Votes in survey call for a change
By John D'AgostinoQuietly but surely, area residents are calling for change. In a recent questionnaire sent out by state Assemblyman Bill Parment, residents were asked to respond to 16 questions on crucial issues regarding Chautauqua County. To my surprise, the question with the greatest margin between yes and no - 74 percent - was No. 7: Would you vote to merge some services in your city, town or village with that of a neighboring government? Eighty-seven percent of those who responded said yes. That's 87 percent of the 1,649 who answered Parment's survey - or nearly 1,435 people. So there's the good news. Now, the bad. Those who are elected to run our governments ignore this number. Too many elected officials keep doing things the way they have been doing them for years. They allow municipal vehicles to drive around - way too much - as gas prices hit record levels then shift funds to make up for those high gas prices. They continue to increase spending while populations decline. They also keep defeating resolutions that aim to reduce the number of lawmakers in Chautauqua County government. Will the madness end? Parment, for his part, has said publicly he agrees with consolidations. The problem, however, is not always with the state, school or municipality. "Sometimes it is your neighbor," he said during a legislative breakfast in March. We know the schools have shown signs they know things cannot continue to run the way they have in the past. Fredonia and Brocton districts are beginning steps to make a merger happen while Westfield and Ripley are further along in the process. Even Dunkirk's district Superintendent Gary Cerne has said he would be willing to partner with another district, though that partnership is an annexation, which is much less complicated but brings with it different guidelines. Cities, villages and towns, however, just keep plugging away - raising taxes, fees and spending - to maintain their governments. They say they are being "fiscally responsible," but in the big picture, residents - and potential residents and businesses want a lessened burden. And that's just not coming from this OBSERVER guy, it is also coming from another 1,648 who answered Parment's survey and a former lieutenant governor who chaired a commission on government efficiencies. Our governments of today were built for the 19th century. We need one that is built for today - and our next generation of Chautauqua County residents. One that offers the promise of a lessened tax burden and welcomes new industries and recognizes the longtime businesses. That government is unified - not divided though it shares the same county - and cares for its constituents, but does not try to interfere in private matters as though it always knows what is best. I would vote for that type of new government. I bet those who voted in Parment's survey - 87 percent - would do so as well. John D'Agostino is publisher of the OBSERVER. Send comments to jdagostino@observertoday.com'>jdagostino@observertoday.com or call 366-3000, ext. 401.
