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Useless resolution deserved to fail

What a swing and a miss by Chautauqua County legislators last week.

Republican legislators tried to pass a motion to signal the county’s preference to remain with fellow rural counties in a district that stretches from Chautauqua County east toward Ithaca — the former Amo Houghton-led district that many in the county fought hard to preserve in 2000. Of course, that 2000 redistricting process placed Chautauqua County into a district with part of Buffalo before redistricting reversed the decision in 2010.

Resolutions like the one proposed last week in Chautauqua County carry no legal weight. Instead, they give the appearance of action when none can actually be taken.

What’s even worse is that county Republicans, in pursuing a do-nothing resolution, ended up in a worse position than where they started. Because two Republicans were absent and all six Democrats voted against the resolution, it failed to garner the required 13 votes. Rather than try to send a message that a Republican stronghold wants to remain part of a Republican-based Congressional District, county Republicans played Elmer Fudd to the Democrats’ Bugs Bunny by not being able to pass a simple motion of support.

It’s not likely that those who will redraw the Congressional District lines are looking to see what the Chautauqua County Legislature’s priorities for redistricting are, but if they do, they’ll have a good laugh at the ineptitude of county Republicans.

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