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The OBSERVER’s View: Delay on climate bill is positive energy

The OBSERVER’s View

Debate in recent months over changes to the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act had us wondering if there was any common sense left in the halls of the state Capitol. In the wake of last week’s vote to push back some parts of the 2019 law, it’s good to see there’s at least a thimble full of common sense remaining in Albany. State lawmakers approved Several deadlines and benchmarks included in the 2019 CLCPA are being pushed back, including a 2024 deadline for regulations from the Department of Environmental Conservation that were the subject of a lawsuit by ...

People’s column: Wealth inequality grows in U.S.

Peoples column

Editor, OBSERVER: Wealth inequality in the United States has reached levels that should concern every American. While millions of working families struggle to afford housing, healthcare, childcare, and higher education, a small percentage of the population continues to accumulate enormous wealth at a historic pace. Hard work should provide stability and opportunity, yet many full-time workers live paycheck to paycheck. At the same time, large corporations and the wealthiest Americans often benefit from tax loopholes and economic policies that widen the gap between rich and ...

Shining opportunity for area’s grape growers

Commentary

Currently a weak market for Concord grapes in New York and Pennsylvania has been recognized. More than 100 Concord grape growers along Lake Erie were informed in March by Refresco that the processor would no longer be purchasing their produce. Farmers in other states and countries have been using solar arrays and wind turbines and storage batteries on portions of their property to ensure financial stability during difficult economic times and growing periods. Besides loss of buyers and poor markets, agriculture is also subjected to more extreme weather events. These include warmer ...

Overspending city needs a watchdog

The OBSERVER’s View

A comptroller, that is sorely needed in the city of Dunkirk, has riled up some so-called penny pinchers. This week, council approved the appointment of Tracy Smith-Dengler for the position. It did not come without drama. In voting against the hiring, Third Ward Councilman Gary Frederickson was concerned about the salary for the position. “It seemed that nobody in this building was able to give me what I thought should be a relatively simple answer to a question: How much are we going to pay this comptroller per year?” he asked. A search of salary sites online would give you an ...

People's column

Peoples column

Village keeps working on water Editor, OBSERVER: We’ve had a good handful of water boil orders and I just wanted to run through some of the issues we have been having and provide some information. Most of our water boils over the past two to three years have been related to chlorination failures. At some point a few years ago we installed a chlorinator which ended up using a lot of consumable tubing. The failure rate of the tubing was in fact incredible and often outstripped our ability to keep supplies on hand, especially with supply chain issues that developed. We recently ...

White House spectacle overshadows big fights

Commentary

What kind of desecration is being erected in our nation’s capital now? It’s all over social media; pictures of a huge frame-like structure obstructing and dwarfing the White House itself. This is a personal front row seat for Donald Trump to his 80th birthday celebration. He will be treated to a special presentation of his favorite sport (the one he participates in vicariously, not like the one he practices almost daily on the golf course) along with 5,000 invited guests. One guess as to who they will be. Once it is over, a large portion of the cost will go toward replacing ...