Hello everyone!
 
I thought you might find this somewhat interesting.  I wrote a very long
letter to the mayor (among many others) regarding the ferret ban in NYC .
(I have since written about the legislation intorduced by Kathyrn Freed)
The following is the response I recevied:
 
Dear Ms. Kauffman,
 
Your letter dated August 19, 1999 to Mayor Giuliani regarding the ban on
possession of ferrets in the City of New York, has been forwarded to this
office for reply.
 
On June, 29 1999, for the reasons set forth in the Statement of Basis and
Purpose accompanying the resolution to amend section 161.01 of the New York
City Health Code, and after full consideration of all comments submitted to
that date, the Board of Health unanimously voted to continue the ban
against possession of ferrets and many other animals that present a risk of
injury to persons who may come in contact with them.
 
You should know that ferrets have been prohibited in the City of New York
pusuant to section 161.01 of the Health Code since 1959, and pusuant to
section 22 of the Sanitary Code, the predecessor of the Health Code, since
1933.  The action of the board of Health was merely to espressly set forth
a non-exclusive listing of the most commom creatures that fall under the
prohibition.
 
Thank you for your expression of interest in this matter.
 
Sincerely,
Wilfredo Lopez
 
cc: Lyn Howell
 
I am so furious that I can't even comment.  Wait...yes I can....This just
proved to me that he doesn't give a sh*t about anyone's "quality of life"
except his own.  He doesn't even care enough about the citizens of this
city that he could have his OWN department write this completely useless
letter?  I do have to say, there are many OTHER things that he has done /
said that are making this city become almost unbearable live in (real swell
to VISIT, though...), that my Giuliani fuse is VERY short these days.  Of
course, the ferrets are the ones I care about the most.  No self-righteous,
ignorant SOB is going to keep my babies from enjoying the park this fall.
No way...no how...
 
I am going to stop here before this turns into a complete Giuliani bitching
session (which it most certainly will or has) and wait anxiously 'til it's
quitting time so I can go home and play with my two koo-koo-heads.
 
Love to the ferrets (especially to those who are ill or just in hiding),
 
Leslie, Bean and Daggett
[Posted in FML issue 2833]