Friday, October 24, 2014

Gloucester, VA Animal Control and the Bena Feral Cats

As it should; the issue pertaining to the feral cats in BenaVirginia seems to be resolving itself without action by the Gloucester Board of Supervisors.  The most logical approach to such an issue is education, effective communication and public relation skills.  When a representative of animal control responds to such complaints it would be more productive if they act as a positive representative of the County, an educator and a mediator.  Presenting themselves as intimidating law enforcement officers who render inaccurate definitions of law only serves to cause confusion, animosity, distrust, paranoia and continuation or escalation of the issue at hand.
 
Upon first contact; the responding animal control officer should have spoken to all of the parties involved and provided the owner of the property/cats with handouts containing information on applicable law, the potential risks involved and options to mitigate the issue.  A time limit for the owner to contain the cats she claimed ownership of should have been established.  The animal control officer should have obtained permission from the owner to capture the cats she did not claim.  Animal control could have then turned the unclaimed cats over to the private entity the tax payers of Gloucester already pay to assume responsibility of abandoned cats and other animals.
 
Animal control readily utilizes private people and organizations when they conduct seizures; why did it take so long for private people and organizations to get involved in the feral cat issue? 
 
Animal control personnel are not law enforcement officers.  They are law officers with a very limited domain.  § 3.2-6555 of the Code of Virginia provides the following on the powers of animal control officers:  

When in uniform or upon displaying a badge or other credentials of office, animal control officers and deputy animal control officers shall have the power to issue a summons or obtain a felony warrant as necessary, providing the execution of such warrant shall be carried out by any law-enforcement officer as defined in § 9.1-101, to any person found in the act of violating any such law or any ordinance enacted pursuant to such law of the locality where the animal control officer or deputy animal control officer is employed.
 
The following is the applicable definition found in § 9.1-101:
 
" Law-enforcement officer " means any full-time or part-time employee of a police department or sheriff's office which is a part of or administered by the Commonwealth or any political subdivision thereof, and who is responsible for the prevention and detection of crime and the enforcement of the penal, traffic or highway laws of the Commonwealth, and shall include any (i) special agent of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control; (ii) police agent appointed under the provisions of § 56-353; (iii) officer of the Virginia Marine Police; (iv) conservation police officer who is a full-time sworn member of the enforcement division of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries; (v) investigator who is a full-time sworn member of the security division of the Virginia Lottery; (vi) conservation officer of the Department of Conservation and Recreation commissioned pursuant to § 10.1-115; (vii) full-time sworn member of the enforcement division of the Department of Motor Vehicles appointed pursuant to § 46.2-217; (viii) animal protection police officer employed under § 15.2-632; or (ix) campus police officer appointed under Chapter 17 (§ 23-232 et seq.) of Title 23. Part-time employees are those compensated officers who are not full-time employees as defined by the employing police department or sheriff's office.
 
§ 9.1-101, (viii) includes animal protection police officers employed under the following:
 
§ 15.2-632. Department of public safety.
The department of public safety if and when established shall be under the supervision of a director of public safety appointed by the county manager. Such department shall consist of the following divisions:

1. Division of police, in charge of a chief of police and consisting of such other police officers and personnel as may be appointed, including an animal protection police officer who shall have all of the powers of an animal control officer conferred by general law and one or more deputy animal protection police officers to assist the animal protection police officer in the performance of his duties. In addition, the animal protection police officer and his deputies shall have all of the powers vested in law-enforcement officers as defined in § 9.1-101, provided they have met the minimum qualifications and have been certified under §§ 15.2-1705 and 15.2-1706.

2. Division of fire protection, in charge of a fire chief and consisting of such fire fighters, and other personnel as may be appointed.
 
Gloucester CountyVirginia does not have an animal protection police officer, therefore under Commonwealth law, Gloucester’s animal control officers must rely on law enforcement to perform criminal enforcement.  During the October 21, 2014 Board meeting Animal Control Officer Steve Baranek stated he would prosecute anyone caught shooting a companion animal.  Animal control officers do not have the power to prosecute.  In all essence they serve only as complainant or witness in criminal proceedings.  Arrogant statements such as the one Officer Baranek publicly made only further exemplifies the misunderstanding of duties and powers and the lack of public relation skills that exists in Gloucester’s Animal Control Department.  Government employees are not paid to provide arrogance and intimidation, they are paid to provide Public Service.  Had the Animal Control Department been operating properly the issue of the feral cats would not have wasted the Board of Supervisor’s and County staff’s time.
 
