Green Light

law has flaws

Editor, OBSERVER:

My letter is regarding the Green Light law. Why as a US citizen, veteran, registered voter, and state taxpayer do I need to supply birth certificate, Social Security card, school tax voucher and utility bill to renew my driver license, when illegal aliens or undocumented aliens will supposedly be able to obtain a driver license with none of these?

That is unequal treatment under the law. If people wish to get a driver license (for “safety”), then propose a secondary mechanism to identify undocumented people to provide some provisional license (pending proper federal and state documentation).

The illegal people will not do this because it risks identification! So why do the state legislators even expect even the Green Light law will get people to register? This is faulty and bad legislation. Our legislators should do better.

WAYNE YUNGHANS,

Fredonia

Hospital board following law

Editor, OBSERVER:

Brooks Memorial Hospital is governed by a non-profit membership corporation under New York state law. This corporation accepts dues and holds an annual meeting at which officers and directors are elected to their board of directors. There are no requirements under the New York state Open Meetings Law for these meetings to be open to the public and media.

The OBSERVER has done an excellent job covering the pending hospital move and lack of transparency on this issue, but the hospital governance — a private structure — is an important point which has been missing in their coverage along with the fact that the 1990 radiology and outpatient services addition was specifically designed by hospital leadership at the time for future expansion by adding floors to that new wing accessible via an existing elevator.

That being said, a hospital-hosted community forum is needed to put all issues on the table for discussion and questions, including the current status of the pending hospital move to Fredonia — as well as an update on the state funding and time frame for this project — and plans for the existing hospital campus in Dunkirk.

As someone who currently manages a 55-plus senior living community in the Buffalo area, I feel the Dunkirk campus would be an ideal location for senior apartments on the upper floors and support services/retail space on the ground floor if the hospital move to Fredonia does indeed move forward.

DOUGLAS J. FENTON,

Tonawanda

Taxpayers hit again in Pomfret

Editor, OBSERVER:

I see Pomfret taxes are going up again. I see Supervisor Don Steger and his crony trustees, who live in the village, continue to take advantage of the residents that live outside the village.

I have asked the question numerous times why the village of Fredonia residents have a lesser tax rate than the rest of the residents of the town and I have never gotten a straight answer.

Why the residents of the town of Pomfret are paying double what the village residents are paying is beyond me. It is just not fair that Steger continues to take care of his village friends. It will be good to see him gone.

I understand that the village residents pay a village tax. However, they receive extra benefits by living in the village. Fredonia is the only village in Chautauqua County that does not pay the same tax rate as the rest of the town residents that reside in their townships.

Let me be specific. Villages such as Brocton, Westfield, Ripley, Sherman, Falconer, Silver Creek, and Forestville pay the same tax rate as the citizens of their township that live outside the village limits and they still have village taxes.

Hopefully after the elections we will have a new supervisor that is fair to all citizens of the town of Pomfret.

PETER PETT,

Fredonia

Unopposed

and unchecked

Editor, OBSERVER:

With county elections coming up, I’d like to take some time to discuss a certain legislator. The only reason he gets elected is because he runs unopposed. I don’t know of anything he’s done for the people of Chautauqua County since being in office. All we see is his picture in the paper with certain city officials.

He does everything for the good of himself. He could care less about the voting public.

JAMES BIALASZEWSKI,

Dunkirk