Gov. Andrew Cuomo finds himself in a sticky wicket as state legislators deliberate on the governor’s 2020-21 budget proposal. There have been several proposals from Democrats in the state Legislature to raise taxes on the wealthy. A.9650, sponsored by Assemblyman Harvey Epstein, D-New ...

Some other governments spare no effort to gain advantage over U.S. businesses and consumers. Trade barriers such as tariffs and unreasonable restrictions in the name of product safety are examples. But some — including China — are involved in all-out assaults on Americans. Theft of U.S. ...

Within just a few days, four police officers — two in New York City and two in Forrest City, Arkansas — were shot by gunmen. A grim fact of life for law enforcement personnel is that by the time you read this, it may be outdated. Attacks on police officers and sheriff’s deputies have ...

The pending closure of much of Truck-Lite’s Falconer plant should give policy makers pause when thinking about the economy in the Jamestown area. There are many shiny new baubles in the area. The National Comedy Center is drawing people downtown. Jamestown Brewing Company and the Beer Snob ...

We call shenanigans on Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Last year, Chautauqua County residents found themselves largely shut out of the state Senate after the retirement of former state Sen. Catharine Young. Calls for a special election in the district went unheeded last year. Assemblyman Andrew ...

Councilwoman Kim Ecklund, R-At Large, is right when she says it’s too soon for Jamestown to have another parking ticket amnesty program. The city has had amnesty programs twice in the past 10 years — once in 2009 and again in 2016 — which allowed vehicle owners with outstanding tickets ...

Walking or driving underneath the tree canopy on West Third Street in Jamestown is a wonderful experience that we hope never changes. Jamestown’s arborist did the right thing in removing five trees from West Third Street over the past couple of weeks, however. Last October, a large tree ...

As Jamestown Public Schools officials go through the process of hiring a new Jamestown High School principal, applicants for the job should take note of a bit of subtext that may have been lost in the sudden resignation of Dr. Rosemary Bradley in December. A vote of no confidence by ...

Patience, urged Republican Party officials in Iowa earlier this week. Give the Democrats time to ensure results of political party caucuses on nominees for president are reported accurately. Give GOP officials credit for adopting a “there but for the grace of God go I” policy. But ...

Jamestown Public Schools Board President Paul Abbott hit the nail on the head Tuesday when he said the retirement of Dr. Bret Apthorpe is an opportunity. Apthorpe leaves the district at the end of June having made two big changes — launching the JPS Success Academy, which hosts Jamestown ...

The revised proposal for the Gateway Lofts housing project to be housed in the Gateway Center on Water Street seems to be a much better proposal than the 2018 iteration that was eventually voted down by the Jamestown Planning Commission. The new proposal discussed recently by Planning ...

Jamestown City Court has seen a 72.4% increase in court no-shows in the first month of the state’s cashless bail system. Data compiled by Harry Snellings, Jamestown police chief, showed city court has issued 119 bench warrants in January 2020, 50 more than the January 2019 total. Of the ...

Another week has gone by and we have another example of poorly written legislation by the New York state Legislature. This week, we’re talking about language in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s budget to clarify the Farm Laborers Fair Labor Practices Act passed last year in a process that, once ...

President Theodore Roosevelt, who served as governor of New York in 1899 and 1900, spoke often of the need to speak softly and carry a big stick. It may be said of Gov. Andrew Cuomo that he speaks loudly and carries a limp noodle. New York state finds itself facing a $6 billion budget ...

It may be impossible to devise a foolproof safeguard against bias on the part of jurors in criminal trials. This week, Keith Tharpe reminded us why we need to keep trying. Tharpe, 61, died this week in a Georgia prison — still under a death sentence dating back to 1991. He was ...

A recent study paid for by the Chautauqua Lake Association came with no real surprising conclusions. Frankly, it’s just the latest step in the decades-long dance of the dueling scientists. The Racine-Johnson report’s conclusion of a lake littoral ecosystem in peril in the aftermath of ...

It is understandable that Lakewood Village Board members want to move on from the tens of thousands of dollars spent trying to keep a cell tower from being built in the village. In fact, the board initially voted 3-2 to accept a federal district court decision allowing the cell tower to be ...

Mayor Eddie Sundquist seems to want to distance himself from former Mayor Sam Teresi. When it comes to union negotiations, however, it would behoove Sundquist to borrow from Teresi’s playbook. Sundquist began his first State of the City address by making note of the city’s precarious ...

Does the name Tarp Skunks stink, or is it sweeter than perfume? We’re willing to bet many Jamestown residents — even those who haven’t stepped foot in Russell E. Diethrick Park in years — have an opinion one way or the other on the new name for the city’s summer collegiate baseball ...

It’s been five years since the state Comptroller’s Office gave town of Carroll officials recommendations to better handle the town’s bookkeeping. The first order of business for Russ Payne, new town supervisor, and Susan Rowley, new town clerk, should be to ensure the recommendations ...