Kenneth E. Hogge, Sr.
Gloucester Point


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Gloucester, Virginia Board of Supervisors Work Session Meeting, October, 2014




Gloucester, Virginia Board of Supervisors meeting, October, 2014.  This is the second meeting of the month and is a work session meeting.

  The first guy up demands socialistic solutions to animal problems.  He expects government to solve everything.  He must think we are in Russia.  He completely ignores other animals such as raccoon's, squirrels and more as causing the same issues as cats.  It's NOT the government's place to solve everyone's problems.  This is the issue we suffer from today.  Everyone thinks it's the government's job to solve every problem and at the same time do NOT want higher taxes they just caused by their own expectations?  Really?  Who are you kidding?

  There are some decent suggestions that are made regarding what to do about the feral cat problems in Gloucester, but by the time you get to this in the video above, the entire board seems to forget about those suggestions.  It's a civil matter as there are no state codes covering such issues.  If you want state codes to cover these issues, then you have to get it done at the state level and realize it will cost everyone more money in taxes and take away more freedoms.

  We still need to go through the rest of the video to see what other issues exist as we are not at all pleased with the continuation of the FEMA mitigation crap that is costing everyone a fortune.  Agenda 21?  Looks like it.


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The York Herald, Issue No 12, By Phillip Bazanni, Gloucester, VA Board of Supervisors, Oct, 2014



York Herald 2014 Issue 12, Phillip Bazzani, GCBoS from Chuck Thompson

Here is the latest edition of the York Herald, Issue No. 12.  Written and produced by Phillip Bazzani,  it's a great tool for keeping area residents up to date on what our local government officials are looking at and considering or adopting.   Mr Bazzani has been kind enough to share these with us each month.

  In order to read the newsletter in larger detail, just click the box at the very bottom right hand corner to open the container into full page format.  This will make reading much easier.


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Open Letter to the Citizens of Gloucester County Virginia

Open Letter to the Citizens of Gloucester County Virginia

Your meetings seem to get more interesting overtime. Where can you go to a county meeting to talk about a “cat house”? Did you not go to or see the meeting. Check out the video.



"The Land of the Life Worth Living" for everyone in the county.
If you have not seen this meeting it is available on Mr. Thompson’s website. I cannot do justice to what was shared in the meeting. But here are a few highlights to whet your appetite.




At hour 3 in the meeting Mr “Ted” Wilmot, you know his complete name with out me have to write it out, started discussing changes to the Animal Control Ordinances to bring them into compliance with Virginia Code. He used phrases like: “consistent with state definition”, “track state code definitions”, “track precisely with state code”.

Now after hearing him use these phrases I have to wonder why Gloucester County Ordinance Chapter 3 Section 3-18 is still part of the code?

Amend Section 3-18 as follows:
Sec. 3-18. Animals in enclosed vehicles.
(a) It shall be unlawful to leave any animal in a vehicle without the
benefit of air conditioning when the outside temperature reaches
eighty (80) degrees fahrenheit or greater.
(b) Any person who confines an animal in an unattended vehicle so as
to cause the animal to suffer from heat stress, shall be guilty of a
Class 1 misdemeanor. The animal control officer or other officer
shall have the authority to remove any animal foundleft in an
enclosed a vehicle that appears to be suffering from heat stress.
The animal shall be provided immediate veterinary care. The
animal owner or custodian shall be responsible for all expenses
incurred during the removal of the animal or its subsequent
treatment and impoundment.
(c) In the event that the person responsible for the violation cannot be
ascertained, the registered owner of the vehicle, as required by
Chapter 6 of Title 46.2 of the Code of Virginia, shall constitute in
evidence a prima facie presumption that such registered owner
was the person who committed the violation.”



Virginia Code Title 3.2 Chapter 65 Comprehensive Animal Care (3.2-6500 thru 3.2-6590) and specifically 3.2-6508 Transporting animals; requirements; penalty.

"§ 3.2-6508. Transporting animals; requirements; penalty.

A. No owner, railroad or other common carrier when transporting any animal shall allow that animal to be confined in any type of conveyance more than 24 consecutive hours without being exercised, properly rested, fed and watered as necessary for that particular type and species of animal. A reasonable extension of this time shall be permitted when an accident, storm or other act of God causes a delay. Adequate space in the primary enclosure within any type of conveyance shall be provided each animal depending upon the particular type and species of animal.

