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On the matter of people who are homeless

There have been several news articles recently about the problems faced by people who are homeless in Chautauqua County. Much of the news has been about where they are being housed...usually in older and underused hotels. Whether we like it or not, the provider of last resort is the county...that means county taxpayers are “on the hook” for paying for it. There is some state aid to assist—but the burden of addressing the problem falls on the county. “Homelessness,” of course, is a broad term. In some cases, people become homeless when they can’t afford to pay their rent. ...

Review Chautauqua Institution’s national historic landmark status

The National Park Service ought to undertake a formal review of whether Chautauqua Institution continues to meet the standards required for National Historic Landmark designation. I am struck by how different parts of the grounds now feel. The scale, roof forms, materials, and contemporary architectural vocabulary of the Roe Green Theater Center, Greene Family Commons and the many of the newly built and renovated homes are noticeably out of character with much of Chautauqua's historic built environment. Chautauqua Institution’s National Historic Landmark status recognizes one of ...

Protect American semiconductor industry the right way

Any parent knows there is a fine line between supporting a child and smothering a child. Parents want the best for their children, and are usually willing to sacrifice for it. That can mean investing in education and training. It can mean taking an active role in activities. It can mean spending time and energy to make sure the child has opportunities to make lots of money. However, it is possible to do too much and go too far. At some point the parent has done enough, and it is up to the child to succeed. That’s where the country finds itself with semiconductors. The industry has ...

Energy policy belongs at the ballot box, not in a courtroom

Americans need energy that is affordable, abundant and reliable. Right now, a wave of lawsuits is quietly working against all three, and most of the people who will pay for it don’t know and never get a vote. Across the country, 40 lawsuits have been filed by states, counties and cities trying to hold energy producers financially responsible for climate change. Eleven states, the District of Columbia, and dozens of local governments representing more than one in four Americans are asking courts to order oil and gas companies to pay billions in damages. Here is what that means in ...

Heeding the warnings on socialism

CHAUTAUQUA — Let’s pick up where we left off last week. Speaking to Advocates for Balance at Chautauqua, or ABC, on July 20, retired Lt. Col. Allen West discussed remarks by a U.S. senator. Coincidentally, ABC’s July 13 speaker had discussed the same remarks by the same ...

Trump whacks Canada again

You have to think that President Trump must have had a bad trip or unpleasant vacation in Canada, as I can’t think of any other legitimate reason for why he keeps attacking the country. This past week, he announced two major policy decisions/complaints relative to Canada: - he announced a new 50% tariff on many of the goods Canada sells to the United States; and - he blamed the Canadian government for the smoke-filled skies coming from forest and brush fires in that country. It is always interesting to me that our President never seems to accept responsibility for much of ...