Deer Culling Update

From City Manager Mark Rohloff's Weekly Newsletter:

"Chief Greuel and I discussed the process that resulted in the deer culling taking place. We believe that should an issue like this come up in the future, it may be beneficial for the city to organize a citizen-based group to provide some guidance and direction with respect to reaching community consensus on what can be done. The issue has certainly heightened the interest of various members of the public, and we may want to insure that we engage the public as much as possible (emphasis added) for their input on issues that can become emotional and divisive."

Three deer were disposed of last night amid protests. Several citizens have called me to say that they have been told by other city officials that the council wanted to tranquilize and move the deer, but the DNR won't allow it. What I have said in response is this: (1) That the DNR will not allow the deer to be moved may be true, but we only have second hand knowledge of that. No DNR official or wildlife biologist was ever asked to speak to the Common Council about this matter before any vote was taken; (2) If the Council did in fact want to move the deer, there was (and is) nothing preventing us from delaying the cull for at least another year to discover a way to do it; (3) other nonlethal options espoused by the Humane Society of the United States and others needed at least one (and probably two or three) more planting seasons before we could say with confidence that deer removal or culling is necessary.

The contract with the sharpshooters allows for up to 40 deer to be killed. Given the public reaction over the last month--culminating with last night's protest--does it really make sense to continue at this point?

Candidate Forum

You can find last night's Common Council Candidate Forum here. As an incumbent, I have to say that I was impressed by all of the challengers. Each struck me as thoughtful, independent thinkers who care deeply about the city. For all the faults of the current Common Council--and I think there are many--we seem to have at least succeeded in giving currency to the idea that rubber stamping is not an appropriate way to govern. None of the candidates last night struck me as rubber stamps for anything or anyone.

I have no idea if the voters intend on bringing me back, but if they do I can say with all sincerity that it would be a pleasure to work with any one of these folks.

Deer Hunt Begins Friday

The Council just received an email from the Chief of Police, with the subject title "Urban Deer Reduction Activity." It says this:

I wanted to make sure that I informed all of you that the deer culling or herd reduction will be taking place on Friday January 30, 2009 sometime starting around 5pm. We will be notifying businesses and residents in the area by personal contact, email and flyer distribution possibly later this afternoon, but most likely starting tomorrow morning. We will be making media notification at the same time that we notify businesses and residents. The success of the activity on Friday will determine whether any additional nights will be needed. Thank you

Thirty Days

In his January 16th, 2009 newsletter, City Manager Rohloff says this: "Our agreement with Oshkosh River Development allows me to grant up to two, 30-day extensions."

At the January 19th meeting of the Redevelopment Authority, Mayor Tower and Community Development Director Jackson Kinney take the view that no resolution is needed to grant the extension(s).

The agreement the Common Council majority passed in October of last year says this: "If the developer is diligently pursuing its due diligence with respect to the project, then the developer would have the right to extend this due diligence period for two additional periods of thirty days each, but only with the City/RDA's consent."

I'm sorry, but I can't see where that language gives the City Manager the authority to grant extensions, unless he is somehow king of the City and RDA. I have asked for clarification and will let you know what I find out.

Obama on Government Accountability

I was impressed with what President Obama had to say today about government accountability and transparency. A portion of his remarks appear below. He may be underestimating the power of the federal bureaucracy to maneuver around executive level directives, and no doubt he'll be pressured by cabinet officials to assume the broadest possible interpretation of "national security" in order to justify secrecy. But in taking such a strong public stand in favor of openness, he has invited the press and public at-large to judge any lapses harshly. Such an invitation is itself a kind of leadership we have not seen in Washington in a very long time.

But the way to make a government responsible is not simply to enlist the services of responsible men and women, or to sign laws that ensure that they never stray. The way to make government responsible is to hold it accountable. And the way to make government accountable is make it transparent so that the American people can know exactly what decisions are being

But the way to make a government responsible is not simply to enlist the services of responsible men and women, or to sign laws that ensure that they never stray. The way to make government responsible is to hold it accountable. And the way to make government accountable is make it transparent so that the American people can know exactly what decisions are being made, how they're being made, and whether their interests are being well served.

The directives I am giving my administration today on how to interpret the Freedom of Information Act will do just that. For a long time now, there's been too much secrecy in this city. The old rules said that if there was a defensible argument for not disclosing something to the American people, then it should not be disclosed. That era is now over. Starting today, every agency and department should know that this administration stands on the side not of those who seek to withhold information but those who seek to make it known.

