Letter Distorted Facts on Coyote Trapping

We were appalled by the distortions in Pat Vardi’s letter concerning our recounting of facts about coyote trapping (“Letter on Coyotes Short on Facts,” Dec. 24.)

First, the writer asserts that at a town hall meeting [March 23, 1994] on whether to keep the ban on coyote trapping, the public voted 2 to 1 in favor. Wrong! It was an informational meeting. At no time was any vote put to the members of the public attending that meeting, nor has any vote been put to the public before or since.

The second distortion is the claim that 10,000 signatures of L.A. residents to end the policy of trapping were presented to both the City Council and the Animal Regulation Commissioners and that the Hillside Federation added another 500,000 names.

Perhaps Vardi uses the U.S. Park Service to count his petitions. But the salient fact that he never discloses is whether or not these petitions have ever been certified by the city of Los Angeles, the county or the state, a matter which is in dispute. Never have we homeowners seen more stealth signatures than on the night of March 23, 1994.

If Vardi or members of fringe animal-rights groups are really interested in the democratic process, perhaps they wouldn’t object to a ballot initiative in the San Fernando Valley in which we could honestly determine how many citizens feel their public safety is being compromised, and demand that this failed policy called the trapping ban at long last be lifted. Apparently, Vardi already has the necessary signatures to put such a measure on the ballot. How about it Mr. Vardi? In the meantime, a little veracity is in order.

MICHAEL AND CHARISSE

LAZAROU

Encino