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Proposed 2027 law will fuse U.S. and Israeli military To The Reader’s Forum: Every year, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) presents its wish list of monies for the coming year. Lobbyists for the “defense industry” submit a massive document — over a thousand pages — that very few read in its entirety. In general, Congress subsequently enacts the laws granting upwards of one-and-a-half trillion dollars for the “military industrial complex.” The NDAA for 2027, released May 13, contains a proposal - section 224 in the House bill - that will virtually ...

In Our Opinion

In Our Opinion

Chautauqua Lake has seen its share of potential invasive species over the past couple of decades. We had a close scare with the water chestnut, an aggressive aquatic plant that was most primarily concentrated in the Chadakoin River outlet and nearby waterways like the Audubon Community Nature Center's big pond. Chautauqua Lake was largely spared the worst. Hydrilla has been found in nearby water bodies, but not in Chautauqua Lake so far despite warnings dating back to at least 2013 that the invasive plant is spreading. Luck hasn't been quite as good with starry stonewort, though ...

America at 250, service is our greatest strength

Local Commentaries

America’s 250th birthday is a special anniversary in the history of our nation; the success of this great experiment should be celebrated and, this year, I would encourage you to reflect on what it is that has made America so special. Alexis de Tocqueville, a political philosopher who studied and toured America in the 19th century, once commented that America’s culture of voluntary association is one of our nation’s greatest strengths. Ordinary citizens coming together in groups, clubs, churches, charities, civic organizations, and local committees to solve problems together ...

The legacy of 1776 in Chautauqua County

Local Commentaries

Before the Declaration was penned, a 17-year-old fought for the American cause in the Continental Army at the Battle of Bunker Hill. He continued serving throughout the Revolutionary War, including at Saratoga, Trenton, and Princeton. At Oriskany, his courage—alongside that of a fellow lieutenant—helped turn the battle, forcing the British to withdraw and preventing a major enemy victory. He made his mark in securing our nation’s freedom. After the war, he made an even greater mark when he was called to preach. Sent by the Connecticut Congregational Missionary Society, John ...

Dealing with the heat of summer

Local Commentaries

One day, a week or so ago, when it was 91 degrees, I drove by the electric power plant run by the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) in Jamestown. I thought, and it turned out to be true, that the natural gas turbine there was running at full bore—pumping electricity into a statewide grid that needed it badly. Jamestown, itself, didn’t need the power—it gets most of what it needs from the Niagara Power Project at Niagara Falls. But, the statewide grid needed every available resource online to ensure that the air conditioner load in New York City and the metropolitan area didn’t ...

Tax cuts are only for the rich

Local Commentaries

All we ever hear from Republicans is, we must deny benefits in order to reduce taxes. In reality our tax system is forever increasing taxes on those who have the least and reducing taxes for those that have the most. In fact many of the wealthiest people in this country pay no income tax, at all. If people really cared about reducing their tax burden, they would stop voting for those who deny earned benefits to those with lower incomes, so grants and contracts can be provided to those who already have all the money. In theory we have a progressive system of taxation. Since the ...