Readers’ Column for the week of Sept. 14, 2014

You may call the Owego Pennysaver Readers’ Column at (607) 687-2378 24-hours a day, or e-mail comments to readerscolumn@stny.rr.com. We reserve the right to revise or reject any message.

 

Shame on you! You walked your black buddy dog, but when he dumped on a cement barrier by the road you didn’t pull out a doggy bag and clean it up. There are children who like to walk and balance themselves on these barriers. A shame they would step into such a mess. Not the dog’s fault, it’s your responsibility as a pet owner to clean up.

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We’d like to know down here in the Canon Hole if anything is ever going to get done with this bridge that goes over the railroad tracks. It was a little over a month ago when Dick Carey was heard on the radio announcing to the public that the bridge was going to be torn out. The whole conversation was not heard so we didn’t get the hear if it was going to be replaced or not, but a few days ago one of our neighbors went down to apply for Star and asked Mr. Carey about the bridge and he was told by Mr. Carey that nothing was going to be done at all with the bridge. We’d like to know which is it? You’ve got Dick Carey telling people more than one story on the same topic. He needs to get his story straight. Yesterday afternoon the crossing up on the road with the train, over 20 minutes we sat there waiting for a train to go through. What if that was an ambulance? This bridge needs to be torn down and replaced.

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Don’t go to the village board or the New York State Service commission to complain about the tainting of the water tank and to get your $3.32 a month back that the water company took for the last three years. They’re the ones that just screwed you on the rat rate increase of the sewer.

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In response to last week’s something stinks in the sewer of Owego. Nobody in that village can help you and neither can the New York Consumer Protection Agency. My wife and I spent quite a bit of time typing up a report and emailing it to these people. They told us it was out of their jurisdiction. Obviously five idiots who probably own junk homes or homes that have been assessed lower than the actual value by an inside source in Owego are paying less for sewer and water and village tax can make a decision on the whole overall outcome of what landlords and business owners in Owego have to pay. That’s why there’s so many for sale signs.

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The Village of Owego sewer employees need to get off their hind ends and get out and read meters and start billing consumption again or maybe they should stop by Quik Fill on the way home and get some of the flat rate gas over there at $107 per customer whether they’re buying 2 gallons or 200.

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It’s time to hand the village sewer business over to a private company and take it away from the village board trustees and the mayor and get a company in there that can manage this thing right. These people in there could screw up a one-car funeral.

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As a resident of the town of Tioga I, too, miss the post office in Tioga Center. Viewing a map of Tioga County I see that the town of Tioga is the only town that does not contain a village. All the villages in the county have a post office, therefore if the people of Tioga Center would get together and form a village of Tioga Center they should get their post office back, we hope.

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Another summer has gone by and yet Sherry Lipe Road in Newark Valley has not been paved once again. The road workers should take a look at Dutchtown Road and take a lesson from them and try to make Sherry Lipe Road as wonderful. People are sick of the stones that ruin the tires on Sherry Lipe Road.

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It is obvious to all but the 38 percent low information voters that Obama’s presidential capabilities are sorely lacking. Consider his no plan approach to ISIS. Obama is a master of procrastination and prevarication. First he said he would destroy and degrade ISIS. Next he said he would manage ISIS. Lastly he said he would organize the Middle East against ISIS. Good luck with the last approach Mr. President. I hope it does not take another year to formulate an ISIS plan since Obama was given the initial Joint Chief’s warnings over a year ago. It seems Obama prefers to talk ISIS to death. This country deserves much better leadership and decision-making. Too bad the next election is so far away.

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Three former CIA operators were told to stand down and not attempt to save the American Ambassador in Benghazi. What in the world is wrong with the congressional investigations subcommittee? Hillary Clinton and her cohorts should be asked three questions: First, did you order the stand down and second, do you know who ordered the stand down and third, why was the stand down order given? These questions should be done under oath and under penalty of perjury. Wake up America!