B. No person shall import into the Commonwealth, nor export from the Commonwealth, for the purpose of sale or offering for sale any dog or cat under the age of eight weeks without its dam.

C. Violation of this section is a Class 1 misdemeanor. “

I do not see anything that looks like the county code in this section or as Mr. Wilmot would say “consistent with state definition”, “track state code definitions”, “track precisely with state code”. Does Mr. Wilmot know we live in a Commonwealth and not a state? Inquiring minds want to know?

Lets look further: 3.2-6566 Preventing cruelty to animals; interference; penalty

Ҥ 3.2-6566. Preventing cruelty to animals; interference; penalty.

Each animal control officer, humane investigator or State Veterinarian's representative shall interfere to prevent the perpetration of any act of cruelty upon any animal in his presence. Any person who shall interfere with or obstruct or resist any humane investigator or State Veterinarian's representative in the discharge of his rights, powers, and duties as authorized and prescribed by law is guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor. “

Not here either. Lets continue: 3.2-6568 Power of search for violations of statutes against cruelty to animals

Ҥ 3.2-6568. Power of search for violations of statutes against cruelty to animals.

When an affidavit is made under oath before a magistrate or court of competent jurisdiction by any animal control officer, humane investigator, law-enforcement officer, or State Veterinarian's representative that the complainant believes and has reasonable cause to believe that the laws in relation to cruelty to animals have been, are being, or are about to be violated in any particular building or place, such magistrate or judge, if satisfied that there is reasonable cause for such belief, shall issue a warrant authorizing any sheriff, deputy sheriff, or police officer to search the building or place. After issuing a warrant under this section, the magistrate or judge shall file the affidavit in the manner prescribed by § 19.2-54. After executing the warrant, the animal control officer, humane investigator, law-enforcement officer, or State Veterinarian's representative shall return the warrant to the clerk of the circuit court of the city or county wherein the search was made. “

I believe Section 3-18 paragraph (b) violates Virginia Code. Does Mr. Wilmot have a real law degree and everything or did he just forget to stop at a “Bar” or was that pass a bar? Maybe his vast staff did this work and he did not check it to make sure it was legal?

I cannot find in Virginia Code where this is a legal ordinance. Lets look at the proposed ordinance to see what it says:

Animals in enclosed vehicles.

(a) It shall be unlawful to leave any animal in a vehicle without the
 benefit of air conditioning when the outside temperature reaches eighty (80) degrees fahrenheit or greater.”

This says animals in a vehicle a horse trailer back of an open pickup truck, etc. if it is 80 degrees Fahrenheit or greater you can have your animal taken with this new change if you do not have air conditioning. When are the animal control vehicles going to meet this requirement. Bring them into compliance and then consider 3-18 after it is made part of the Virginia Code.

If the Board considers passing this they are “criminals with no regards for the rule of law”? I believe your oath of office state you will uphold the US and Virginia Constitution and laws. This does not appear to meet those requirements?


If you want to hear about these changes listen at hour 3 for about 10 minutes and learn about the county's position on cat houses.

I am not a lawyer and cannot give legal advice. Our founding fathers used common sense and Christian scripture when establishing our founding documents. This change does not meet either of these., you decide?

"The Land of the Life Worth Living" for everyone in the county.

Sincerely,
Alexander James Jay

P.S. So why are we hiring another Animal Control Officer don't the ones we have get in enough mischief without needing another one?


"Bigotry is the disease of ignorance, of morbid minds; enthusiasm of the free and buoyant. Education and free discussion are the antidotes of both." --Thomas Jefferson, letter to John Adams, 1816


"Man, once surrendering his reason, has no remaining guard against absurdities the most monstrous, and like a ship without rudder, is the sport of every wind. With such persons, gullibility, which they call faith, takes the helm from the hand of reason and the mind becomes a wreck." --Thomas Jefferson, letter to James Smith, 1822


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MORE EVIDENCE US BEHIND EBOLA OUTBREAK, & KNEW IT WAS COMING TO US

English: Street in Kenema, Sierra Leone.
English: Street in Kenema, Sierra Leone. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ebola Liberia

Why has the Ebola virus suddenly erupted in a region of Africa known as the “Meningitis Belt” (comprising all four countries affected – Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria & Sierra Leone)?

Because the WHO & CDC are deliberately trying to cover up their bloody tracks.

