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Socialism shift becoming more apparent

Commentary

Are we looking at a socialist future in this nation? With the election of two big city socialist mayors in Seattle and New York, you have to wonder. Today the current number of socialist officeholders is the highest it has been since 1912. As of 2025 more than 250 Democratic socialists hold public office in the United States. These include Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Greg Casar (D-Texas), Summer Lee (D-Pa.), and Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.) in the House. In the Senate there is of course the one and only Bernie Sanders (D-VT). At the State ...

Knowing the risks when hitting the ice

The OBSERVER’s View

A spring thaw deserves notice after two recent incidents in the last week, both happening over the weekend. In Portland, a man had to be rescued after falling through ice at a pond near a mobile home park last Saturday. On Sunday, a fisherman on Lake Erie had to be rescued after dusk after a sheet of ice separated outside the town of Evans. In both cases, responders risked their well being to assist these individuals. “Cold water and ice rescues are among the most dangerous and technically demanding incidents responders face,” a Fredonia Fire Department post said after the ...

Leaders have ability to shift taxes for all

The OBSERVER’s View

There was an interesting debate last week over an $8,000 increase to the income limit for Chautauqua County senior citizens to qualify for a property tax break. Legislator Dan Pavlock, R-Ellington, said the legislation proposed was not a “tax break” but more of a “tax shift,” because others will pay more since more seniors would be paying less. During committee meetings, Legislator Dalton Anthony, R-Frewsburg, noted that the more tax breaks are given to seniors, the more younger people have to pay. It was a notion that drew agreement from Legislator Fred Johnson, R-Westfield, ...

Lent reminds us of God’s ‘promise’

Commentary

The 40 days before Easter are observed by many Christians as the Season of Lent. The first day of Lent is Ash Wednesday where we are reminded of our fallen, sinful human mortality and our inevitable death. “From dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return” (Genesis 3:19). The Season of Lent was not instituted in the Bible but was established by the early Christian church around 325 AD as a time for preparation of Christ’s resurrection on Easter. During the Season of Lent, and indeed throughout the entire church year, we are to examine ourselves and reflect on the fact that we ...

Stolen valor is insult to those who served

Commentary

Setting aside our usual lessons in military history and how they play into our current lives, let’s look at some veteran related issues that although they seem to be all of that, also affect every tax paying citizen. As we review the forms to send our hard-earned dollars to the government, ...

Office closing lacked transparency

Peoples column

Editor, OBSERVER: After U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy publicly cited safety threats as the reason for closing his Jamestown district office; newly obtained public records raise serious questions about that claim. Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests with both the Jamestown Police Department and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office seeking records of reported threats tied to the office were submitted. The Sheriff’s Office confirmed it found no records responsive to the request. Jamestown Police records show only a single February 2025 informational report involving minor ...