After reading several recent articles in the OBSERVER, I am convinced that Chautauqua County could be poised on the edge of a very dark and deep abyss and no one realizes it or seems to care.

Some elected leaders seem to live in a Pollyannish dream world where logic is defied and there is always a happy ending. Others have total disdain for the citizens who elected them and sadly will likely re-elect them.

County Executive Vince Horrigan says that increasing the size and skills of the workforce is essential with the demand for workers so high. He went on to say that “this is the best (jobs) climate I’ve seen in the last several years.” He painted a rosy image of new jobs with an especially big fish being landed in Dunkirk. I hope he is correct, but at this point I would be inclined to suggest that he spend more time in the county because his words suggest he hasn’t.

At the same forum, John Slenker of the state Department of Labor says the secret to solving unemployment is a trained work force but that young people “refuse” to move here or “refuse” to acquire the skills for the jobs available.

Gentlemen, it is fine to develop a workforce in the county but is it worth the effort when there are few jobs available in the county that provide upward mobility or the type of income and benefits you can raise a family on and build a life on?

Certainly, there are jobs in the county, but those are most readily available in fast food or retailing, which are ideal part time jobs for high school, college students or persons looking to pick up extra money. These are entry-level jobs and not for building a life on, unless you are lucky and rise to management or enjoy flipping burgers. However, that said, these positions are probably better than any government training program for teaching basic employment skills.

Rather than putting the cart before the horse, let’s get our own houses in order. We can do this by budgeting carefully, remembering that an aging and not very wealthy tax base can only bare so much taxation. We should also develop rational government and educational structures that make the most efficient use of taxes and available resources.

On that note we find that the town of Villenova, for the third year in a row, has again elected to breach the New York state real property tax cap. In the process the town’s citizens forfeit a state rebate for remaining under the limit.

Perhaps a real effort was made to stay under the cap but this affair points out that a town, whose population growth peaked in about 1840 and now has a population of 1,110 people, is just too small to operate efficiently in the 21st century. It might be time to consider consolidation with another town or towns. Now might even be the time to start considering dividing the County into six or seven “mega” towns or even eliminating towns altogether. Streamlining government can aid in retreating from the abyss.

Meanwhile in Forestville, village leaders gave the silent treatment to citizens during several board meetings. This tactic was employed to avoid answering reasonable questions put to them by concerned citizens. This led a longtime resident to declare that she is losing her faith in the village government. In her position I would have already lost all faith in village government. Forestville kind of reminds me of France before the French Revolution. Not that officials will face the guillotine, but they should take a step back from the pit.

On that less-than-optimistic note and one step closer to the abyss, we come to the continuing saga of the Northern Chautauqua County Water District. The county recently received notice that the state has denied a $800,000 Consolidated Funding Application because of the lack of progress on the project. At a time of real crisis in our county, when leaders should be working together on a project that would be beneficial to many residents, there has been bickering and foot dragging all around. It seems everyone wants it done their way with certain guarantees if this or that happens.

Then we are told that the town of Sheridan was disrespected in the North County process by alleging representatives were not invited to meetings. Apparently the designated town representatives missed meetings because of work requirements, which begs the question, why didn’t they coordinate better or appoint someone who could make all the meetings? I sometimes get the feeling that our elected leaders like to play games of chicken around that dark abyss.

A word of advice for our elected leaders. Tell us the truth and when we question you, please respond, doing so with the truth. Also remember that most citizens are not wealthy and that spending has to be in line with a tax structure that does not over-burden taxpayers. If you find that the way things have been done in the past no longer work, don’t be afraid to change. Remember that Albert Einstein once defined insanity as “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Finally, as I so often complain about government in this column, I think it’s important to acknowledge that village of Silver Creek elected officials and employees often do things well. In August when the waterline on Main Street broke in two places, citizens went without water for about nine hours but village employees, along with a private contractor, worked throughout the day to restore service by nine that evening. Mayor Nick Piccolo and other village officials were also at the scene. In another waterline issue, the mayor announced that waterline repairs, necessitated by improper installation last year, had been completed but that the village would not sign off on the project until it was verified that the contractor’s repairs had been done properly and as agreed.

Finally, unless we are hit by a blinding blizzard, winter is never a problem in Silver Creek or other north county municipalities. Streets are kept clear and you can do what you need to do. Many were the winter evenings, over a period of 10 years, when I drove all the way home from my job in Cheektowaga on routes 5 or 20 and never saw evidence of a plow until I passed the Silver Creek village limits.

So while I complain about too many levels of governments, high taxes, and turf battles, I want to remember to tip my hat when government does things well.

Tom Kirkpatrick Sr. is a Silver Creek resident. Send comments to editorial@observertoday.com