To be sure, issues like personal privacy and national security must be treated with the care they demand. But the mere fact that you have the legal power to keep something secret does not mean you should always use it. The Freedom of Information Act is perhaps the most powerful instrument we have for making our government honest and transparent, and of holding it accountable. And I expect members of my administration not simply to live up to the letter but also the spirit of this law.

I will also hold myself as President to a new standard of openness. Going forward, anytime the American people want to know something that I or a former President wants to withhold, we will have to consult with the Attorney General and the White House Counsel, whose business it is to ensure compliance with the rule of law. Information will not be withheld just because I say so. It will be withheld because a separate authority believes my request is well grounded in the Constitution.

Let me say it as simply as I can: Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency.

Our commitment to openness means more than simply informing the American people about how decisions are made. It means recognizing that government does not have all the answers, and that public officials need to draw on what citizens know. And that's why, as of today, I'm directing members of my administration to find new ways of tapping the knowledge and experience of ordinary Americans -- scientists and civic leaders, educators and entrepreneurs -- because the way to solve the problem of our time is -- the way to solve the problems of our time, as one nation, is by involving the American people in shaping the policies that affect their lives.

The executive orders and directives I'm issuing today will not by themselves make government as honest and transparent as it needs to be. And they do not go as far as we need to go towards restoring accountability and fiscal restraint in Washington. But these historic measures do mark the beginning of a new era of openness in our country. And I will, I hope, do something to make government trustworthy in the eyes of the American people in the days and weeks, months and years to come. That's a pretty good place to start.

This Land Is Your Land

A man in the coffee shop the other day told me that some on the right wing were complaining that the excesses of the Obama inauguration were starting to look like nazi rallies from the 1930s. I said, "after what we've just been through for the last 8 years, they can find fascism in Obama's inaugural?"

Darwin Award Nominee

This just in from the Oshkosh Police:

An intoxicated male failed to stop for the stop sign on 7^th and S. Main. He struck a car driving on S Main. His alcohol level was .26. He said the other car drove into him and felt the accident was not his fault even though he failed to stop for the stop sign.

I'd say that fellow should be in the running for a local Darwin Award.

Sharpshooting and Public Safety

One of the most frustrating parts of last night's deer culling discussion was the inability to get reassuring information about what kinds of safety precautions will be in place when the sharpshooting begins. Essentially, we were told to trust that Urban Wildlife Specialists know what they're doing. (I didn't say it at the meeting, but as I sat there on the dais I thought, "Great, now we have faith based sharpshooting to go along with our faith based development.").

Unfortunately I was not forwarded this piece until after the meeting so could not read it during the deliberation. It says:

Hales Corners Village Trustee Dan Besson was walking through Whitnall Park one day when he heard a gunshot. He immediately fell to the ground, seeking cover

It turned out the gunfire was part of Milwaukee County's program to cull the deer herd in the park. But Besson, who lives near the park, had no idea that sharpshooters, hired on contract, were out.

Hales Corners Village President Bob Ruesch said today that as a result of that incident, the Village Board last night directed staff to work with the county to develop a better plan for notifying residents near the park when the sharpshooters will be at work.

Ruesch said there is a program in place for notifying residents, closing roads in the park and taking other precautions, but that the notification needs to be improved.

Ruesch said the sharpshooters, using bullets designed not to ricochet, typically work at the 625-acre park about one week per month in January, February and March, killing about 17 to 19 deer.

Staff is due to report back to the Village Board in two weeks, Ruesch said.

I don't mean to kick a dead deer, but it still strikes me as almost unbelievable that we could not delay this action until we could more rigorously promote and assess nonlethal means of deer management AND give the anti-culling majority more time to participate in the process.

Chippewa Falls Fires City Administrator

Many thanks to Lon P. for passing this on.

Just a couple of years ago the city of Chippewa Falls engaged in a spirited, divisive struggle over whether to create a position of City Administrator. The forces of "professionalism" prevailed, and the position was created. Today the Eau Claire paper reported that administrator Ron Singel, who'd only been on the job since last March, was fired for "personnel" reasons. According to the paper:

The council voted 5-1 in February to hire Singel, who was most recently the city administrator in La Grande, Ore. The council selected Singel from four finalists who came to the city in January 2008.