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Money does buy all. Cal Harris trial suspended again, changed again. He should be in jail, I agree with last week’s comment. He belongs in prison until this is done. Now he’s out and running all over like a free man. He murdered his wife, it’s pretty obvious and they want to throw out this, they want to throw out that. Now he’s getting his children involved, trying to make a big speech for them, moving it to a different area. No, let him stay here, stand his trial in Owego, let him go back to prison where he belongs.

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If the caller last week had been truthful he would have said that the senate was the most unproductive and also worthless in the history of the United States. The reason, Harry Reid is in love with Obama and does whatever he is told to do. The house has passed a lot of bills, I think over 200 and they just sit on Reid’s desk because he’s afraid of what his own democrats might do, vote against him. So when the republicans win the senate this fall maybe the government might start working again for the people.

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I’m calling to find out by chance if anyone happens to know when the Flemingville Bridge will reopen on West Creek Road.

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Do all Democrats believe that over 800,000 employees should pay no New York State income tax? Right to Life, pro assault weapon (question parts of the Safe Act), fiscal conservative – don’t belong in New York State; PPACA market place established by Executive Order; Start up N.Y. legislation required message of necessity; public services provided to companies paying no taxes for 10 years. This is for N.Y. Democrats. Federally, do all Democrats support increasing individual debt $250/person each month the government purchases $80 billion of debt? Yes?

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Climate is generally described as meteorological or weather conditions in a defined area. These conditions are recorded for a period of time, leading to a composite picture of the area. The principal elements of climate are precipitation and temperature. Factors related to precipitation include; latitude (global wind belts), topography (mountains, windward and leeward), distance to large bodies of water (lake effect snow) and ocean currents. Factors relating to temperature include latitude, altitude, sea or land location, prevailing winds, topography and ocean currents. Proponents of Greenhouse Gas effect, relate CO2 and H2O to the preceding factors. Follow up with the truck cab and the concentration of CO2 and H2O in tornadoes and hurricanes. Is the closing of coal and wood-burning businesses reducing the release of condensation nuclei? Less clouds more radiation reaching the earth. One hour of solar radiation equals MAN’s energy needs for a year? Climate may be referred to as average weather. There are at least 15 climates. They include tropical (5), Middle Latitude (7), Polar (2), and Highland (1). May cooperation sharing and resolution begin.

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I’d like to give kudos and whatever else to say thank you to the Owego Pennysaver for recognizing the Toys for Tots run that went from Binghamton all the way down to Tioga Downs. I didn’t see it in any other local paper. I understand there were 160 motorcycles and you don’t miss that going down the road but nobody else seemed to see it. Thanks again!

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Follow the news, people are talking. Has social security privatization started? Republicans relentless in budget cuts have forced the closing of 80 social security offices and 500 contact stations leaving an untested, unreliable website to handle an ever increasing business. It’s expected that lack of personal contact will cause unwise decisions leading to permanent loss of benefits for too many. Congress has cut 14 of the last 16 social security administration requests; even the requests that have no impact on federal debt. Republicans expect that public dissatisfaction about the website problems will improve their chances for full privatization of the social security program. Do you really want your social security money given to Wall Street or other so called financial experts to handle? Vote the bums out in November!

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Here it is Monday morning and I saw a Town of Owego truck haul millings to a private residence in the village and dump them. I asked if I could get a load and was told no. That’s BS. If one person can get some then anyone should be able to get some.

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We would welcome the noise of the street sweeper. Next time you see him please send them elsewhere because most of the village hasn’t seen them in years.

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I just wanted to second the opinion that was put in this column last week about Norm Slocum and Moore’s Tire Sales. If it wasn’t for Norm I don’t believe they would have had the business that they had. He was terrific with people.

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There will be a free movie for school-aged kids on Sept. 27, one at 1 p.m. and one at 3 p.m. with a bicycle drawing. Free bicycles to be given away sponsored by VFW Men’s Auxiliary, Ladies Auxiliary and the BVA. More to come later.

