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Opinion

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 ...

State makes right call delaying robot teacher in Salamanca

In Our Opinion

The state Education Department was right to ask the Salamanca City Central School District to pause its plan to launch a pilot program featuring a Realbotix educational robot and digital avatar in its high school STEAM program during the upcoming school year. There are a lot of unanswered questions that should be answered before this newest bit of technology is used in local classrooms. Concerns raised by parents and educators prompted Betty Rosa, state education commissioner, to send a letter to Salamanca school district officials requesting the pause. The pause prompted the New York ...

Money isn’t the sticking point for JHS kitchen issues

In Our Opinion

Change orders are nothing new in construction projects like the one taking place now at Jamestown High School. The Jamestown Public Schools Board of Education held a special meeting on Thursday to approve a $260,000 change order for the renovation project at JHS after two unforeseen issues were found in the JHS cafeteria kitchen. The problem the school district faces isn’t financial. The district had set aside $3.6 million for change orders on the project, with $1.2 million remaining. The additional money won’t be coming out of local tax dollars. There won’t be a future tax ...