Dog group is a trivial use of time

First I want to offer my condolence to the family of Princess. I'm a dog owner and dog lover. Also, I have my dog licensed every year and my dog is always in a fenced yard.

Now the issue of having an advisory committee is ridiculous and a waste of time. If people want to go against what the dog warden's job is, then the next time there is a call of a dog wandering in traffic, they should just call Ben Konop and the 11 advisory committee members and the 12 of them can go out and catch the wandering dog.

The owner of Princess should be fined for not having a license, and for not keeping her in a fenced-in yard or on a leash.

Everybody should just let the dog warden do his job and more or less mind his or her own business because everytime something comes up about an animal, all the goody two shoes come out of the woodwork. And you know who you are.

Tom Fisher

Templar Road

U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur successfully got $122,821 put aside in the federal appropriations bill for the Greater Toledo Arts Commission to market and develop support for local artists. For shame!

Robert E. Lake

Maxwell Road

As I read the description of dog warden Tom Skeldon as a "zealot" in the March 1 editorial, it occurred to me that you are as unaware as those folks who would like to get rid of him that maybe he has inadvertently saved some lives.

Below is a link to a reference published by three of my colleagues in Detroit describing our experience with pit-bull deaths. It also reviews dangerous breeds and so forth: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18043027

Deaths due to dog bites are not common, but they are clearly associated with some breeds more than others. I think awareness of the problem, which Mr. Skeldon has done an excellent job of describing, helps prevent these deaths. Four of our deaths were children.

Lucas County has so far been spared an incident like these. The horror inherent in these cases is hard to describe, especially when they were all preventable. Maybe having a zealot around is not such a bad thing.

Carl J. Schmidt, MD, Medical Examiner

Wayne and Monroe counties

Detroit

The editorial about the dog warden is a winner. Lucas County commissioners can accept the dog warden's resignation or let him face an embarrassing notice: You're fired. Consequences could result in making this an elected office.

The dog warden has demonstrated a loss of confidence for many issues by the general public. There is no turning back at this time. Assassination of a 10-pound pet, failure to create a dog-friendly environment, breed prejudice, excessive fees charged to the people who are not the problem, and poor financial management require a swift change of management.

If the county commissioners do not remove the dog warden, it will be time to remove the commissioners.

Rodney W. Henning

Shoreham Lane

I, like many other conservatives in northwest Ohio, have found a voice in the wilderness on the radio dial. It's WSPD 1370. Talkers like Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Fred LeFebvre, Brian Wilson, and Maggie Thurber provide information that The Blade or many of the other nation's "great newspapers" refuse to print.

Several years ago, we had to suffer through "progressive" hosts like Maggie Moore. The only reason I listened was to hear an occasional caller or guest put her in her place. Her show was terrible.

Progressives and other socialists need only to watch any major network and most all of the cable stations, or read all of the formerly "great newspapers" to get their tainted information.

To show my diversity, I agree with left-wing kook Chris Redfern, chairman of the Ohio Democrat Party. If you don't like what you hear on WSPD, just change the channel. Just think of all the information that you will miss.

Doug Hise

Gibsonburg

I am in favor of the stimulus bill. My hope is that it will put unemployed people back to work and put more money in circulation.

My fear is that most people finding jobs will not be in the United States and the increase of money in circulation will be temporary because people getting help will naturally try to buy needed items at the lowest price, which is usually foreign produced. This means this new money in circulation will soon be helping the economy of a foreign country like China, India, or a South American nation.

I do not know anything about our agreements with other nations concerning foreign trade, but I would like to see a law passed that says if something is purchased in the United States, the income from this sale must be spent or invested in this country. This would not include buying a ticket on a European cruise ship.

I am well aware there are some items which are only produced in a foreign nations such as diamonds. The law would need to have many exceptions allowed and no doubt many ways to circumvent such a law would immediately occur to clever merchants but this law would help make the stimulus bill worth having.

Paul Huffman

Pemberville

Hats off to Ottawa County Sheriff Bob Bratton for saying what needed to be said about the ice rescue. The fishermen were stupid for going out on the lake that day - period.

But don't expect those angry with his remarks to understand. Anybody who isn't bright enough to check the weather report before venturing out certainly isn't smart enough to understand why he was so upset. But, like much in our society these days, the "it's not my fault" mind-set prevails again.

One reader even drew a comparison between the ice fishermen and the victims of 9/11. What an insult to the memory of those and their families.

When Sheriff Bratton and his people signed on to "protect and serve," plucking lamebrains from a floe halfway to Canada isn't quite what they had in mind.

Daniel Lindesmith

Genoa

If you are afraid of swimming, it would not be in anyone's best interest for you to take a job as a lifeguard. If you are afraid of heights, window washer is probably not a career that you should pursue.

Similarly, if you feel threatened by a 10-pound Pomeranian mix, you might want to consider another occupation besides dog warden.

Jim Mattoni

Waterville

I m writing to comment on your decision to trim the newspaper width by 1 inches, obviously to save on paper.

I like the decision. Now I have more room on my kitchen table. However, I can t find it in my heart to forgive you for removing Prince Valiant.

Steve Braunfels

Temperance