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 Home > News and alerts > You are here: Sportsmen outraged over New Jersey Governor's attempt to whitewash animal rights scandal Sportsmen outraged over New Jersey Governor's attempt to
whitewash animal rights scandal
(8/15/2002) The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, a national sportsmen’s
advocacy group, is calling on New Jersey Sportsmen to stand up to
Governor James McGreevey’s attempt to defend the charges of
malfeasance of organizations operating animal shelters in the state. At issue is
McGreevey’s "misdirection" ploy meant to divert public
attention from the charges of malfeasance, including outright thievery,
by local Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Rather than
looking into the charges, McGreevey announced formation of a task force
designed to upgrade New Jersey animal protection laws. The U.S.
Sportsmen’s Alliance is initiating a mailing to thousands of New
Jersey sportsmen and their organizations to make them aware of the
governor’s actions. They are being urged to contact the governor and
demand that he disband the new task force and focus on the issue at
hand, which is the misuse of funds and animals by local SPCAs. The New Jersey State Commission on Investigation, in a report on a three-year investigation issued to the state Attorney General, Division of Criminal Justice, the Internal Revenue Service and various other state departments and regulatory boards, identified a remarkable string of fiscal and physical abuses at the shelters. They include
diversion of "substantial funds and property meant for animal
welfare" for the personal use of SPCA officials; the use of funds
left to benefit animals used "to pay for firearms, ammunition,
vehicles and other items unrelated to animal welfare;" inadequate
training and oversight for SPCA investigators, who operate "in
paramilitary fashion;" and, "deplorable" conditions for
animals at the Hudson County SPCA, where "shelter officials skimmed
patron fees and sold dog food for personal profit." On July 25, Governor
McGreevey appeared at a press conference to announce formation of a
30-member Animal Welfare Task Force to investigate the state’s animal
cruelty laws and recommend ways to deal with pet overpopulation. The
task force may also look at the way that wildlife is managed. Its
members include animal rights activists who seek to outlaw hunting. No
hunters or other sportsmen were named to the task force. "Governor
McGreevey is employing a classic ‘misdirection’ strategy," said
Rick Story, vice president of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance. "His
aim is to divert public attention from the alleged stealing and direct
it to the alleged plight of abused animals." Story said that the
tack should send New Jersey sportsmen a clear message. "The animal
rights lobby is obviously very important to the Governor," he said,
"Otherwise he would not be sticking out his neck so far to defend
it. Unless hunters and anglers and their organizations make themselves
important to the Governor, he’ll make good on his promise to direct
his animal rights crusade at wildlife." Take Action! New Jersey sportsmen should contact Governor McGreevey immediately. Tell him that any task force created should be investigating abuses by animal rights groups, not New Jersey citizens. Also, tell him that the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife has professionals protecting and managing wildlife, and the state does not need a separate task force to challenge that agency’s authority. To contact Governor McGreevey, call (609) 292-6000 or write Governor James McGreevey, P. O. Box 001, Trenton, NJ 08625. Fax (609) 292-3454. CopyrightÓ U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance- www.ussportsmen.org
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