[nagdu] FW: Article: Council approves service animals ordinance

[Julie J]

Rebecca,

I don't think so.  Knowing one person with a disability doesn't seem to 
translate well to really understanding disability issues.  Anyway here's why 
I said what I did.

*> Councilman Blewett vows to repeal if ordinance leads to lawsuits against 
 > local businesses*
Ummm...what good is a law if it isn't enforceable?   With a statement like 
that local businesses will know they can deny people access and nothing will 
be done about it, at least by this politician.

*> sort of service animal to be used by the disabled in Hesperia public > 
buildings and businesses, so long as they're accompanied by a doctor's  > 
note > certifying their status as service animals.*
Great.  Seems like an invasion of privacy to me, but some people are willing 
to cooperate I guess.  It also suggests a total lack of understanding about 
service animals and disability.  You don't need a doctor's note to be 
disabled.  Doctor's generally don't have a clue about service animals, 
definitely not enough to act as a certifying entity.  Doctors are doctors 
not animal trainers.

*> "The needs of the many have to outweigh the needs of the few," *
This one leaves me speechless.  It especially shows a total lack of 
understanding about disability and disability law.


*It unnecessarily places Hesperia's businesses,
> which quite frankly pay our way, in harm's way."*
There are quite clear laws that give businesses the option to refuse 
allowing unruly service animals.  If they don't feel those are clear enough, 
why not pass an ordinance addressing the behavior of the animal instead of 
making accusations? It's the almighty dollar that seems to dictate action 
instead of what is morally right or wrong.  Sad.
*> The ADA "hasn't affected Hesperia's businesses for the past 20, 50 
years,"*
Not sure about the time line there, but the ADA should have affected 
businesses because there are most definitely building requirements in there, 
unless of course no one has made a modification to their establishment in 
the past 20 years.  Even so they are supposed to be saving toward future ADA 
compliance projects.  Or I suppose if I'm to be fair, perhaps all the 
businesses and business owners were forward thinking and they all had ramps, 
accessible bathrooms, wide aisles, Braille menus, visual smoke alarms and 
the like 20 years ago and didn't need to change a thing.


Perhaps I just over react to following the law, but what good are the laws 
if no one follows them?  I mean why have them then?

Julie