County must lead

on new Brooks-TLC

Editor, OBSERVER:

There is absolute unanimous opinion that the northern Chautauqua County community fully supports a new micro hospital for the greater Dunkirk-Fredonia area. Our county government must now step up to get the state funded micro-hospital built.

The bottom line remains that New York state will apparently not release millions in designated dollars for the new micro hospital until a solution is arrived at as to how cover the projected multi-million-dollar annual losses following construction of any new micro hospital.

Only our county government has the financial where with all and regional governance to lead and financially resolve the annual hospital short fall issue. It’s time for our County Legislature and County Executive to step up and find a solution to fund any future Brooks’ shortfalls, so as to get state release of state construction funds.

Historically, the county saw a problem with the lack of emergency EMT personnel for rural county fire departments emergency calls and founded with taxpayer dollars the “Fly Car” program to fill the necessary need. Further, the economic future of northern Chautauqua County is without debate tied to a new hospital and deserves possible future funding through county Industrial Development Agency resources.

The dollars are available from a variety of tax resources and the county has solved problems like this before. I am confident if there is the will, our county leaders can again provide problem solving leadership. The need is apparent and “essential”, as the Borrello task force that studied the issue stated.

NORMAN P. GREEN,

Dewittville

Dems failed village

on safer streets

Editor, OBSERVER:

I have to say that I’m baffled after attending the Fredonia Village Board meeting on Monday. Up for resolution was the purchase of a Kubota salt spreader and equipment that will help to keep our sidewalks plowed, salted and safe; especially for our elderly, handicapped and otherwise mobility challenged residents.

Both Trustees Michelle Twichell and James Lynden voted against the expenditure. Thankfully our Republican Board members voted in favor of the resolution and it passed.

Where my confusion and disdain occur, surrounds the fact that minutes earlier, the aforementioned dissenting Democratic trustees were absolutely giddy at authorizing a letter in favor of initiating an application for a grant for the “Complete Streets” initiative that will benefit our bike riders, add artwork to the intersections and narrow lanes to reduce the speed and flow of traffic to a virtual crawl …. especially when behind a wide load vehicle or tractor trailer. Impacts on emergency vehicles weren’t mentioned by the grants manager regarding the effects on traffic during the winter. Moreover, it’s unclear if the grant will cover all expenditures for this initiative, especially the unforeseen impacts.

Respectfully, Trustees Lynden and Twitchell seemed to focus more interest and attention on those that “get out and go” during the nicer weather, than the safety and mobility of those more challenged and the safety of the general public during our long months of inclement weather. A more realistic approach as to where we live and the pressing needs of our village residents would be appreciated.

MELANIE MANN,

Fredonia,

Fredonia-Pomfret Republican Committee chair

Crypto experience just seems fishy

Editor, OBSERVER:

“A fool and his money are soon parted.”

Giant Crypto exchange FTX collapsed and filed for bankruptcy. Did people’s computer money vanish into thin air? How does that work? I admit that I really don’t know.

Totally replacing “cash”currency with “digital” as a way to pay for stuff has pretty much already happened. I use my credit card, PayPal and bank transfers all the time now. Lurking in the back of my mind though is the notion that all of my transactions are recorded and stored on a computer somewhere.

Call me old fashioned but I don’t like other people (or the government) knowing all my business. It may be convenient to pay with a credit card, PayPal or crypto currency but it is not private and you can’t safeguard your money like physically piling gold and silver in a safe.

Every once in a while, everyone should pay for something by handing someone a $20 bill. Just for old time sake. It just feels good to pay somebody with cash even though I know that like the phone booth, it will probably become a thing of the past.

Oh! Another fun thing you should try is “bartering.” Now, there’s a kind of payment that has been around since the dinosaurs … and I don’t think bartering will ever go away.

We like to barter for things out here in the boondocks.

Here’s how it works. You do something for me and I pay you with a dozen eggs or a sack of potatoes. There is something reassuring about that way of paying for something. Somebody sitting behind a computer somewhere can’t steal your eggs or potatoes and nobody else knows that the transaction even took place.

TIM STOCKMAN,

South Dayton

There’s a number

of threats from left

Editor, OBSERVER:

After reading the Nov. 2 commentary “What direction do you want for U.S.?” I fear the writer is confused about which party “has no agenda save one: control.”

While ignoring inflation, rising crime, the border crisis, the Democratic party spews the same rhetoric that the GOP is a threat to our democracy. (What party really threatens, intimidates and spreads fear?)

The real threat to our democracy is the far-left radicals that run the Democratic party. They are the ones who want to control everything we think, say and do. That’s the real threat!

Playing the blame game over and over won’t work. Thank God more and more people are seeing the light and what the real truths are.

The group of overzealous Americans that stormed the Capital on Jan. 6 were wrong, but do not try to punish all Republicans and Conservatives for the actions of this group.

I pose this question to you: would Biden have been elected had not the FBI held onto Hunter Biden’s laptop until after the election? I think not! Just look how this country was on a roll and what it could be like now had Trump won.

What direction do I want for the U.S.? The direction we were headed when Donald Trump was president!

God bless America.

STEVE MASTRELLI,

Fredonia