The recent Ebola outbreak in Africa coincides with a massive Meningitis Vaccine campaign targeting “150 million Africans”, many throughout Guinea & Nigeria.

The cost-effective vaccine, MenAfriVac®, (less than US$0.50 per dose) was “kept outside the cold chain for up to four days at up to 40°C”.

Neighboring Liberia & Sierra Leone, both primary epicenters, were recently subject to the “largest ever Yellow Fever Immunization Program” conducted in that region – an estimated 12 million locals impacted (infected) by the compound shot.

Vaccine Resistance Movement is investigating the link between these extremely toxic experimental vaccines and the sudden surge in cases of Ebola.

Yellow Fever vaccine

Symptoms of ‘Acute fulminating Meningococcal Septicemia’, a virulent form of bacterial meningitis (marked by extreme vomiting, hemorrhaging – excessive bleeding around the eyes & mouth, severe blackish bruising on the arms & legs), leading to Septic shock and potentially even death, closely resemble those seen in Ebola victims.

This supposed outbreak of Ebola bares all the hallmarks of a rarified, virulent strain of bacterial Meningitis, ‘Acute fulminating Meningococcal Septicemia’, also known as ‘Waterhouse-Friderichsen Syndrome’.

Is this yet another case of a dangerous, untested vaccine triggering a tsunami of viral & bacterial mutations – in impoverished regions?

Waterhouse-Friderichsen Syndrome: ‘The prodromal symptoms were similar to those encountered in any respiratory infection, consisting of headache, chilly sensations, muscular pains and malaise. The onset of the bacteremia was sudden and dramatic. The most striking features were the profound shock and the petechial eruption, which in the course of a few hours became purpuric…This condition gradually progressed until numerous coarse, bubbling rales could be heard over both lung fields. With the appearance of frank pulmonary edema terminally, the patient lapsed into coma and died shortly thereafter.‘

Meningococcal Septicemia (Septic shock): ‘The hallmarks of severe sepsis and septic shock are changes that occur at the microvascular and cellular level with diffuse activation of inflammatory and coagulation cascades, vasodilation and vascular maldistribution, capillary endothelial leakage, and dysfunctional utilization of oxygen and nutrients at the cellular level. The challenge for clinicians is to recognize that this process is under way when it may not be clearly manifested in the vital signs or clinical examination.‘ Andre Kalil, MD, MPH Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases; Director, Transplant ID Program, University of Nebraska Medical Center

Note: ‘DIC (Disseminated intravascular coagulation), is most commonly observed in severe sepsis and septic shock. Indeed, the development and severity of DIC correlate with mortality in severe sepsis. Although bacteremia, including both gram-positive and gram-negative organisms, is most commonly associated with DIC, other organisms (eg, viruses, fungi, and parasites) may also cause DIC.

DIC exists in both acute and chronic forms. Acute DIC develops when sudden exposure of blood to procoagulants (eg, tissue factor [TF], or tissue thromboplastin) generates intravascular coagulation. Compensatory hemostatic mechanisms are quickly overwhelmed, and, as a consequence, a severe consumptive coagulopathy leading to hemorrhage develops. Abnormalities of blood coagulation parameters are readily identified, and organ failure frequently results.‘ Marcel M Levi, MD Dean, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

‘There is no evidence that MenAfriVac can cause meningococcal meningitis. Clinical alertness to the possibility of co-incidental meningitis should be maintained.‘ MenAfriVac® (Package insert)

Ebola virus

Ebola Virus: ‘Generally, the abrupt onset of Ebola haemorrhagic fever follows an incubation period of 2–21 days (mean 4–10) and is characterised by fever, chills, malaise, and myalgia. The subsequent signs and symptoms indicate multisystem involvement and include systemic (prostration), gastrointestinal (anorexia, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea), respiratory (chest pain, shortness of breath, cough, nasal discharge), vascular (conjunctival injection, postural hypotension, oedema), and neurological (headache, confusion, coma) manifestations.

Haemorrhagic manifestations arise during the peak of the illness and include petechiae, ecchymoses, uncontrolled oozing from venepuncture sites, mucosal haemorrhages, and post-mortem evidence of visceral haemorrhagic effusions. A macropapular rash associated with varying severity of erythema and desquamate can often be noted by day 5–7 of the illness; this symptom is a valuable differential diagnostic feature and is usually followed by desquamation in survivors. Abdominal pain is sometimes associated with hyperamylasaemia and true pancreatitis. In later stages, shock, convulsions, severe metabolic disturbances, and, in more than half the cases, diffuse coagulopathy supervene.‘

Keep on reading @ vaccineresistancemovement.org


(You read this kind of information and you are going to vote the criminals right back into office?)

