By Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz
Last month I hosted a public town hall meeting in Concord. I was joined by members of my administration and dozens of Erie County residents for an excellent discussion on local and national issues, The interactions were civil and respectful, which is exactly what should happen in a democracy. I enjoyed sharing information about recent county investments and the negative impact certain actions by the Trump Administration are having on our community.
We will continue the public dialogue later this month when I host another town hall at the Lancaster Opera House on Tuesday, April 22. The event will be free and open to the public and begin at 7 p.m. Space will be limited, so I encourage anyone who wants to attend to arrive early to guarantee yourself a seat and the ability to participate.
I will once again take questions from the audience on various topics no matter what your political persuasion. My office has already received phone calls and emails from residents of Cheektowaga, Depew, Hamburg, Orchard Park and Amherst who plan to attend next week’s event. I encourage anyone reading this to consider participating and using the opportunity to experience the historic Lancaster Opera House, one of Erie County’s treasured entertainment venues. Despite what some Republican members of Congress think, I believe public town halls allow residents to voice their concerns about a variety of issues, including the recent focus of many on how potential federal government policy changes will impact our day-to-day lives.
One of the topics I am laser focused on is strengthening our established relationship with Canada. That’s why I was honored last month to join seven local government colleagues in the formation of what we call the “Niagara 8.” Comprised of four representatives of southern Ontario and four individuals from western New York, we all recognize the importance of the longstanding relationship between the United States and Canada, something that is based on mutual respect. The on-again-off-again implementation of tariffs between the U.S. and other nations are damaging and we all know a needless trade war between the U.S. and Canada is causing less Canadians to cross the border. As I’ve said repeatedly in the past, I will continue to keep a close eye on our sales tax proceeds, which I expect to decline.
Any type of trade war between the U.S. and Canada is foolish and unnecessary. It will only weaken both countries, as well as damage an alliance of peace and goodwill between two nations that is over 200 years old. We are feeling the negative impact of tariffs in our region and may be facing long-term economic woes and devastating blows to the U.S. tourism industry. No one wins in a trade war. No one.