Breaking News

Local Commentaries

The human obligation toward animals

It was drilled into me at an early age that humans have an obligation to properly treat and take care of animals. Much of this training came from being the son of a dairy farmer. The cows really came first on the farm and taking proper care of them was foremost. Some of this sense of obligation or responsibility was, of course, driven by economics. The cows and the milk they produced were the primary source of revenue for the farm. Just think about it—a cow which may weigh 1,200 lbs., can, in one season of milking (10 months,) produce 20,000-25,000 lbs. of milk. A milk cow is an ...

Reserve your U-Haul, NY residents

Thankfully the election is over, and we have a brief reprieve from the nonsense and dishonesty that dominates our politics. OK, just kidding. Based on the campaign rhetoric one would think New York had the best economy in the country while leading the nation in unicorns and freebies for people who did not earn it in our “generous welfare system”. If not for Trump, Iran’s Mullahs would forget their 1400-year-old Quranic requirement to destroy everything non-Islamic, and the Chinese would respect Taiwan’s independence. Meanwhile those who oppose “forever wars” fully support ...

What does ‘free’ Democratic Socialism really cost?

The promise of government-provided healthcare and other social programs without premiums, deductibles or copays has a powerful appeal. However, politicians promoting Democratic Socialism rarely answer a key question: What will it actually cost, and how will we pay for it? To understand what these promises mean for middle-income families, we need to look beyond the sales pitch and examine the numbers. Democratic nominee for the Senate in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed recently said about universal healthcare that “it is guaranteed health insurance from cradle to the moment you pass away. ...

‘Get Off The Mat And Get Back To Work’

Whatever the reasons that elections turn out as they do, they have consequences. If statism of whatever variety is your thing, you’ll be enthralled with what comes from Capitol Hill and the establishment press in 2027 and 2028, all leading up to the 2028 presidential election. Americans ...

Being creatures of convenience

We are inclined to complain about the situation in which we find ourselves. “If only everything weren’t so commercialized.” “If only we could go back to the good old days when things were smaller and not dominated by big box stores and big business.” “If only we could go back to the times when we only used a phone that was hanging on a wall or sitting on a desk, not one constantly going off in our hands, pocket or purse.” We say these things, but, in fact, we are where we are today because we are creatures of convenience. It always irks me a bit when the Amazon, FedEx ...

Procrastination is not sound budgeting

As promised, and as accurately reported on your front page some weeks ago, I voted this week against Chautauqua County’s proposed budget for 2027. Why? First: it is not because I believe that county employees or management are less than dedicated or diligent. They are, by and large, both of these things. It is because this budget fails to get ahead of the two fundamental economic trends that are to blame for our widening gaps between revenue and expenditures. In the 2026 budget the expected overspend vs. revenues was budgeted at $2 million. In fact, it looks like it will come in ...