And They Called It ... Puppy Love

This week has seen the return to some level of prominence former mayoral candidate and current Lucas County Commissioner Ben Konop. Having taken a rather severe drubbing in September's mayoral primary, Mr Konop seemed to have chosen recently to take a less visible position on topical issues, but no longer. 

Ben has come out strongly in this last week on Lucas County Dog Warden Tom Skeldon and the subject of the number of dogs that are euthanized under his watch in office. Ignoring the fact that a Dog Warden Advisory Committee is currently addressing this very subject in the Dog Warden's office, our youthful commissioner has jumped instead in front of a sham parade being held by the Toledo Blade in calling for Mr Skeldon's removal. 

In this recent awakening, Mr Konop has seen fit not only to attack the dog warden (something that could get him in a lot of trouble if he were a dog and not a county commissioner), but to attack fellow Commissioners Tina Skeldon-Wozniak (whose cousin this dog warden is), and Commissioner Pete Gerken (whose relation will be on City Council and not in the Dog Warden's office). 

Appearing more in the paper and in front of the media microphones in the last week than he did in the month leading up to the November elections, he appears to have found this as the next cause de jure to "sink his teeth in". 

Please understand me here. I am and always have been a dog person, and take a dim view of animal mistreatment. I had dogs all through childhood (a childhood which some have said has yet to end) and it has only been my schedule and landlord that have prevented me from ownership in recent years. I likewise believe that every dog that must be put down is a terrible tragedy; and that everything that can be done, should be done to prevent such occurrences. I should also point out that I cannot call myself any great fan of Dog Warden Tom Skeldon, finding his door to door license searches of the past both onerous and self-seeking. 

While believing that this Warden perhaps needs to be "held on a shorter leash" however, I believe that this recent attack is unjustified and little more than self-serving nonsense. I would suggest that if Commissioner Konop would like to be concerned with something of worth, let him be concerned with the safety of Lucas County residents. Instead of manufactured issues, let him seek to do something about the changing level of protection and the drastically changing fees that the Lucas County Sheriff seeks to charge communities around Toledo for such service (a subject on which his silence, and that of his fellow commissioners, has been almost deafening). 

If not that worthy goal, let him seek a new level of cooperation with the incoming administration of Toledo Mayor-elect Mike Bell. Man's best friend needs our protection and our help, but not the apparently disingenuous affection shown here by the Blade and Mr Konop. If our commissioners would like to show true affection for these four-legged friends, they will find a ready supporter in me. I will not support however this self-serving, self aggrandizing, self-promoting sham of the emotion shown by these recent outbursts. Far from being a show of true caring, these fraudulent feelings cannot even qualify as ... Puppy Love.