Thanks for the tea and coverage
Thank you so much for your many years of community service, and most especially to your annual coverage of our La Jolla Garden Club’s Holiday Tea. Your photographer always captures the essence of the day for us in his candid shots and you display it prominently for us in your publication (Village News, Dec. 14, page B·1, and Jan. 4, page 11).
We are very happy that you share this day with us and help us raise the funds for our Horticulture Scholarship Program.
Joan Blankenship, Editor, La Jolla Garden Club

Epidemic of callous disregard
I can hardly contain the outrage I feel about Gov. Schwarzenegger’s callous disregard for the suffering of California’s least privileged residents. As governor, it is his job to protect the welfare of ALL the people of this state. Tax money is not his to withhold from families in need.
After indulging in an obscene multi-million-dollar inauguration gala, our governor has the gall to recommend taking money from welfare families to pay for health care to poor children. There is a total lack of sanity and conscience in his proposal. There seems to be an epidemic of callous disregard and pathological indifference among some of the richest and most powerful elected officials, Bush and Schwarzenegger among them.
We the People need to remind them that they are our servants, not our masters. And if they continue, we should take legal steps to boot them out of office for violating their oath of office.
Tanja Winter, La Jolla

Dog’s life gets better in 2007
The new year will be a brighter one for dogs and a safer one for people, thanks to the passage of SB 1578, a new law ending the practice of keeping dogs on chains as a primary means of confinement. As of Jan. 1, people will no longer be able to keep dogs chained to trees, posts, stakes or other objects for more than three hours.
It is for good reason that the law was enacted. It has been documented that dogs that are permanently chained are more likely to be aggressive toward people, and almost three times more likely to bite than unchained dogs. And dogs who spend their lives in this manner suffer greatly. They are generally neglected and receive little companionship, socialization or veterinary attention. Some strangle when their chains become tangled and some fall victim to predators. Some endure long periods of exposure to the elements, often unable to reach food and water.
People who care about the well-being of man’s best friend are thankful to Sen. Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) for authoring the bill and to the California Animal Association for sponsoring it. California is the first state to take such a strong stand on this cruel practice, and because of SB 1578, citizens now have the power to increase both animal welfare and public safety by reporting cases of extended dog chaining to local animal control authorities.
Jane Cartmill, Encinitas

Animal legislation report card
Among the new laws taking effect this year is one prohibiting tethering dogs for over three hours.
It’s too bad there are people who made the law necessary, but we can be proud that our state legislators, Assemblywoman Lori Saldana and Sen. Chris Kehoe, voted for the bill. In fact, Kehoe and Saldana each scored a perfect grade of A on animal legislation, according to PAW PAC. To see the complete “report card” of all legislators, see www.pawpaw.org.
Bill Collins, Pacific Beach