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Governor runs into the walls of reality

Commentary

Like the Coyote in a Roadrunner cartoon, our Governor has run smack into the walls of reality with Energy Policy and Tax Policy. Regarding energy policy: Gov. Kathy Hochul was forced to admit that the Net-Zero mandates in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019 (CLCPA) are impossible. Energy experts warned about this for seven years, but for political reasons she chose to ignore the warnings. But now an election is coming and people are noticing their electric bills. Using nonsensical climate catastrophe memes as an excuse, our governor and her predecessor ...

Keep weatherization program in funding

Peoples column

Editor, OBSERVER: Chautauqua County’s most vulnerable residents could soon feel the impact of a quiet but devastating budget decision. Across New York, including here in Chautauqua County, Weatherization Assistance Program providers are speaking out against proposed cuts. Weatherization helps low-income households reduce energy costs by improving home efficiency through insulation, air sealing, and other improvements. The governor’s budget omits 10% of the HEAP funding usually dedicated to the Weatherization Assistance Program — a reduction with far-reaching consequences for ...

New vision may bring welcome change

Peoples column

Editor, OBSERVER: When OBSERVER readers were asked on a recent weekend if they favored merger of the city and town of Dunkirk, village of Fredonia, and town of Pomfret, more than 62% said yes! I urge elected officials of all those entities to seize this moment and think big. No more nibbling around the edges with small steps. All are facing considerable financial challenges. Bold moves might even attract more outside funding in addition to saving money locally. What pride we could take in all the assets this new entity embodies and offers, instead of divvying them up. While the ...

Collaborating missing in homeless issue

Peoples column

Editor, OBSERVER: I am writing to express my concern regarding the exclusion of key organizations from recent discussions on homelessness in Chautauqua County, as reported in two recent OBSERVER articles. Specifically, Chautauqua Opportunities and members of the Homeless Coalition were not included, despite their essential role in developing the Hope Haven Women’s Shelter and providing vital rehabilitation and rehousing services. Developing solutions without input from those working daily on this issue is a significant oversight. Furthermore, situating services at the former ...

No easy way out for struggling entities

Editor's corner

Addressing Dunkirk’s Common Council last month, Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel offered insight into what could be the start of something big. With officials from four north county municipalities at the table — including the city, village of Fredonia and towns of Dunkirk and Pomfret ...

Bravo to wetlands law challengers

Commentary

Let’s pick up where we left off on Labor Day weekend 2025. In the court battle over New York’s new wetlands law, Round 1 goes to the challengers. Bravo. ≤ ≤ ≤ You, faithful reader of this column, will recall how devastating the law can be for Chautauqua County, particularly because of the law’s impact on Chautauqua Lake. The law has the potential to turn the lake into a weed farm, hinder growth of lakefront-property values, and have the effect of driving up property taxes for those owning land not along Chautauqua Lake. You, faithful reader of this column, will ...