Fur Flies As City's Name Is 'Used'; This Is A Grievous Type of Fraud

Editorial by March Schwartz, Founder and Publisher

February 5, 1999

THIS WEEK'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING, with the spat over a ballot initiative that would force furriers to put contested consumer-notice tags on fur products, spotlights a horrendous threat to this community. It is this: anyone who wants to generate world-wide attention to a notion, regardless of its validity - can do it by staging an opening salvo here, using the sparkling magnetism of the Beverly Hills name for a purpose that has no particular pertinence to this city.

We label this practice as moral fraud, an insidious action which has the effect of stealing the exalted reputation our city has built over the years. It may be legal - although we're still not convinced by the reasoning of City Attorney Laurence Wiener - but we certainly consider it a moral fraud.

Formation of the recently-born and craftily-named "Beverly Hills Consumers for Informed Choices," along with circulation of the initiative petition and production of a surreptitiously recorded videotape obviously designed to make fur salesperson look bad, all seem to have been managed by proponents from outside of Beverly Hills. Luke Montgomery, who as far as we've been able to determine had not previously lived in this city or even had any familial or business link here, rented office space for his project only recently.

Why wasn't the effort set up in Fargo, North Dakota or Duluth, Minnesota or Kalispell, Montana or some other frigid area in the north where fur coats have long been staple items of winter clothing? You can bet Beverly Hills was chosen for its publicity value to Montgomery's undertaking and not because of any other relevance.

The Problem Requires Clear Analysis

We won't at this time get into the argument about animal rights vs. public benefit. When that subject comes to the fore we say it is a matter of national and international concern.

It is not a local issue.

The fur -bearing animals are not farmed here or slaughtered here, the fur products are not manufactured here. Requests for changes in those procedures should be made before the central authorities that have proper jurisdiction over them. That, as the computer literati say, would put the matter "in real time."

As for the City Council action Tuesday night, we sympathize with all five members because they were placed in an unwelcome position, forced to vote on something they didn't favor but warned by the City Attorney that they didn't have the option to vote "No." We tend to side with Councilmember Vickie Reynolds, who sought to abstain and let the whole mess float into the courts for decision.

As it is, the Luke Montgomery organization has burdened the city -- all the taxpayers, that is, the property owners, the renters and the businesses, with what surely will grow into a very expensive and drawn-out legal battle following a probable bill of at least $60,000 for a special election. The Courier thinks that is deplorable.

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