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While the village of Owego population has decreased due to the homes being removed from the flood, it is not time to reduce the police force. Everyone wants to save tax dollars but protection for the people should not be the one thing that is eliminated to achieve that. Nighttime is when crime is the highest. There are many streets in the village that are not as good or safe as they were years ago. Police presence is necessary.

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This is Gary, a resident of Park Settlement Road in Owego. Recently we had a fire truck go over the bank here on a call. I was just wondering why we haven’t seen anything in this column to see how the driver or the truck made out.

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Republican question. The president is asking for $500 million to launch a campaign against ISIS while the congressional republicans ask for corresponding cuts in domestic programs such as education, Medicare, social security, food programs, etc. Will they use this as an excuse for the usual attempts to destroy the middle class?

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Recent news reports document that Andrew Cuomo is getting money from the Coke brothers. Does that mean he’s now going to move to permit fracking? Let’s hope not. A token of $87,000 from the Coke brothers does not seem enough to destroy our environment.

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OFA athletic director has changed sides. That is, “Primarily so that it will be more convenient for our fans not having to walk so far to their seats”. Yes folks, “The home side for all athletic events in the stadium will be on the school side opposite the press box”. Thank you for your concern Mr. Buchsbaum, but the reason the home side is opposite the school is so that the afternoon sun is at our backs and not in our faces. The walk will do us good and for those of us who can’t walk that far, we would never want you to do something so extreme for our minority. I use a walker and have no problem staying by the fence or sitting on the opposite side cheering for our Indians.

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It’s interesting to see the Donald, also known as Mr. birth certificate in bankruptcy again. It’s nice that this republican has financial regulations available to help his business once again.

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I just heard that the Owego Fire Department destroyed one of their trucks but I did not see this listed in the paper and I didn’t hear it on the radio, I heard no news on this. What is all the cover up about?

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I’m calling about the Owego Police Department. I think that the village board needs to define exactly what we’ll have for a police force, what its role will be and how it can be sustained. There’s been a constant turn over with officers leaving because the pay is better elsewhere. Currently the village is sending one individual to the police academy but how long will he stay? It’s just not realistic to think that a young individual will stay in a job when he can make a lot more money with a nearby department once he’s trained. One of the solutions has been to use officers from other neighboring departments as part timers but this takes away from flexibility and staffing as well as not having them available to testify in court against perpetrators when they are working at their regular job. We must face the facts, the village is in decline and doesn’t have the critical mass to sustain its own police force any more. The village charter only stipulates that the village has a chief of police not a police force. The board should do its job and develop a police solution that fits our budget. Talk to the sheriff, contract for a limited dedicated service to speed up first response time.

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I would like to call in one final plea to all of our neighbors. Please realize there are burning laws and we really don’t appreciate people burning their trash because other people have to smell it. Come on people, wake up – it’s 2014. Stop polluting!

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News flash. The nobama buffoons, big banks, and Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac are once again pushing sub-prime mortgages with zero down to unqualified buyers. The banks can’t lose because if the borrowers default the nobama regime will just force another taxpayer-funded bailout because the lenders are too big to fail. Nobama and Schumer are in bed with giant commercial banks that are once again subsidizing these homebuyers. Look for another future big bailout.

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Property owners on Hunt Creek, Depot Road, Smith Creek Road, Staten Hill, East River Road, all are in the Town of Nichols with Owego school taxes, check your NEW total assessed value for 2014.

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It has been noticed that property owners in the Town of Nichols, Owego School District, have ALL had their total assessed property value raised, so school taxes could go up as much as 20 percent. I doubt the assessor even bothered looking at any of these properties. My neighbor’s garage burned to the ground and his went up also!

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Someone that was supposed to pick up doll molds at Gridleyville Cross Roads, please come pick them up or call me at 659-5527.

