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In Our Opinion

Big Cost-Saving Moves Are Not Easy To Make

One of former Mayor Eddie Sundquist’s best policy decisions came with trying to move city retirees off of the city’s health insurance policies and onto Medicare. The move was to save about $1.1 million a year, according to Sundquist’s 2021 budget presentation. The idea initially upset retirees, so the initiative was removed from the 2021 budget before finally being implemented after additional time was spent getting retired city employees on board. Costs associated with moving eligible retirees to a Medicare Supplement or Medicare Advantage plan, and the city then paying for the ...

Hawley’s Health Care Solution Is Anything But

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) thinks he has a new idea: no taxes on health care. He has proposed making all out-of-pocket health care expenses tax deductible, saying that would “ help people immediately.” But would it? Right now, there are already significant tax breaks on health care. The largest is the exemption of employer-sponsored health insurance from income taxes. That exemption didn’t arise because the government wanted to help people pay for health care. It was an accident. During World War II, wages were capped by the government, but health benefits were not. Many ...

JPS Student Board Member Shows Worth Of Position

We’re sure there are some who thought it was a waste of time for New York state to require school boards to include student representation. To its credit, the Jamestown Public Schools District was ahead of the curve with student board members, incorporating them long before the state began requiring schools add students to the board earlier this year after the state Legislature passed legislation requiring each school district and BOCES board to incorporate at least one student board member in 2024. A discussion last week at the Jamestown Public Schools Board of Education is a ...

Breakwall Repairs Becoming A Bank-Breaker

We talk a lot about Chautauqua Lake these days, but we don’t talk much about the canals that can often be found winding their way inland from the lake’s shores. One such set of canals in an area of the town of Busti known as Vukote is generating conversation - and it’s a topic worth more conversation. Earlier this year Busti Town Board members discussed the problem town officials are having getting some property owners in Vukote to repair the concrete canal walls. There are roughly 14 sections of the canal structure that need repairs, according to those March 2025 ...

Chadakoin Valley Project — Important History Initiative

It’s long past time to right a wrong when it comes to a full understanding of the history of Jamestown. Kudos to the Chadakoin Valley Project and the Fenton History Center for stepping up to do just that. The Chadakoin Valley Project’s mission is to preserve and share Jamestown’s Black history through the voices of those who lived it. The project focuses on authentic perspectives, working to ensure the city’s Black history is both remembered and honored. The project has its roots in an effort to create a new historic district in Jamestown in the Chadakoin Park area. That ...

Dental Benefits For Vets Are Better Left To Federal Gov’t

It’s hard to disagree with the sentiment behind Assemblyman David DiPietro’s push to create a state dental benefits program for veterans. Veterans have access to health care through the Veterans Administration, so it stands to reason there should be a program for dental or vision benefits. The real question isn’t the program, but who creates the infrastructure and who pays for it. It’s a little surprising that dental benefits weren’t included in the VA program when it was originally created, but that decision creates the situation DiPietro is now trying to solve. The East ...