Go Muzzle Yourself.

Now that the first festivals of the year have passed…and we couldn’t possibly have any more city hall issues out there, I have turned my thoughts to the muzzling of dogs.  This is not about “should you bring your dog to an event?”  It is not a liability primer concerning dogs.  And it is not about how hot pavement must be painful to the pads of the dog’s feet.  No, this is just questioning why we have an ordinance muzzling your dog in city festivals or parks or well, wherever. 

My go-to logic says, “What do other cities do?”  Naturally, I tend to think of places that we might be willing to visit or to live in ourselves.  How about Lexington, Austin or Nashville.  What do they say about “the muzzle ordinance?”  As a Google user it is easy to find out.  All three of these very livable cities do not consider muzzling dogs enough of an issue to make it an ordinance.  O.K. You got me. They do mention “vicious dogs.”  But really, what is it that we know that the aforementioned cities don’t know?  Maybe we have discovered that the muzzle ordinance is the “cutting edge” of truly livable cities and by retaining the ordinance we will leapfrog Nashville, Lexington and Austin.

My guess is that our city is simply, just more risk averse, but risk abounds in everyday life.  I suspect we may be told that we are safer when dogs are muzzled in public, but that is hardly quantifiable. It just seems strange that three very livable cities have gone one way, and we have gone another.   

Let the muzzles be removed and your comments begin. 

I'm getting tired.

I’m getting tired.

I appreciate the Paducah Sun’s generally positive editorial on the PRDA’s efforts to recommend a way forward on the riverfront’s, to use the pejorative, “rock pile.”  Again, what is so great about partially finishing the park to conserve monies to get the transient boat dock partially finished?

All of this is purely academic.  Until we get contractor’s bids, and our track record on the “bump out” has been less than stellar, we really have no idea as to what we can build and at what cost.  Why do we still hold onto a riverfront plan that was developed in 2007?  The world is changing.

In the Berenstain Bears children’s book Get The Gimmies we learn that bear cubs cannot have everything they see.  Likewise, does the city have that old “gimmie gleam” in their eyes? With my “no” vote, it will probably be another 4-1 vote.

I’m just tired of talking about all this spending.  Maybe I should quit talking. My fellow commissioners and the mayor probably would be happier with me……but…..I suspect you will hear more from me. 

I’m pulling for you.