Readers’ Column for the week of Sept. 21, 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.

How long is the Village going keep paying Officer DeMarco while he is on suspension? Seems like he must have done something pretty serious if he cannot work.

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Deprivation of Revenue? “Participating companies in START UP NY will not pay any taxes; income, business, corporate state or local taxes, no state sales tax, no property tax, no franchise fees, for 10 years.” Initiated Jan. 2014, last application date Dec. 21, 2020, length 10 years, total duration 16 years. New York State Income Tax for employees and tax refunds or credits for tangible personal property and or services fall in the same category. Do you participate in or accept services from volunteer groups; fire or EMT; schools, board or employee, student; governmental; town village, county, city or state as a citizen employee, retiree or resident. Should companies, whose employees utilize any of the aforementioned services, be excused from supporting them through tax revenue? Ask candidates to provide information supporting their position ion STARTUP NY. Actual numbers would be appreciated. Possible 150,000 New York State Income Tax free by five years into the program with value of at least $1.12875 Billion ($50,000 at 6.45 percent). The commissioner of Economic Development is responsible for reporting quarterly on aspects of the plan. What information should be included? Related to services provided? Cost?

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I can’t imagine that the director of Tioga County Economic Development would consider putting old age homes onto old Route 434 Southside property. This is all hilly, what are you going to have them do, jog up and down the stairs? My gosh people, get a life here and think what you are doing! Those people can’t do that.

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Republicans just can’t help themselves when it comes to attacking President Obama on foreign policy that they see today as war, war, war. Obama’s approach is measured in causes. He seems to be aware of not only human cost but remembers that Iraq involvement still costs taxpayers $75 million a day while Afghanistan is still $150 million per day. Republican congress is still dithering about the $500 million Obama wants to hit ISIS with. Oh yes, Chaney, the republican foreign policy or war expert, dodged the draft five times. Remember that?

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So many people say over and over again that they take pride in their property and how their place looks, but do they look at the streets of downtown Owego? All we see is litter, cigarette butts and gum. Do they do that at their house? Do they leave all this litter all over their house to step on, to push around, to pile up in the corner? Take pride in Owego. Don’t litter the streets.

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A month ago Obama asked congress to retract the house request to bomb ISIS. A month ago Obama said it was fantasy to arm Syrian rebels. Now Obama is asking congress for $500 million to do exactly that. John Carey says, “We are not at war with ISIS”. I guess he and Obama have not heard that ISIS is at war with the U.S. Obama will not ask congress for a declaration of war and congress blindly follows him. When Obama ran for president he said, “I have lived in Muslim countries and they will look at us differently when I am elected president.”

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Andrew Cuomo was defeated Tuesday in the democratic primary in Tioga County, NY. Obviously his banning fracking for natural gas and passing the gun safe act in the middle of the night were the reasons why. I would suggest the democratic chairman of Tioga County invite Governor Cuomo to come to Tioga County on his reelection campaign for the Nov. 4 election. Invite the governor for a ride over the state line into Bradford County, Pa. He will see the booming economic prosperity drilling for natural gas has brought to Bradford County and why Tioga County voters are so angry over his decision. Tioga Downs had better get the table gaming license this fall or Governor Cuomo is toast.

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Why didn’t Cal Harris start a tip line many, many years ago?

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I’d like to know why the people that put signs up for yard sales don’t have to go around and take them down. I think they should be fined for not taking them down. They’re there forever. That’s littering in my opinion. They need to take them down!

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This is for the low information voter who keeps citing the same old liberal nonsense about social security privatization. If you can read, please do so and you will learn that proposed privatization ranges from 15 to 25 percent depending on the bill, and it is voluntary. Get it? Voluntary! I know nobama supporters are not capable of investing 25 percent of what they pay into social security and that is perfectly fine. How about letting each person choose their own plan and whether they want liberal buffoons to control 100 percent of their social security investments.

