Breaking News

Bean counters often on short end of municipal payroll

Since a much-needed control board is not part of the current equation, the city of Dunkirk is banking on a new comptroller to better steer the fiscal condition for the municipality. In taking the newly created position this month, Tracy Smith-Dengler will be compensated $140,000 per ...

Conservatives, liberals see human nature differently

CHAUTAUQUA—A law professor has articulated a principle infrequently heard from higher-education faculty. Why infrequently? Because many colleges and universities hire few non-liberals. The law professor is George Washington University’s Jonathan Turley, a frequent contributor to ...

War Powers Act is a partisan cudgel

Prior to our undeclared war with Iran, I had heard of the “War Powers Act” but I had never paid any attention to it, likely because every President from Nixon to Trump, both Republican and Democrat has paid no attention to it either. However, the start of the war got Congressional ...

The OBSERVER’s View: More requests require legislature guidance

State lawmakers, largely Democrats, want to increase Open Meetings Law and FOIL request training requirements for local government officials. Given the recent altercation in the Chautauqua County records room involving a self-proclaimed First Amendment auditor, the training likely isn’t a bad idea. Local public records officials need to be the experts in the room when it comes to releasing records, and too often that isn’t the case. But in our opinion the legislature should also help local governments driven to the point of frustration by bot-driven FOIL requests and local ...

Our northern neighbors say they want me

The first verse of the Canadian national anthem declares how Canadians feel about their country: “Oh Canada! Our proud and native land!” The world’s second-largest country geographically is keenly aware of how underpopulated she is for that size. Canada is not only allowing immigrants ...

America at 250, service is our greatest strength

America’s 250th birthday is a special anniversary in the history of our nation; the success of this great experiment should be celebrated and, this year, I would encourage you to reflect on what it is that has made America so special. Alexis de Tocqueville, a political philosopher who studied and toured America in the 19th century, once commented that America’s culture of voluntary association is one of our nation’s greatest strengths. Ordinary citizens coming together in groups, clubs, churches, charities, civic organizations, and local committees to solve problems together ...