I urge Palm Desert City Council to approve five voting districts
I urge the Palm Desert City Council to approve five voting districts in time for the 2024 election when they meet today, May 25 at 4 p.m.
The staff report recently presented to council explains there is only one hindrance to doing so. A California city is allowed to redraw district lines once between census years and we used our "once" in 2022 because our two districts were realigned.
Fortunately, the staff report informs city council that an exception to this rule is a court order, which has promise because the report suggests the original settlement that created our two districts could function as the court order. An even stronger version of this exception could be formed with an amendment by the parties of the settlement. This “court order exception” (with or without an amendment) allows for a timeline to have five districts in place well before the 2024 election.
To conclude, the essence of the issue is clear: Measure B easily passed in 2022 and now the council needs to adhere to the will of the people by creating five voting districts in time for the 2024 elections, an action clearly described and allowed for in the report from staff.
Greg Akkerman, Palm Desert
Rattlesnake avoidance training is the answer
Many thanks for the May 22 article on rattlesnakes. We’re in season and many of us need to be reminded how to avoid them and what to do if bitten. What wasn’t addressed, and in my opinion, is so incredibly important, is how to have our dogs safely on a trail. Yes, short leashes are important but depending on where one is hiking in Southern California, we may have our recall-trained dogs off-leash in areas where legal.
Many of our dogs cannot have the rattlesnake vaccine. The vaccine almost killed my last standard poodle. He had a horrific reaction. We spent $2,500 to save him and it was touch and go, although he did survive. If an unvaccinated dog is bitten on the trail, they most likely will not survive. The gal following us had her new dog. She lost her 65-pound bull terrier to a strike. He was dead in 15 minutes.
Rattlesnake avoidance training is the answer. It is offered at numerous facilities that can be researched online and is a perfect example where pretty much all dog people and animal advocates support shock training. The sessions are approximately 10-15 minutes. Our new boy started training at six months and goes for a refresher yearly. When he sees a rattler, he immediately goes between the trainer’s legs and sets down all fours. I now have peace of mind. All who hike with dogs in the mountains of Southern California should check out snake avoidance training.
Barb Kaplan, Palm Springs
Editor's note: an earlier version of the first letter stated the Palm Desert meeting was taking place at 1:30 p.m. It's taking place at 4 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: I urge Palm Desert City Council to approve five voting districts