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The letter to the editor from Ed from Berkshire about water contamination due to fracking for natural gas was interesting, but incomplete. He didn’t mention the water contamination by the coal industry. Accidents happen in any industry, but the pluses far outweigh the minuses with fracking for natural gas. People could light their tap water on fire long before the gas industry came to town. Pennsylvania has the highest producing natural gas wells in the nation..

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The family of Norm Slocum would like to thank you for the kind words about him. He loved working at Moore’s and especially his customers. Thanks to Steve who helped us when we needed it. That is much appreciated.

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Honeypot Road in Candor has been repaved by the town and is very nice; however, without a yellow line one cannot see where they are driving at night and when it’s foggy, forget about it. They’d spend a fraction of the cost of repaving and paint on a yellow line before a head on collission occurs and the town is sued for a million bucks. It only makes too much sense?

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Did anyone watch 60 Minutes on Sunday, Sept. 14? It was about kids in mental crisis and our governor is determined to shut down our local mental health clinic. This is a very bad idea. We need more not less! Balance your budget elsewhere governor. Both federal and state governments are supposed to support the people, not corporations.

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This is in response to the person that thinks that the Town of Tioga needs a village office. We don’t need a village of Tioga, thank you very much. We’ve seen how well this has worked from the village of Owego. We have a nice quiet town and let’s keep it that way.

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Does anyone know what the hot pink Doo Doo Drew signs on West Creek and Blodgett Road mean? Are they gang related?

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The town of Nichols needs more singlewide trailers to keep property taxes lower. I know a guy who removed a trailer and his assessment went up 20 percent for a vacant lot.

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I know the tax assessor did not look at my Nichols property, and no dog bites were reported. My tax assessment went up also.

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Follow the news. More on your social security. Increases to recipients have risen by 41 percent since 2000. Not really that much actually, however Medicare deductions have risen by 131 percent since 2000. Now that’s a lot. How come? Why the great disparity?

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More war. The usual republicans are beating the drum for what they call total war against ISIS. This seems to be the major republican foreign policy now. Why must it always be the United States leading? Why don’t Arab states engage fully to protect their own? War is war, death and maiming will rule, innocence will die, America will be blamed for decades, and will our caskets landing at Dover Air Force Base be photographed? Get real!

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Free movies, drinks, and popcorn for school age kids on Saturday, Sept. 27 at Tioga Theater. The first movie, Dalton Tale 2 starts at 1 p.m.; the second movie, When the Game Stands Tall starts around 3 p.m. There will be a drawing for bicycles after each movie sponsored by V.F.W. Post 1371 Men’s Auxiliary, Ladies Auxiliary, and the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 480.

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There will be a golf tournament on Oct. 5 at Pheasant Hill Country Club to benefit Rural Ministries’ Thanksgiving program. See the ad in this week’s Pennysaver sponsored by the V.F.W. Post 1371 and its auxiliaries, and the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 480.

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More Republican promises. When the republicans take over the house and senate they promised an overhaul of our tax system. It will never happen. Beyond the egregious corporate welfare schemes in place they never will permit a serious dialog about what really happens to all of our tax money.

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Vegetables, a backpack, a bike, shelter, and a heart full of love and gratitude – what more do we need?

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A report has surfaced from 2005 stating just where the U.S. is in relation to their compliance with U.N. Agenda 21. In the report, it’s stated that climate change is NOT the objective, but control of people is, along with the elimination of capitalism. Where does THAT leave the climate change enthusiasts?

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The Republican House majority in Congress has worked to deny food, affordable housing, and jobless benefits to poor families. They have rejected efforts to create jobs parents desperately seek, or to raise the minimum wage so work can lift families out of poverty. At the same time, the House has voted to make permanent hundreds of billions of dollars in tax cuts for the rich and for corporations, and plan to take some of them up again this week. These tax cuts, according to economists, create few jobs. But they do worsen inequality. These misplaced priorities are harming millions of children and endangering our future.

