A public hearing will be held
next Tuesday, May 24th pertaining to the proposed ordinance to
prohibit (among other things) exotic animals from performing in the city of
Pittsburgh. This will effectively ban
our Circus after 67 years. We need to
show overwhelming opposition to this policy.
The hearing is at 1:30 at the City/County Building, 414 Grant Street,
Downtown Pittsburgh.
We
need three things:
1. Attend the Public Hearing.
There
are several options open to you to attend.
·
Park downtown
(approx $20 parking)
·
Park on North
Shore near stadiums and take the ‘T’ to the Steel Plaza Station and then walk 2
blocks south on Grant Street to the City/County building ($7 parking, ‘T’ is
free)
·
Two buses have
been chartered for transport directly to the City/County building. Both will
leave at 11:00 am.
Bus One: Syria Shrine
Center, Cheswick
Bus Two: Century Three
Mall, 3075 Clairton Road, West Mifflin, PA 15122, bus will be outside (now
Closed) Macy’s Department Store.
You must RSVP to use the bus
transportation by calling the
Recorders Office, Syria Shrine, at 724 274-7000. Leave name, number riding bus,
and return
phone number (so that we can inform you if any changes occur).
All
are welcome, Nobles, Ladies, Children & Friends. Please eat before arriving. We will likely be returning late
afternoon. We need to fill the hearing
room and entry way. If we leave for any
reason (ie to eat), the spaces will be given to whoever else shows up. Chips
and water will be available on the buses. Rest Rooms are available for use at
any time.
Dress
is Fez for Nobles. Casual, Unit or
Business dress for all. Shrine shirts
encouraged. Best if we do not all dress
the same. We want the best impression of
the Shrine presented to the public. We
want to show how big the Shrine and Masonic community is in Pittsburgh.
We need the press on our side.
This is the biggest news story Pittsburgh
area Shriners have had since the Syria Mosque was sold and torn down. We
will not get a second chance at this.
2.
Continue
to contact Pittsburgh City Council, call or
email once a day up to and including Tuesday, May 24th. Contact
information attached is below or Click here to download.
3.
Contact
anyone you know personally that may have some
connection to city council. (Business
or civic leaders, media
personalities, City fire fighters, ect…)
Anyone who may have a City Council members ear. Ask them to let Council
know that Pittsburgh is against this
proposed legislation.
Thank
You for Your help in Saving our Circus.
Paul Leavy
Erich
Gumto
Circus Chairman
Potentate
*************************************************************************************
Pittsburgh, PA City
Council main
office:
Suite 510, Fifth
Floor
414 Grant Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone: (412) 255-2138,
Fax: (412)
255-2821
Council Members:
District 1: Darlene
Harris E-mail:
Darlene.Harris@pittsburghpa.gov
Phone: 412-255-2135
District 2: Theresa
Kail-Smith E-mail: Theresa.Kail-Smith@pittsburghpa.gov
Phone: 412-255-8963
District 3: Bruce
Kraus E-mail: Bruce.Kraus@pittsburghpa.gov
Phone: 412-255-2130
District 4: Natalia
Rudiak
E-mail: Natalia.Rudiak@pittsburghpa.gov
Phone: 412-255-2131
District 5: Corey
O'Connor
E-mail: Corey.OConnor@pittsburghpa.gov
Phone: 412-255-8965
District 6: R. Daniel
Lavelle
E-mail: Daniel.Lavelle@pittsburghpa.gov
Phone: 412-255-2134
District 7: Deborah
Gross
E-mail: Deborah.Gross@pittsburghpa.gov
Phone: 412-255-2140
District 8: Daniel
Gilman E-mail: Daniel.Gilman@pittsburghpa.gov
Phone: 412-255-2133
District 9: Rev.
Ricky
Burgess E-mail: Ricky.Burgess@pittsburghpa.gov
Or reverend.burgess@pittsburghpa.gov
Phone: 412-255-2137
Mayor:
The Honorable William
Peduto
Mayor, City of Pittsburgh
Fifth Floor
414 Grant Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone: 412-255-2626
Fax: 412-255-2687
Email: bill.peduto@pittsburghpa.gov
Mayor's Chief of
Staff, Kevin
Acklin: kevin.acklin@pittsburghpa.gov
************************************************************************************
Sample Talking Points
The following are
suggestions for
your correspondence in Pittsburgh, but please use your own words, and you do
not need to include every bullet point. Please keep all correspondence to
city officials respectful.
- Politely tell the
Pittsburgh City Council members that you are OPPOSED to the performing
animal ban, as well as any measure that would prevent circuses and other exotic
animal exhibitors from visiting Pittsburgh.
- Circus animals and other
performing animals are well cared for and generally are healthier and live
longer than their counterparts in zoos.
- True animal experts know
that a safe and secure environment is the only acceptable and successful
method of training and handling any animal, including exotic and
performing animals.
- If any animal is being
mistreated in any environment, then the right answer is to enforce
existing laws and regulations to punish bad actors, as opposed to
punishing an entire industry and the public who enjoy exotic animal
displays.
- Proponents of performing
animal bans mischaracterize or misunderstand the facts about the training
and handling of performing animals. Most of the organizations that
advocate such bans do so as part of a larger, animal rights agenda which
opposes all or most human interaction with animals.