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It was wonderful to see candidate for governor, Zephyr Teachout, win against Andrew Cuomo in Tioga County’s Democratic primary. Her stand against corruption and fracking is bold and so important to our health, safety and welfare. May Governor Cuomo follow her wise lead, restore the Moreland Commission, and ban fracking in New York!

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I am the coordinator for the Box Tops for Education program at Owego Elementary School. Box Tops are small, pink coupons available on over 250 participating products from brands such as General Mills, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Progresso, Yoplait, Green Giant, Ziploc, Hefty, Hanes, and more. Each coupon earns our school 10¢ cash, and they can really add up! This money is used by the Owego Elementary School PTO to help fund teacher grants, classroom expenses, field trips, student folders, activities throughout the year for our children, and more. If you are not already saving Box Tops, please consider starting and help us earn cash for our school! Collection containers are available in town at the Coburn Free Library, Owego Original’s, Owego Agway, and Tops. If you have any questions, please contact me at danita@oespto.org or visit www.oespto.org/BoxTops. Thank you for your support!

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On the BOE’s OACSD website you find Audit: State comptroller lauds OA’s Energy Conservation Efforts, dated Nov. 2010. Absent from this is the NYS Comptroller’s Audit Report, Capital Project and Financial Condition (2014M-109), dated August 2014. This documents the waste, fraud, and abuse by our Superintendent and BOE. This contradicts the Superintendent’s budgetary and financial representations since 2010 and other breaches of fiduciary duty. Also, now absent or so deeply hidden are prior year Financial Statements and budgetary materials like Budget Newsletters. Like our annual Budget Newsletter pertinent information is something you shall not know, only smoke and mirrors.

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With the EDU (Equivalent Dwelling Unit) methodology for evaluating quarterly sewer fees, you have single-room office spaces or worse, vacant apartments paying the same fee as a single-family homes with larger families living in them! What is “equivalent” here? The biggest users of the sewer system are getting the biggest breaks. The “EDU methodology” is actually code for “unfair and inequitable tax on rental properties”.

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There’s a realization that the tides have turned against Obama when the M.S.M. continues to use the term ISIS, which stands for “Islamic State of Iraq and Syria” in direct opposition to Obama and his posse, who changed it earlier this summer and now consistently counter with what they want to refer as the territory taken over by the terrorists as ISIL, which stands for “State of Iraq and the Levant”. Levant meaning pretty much all of the Middle East. Obama’s word games are for his own benefit as he doesn’t want his actions and failed policies in Syria to have any bearing on what is happening now, so let’s just avoid the reality and pull in the entire Middle East and parts of Africa. If he can’t reconcile and negotiate a strategy on two countries, how is he going to do it for seven or more?

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To the party who responded concerning Global Climate change, I have a problem. Can you LOGICALLY explain why, if all this change is due to greenhouse gasses, 90-plus percent of high temp records were established in the 1940’s? There were obviously a LOT less greenhouse gas releases then; what with fewer vehicles, fewer people, fewer planes, etc. Hurricanes, fewer last year than expected and predicted. Fewer dangerous weather events than predicted. On the other end, the ice fields in the Arctic have grown 1.7 million square miles in just two years. Explain logically how this can be.

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Today, 80 percent of antibiotics used in the U.S. are used in agriculture. It is now common practice on factory farms to feed animals regular, low doses of antibiotics even when they’re not sick — largely to compensate for stressful, crowded, filthy conditions.

Many of these antibiotics are the same drugs that we rely on to treat infections in people. Two million Americans experience antibiotic resistant infections every year, resulting in at least 23,000 deaths. Preserve antibiotics for medical use.

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Has anyone seen the price of cashews? Pardon the pun, but it is nuts. Thanks a lot Obama. It has gotten to the point that only the rich can afford cashews, or even a gourmet assortment of mixed nuts with less than 50 percent peanuts, for that matter. I can’t take out a second mortgage just for snacks for the fellas on poker night. I suggest we all boycott nuts until we force the nut producers to lower their prices. We can do this.

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