Some voices can be annoying – but we have to listen to them

What do discussions about wetlands regulations and the homelessness issue in Jamestown have in common?

The alarm in both situations was raised mainly by people acting outside the typical government apparatus established to deal with these problems.

Remember, in February, Jim Wehrfritz drew attention to wetlands regulations that he feared could ultimately hurt property values and make it harder to use proven strategies to control invasive weeds in the lake. It was worth remembering Wehrfritz’s role this week, when County Executive P.J. Wendel went public with his concerns about the regulations months after The Post-Journal aired Wehrfritz’s concerns — and months after many people familiar with the subject said there was nothing to worry about.

And let’s not forget that it was Bonnie Weber who helped shine a light on the plight of the homeless in Jamestown over the past year, when the issue had largely disappeared from public view. It was Weber who knew where to find the homeless who had been relocated from public spaces to Brooklyn Square a few years ago, and it was Weber who caught enough attention that the community realized the extent of the homeless population in Jamestown, even though the county’s Homeless Coalition claimed that Jamestown’s homeless population at the time was fewer than 20 people.

We don’t mention all this as an “I told you so” moment, nor do we use this opportunity to push Wehrfritz or Weber for high-profile positions on Lake Chautauqua or the homeless. We freely admit that advocates like Wehrfritz and Weber — and Rick Huber, who has a history of opioid addiction — are more bull in a china shop than parrot in a corner of a china shop. Their passion for the subject may be hard for some to stomach. But their passion leads to knowledge that helps the greater good.

The real question is how to keep those votes in a way that benefits the community. We almost missed the opportunity on proposed wetlands regulations that could affect Chautauqua Lake because Wehfritz wasn’t at the table. We wouldn’t have made progress without Weber’s advocacy. But both ended up outside the decision-making rooms.

Both government and advocates need each other to solve problems. Advocates need a seat at the table. Government or its designated agencies need to provide that seat. Government cannot take away their seat when they hear difficult truths or when they are asked difficult questions. But advocates cannot walk away from the table every time they are told “no” or when they do not get exactly the result they wanted. Advocacy is about building consensus to solve problems, not taking the ball and going home when you are on the wrong side of the result.

We believe that this year is an opportunity for both the government and human rights defenders to learn a valuable lesson.

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