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In Our Opinion

Threats against police are a growing issue

Twice this year we have seen federal charges brought in Western New York over threats to law enforcement officials. It’s two times too many, in our opinion. The most recent case involved threats made against a Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office deputy. Few details about the case that generated the threat have been released, but the background is frankly immaterial in this case. There are legal avenues that can be pursued in instances where a police officer is behaving inappropriately. And, lest we forget, Attorney General Letitia James is certainly not one to shy away from ...

Taxpayers have already won with Brooklyn Square property sales

An entire corner of Brooklyn Square changed ownership earlier this spring. The $2,137,500 property purchase by 716 Rapid Rentals LLC prompts an obvious question - what’s next for an area that has seen its share of disappointment over the past couple of years. Last year the Big Lots store in the plaza closed its doors as the company went bankrupt. Tim Hortons, meanwhile, moved its operation across the street, leaving the outparcel restaurant building on the site vacant as well. We have no doubt that 716 Rapid Rentals has a plan for the parcel, whether it’s a new type of use or ...

Advancing civil nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia is troubling

No U.S. President has done more to confront Iran ’s nuclear program than Donald Trump, and one reason is to avert a nuclear arms race in the world’s most volatile region. Vice President JD Vance made that case recently, yet the Trump Administration is simultaneously advancing a civil nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia that would abandon long-held proliferation safeguards. Why? A State Department letter to Sen. Ed Markey (D., Mass.) dated May 18 says the Saudi deal is undergoing “final review” before Mr. Trump can submit it to Congress, Reuters reports. The deal wouldn’t ...

City seeing costs of deferred environmental maintenance

It’s no secret that Jamestown has a deferred maintenance problem. Before the COVID-19 pandemic and its ensuing $28.3 million ARPA shot in the arm, deferred maintenance or replacement of city vehicles and equipment was a common talking point as city department heads discussed their budgets with City Council members each fall. It’s still a topic, but the influx of federal money certainly improved the situation. But what we didn’t realize until the past couple of years was how far maintenance of the city’s physical environment had been neglected as city leaders tried to manage ...

CLCPA delay buys time to create reliable, environmentally friendly power grid

Debate in recent months over changes to the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act had us wondering if there was any common sense left in the halls of the state Capitol. In the wake of last week’s vote to push back some parts of the 2019 law, it’s good to see there’s at least a thimble full of common sense remaining in Albany. State lawmakers approved Several deadlines and benchmarks included in the 2019 CLCPA are being pushed back, including a 2024 deadline for regulations from the Department of Environmental Conservation that were the subject of a lawsuit by ...

Can county legislators actually say no?

We still struggle to justify automatic pay raises each year for Chautauqua County lawmakers - though judging from last week’s vote Republican lawmakers have no such struggle. In 2024, the county legislature voted to increase the base salary of individual legislators from $9,000 to $14,732, an increase of about 64%. It was the first pay hike in about 20 years. It’s a failing of the legislature that, in our opinion, they’re overcorrecting with the automatic pay raises now. The only reason the legislature didn’t get a raise over the course of 20 years is that the body ...