin Rudd, an animal activist. "There's too much breeding by irresponsible or unethical people."

The city impounded a total of 4,126 dogs in 2005, Moore said. That number has remained level over the past few years, but dropped over the past decade from 1995, when 6,378 dogs were impounded.

Rudd said that people are uninformed about city breeding laws and need to be better educated.

"They need to be going into neighborhoods that are having breeding problems, and letting them know, 'You're doing this illegally and this is now a law," " he said. "There are too many dogs as is, as long as dogs are being put down in the shelter."

The Long Beach Municipal Code has prohibited dog breeding for decades. But the American Kennel Club, which holds regional dog shows at the Long Beach Convention Center, recently pushed for the new ordinance after learning of the prohibition.

The American Kennel Club plans to hold its annual dog breeding event in Long Beach this year, an event which could draw millions of dollars in tourism revenue to the city. In 2003, the city gained about $4.6 million from the event.

Meanwhile, activists continue to fight back on the number of stray dogs and euthanizings in the city.

"We're dealing with the life and death of animals," Rudd said. "This is such an important issue."

JUSTIN RAISES MONEY FOR THE LIBRARY

Dads, daughters dance for dollars

The party line: The Father/Daughter Valentine's Dance on Feb. 12 was a huge success for Justin Rudd's nonprofit 501c3 Community Action Team (CAT) and the Long Beach Public Library.

Approximately 100 dads, daughters of all ages and CAT volunteers danced to the hokey pokey, macarena, the twist and other party classics selected by Long Beach resident DJ DanaT who volunteered her time and talent for this effort. More than $820 was collected at the door for the inaugural event held in the community hall at Bay Shore Church on The Toledo in Belmont Shore.

Mrs. America 2006 Andrea Preuss and Mrs. Long Beach International 2006 Laura Mathison served as the judges for the dance-off held during the two-hour benefit.

The two beauty queens also posed for photos with the daughters (and some dads) throughout the evening. Craig Claro of Fysicly Fit and his daughter Natalie took first place in the dance competition.

Randy Terrell of the Long Beach Jaycees and his partner Patricia Margosian gave a waltz lesson and then beautifully demonstrated the waltz before inviting all the dancers onto the dance floor to join them.

Dressed as the Cat in the Hat, Eleanor Schmidt, director of library services for the Long Beach libraries, spoke to the crowd during a dance break and urged continued support for the libraries. She praised Justin Rudd and his Community Action Team for supporting the libraries and she thanked all attendees and volunteers for turning out to contribute.

According to Schmidt and Rudd, the proceeds raised will assist in the purchase of more than 50 new children's books for Long Beach libraries.

Laura Doud, Peter Marquez, Nancy Buchanan, Cindy Lee, Nikki Esposito and other moms and volunteers helped with decorations and served homebaked cookies for the dancing duos.

Parting gifts included prom-style photos of each dad/daughter couple that were taken earlier in the evening, red and pink helium balloons donated by Holly's Hallmark, library pads and pencils, and boxes of candy sweethearts.

Seen at the scene were: dad/daughter couples Kurt Schneiter and Samantha; Christopher Ward and Anna; Larry Rivas and Meredith; Gary DeLong and baby daughter Katie; Morgan Pickard and Danielle; Doug Norman and Aria; and John Esposito and Adriana.

Other upcoming spring events organized by the Community Action Team include monthly 30-Minute Beach Cleanups, the $1,000 Southern California Spelling Bee Championship, the Haute Dog Easter Parade, the Bulldog Beauty Contest, two animal adoption fairs, the Haute Dog Poetry Contest, distribution of beds and cribs to underserved Long Beach infants, bag lunches served to a Tijuana orphanage, and a collection and distribution of more than 700 Easter baskets filled with toiletries, art supplies, socks, underwear and gifts for the second annual Operation Easter Basket program.

JUSTIN RUDD HONORED BY STEEL MAGNOLIAS

Steel Magnolias get serious about helping

The Steel Magnolias are known for their elaborate fun parties and glamorous annual gala, but their Feb. 6 event, although elegant, was on a much more serious level.
"It's really what we're all about," said Steel Magnolias Chairman Anthony Gagliardi. He was referring to the Stramski Children's Developmental Center at Miller Children's Hospital, which the Steel Magnolias support.

As the 150 or so guests entered the Houssels Forum at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, there was a display of the services provided by the center and dramatic photos of the children served. A large screen showed smiling pictures of the young patients, heart-warming success stories themselves.

Dr. Feldman presented a video about the center being "A Place to Start" for parents of children with a multiplicity of health and developmental problems.

The center uses a team approach to give meaningful, full care to these vulnerable children and their families. The team is comprised of health-care specialists including physicians, home care nurses, social workers, audio and speech therapists and others as needed.

In the case of cleft palate repair, plastic surgeons, dentists and anesthesiologists are also needed. The patient is followed until around age 21 because as they grow and their face changes, more repair is needed.

The 2006 honorees were: Susan & Mort Stuhlbarg, Justin Rudd attending with Ralph Millero and Drs. Sylvia and Bob Maxson.

What Would Justin DO?

By Harry Saltzgaver
Executive Editor

There are 61 days to the Long Beach municipal primary election as of today, Justin Rudd, the community activist, continues to draw interest from writers of letters to the editor and others. When asked exactly what his situation was, Rudd replied: “I’m not campaigning and don’t plan to do so. I went back and found the oath I took when I applied for candidacy and it says, ‘he or she will accept the office in the event of his or her election....’ If by chance I was elected, I’d serve.”

JUSTIN RUDD 51%

Justin Rudd

Justin Rudd is a nice guy. He cares about his community. And if 51 percent of the people want him to represent them, then Mr. Justin Rudd will be their councilman.

Ricardo Linarez

Long Beach

JUSTIN NEEDS TO CLEAN UP CITY COUNCIL

Pols, Phil and progress - oh my!
Tom Hennessy
Staff columnist

There are two things politicians should avoid: Impropriety and the appearance of it.
Long Beach Council member Dan Baker doesn't seem to get that. And whether his real-estate deal with Steve James, president of the Police Officers Association, was legally wrong is almost beside the point. It just plain looks wrong.

What makes the matter such a thorny one is the fact that the deal involving the purchase of real estate in Missouri was made less than two weeks before the council, including Baker, approved a 21 percent police salary increase.

While the increase, in my opinion, was deserved, Baker had a moral obligation to tell citizens about this before the vote. He chose not to do so. Now he further compounds his dereliction by saying he sees nothing wrong with his action.

"No wonder Justin Rudd doesn't want to be involved with these people," said a friend of mine, referring to the Third District council candidate who recently withdrew from the race. "Who would want to be in the same room with them? Or the same city."