Sick Pets, Sick Kids

Dear Mayor Brown and Assemblyman Hoyt,

I have attached a picture of my two dogs, Ozzie and Keegan. Ozzie is an almost 13 years old Black Lab and Keegan is an almost two year old Border Collie. The picture of them speaks volumes as to how one feels after the holidays-just exhausted. Ozzie has been suffering from allergies for years. He is one of the many pets in our area that has been sick. He also has many tumors. He costs hundreds of dollars to keep healthy. I just must treat him because he is a part of our family. His last vet bill was over $600 for medicines

and lab tests. Could this possibly be from the poisons he breathes in from the diesel emissions? One does wonder! I wish we had all of the health statistics on the people who live in this neighborhood, as well as our pets. Maybe then someone would really stand up and listen to our concerns. We do have the health studies from Dr. Mukasa, but you just choose to ignore them and pretend they don't exist, just as the DEIS didn't include them in the report.

Has anyone from your offices shown a concern for the health of our children in this community? They aren't able to vote, but you were elected to look after everyone. What about the 62% of the 40,000. residents under the age of 18 on the west side? Do you know how many of them have asthma and other respiratory health problems? How will the construction phase impact the students at school #3 day after day, week after week, year after year? Will traffic be routed on Porter and Niagara Streets going right by the school? What about after the new plaza is built? Will thousands more trucks be closer to school 18? They will miss more days of school from their health problems, causing lower academic success for their future. Who will stand up for these children? Will the children be safe walking to school? Will they be able to go outside for some exercise to Columbus Park and Front Park?

New Year's Day is quickly approaching. Might one of your resolutions be to consider the health of the children, pets and people of the West Side?

Happy New Year!

Liz Martina