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In Our Opinion

Public Campaign Funding System May Be Overkill

The early returns are in - and tweaks are likely needed for the state’s publicly funded campaign system. We noted recently that Democrat Michael Bobseine has received $109,530 in public campaign money from the state. Assemblyman Andrew Goodell, R-Jamestown, kept between $57,824.15 and $59,607.31 in his campaign account in 2022, the last year he ran a campaign for the 150th Assembly District. It’s not a bad thing, particularly for challengers, to be able to quickly match an incumbent’s political spending power. State election funding can level a playing field that is often ...

Drug Bust In City Tells A Familiar Story

Once again, we find ourselves frustrated with New York state’s softness on those who willingly break some of our most basic laws. A drug raid last week on Forest Avenue resulted in charges against 12 Jamestown residents - a few of whom have been in and out of the criminal justice system for years. It has to be frustrating for police to be dealing with many of the same people as they deal with the scourge of illegal drugs on city streets. It has to be particularly frustrating for some of those who were charged to have been charged in relation to a past shooting or in dealing drugs ...

Plane Crash At City Airport Could Have Been Much Worse

An experienced pilot helped prevent loss of life when an electrical issue caused an attempted emergency landing last week at the Chautauqua County Airport at Jamestown. But the aftermath of the crash could have been much worse were it not for the quick action of volunteer firefighters, county EMS crews and Jamestown firefighters. All told, in addition to the city and county crews, volunteers responded from Falconer, Stockton, Frewsburg, Kennedy, Busti, Cassadaga, Kiantone, Ellery Center, Lakewood, Ellington, Sinclairville, Fluvanna, Mayville, and Gerry. That’s a heck of a response ...

Increase In Homeless Shines Light On Lack Of Investment In Mental Health Treatment

It’s been a while since the topic of mental health and addiction treatment options were discussed in earnest in our region. The time has come to push, again, for more treatment options. It’s telling that of all the issues that have driven the increase in Jamestown’s growing homeless population it was mental health that was largely singled out for additional action by Jamestown officials. While rising housing costs, a cost of living that has risen faster than wages and a lack of housing supply all play a role in the issue, it was mental health and addiction issues that the ...

Seek Togetherness, Not Violence

For as much as our culture likes to hold itself as above political violence, people historically sure do a lot of it. The horrendous attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump, as he campaigned in Butler, Pa. is another wretched entry to an equally wretched list. Political violence extends beyond presidents and candidates, of course — consider the shooting of Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise and the assault of Paul Pelosi, both among recent examples. In 2022, a man paused and called the police on himself during an attempted assassination of conservative Supreme Court ...

Rental Inspection Ordinance Isn’t A Cure-All For Housing Problems

A rental inspection ordinance throughout New York state is a good step. Too many properties have seen maintenance deferred for so long they shouldn’t be rented in their current condition. The state took the lead by requiring counties to undertake inspections, provided funding to help carry out inspections and provided some cover for the city to fairly easily implement an idea that two decades ago was dropped because there was so much community opposition. Lead paint should have been eradicated in Jamestown decades ago. The state, city and county had to step in and inspect ...