Once there was a silly old ram

Thought he’d punch a hole in a dam

No one could make that ram scram

He kept buttin’ that dam

Disappointed though we may be with Commissioner Dan Holub’s refusal to side with renovation over demolition, we have to applaud his equally dogged opposition to a pipeline tax exemption that will cost Marion County a small fortune in taxes for years to come.

Holub’s almost daily efforts to generate publicity for the county’s plight — not just with our newspapers but with Wichita and Kansas City TV stations as well — have become so much a part of our routine that they would be missed if somehow this matter were resolved.

Recently he has escalated his campaign to take on the governor, sending repeated messages (with copies to a large cast of journalists) asking for a meeting and refusing to be brushed off to underlings.

The exemption is stupid. We all know that. Why the legislature did it is hard to understand. Then again, why the legislature has done a lot of things defies explanation.

What we admire is how Holub won’t give up. Even if decision makers aren’t swayed by the logic of his position, at some point they have to be impressed by his tenacity.

Last week, after Holub broadsided the media and politicos with his prominently numbered fifth request for a meeting with Gov. Sam Brownback, State Rep. Bob Brookens came to Holub’s aid and reported that he had managed to secure a promise of a meeting with the governor.

We may disagree with Holub about such things as the Bowron Building, but we’ll never doubt his commitment and dedication to do whatever he believes to be in the county’s best interests.

Boldly taking on a governor isn’t something most of us would be willing to do. Hats off to Holub for his willingness to assume a Don Quixote role, tilting against the Keystone Pipeline windmill.

— Eric Meyer