To the Readers' Forum:
I don't know about the rest of you but I am tired of hearing about the county home. Be sure that all this talk is not about the seniors who are housed there any more than the sheriff's budget is about public safety,or the school budget is about the kids, or Obammacare is about lowering health insurance costs.
No. This is about 280 county workers receiving pay and benefits from the taxpayers and of Chautauqua County and in turn paying their dues to CSEA.
I was surprised when a recent contributer to this column said ''keeping the county home was the best thing for the seniors." How does this writer know what is best? Why are seniors better off at the county home as opposed to say LSS or Heritage? What is best for the taxpayers?
I am always interested in seeing the 100 years ago articles in this paper and these issues have been in Chatauqua County for decades. Quiet simply, the county government should get out of business of the county home, the Fredonia airport, and the landfill.
While it is fun to say that government is a like a private business, it is not and for one powerful reason: Its revenues are from taxes. What business do you know that can raise its income on threat of taking your property?
I think it would be interesting if the taxpayers of Chautauqua County called their county legislators and ask one simple question: "What benefit is it to the taxpayers that the county home is run by the county as opposed to a private enity?"
Jim Walker
Falconer