Councilman Jack Covill abstained from voting on dismissal. He couldn't be reached for comment about why he abstained. However, Covill cast the lone vote against hiring Singel last year, saying he was concerned that Singel had left several jobs quickly in Maine, Alaska and Oregon.

Taxpayers now get to shell out $55,000 to $57,000 to Singel over the next six months. The price of professionalism, I guess.

For what it's worth, the search that led to the Singel selection was managed by Public Administration Associates of Oshkosh.

Rough Week For Deer

First a few lowlife cretins (aka "rogue snowmobilers") torture deer in central Wisconsin. And you know what the Oshkosh Common Council voted to do last night.

Maybe the deer will have to take matters into their own own paws, as suggested in the video below. [Note for the satirically challenged: I'm kidding!]

DPI Candidate Todd Price to Attend Palmeri Kickoff

Todd Price, candidate for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Superintendent position, will attend my Common Council campaign kickoff on Thursday, January 15th at 6:30 p.m. The kickoff will be held at my house (212 W. Parkway Ave.). All are welcome.

You can see a Wispolitics.com interview with Todd Price here.

Congrats to Donovan McNabb

I've been a fan of the New York football Giants since the 1960s and didn't like to see them lose yesterday, but I have to give Donovan McNabb and the Eagles credit for what they've accomplished this year. At one point in the season the Eagles were 5-5-1, McNabb was benched and almost run out of Philly, yet the team found a way to get back on track and now only need to beat the Arizona Cardinals in order to get to the Super Bowl. (Which will be no easy task--the Kurt Warner led Cardinals are playing inspired football right now.).

McNabb has taken lots of criticism over the years, but he will now be playing in his fifth championship game in his ten year career. Other A-list QBs might hold more records, but to get into the championship game half the time is, in my view, a much more telling sign of effectiveness.

Prediction: In an all Pennsylvania Super Bowl, the Steelers beat the Eagles 23-20 on a field goal in overtime.

Questions About Snow Removal?

The Sunday Northwestern includes an article on an amendment to the city's snow and ice removal ordinance that the city council will be considering on Tuesday. One part of the amendment will make the property owner ultimately responsible for removal of snow and ice.

The other noteworthy change to the ordinance would be requiring that snow and ice be removed by noon on the day following the cessation of the snowfall. The current language requires that snow be removed "within 24 hours after it falls." I know that the city of Appleton has the "noon on the following day" language in their policy, so it's not as if something radically new is being proposed here. I have not had a chance to read the Department of Public Works' rationale for the amendments, so I don't yet know if I support them.

The agenda for Tuesday's meeting also includes, under "City Manager Announcements, Statements & Discussion," this item: "Review of Snow Plowing & Removal Processes." Do you have questions that should be raised during this part of the meeting? If so, you can post them on this blog, email then directly to City Manager Rohloff (mrohloff@ci.oshkosh.wi.us) or me (tpalmeri@ci.oshkosh.wi.us or tony@tonypalmeri.com). You can also call me at 235-1116.

When Was That Deer Debate?

It's hard to disagree with the Northwestern's position in today's editorial that it's time to move on from dogs and deer to more pressing city matters. Still, the editorial contains two very puzzling statements: "The city has had a robust and civil debate on how to best deal with the urban deer problem. All sides were heard."

Huh??

When exactly did that "robust debate" take place? Here's the "debate" that has taken place so far:
*On February 12, 2008, seven citizens spoke to the Common Council during "citizen statements" to talk about their concerns with deer in their yards. No debate took place.
*On March 25, 2008 the City Council had a workshop on urban deer. You can see it here (it starts at around the 1 hour, 45 minute mark). I believe 16 citizens spoke at the workshop, with all but two in favor of lethal methods to handle the deer population. Perhaps there could have been a robust debate at the workshop had the Council and/or administration done a better job of actively seeking out other points of view on the matter. We didn't, and so there certainly was not a "robust debate" at the workshop. Minutes of meetings of the deer committee chaired by Police Chief Greuel and City Attorney Lorenson do not indicate the presence of opponents to deer culling--so no "robust debate" there either.
*On April 22, 2008 the Council had before it the first reading of an ordinance to ban the feeding of deer. There was no debate.
*On May 13th, 2008 the Council passed a resolution to adopt the "urban deer management program" and an ordinance prohibiting the feeding of deer. I don't believe any citizens showed up to speak on either item. No robust debate.
*On December 23, 2008 the Council had before it the first reading of an ordinance that would amend the city's firearms laws so as to allow for a deer kill. Whereas the March 25th workshop was mostly one-sided in favor of culling, on December 23rd the citizen speakers were mostly opposed to culling. There was no "robust debate."

