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In Our Opinion

Celebrate Memorial Day Respectfully

No matter what is happening on this nation’s political and economic fronts - and much is happening - Memorial Day, the holiday we are observing today, should not and does not take a back seat. Only something truly catastrophic might cast today’s observance into the background, but even then most Americans would pause in respect to what this day represents. Memorial Day is the day when the nation honors the brave, selfless men and women who gave their lives while in this country’s service. It also is the day each year when Americans put special emphasis on remembering family ...

America Needs Accountability On Inflation, National Debt

President Joe Biden recently visited Sturtevant, Wisconsin, to speak at the site of a future Microsoft data center. As the Associated Press reported recently, the project is expected to create about 2,000 jobs. We understand that any president running for reelection will tout the successes in job creation seen during his or her administration. And the job market has been a bright spot in Biden’s tenure. But voters have no reason to accept a failure to address and correct the many shortcomings that exist along with that low unemployment rate. As we have editorialized before, ...

A System In Need Of Reform

There’s something disturbing about the fact that, at a time when state Senate Democrats want to expand health insurance coverage to undocumented immigrants, we hear from City Council members that some retired Jamestown city employees can’t afford their insurance. Jamestown officials certainly aren’t off-base in creating a policy to guide situations in which retirees aren’t paying their monthly health care premiums. As proposed during a recent work session, Mayor Kim Ecklund and her administrative team are proposing a 2% fee for payments received 31 days or more after a bill is ...

The Reverse Robin Hood Of State’s EV Rebate Program

Did Robin Hood get it wrong? Did the famous swashbuckling character created by Howard Pyle in the 1880s miss the boat when he robbed the rich to give to the poor? We don’t think so. But when it comes to the way electric vehicle rebates are handled in New York’s Sherwood Forest, the money is taken from all of us and given to those who have a financial advantage. The rebates for electric vehicles - currently available for new EVs while legislators debate extending the rebate to used EVs - are paid for by utility surcharges. Everyone pays the same surcharge, which means the fee ...

As Summer Begins, Chautauqua Lake Takes Center Stage

This week marks the unofficial start of the summer tourist season - and with it comes several opportunities to hear several points of view regarding the health of Chautauqua Lake, a central cornerstone to the county’s tourism efforts. Jim Wehrfritz, a longtime lake advocate who has expressed concerns about how new state wetlands regulations could affect the lake, will host his second public meeting on the topic with identical presentations from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the Lawson Center in Bemus Point and again from noon to 1:30 p.m. Monday at the Bemus Point Golf Club and Tap ...

Proposed Ban On Open Carry Of Long Guns Makes Little Sense

We’ve disagreed with the way New York state handled changes to conceal carry permits for pistols. But one thing that we can’t disagree with is the logic behind wanting to know who is concealed carrying a handgun. After all, the point of pistol permits is to have some record of those who can legally carry a concealed weapon. We’re not sure the logic extends to a proposed ban on the open carry of long guns. State Sen. Michael Gianaris, D-Astoria rote in his legislative justification that restrictions on the open carry of long guns will help decrease violent crime. It’s ...