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Opinion

On the matter of people who are homeless

Local Commentaries

There have been several news articles recently about the problems faced by people who are homeless in Chautauqua County. Much of the news has been about where they are being housed...usually in older and underused hotels. Whether we like it or not, the provider of last resort is the county...that means county taxpayers are “on the hook” for paying for it. There is some state aid to assist—but the burden of addressing the problem falls on the county. “Homelessness,” of course, is a broad term. In some cases, people become homeless when they can’t afford to pay their rent. ...

Energy policy belongs at the ballot box, not in a courtroom

Local Commentaries

Americans need energy that is affordable, abundant and reliable. Right now, a wave of lawsuits is quietly working against all three, and most of the people who will pay for it don’t know and never get a vote. Across the country, 40 lawsuits have been filed by states, counties and cities trying to hold energy producers financially responsible for climate change. Eleven states, the District of Columbia, and dozens of local governments representing more than one in four Americans are asking courts to order oil and gas companies to pay billions in damages. Here is what that means in ...

County’s new economic development goal doesn’t change much

In Our Opinion

After weeks of debate and discussion, points and counterpoints, the Chautauqua County Legislature has decided that the number one economic development goal for county government is sustainable disposable income growth. It sounds like a good goal. No one is against the idea of increasing disposable income for county residents. Certainly no one would say they are against such a goal in an election year. The problem is few know what the heck the legislature means with this goal. Wouldn’t it be simpler to use household income growth as the goal rather than disposable income growth? ...

Heeding the warnings on socialism

Local Commentaries

CHAUTAUQUA — Let’s pick up where we left off last week. Speaking to Advocates for Balance at Chautauqua, or ABC, on July 20, retired Lt. Col. Allen West discussed remarks by a U.S. senator. Coincidentally, ABC’s July 13 speaker had discussed the same remarks by the same ...

Other Voices: US-Saudi nuclear agreement further erodes safeguards

In Our Opinion

Even as he threatened to escalate an unlawful war sold in part as preventing Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon, Donald Trump opened the door to proliferation in the region on Wednesday. The US announced that it had signed a deal with Saudi Arabia which would potentially allow the kingdom to enrich uranium in future and to avoid the fullest inspection rights for the international watchdog. Experts have long warned that a civilian nuclear programme could create a path towards a nuclear-armed Riyadh. Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince and de facto leader, has said that if Tehran ...

Challengers need to spice up insipid races

Editor's Corner

As the month of July melts into the sunset, August begins to turn up the heat when it comes to this campaign season. In both Pennsylvania and New York, it appears incumbents are in complete control with the election 95 days away. Republican gubernatorial challenger Bruce Blakeman is hoping ...