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Climate change PROVED to be 'nothing but a lie', claims top meteorologist

DAVOS/SWITZERLAND, 23JAN08 - Rajendra K. Pacha...
DAVOS/SWITZERLAND, 23JAN08 - Rajendra K. Pachauri, Chairman, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Geneva, captured during the 'Opening Remarks' at the Annual Meeting 2008 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 23, 2008. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

THE debate about climate change is finished - because it has been categorically proved NOT to exist, one of the world's leading meteorologists has claimed.

John Coleman, who co-founded the Weather Channel, shocked academics by insisting the theory of man-made climate change was no longer scientifically credible. Instead, what 'little evidence' there is for rising global temperatures points to a 'natural phenomenon' within a developing eco-system.

In an open letter attacking the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, he wrote: "The ocean is not rising significantly.  "The polar ice is increasing, not melting away. Polar Bears are increasing in number.  "Heat waves have actually diminished, not increased. There is not an uptick in the number or strength of storms (in fact storms are diminishing).  "I have studied this topic seriously for years. It has become a political and environment agenda item, but the science is not valid."


(What will continue to amaze are the number of people who will still argue that it's all real.)

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Governor McAuliffe Announces First Meeting of Commission to Ensure Integrity and Public Confidence in State Government

Terry McAuliffe by David Shankbone, New York City
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

All From The Person Who Took An Oath Of Office To Uphold The State Constitution And Then Throws It Under The Bus The First Chance He Got.

Governor Terry McAuliffe’s Commission to Ensure Integrity and Public Confidence in State Government will convene its first meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, October 27 in House Room 3 of the state Capitol.

Former U.S. Representative Rick Boucher and former Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, co-chairmen of the commission, also announced that the panel will host a forum to receive public comments next month. The event will be held from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. November 6 at the University of Virginia School of Law in Charlottesville. The forum will take place in Caplin Auditorium, located in Withers-Brown Hall. The event is cosponsored by the University of Virginia Law School and the Center for Politics.

The commission was established on September 25 by Executive Order 28, which asked the 10 members to provide interim recommendations to the Governor by December 1, 2014, with the goal of pursuing legislation during the 2015 Virginia General Assembly session.

The commission is tasked with recommending good government reforms, including meaningful rules for the ethical conduct of state officials, procedures for ensuring accountability to the electorate, and policies guiding the selection and service of high quality public servants.

“I look forward to the commission’s recommendations, and I am confident that the efforts of these 10 men and women will help to generate bipartisan support for broad-based reforms to Virginia’s ethics laws and other policies promoting high-quality governance in the commonwealth,” said Governor McAuliffe.

“This commission has much work to do, and it is essential that we establish a solid foundation for our recommendations during our first meeting,” Boucher said. “I look forward to the valuable insights of my co-chairman, Governor Bolling, and other esteemed members as we begin this important endeavor.”

“Congressman Boucher and I are committed to providing a comprehensive set of recommendations designed to restore Virginians’ trust in their state government and their leaders,” said Bolling. “Those recommendations will serve as the seeds for a culture of integrity in the commonwealth.”

The other members of the commission are former Delegate Viola Baskerville, Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Sharon Bulova, former President of the University of Virginia John T. Casteen III, President of Hampden-Sydney College Christopher Howard, Vice President for Advancement at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Susan A. Magill, attorney and former Assistant Attorney General Courtney M. Malveaux, former Delegate Joe T. May and former President and CEO of BB&T Scott & Stringfellow, Inc. John Sherman, Jr.

In their first meeting, commission members will review current ethics laws and policies and discuss recommendations for strengthening those rules.

The commission also will discuss Virginia’s redistricting procedures at its October meeting. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia earlier this month declared Virginia’s congressional districts unconstitutional. That ruling has given fresh immediacy to the issue, and commission members will respond by discussing the benefits of nonpartisan redistricting at their first meeting.

Members of the public also are invited to provide comments and read more about the commission’s work on its website, https://governor.virginia.gov/integrity-commission/

(Sorry, we have no confidence in state government when the Governor and the state attorney general both refuse to uphold the state constitution in an effort to trample all over it.  The governor and the state attorney general both need to be impeached).


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