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Opinion

Low Turnout Is Disappointing, But Appreciate Voters Who Are Engaged

In Our Opinion

Roughly a quarter of registered voters took part in the Nov. 4 election. It’s disappointing, of course, to see so few participate in the election of local leaders who will decide the future of Chautauqua County and its cities, towns and villages. We’ve made it easier than ever to vote, but turnout in local elections barely budges. It’s obvious that the issue isn’t how people cast their votes but rather a lack of interest in local issues that are decided in odd-year elections.It’s disappointing, though not surprising, that local elections generate little interest from many ...

Pause On All-Electric Homes Mandate Is A Temporary Win

In Our Opinion

News last week that the state will pause enforcement of its All-Electric Buildings Act was cheered by many. Those cheers are warranted and, unfortunately, likely only temporary. Reducing emissions is a laudable goal. It’s good for all of us and for future generations if we emit less carbon dioxide into the environment. We should want to be more environmentally friendly in the cars we drive, the homes we live in and the power that we use. The problem is New York pursues those goals in the most ham-handed ways possible. The All-Electric Buildings Act is no different. Forcing ...

Local Elections Matter; Cast Your Vote

Letters To The Editor

To The Reader’s Forum: In our country, where informed citizens were intended to share the decision-making via free and fair elections, an increasing number of people have decided to skip it and live with what other people choose for them. Not that they’re happy, oh no. Finger pointing and cursing politicians is a high art form. But let’s remember that people voted and chose those elected officials and their policies. If you weren’t involved, you allowed them to choose for you. Only about half of the people who are eligible to vote actually do. (Many eligible people ...

How To Pay For Medication Not Covered By Medicare Part D

Local Commentaries

Question: My part D plan doesn’t cover one of my medications. Can I just pay for it with cash? Answer: I often have individuals tell me this time of year that next year one of their medications are not covered by their plan. Is it possible to keep their coverage and get this medication another way. Sometimes medications that are covered can be cheaper for cash than their insurance coverage price even when it is covered by their plan. Remember than your insurance company is negotiating that cost with the pharmacy and the pharmaceutical company. Sometimes those prices seem to be ...

Replacing Rick Huber’s Voice Won’t Be Easy

In Our Opinion

The fight against addiction lost one of its most stalwart members recently with the passing of Rick Huber. For years Huber was director of the Mental Health Association. But serving as director of the MHA didn’t mean Huber sat in his office while others did the work. Huber was on the front lines, answering phone calls in the middle of the night when someone needed help. Huber worked the phones to help those who needed professional help find their way to treatment facilities. Were it not for Huber, the greater Chautauqua County community may not have realized quite how bad the ...

They Asked If It Was A Success

Local Commentaries

Our garage sale was almost two weeks ago. For days after, everyone wanted to know how we did. “Was it a success?” Well, that depends on your perspective. Are they asking about how much money we made? How much stuff we sold? How many people showed up? Truthfully, if the goal was to create more and better organized space in the garage – yes, it was a roaring success. But if the goal was to create a net addition to our savings account, it was a spectacular failure. Despite the raw, miserable days, a respectable amount of people showed up. The regulars. I didn’t know many of the ...