As if there were any real question, yes, Democrats and Republicans can waste your money equally well.

Look no further than public information officers hired in Chautauqua County. Governments that just a few years were crying poverty now are finding money to pay full time wages for a position to put out feel-good information that makes their employing entity look good. When something bad happens that the public doesn’t know about, do you think that information is going to be put out for the world to see by the public information officer.

We think not.

It’s understandable to have a point of contact during an emergency situation, like the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when a plane crashes at the Chautauqua County Airport or when the suspect in crimes flees the area and police need to disseminate the word as efficiently as possible. Are there enough of those instances here to require a full-time person for the work?

We think not.

A better solution is designating points of contact for emergency situations, as has been done in countless emergency situations for decades upon decades locally in situations involving serious public health and safety situations.

We’re not impugning the individuals hired for these positions. They’re well-meaning enough and generally good and pleasant people. But their jobs in many cases are done from a viewpoint that doesn’t help the public while being paid for with public dollars. If money is available there is a better way to spend it that benefit the people paying the bills — namely the taxpayer.