Here is a shaggy dog story from inside the beast’s belly about small-town politics:
The familiar room darkens as Mayor Alan Corlin reaches to remove his fedora from the hat rack, and walks out the door for the last time, exiting from the City Council following a century-long run that was passionate and professional, but mainly classy.
In his wake, though, Mr. Corlin leaves one nagging regret.
“The only issue of substance that I got involved with over 8 years that never came to fruition,” he said over breakfast this morning, “was about animal control, the whole shebang, an officer and a shelter.”
Mr. Corlin said there were two explanations.
He was in a hurry to get to No. 2 after noting that the first reason animal control has failed to become airborne is the sheer cost. This requires the joint co-operation of surrounding cities that, he says, are reluctant to do so.
The Roughest Part
No. 2: “Working with a community group was unbelievably difficult,” Mr. Corlin said.
“We came to an agreement on what
we were going to do. Then, quite frankly, the community group did what it wanted to do.
“There never was any continuity. You can say what you will about members of this community group. They are very well-intentioned. They are not wrong in wanting an animal control officer (and shelter). It is true that we don’t get the greatest service out of (animal control authorities at the shelter in) Carson.
“ Let me give you an example of the problem we had. In (City Council) subcommittee meetings, we came up with an idea for canvassing the whole community one weekend (to gin up support for the cause).
“Everybody was going to go out and knock on doors, or at least drop pamphlets at every door in the city. The group, Culver City Friends of the Animals, said they had 2,000 members. Out of 2,000, they should have been able to get 15 to help us with the canvassing.”
One Side in, One Side Out?
One objective was to show how strongly an animal control officer was needed to supervise and promote dog licensing.
“I was going to walk my area,” said Mayor Corlin. “(Councilman) Scott (Malsin) would walk his area. (Councilman) Gary (Silbiger) would walk his area. No problem.
“But all that Friends of the Animals did was print up 10,000 flyers. They took them to stores where they would be handed out to people buying pet food.
“When we got to Council Chambers and animal control came before the City Council, we (only) had a hundred more dogs licensed. The Council sat around and said, ‘This isn’t enough to justify spending this amount of money.’
No Sign of Compromise
“We got it shoved back in our face. I can honestly say, this is my single biggest disappointment, being involved with a subcommittee and community group and not having something happen.
“But because, in my opinion,” Mayor Corlin continued, “they are being led by people who are not compromisers, who think that compromising is a sign of weakness, we never were able to get three votes on the Council to accomplish squat.
Opposing Goals
“You have to look at things the way they really are. In the city of Torrance, they are now saying they have spent so much money on animal control, they wish they had not done it.
“There is the emotional part of animal control, and there is the economic part of animal control. The emotional part and the economic part are moving in opposite directions at light speed.”
