It’s a relief to know that all is well in Williamsville, so much so that the village’s governing body has plenty of time to sit around and discuss whether health regulations are communist or not. No matter that Williamsville’s mayor, Deborah Rogers, and the village’s five trustees have zero authority to decide New York State Health Department policy and that the village’s formal condemnation has no practical effect.
These ridiculous debates are probably all the more enjoyable and leisurely when there’s nothing at stake. And why not take the opportunity to compare health rules meant to protect the public from further infection to Nazi concentration camps and WWII-era internment of Japanese Americans? It really doesn’t matter what the mayor and trustees do with their apparently ample free time, even if it is shamefully insulting to the millions who endured real suffering during the horrors of the Second World War.
New York State’s April 22 emergency rule responds to rising Covid infection rates and current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Unlike Williamsville’s Village Board, the Department of Health understands its charge: to protect public health in New York State.
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Williamsville’s Board should do a better job at understanding its charge: responding to the needs of the residents of Williamsville. It’s unlikely that a toothless denunciation of state policy will do much toward that goal, but maybe there are issues and projects specific to the well-being of Williamsville that the Board can address. Here’s the start of a list: the continued viability and preservation of its historic 1871 Meeting House; ongoing improvements to village parks and public gardens; and the safety of pedestrians crossing the village’s Main Street, which can defy even the most ambitious efforts to enhance its walkability. These are all issues that have been brought up in Board committees; maybe they need more attention from the top.
A beautiful, historic village that has long contributed to the enjoyment and quality of life of all Western New Yorkers deserves leadership that is less focused on fear-mongering and more intent on the residents it is there to serve. That includes acknowledging the viral realities of Covid-19.
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