So contrary to the Northwestern's editorial, the problem with the urban deer issue is not there has already been robust debate; rather, up to this point there has been NO DEBATE. That's why the issue is now so contentious. Had the Council, the City Administration, and (yes) the Northwestern done more to ensure that all voices were heard in March, this issue would have played out much differently.

Palmeri For Oshkosh Campaign Kickoff

EVENT: Tony Palmeri for Oshkosh Common Council Campaign Kickoff

DATE: Thursday, January 15, 2009

PLACE: Tony's House (212 W. Parkway Ave., Oshkosh)

TIME: 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

All supporters welcome.
____________________

I turned in my nomination papers today at around 10 a.m. If enough announced candidates do likewise by 5 p.m. today, there will be a February 17 primary election.

KunstlerCast

On the links section of this blog I'm now posting James Howard Kunstler's podcast. I don't always agree with Kunstler (or with anybody), but he's one of the few working American writers with anything valuable to say about the tragedy of urban planning in the US. ("I believe a lot of people share my feelings about the tragic landscape of highway strips, parking lots, housing tracts, mega-malls, junked cities, and ravaged countryside that makes up the everyday environment where most Americans live and work.").

On his blog, Kunstler calls himself a Democrat and openly endorsed the election of Barack Obama. He's also been calling, for many years, for a national commitment to mass transit (especially rail). Not sure if the prez-elect shares that commitment, but his nomination of Republican Ray LaHood to run the Department of Transportation sure isn't a good sign. LaHood deserves kudos for supporting Amtrak, but beyond that his record on issues that a Transportation Secretary can impact is pretty dismal.

Censored in 2008, Part I

Yes, what everyone has been waiting for. This piece will appear in the January 2009 edition of The Scene.

Censored in 2008, Part 1

Media Rants

By Tony Palmeri

Every year since 1976 Sonoma State University's Project Censored has identified news stories "underreported, ignored, misrepresented, or censored in the United States." Censored 2009 (Seven Stories Press) identifies the blackout of a true casualty count in Iraq (independent sources estimate that as many as 1.2 million Iraqis have been killed since 2003 US invasion) as the top censored story of 2008. A summary of Project Censored’s top censored stories of the year can be found here.

Inspired by Project Censored, every year I dedicate two columns to the top ten stories that were in my judgment censored by the local corporate media. As long as corporate media remain the most watched, read, and listened to sources of information, we need to demand more ethical and thorough coverage of issues.

And now the censored stories:

No. 10: Journal Communication Laps For Lazich. This censored item was suggested by Oshkosh blogger The Chief. Journal Communications owns the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, smaller community newspapers, and a horde of radio and television stations. They also run websites serving the Milwaukee ‘burbs. One of them, FranklinNow, offers free blog space (called “Community Voices”) to state senator Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) and her legislative aide Kevin Fischer. A glance at the blogs reveals that Lazich and Fischer don’t hesitate to use the space to launch partisan attacks against Jim Doyle and legislative Democrats. The Chief argues that Journal Communications is essentially providing Lazich with a “free permanent online advertisement,” and wonders if there might be a violation of campaign finance law involved. Now there’s something a less lap doggy media would be looking into.

No. 9: Isn’t Anyone Against TIF? In October the Oshkosh Common Council approved the use of Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) for a retail Shopko development on the city’s north side. The use of TIF for big-box retail development is controversial even among those generally in support of taxpayer financing of private development, yet you would never know that from reading the Valley’s corporate press. Oshkosh is now in the odd position of using TIF for a neighborhood big-box at the same time all reliable forecasts show that retail is headed for its worst slump in history. A rigorous press would have educated the public and the City Council about the consequences of going down that road.

