Trending
The OBSERVER's View (July 30, 2026) states that "... no state official has indicated how struggling SUNY institutions are supposed to pay for these generous increases" in State University of New York salaries.
In the midst of an international infectious epidemic in 2009, President George Bush recognized that the U.S. did not have sufficient vaccine production facilities to inoculate its own citizens. Overseas facilities were committed to the vaccine production for their own citizens.
I suggested to then-Chautauqua County Executive Mark Thomas that the north county would be an ideal location for a vaccine plant, what with vacant industrial buildings, ample electrical power to operate vaccine centrifuges, ample chicken egg supply, and a scholarly community to attract and retain the many doctoral-level scientists necessary to assure vaccine quality.
A vaccine plant was finally constructed in Dunkirk in 2016 to meet this national need, although, fortunately, this need has not been pressing. Nevertheless, the plant and the value of its location stand ready to speedily meet that need.
Maintaining the scholarly community through internationally competitive remuneration over years is one of the three prime components of the future success of the Dunkirk vaccine plant. The success of that plant will then provide property tax and income tax revenue to sustain the wellbeing of the community as a whole.
Michael Barris,
Fredonia