A reader writes about her email to Merritt Clifton and his response:
Dear Mr. Clifton,
I have been reading Ed Muzika's L.A. Animal Watch blog, and, as a subscriber to your newspaper, I was interested in your exchange with him. I am no expert on statistics, so I don't want to take sides as to who is right or wrong about the numbers.
However, I do want to say this: in calling Mr. Muzika an "ignoramus" you have shown yourself to be juvenile and unprofessional. In saying you are not interested in his "ideas" you have shown yourself to be unreasonable and petty. It seems to me that any reasonable person, instead of resorting to name-calling and refusing to engage in dialogue, would defend his statements with some explanation or further elucidation.
Your statements have cost you a great deal of credibility with me.
Sincerely, Tina Clark
Merritt Clifton's reply:
"Ask me if I give a crap."
"More than 30 years of strategic analysis, contributing to a reduction of the U.S. shelter killing volume by more than 75%, & of the rate of killing per 1,000 Americans by nearly 90%, speaks for itself--as does helping to introduce neuter/return, adoption transfer, adoption advertising, numerous reforms in shelter design, abolition of gassing, etc.
"You can either listen up & learn, or remain ignorant. Ain't worried about it either way."
Merritt Clifton
Clifton iis pretty funny; he lives in his own world. But he is funny. I wonder how serious his rudeness is, or is he a bearded Don Rickles?
How can anyone take Clifton and his numbers seriously if he refuses to defend his methodology? What is it in his methodology that he knows is rationally and statistically indefensible?
This is something to ponder when you consider Ed Boks uses Clifton’s authority and reputation to “prove” how well he and the Los Angeles Animals Services are performing.
I emailed Merritt quoting two other comments about him left on this blog. First the comments, then his response:
Comment #1
Merritt is being very childish, as childish as Boks.
Comment #2
"as childish as Boks." That's EXACTLY what I was just thinking - this Clifton guy is another Ed Boks, a self-proclaimed "expert" in what anybody would consider a very time-consuming field, with apparently ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD on his hands to troll the internet and vigorously defend himself from people he himself characterizes as "ignoramuses."
Man, I knew animal rescue attracted more than its fair share of crazies and charlatans, but until Marcia Mayeda, Ed Boks, and now Merritt Clifton, I didn't know that the crazier a charlatan you are the more money you make at it.
Merritt Clifton’s response:
Tell 'em to take a number & wait in line.
.
E-mail: anmlpepl@whidbey.comWeb:www.animalpeoplenews.org
http://laanimalwatch.blogspot.mx/2008/06/merritt-clifton-takes-credit-for-all.html?m=1