No. 8: Keeping the Key Hidden. In late April Oshkosh Mayor Frank Tower and then acting City Manager John Fitzpatrick decided it would be a good idea to award a “Key to the City” to Mark Har, the location scout instrumental in getting Johnny Depp’s “Public Enemies” filmed partially in ‘Kosh. Har was crowned at a private event, somewhat strange given that the entire purpose of awarding a Key to the City is to provide an individual with public recognition. I personally only knew about it because a citizen found out from a friend in attendance at the celebration and asked me if the City Council was aware of it. Har was at least more deserving of the honor than Jack Pelton, the CESSNA CEO who received a Key in spite of buying two “degrees” from a diploma mill. Corporate press indifference to these events really does make Oshkosh look like a backwater.

No. 7: ALEC’s Wisconsin Pull: The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) was founded in 1973 by ultra conservative Paul Weyrich. It’s membership consists of over 2.400 state legislators from both political parties. ALEC drafts “model legislation” that frequently gains high visibility and succeeds in framing state issue debates. Environmental groups have called ALEC a "tax-exempt screen for major U.S. corporations and trade associations that use it to influence legislative activities at the state level." The National Resources Defense Council says that companies "like Enron, Amoco, Chevron, Shell, Texaco, Coors Brewing, Koch Industries, Nationwide Insurance, Pfizer, National Energy Group, Philip Morris, and R. J. Reynolds pay for essentially all of ALEC's expenses".

In January, long-time telecom analyst Bruck Kushnik identified Wisconsin as “a classic example of how ALEC operates.” Kushnik revealed how four “AT&T friendly” bills made their way through the Wisconsin legislature, each bill virtually identical to ALEC’s “model” legislation. Writes Kushnik, “In Wisconsin as elsewhere, corporations write laws and control the public agenda to a great extent through a well-entrenched group of legislators and corporate money.”

Reform organizations like the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign and FightingBob.com have been writing about ALEC’s pull for some time, but the corporate press remains largely silent. Absent a hard hitting mainstream press, ALEC can be expected to rule Wisconsin indefinitely.

No 6: Silencing the Winter Soldiers. In March a gathering of Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans met in Silver Spring, MD to offer public testimony about war crimes they had participated in or observed. These “Winter Soldiers” showed great courage and honor in coming forward. Writing for the March Scene, I asked: “Will the press finally take its watchdog responsibility seriously and provide anti-war dissent with the space necessary to allow Americans to make informed judgments about the war?” Not surprisingly, the answer was a resounding NO. The Winter Soldiers were silenced nationally and locally. How sad.

Next Month: The Top 5 Censored Stories of 2008.

Status of Single Stream Recycling/Automated Collection

Below is a memo from Director of Public Works David Patek to City Manger Mark Rohloff. It was included in the packet of material received by Councilors on Friday.

Tuesday Common Council Agenda

The Oshkosh Common Council will have its final meeting of 2008 on Tuesday, December 23rd at noon. The agenda can be found here. A couple of items of note:

*Under "Council Member Announcements, Statements, and Discussion" I asked that a discussion item be listed:

"Single-Stream Recycling and Automated Pick-Up: What Decisions Have Been Made and What Decisions Still Need to be Made?"

I asked for this item to be placed on the agenda because we are getting many phones calls and other communications against single-stream recycling, with people asking if this is a "done deal." I'm hoping that staff can simply provide some focus to this discussion so that we can at least head into 2009 with clarity about where the issue(s) are headed. If you have questions about this matter that you think need to be answered, please let me know those questions before Tuesday's meeting.

*At the last meeting we laid over approval of the 2009 Summer Farmer's Market so that alternatives to the City Hall parking lot location could first be discussed. If you believe the Farmer's Market should be at the Leach amphitheater or some other place, please let the Council know that before Tuesday's meeting. Go here to email all members of the Council.

*Ordinance 08-503 will have its first reading on Tuesday. This ordinance is the "Approval of Variance to Deer Feeding Ban & Firearm Discharge Ordinances/Culling of Urban Deer/Osborn Ave. Area." I'm sure most of you saw Ms. Amy Haberkorn's letter to the Northwestern, in which she says that an email to the Council ended up getting her a phone call from police chief Scott Greuel. She says that she will show the email to anyone who wants to see it, so I will just reproduce it here:

Dear Council Members,

Two days before leaving on an extended vacation, I sat and watched the city council meeting with great sadness. I was so surprised to see you, the council who is put in place to do what's best for our city, make such an ignorant decision regarding the killing of the deer in the quarry area. Only one of you, Tony Palmeri, brought up any valid questions. Why would we make a decision like this based on the complaints of 25% of the people polled? More importantly, why wasn't this question posed to the rest of the city?? Since when does 25% rule? Regardless, I vowed that when I returned from vacation I would try to do something to change your minds.

