Officials Need To Push Harder On Homeless In Area Hotels

March 17, 2026

It’s frustrating, as we noted recently, that local officials are in the position of writing a letter to demand action from the state to help hasten the move away from the use of hotels to house the homeless. It’s frustrating to see the state continue to write blank checks for the practice even as the cost to house the homeless in hotels has increased 400% over the past six years. But it’s just as frustrating to see the same aimless direction over the past two years from local officials. We’ve been hearing for two years that the county is working on a plan to create ...

Raise The Age Should Not Be Expanded

March 16, 2026

A 24-year-old Jamestown man has been indicted by a Chautauqua County Grand Jury in relation to a shooting on East Second Street in July 2025. The other person charged in relation to the same shooting is also 24. Imagine a future in which both of those are tried in Family Court. It’s entirely possible if some Democrats have their way. Assemblywoman Latrice Walker, D-Brooklyn, is proposing the creation of a new “New Young Adult Offender” status that would cover individuals between the ages of 19 and 25 under the states’ Raise the Age program. Raise the Age went into effect in ...

How Is Housing Homeless In Hotels Not On State’s Radar Already?

March 14, 2026

Only in New York state is coming up with an acceptable letter to send to state officials about an unacceptable situation considered progress. But that’s the situation we’re in when it comes to housing the homeless in hotels. Sen. George Borrello and Assemblyman Andrew Molitor put together a roundtable discussion with about 20 local elected officials, police officials and county officials to discuss alternatives to housing the homeless in hotels like the Quality Inn in Falconer or the Comfort Inn in Ellicott on the outskirts of Jamestown. Borrello said during the meeting he ...

State Gov’t Should Leave Tier 6 Alone

March 12, 2026

Public employee unions are pushing hard for changes to the way pensions for government jobs are funded. If your social media feed has been flooded with calls for Tier 6 reform, here’s a primer. In 2010 former Gov. David Paterson’s Tier 5 plan rolled back pension benefit sweeteners approved by the state Legislature in the early 2000s, while in 2012 former Gov. Andrew Cuomo pushed through legislation creating Tier 6 in the state pension system. Cuomo further restructured benefits, restored and increased employee shares of pension fund contributions, capped “pensionable” ...

Streets Project Should Include Fifth And Sixth

March 11, 2026

City officials are putting considerable time into the idea of safe streets - and we’re glad to see that Fifth Street residents have come before the City Council to advocate for changes in the area. “I have a concern from a resident who lives on Fifth Street, as you come off of Fairmount Street Bridge and come up over to come onto Fifth Street,” said Regina Brackman, D-Ward 3 and council president. “He’s just really saying that there seems to be a lot of accidents. He seems to be getting awakened in the middle of the night by police to see if he has camera footage.” The ...

Second Street Won’t Be As Painful This Spring

March 10, 2026

Last year at this time drivers and some businesses on Second Street were fuming - though business at tire and alignment shops was booming. It’s good to know that Second Street won’t be as big a headache early this year. The credit goes back to last year, when city officials, with the help of local state representatives Andrew Molitor and George Borrello, reached an agreement with the state to perform temporary repairs last year after Second Street began to look like the surface of the moon. That paving work took place in July, and City Council members said during last week’s ...