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Opinion

Bar Association needs respect on views

Commentary

The head of the New York State Bar Association, or NYSBA, has criticized a Trump-administration Justice Department official. ≤ ≤ ≤ Please read the criticism for yourself: NYSBA “denounces Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s declaration of ‘war’ on the judiciary and bar(-)association disciplinary bodies. “At a recent conference of the Federalist Society, (General) Blanche characterized the Department of Justice’s resistance to ethical oversight of its lawyers by courts and bar associations as ‘war.’” NYSBA “will always stand up for the rule of law ...

You’re forgetting everything? Join the club

Commentary

My mother had a saying that I heard all too often during my childhood: “You’d forget your head if it wasn’t attached.” Sadly, she was right. I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of my whole life looking for what I have lost, misplaced, or simply forgotten. No, it’s not just ordinary car keys or reading glasses. Or please, God, my cell phone. I was a latchkey kid who couldn’t hang onto house keys. I lost keys at a rate that made the hardware store man shake his head. I was a regular customer at age eight. And mittens? Snow hats? Library books? I forgot them all, the ...

Bright spots mixed with challenges at SUNY

The OBSERVER’s View

It is an important weekend for the State University of New York at Fredonia. Saturday marks “Big Blue Day” when those accepted students have the chance to visit the campus between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to explore, connect with future classmates, and see what life at Fredonia is all about. Additionally, the university announced a new provost last week. Julie Gorlewski, Ph.D., who currently serves as the Klara and Larry Silverstein Dean of the School of Education at Hunter College, will serve as chief academic officer, overseeing academic programs, faculty affairs and initiatives that ...

There’s a high cost to troubles of homelessness

Commentary

I recently heard that New York City will spend $81,107 a year on each member of its homelessness population in 2025. The city’s total spending on the homeless went from $102 million in 2019 to $368 million in 2025 — an increase of 262%. That $81,107 is more than a lot of families live on in a year, so it seems that the most effective way to cure the homeless problem is to give the cash directly to the homeless. A recent report from state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli reported that despite surging expenditures, both the city and New York state struggle in tracking exactly where the ...

Catholic Charities brings hope to needy

Commentary

By DAN MECCA For more than 100 years, Catholic Charities has stood alongside Western New Yorkers during some of the hardest chapters of their lives. Today, nearly one in every 10 people in our region will be touched by its work. That’s not just a statistic. It represents children, parents, seniors and neighbors who need support to steady their footing and move forward. Hope takes many forms inside Catholic Charities. It’s a mother receiving counseling so she can hold her family together during a time of stress. It’s an older adult who no longer has to choose between paying ...

SOUTH DAYTON: Dissolution plan worth watching

The OBSERVER’s View

With recent discussions of a consolidated northern Chautauqua County municipality, it is interesting to see what is happening in the village of South Dayton in Cattaraugus County. In recent months, the entity has considered dissolution. Tonight, the Village Board plans a public hearing on the topic at 7 in the South Dayton Fire Hall, 34 Maple St. The hearing is supposed to focus on a dissolution plan endorsed by the Village Board at a Feb. 11 meeting. The plan would transfer most village services, records and laws to the town of Dayton. The hearing will also consider “what ...