You see, I live on nearly four heavily wooded acres. My neighbors each have between three and four heavily wooded acres and we're surrounded by hundreds of acres of woods and fields. It is no exaggeration to say that every single day I see no less than 12 deer in my yard. One morning we awoke to find 32 deer laying on our mound system. The fact that we live in a heavily wooded area would go to reason that we would have a large deer population. But, what's remarkable is that my yard is surrounded by approximately 12,000 square feet of gardens. I have hosta and cone flowers of every variety (a deer favorite), impatiens by the basketful and planted in mounds on the ground. Impatiens are like dessert to deer. Along with these I have hundreds of varieties of flowering plants and shrubs and yet, the deer and rabbits cause my beds no harm. That mound system that the deer sleep on is less than 10 feet behind the largest flower bed I have. I have a bird bath in that flower bed that the deer often use for water and yet, they don't try to eat any of my flowers. You see, I've concocted a spray that was derived from a recipe that's been out there for years. I just tweaked it a bit. It is made in my kitchen in less than 5 minutes, costs pennies, is so safe you can drink it (although I wouldn't advise that) and I can spray my entire garden area in less than 15 minutes. I believe that the people who have complaints about damage haven't tryed hard enough to live with the deer. What about the rabbits? When the deer are gone are you going to hire sharp shooters to kill the bunnies? Rabbits can and will do as much damage as deer. It is such a beautiful thing to have both your yard and the wild life that lives within it. I've attached two photos. One is from July and the other is from August 14th as we were setting up a garden brunch the day after my daughters wedding. Not one minute did I worry that the deer would damage those beds before the brunch.

So, there I was, trying to enjoy my vacation but this was weighing so heavily on my mind that I decided to get to work right from Florida. I've contacted several animal rights organizations and it's our intention, along with many citizens of this county, to have a huge, very public presence the day of the killings. I have at least 100 people that I know will be there and that's before I put out a public invitation to join us. I believe that will number in the thousands. Please keep in mind that I am not a anti-hunter. Personally, I could never shoot a deer but I was raised in a deer hunting family and venison was a staple at the dinner table. I can understand the need to thin a herd for the well-being of the deer. I can see why, during the harsh winter months when food is scarce, it would be necessary to hunt rather than have the deer starve to death. This kill, however, has nothing to do with the well-being of the deer. It has to do with protecting Mr. and Mrs. Jones' tulips. That is no reason to kill an animal.

The argument made about the deer-car accidents may be a valid one but, if that is a main point, we'd need to kill deer along all major roads. What about the dump? You see deer there by the dozens and there is always dead deer along hwy 41. I live by Hwy 45 & cty S...accidents all the time. Hwy's 91, 44, 21....you see where this is going, don't you? The fact is that we live in an area surrounded by deer and we choose that as a life style rather than a concrete jungle. The majority of us would never trade beautiful Winnebago County for New York City. But along with that comes the deer population.

I believe that this deer kill will be an embarrassment on the city and we certainly don't need any more of those. When I write my Letter to the Editor with an invitation to our citizens to join ranks in the prevention of this unnecessary kill, it'll be important to let them know that Mark Schultz of Glacier Ridge and who is contacted by the police department weekly to assist with injured, sick or dead animals, has offered to come tranquilize the deer and transport them to an area in Pickett. Neither the DNR or you, our city council, bothered to mention that at the council meeting. I'm sure the public will wonder why this much more humane alternative wasn't considered. Also, the cost of this option would be far less expensive than the sharp shooters.

I would welcome a call from any one of you. I would love to volunteer my time to the residents affected by the deer and offer up the spray that has worked magically for me and my neighbors for twelve years. If the affected residents complaints are valid and their only problem is with the deer (and rabbits) eating their vegetation, I'd think they'd be thrilled to know that they can have the best of both worlds. They can live with the deer and still enjoy their yards.

Sincerely,

Amy Haberkorn

Happy Anniversary to the Bill of Rights

On December 15, 1791 the US Bill of Rights formally took effect as a result of being ratified by three-fourths of the states. Here's to all the bloggers who responsibly uphold the First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.