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Good Progress Being Made On The Bridge

Though we have had little rain this fall, the good weather has been helpful to those reconstructing the Chautauqua Lake Bridge. As you head east over the lake from the Stow side on I-86, you can see the open, raw girders where a substantial amount of concrete decking has been removed. There has also been a lot of new concrete decking laid—especially on the Bemus side. There had been some concern about the potential movement of steel as the weight of the old concrete was removed. There is always some movement when this is done as there is some flex in all steel. In crossing the ...

No Kings Protests Were Universally Peaceful

All across the country, huge crowds showed up in big cities and small towns to affirm their commitment to the founding principle that in America, there are, “No Kings.” Here in Jamestown, I joined hundreds of local residents gathered in Dow Park Saturday to express our alarm at the ongoing threats to Democracy posed by Donald Trump. Even though many are feeling great anxiety about the direction of the country, the mood was upbeat. We listened to speeches before lining up along 6th and Washington streets with our handmade signs and funny costumes. The reaction we got from people ...

What Could Be Worse Than Kings?

Pennsylvania Democrat Senator John Fetterman told his party to stop with the Nazi and fascist rhetoric. That clearly went out the window at the recent “No Kings” protest. In Jamestown alone, signs labeling the president and MAGA as Nazis and fascists could be spotted everywhere you looked as in “Super callous fascist, racist, sexist, Nazi POTUS.” So much for Fetterman’s admonition. It’s no surprise to hear rumblings among Democrats to oust him in the next primary. The Nazi signs were outdone by vulgarities and obscenities lacing other signs. People carrying around ...

The Federal Estate Tax is Nearly Dead

For those who have a gut feeling that the richest Americans are getting richer while the rest of us are getting poorer or just treading water, the evidence is that they are right. Not since the start of the modern Federal Estate Tax in 1916, has there been a better time to be wealthy in America. Early in the 20th Century our country turned to the Federal Estate Tax to limit the accumulation of great wealth by a handful of families. Upon the death of a wealthy person a portion of the wealth would be paid to our Federal government as an Estate Tax, thereby limiting the amount of wealth ...

Room To Improve With Executive

Tom Carle, Democratic candidate for Chautauqua County executive, has reason to be proud of his accomplishments in the private sector. Throughout his years of running large and small businesses in the United States and Canada, his decisions were driven by finding results that benefited management as well as the workers. His work steered major companies and manufacturing plants that included partnerships with Walmart and Gatorade in positive directions, helping grow revenues in some locations that topped $150 million. In running for the top county post, Carle wants to take those ...

This Is A Dark Time In America

To The Reader’s Forum: I was disgusted by a recent commentary by a member of the bar on Trump’s extrajudicial murders of suspected drug smugglers. Is this what justice in America has become? A single man following his violent, vengeful instincts while presenting no justification, no evidence, no indication of who they were or what they were carrying just ‘takes them out’ with the approval of his cruel and hate-filled supporters. Is this how conservative Christians interpret the teachings of Christ? Can lawyers just suspend the law when it suits them? This is an ...