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A newly published study in Harvard’s The Lancet weighs in on the toxins causing autism and ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder). Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) say that along with these numerous environmental toxins, fluoridated water is adding to the higher incidence of both cognitive and behavioral disorders. Harvard had already published a study in 2006 that pointed to fluoride as a developmental neurotoxicant, and this newer study looks at over 27 additional investigations via meta analysis. In the previous study, it was already established that fluoride consumption lowered children’s IQ scores. This left-over from industry, passed off as ‘medicine,’ obstructs brain development, and can cause a full spectrum of serious health issues – from autism to dyslexia, ADHD, ADD, and more. The study calls the effects from this chemical a ‘silent epidemic’ that mainstream media and many scientific papers have ignored.

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Here’s a kick in the pants; if I paid the $800 fee to United Water to get water consumption data to the village, on behalf of the entire village, I would save myself $2,600 in new EDU-based sewer fees. I would TOTALLY do that! What an embarrassment to be part of this village board.

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Two adorable 8-week old kittens are looking for a good home. We will provide $25 for each happy and healthy kitten to the right person. Call 321-3688. These two love to play!

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The statement that it is Obama’s fault the price of cashews has gone up finally goaded me into responding to this column. I know you intended to goad me by the way. The rise in the price of cashews is because of supply and demand. The Chinese have started to consume this protein-rich food in huge numbers. So have people all over Indonesia and the world. Weather also affects the supply. But you might be interested to know that the recent solar flares were caused by Obama. Instead of playing poker with the “fellas” perhaps you could do some research and find a local charity to support.

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Repeal the Safe Act signs are available for $6 in Newark Valley. Would love to see them all over Tioga County. Call 642-3438.

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Hello Town of Nichols and Owego/Apalachin taxpayers. Our 2014-15 School Tax Bill is RISING! Currently, the tax rate is $93.87 per 1,000 for Owego/Apalachin and $42.34 per 1,000 for Tioga Central. The difference between the two is over 50 percent. We can petition the Board of Education for both school districts to change the boundary for the 200 plus Nichols residents that are now paying School Tax to Owego. There is no guarantee of passing; we can try and hope for passing and less tax. Both school districts are evenly matched in school education performance. There are other differences between the schools. For those with children, the change may or will be a challenge. If you are interested and want to help, call me at 689-0013. Assuming there is NO meaningful response, I will consider the issue DEAD and we will continue to pay more.

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Correctly used, Islam or Islamic should describe the religion and its subsequent cultural concepts whereas Muslim should only describe the followers of the religion of Islam. Would it not then follow that these terrorists are not Muslims. Yet Obama has declared the “I” in ISIS does not stand for Islamic. Is it because Obama is a Muslim, as denied, but what is his family culture and his early education as described by himself in earlier biographies. Or the time spent defining his Christian Religion with Rev. Wright to help rewrite that biography until that story became too detrimental to his narrative. Obama wants Americans to embrace the tenants of being a Muslim and of Islam even though the tenants of neither are compatible to our tenants, the Bill of Rights, our Constitution in the founding of our country. Americans are seeing the reality of Obama’s conflicts and lacking capability to separate himself from his inherent beliefs. Going forward, insist we take the threats made on America and meet them seriously every time. Remember the results of what happens when a president is anointed with a coronation and takes advise from sycophants who create weak unrealistic Domestic and Foreign Policy that meets a “vision” and ignores the realisms of the now.

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Due to our country’s current conditions, I sense that one of our parties has been replaced. This party fight’s against our constitution because it supports individual freedom and liberty. They reduce these rights because they limit their power. They attack and diminish our military, transferring that power/funding to programs that strengthen their power. They attack citizens who fight for inherent constitutional rights and are quiet about terrorists threatening our citizens/country. They fight against border protection and allow people to enter without validation. They increase our national debt beyond supportable levels to diminish our country’s power while increasing theirs. Unfortunately the Democratic Party has gained the right to be called the United Socialist Republic. Its action no longer protects my country. Elections are coming. Get out and vote block this power grab.
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It is a pretty sad state of affairs when our New York State Legislature can pass a ‘do not call’ law that states that anyone on this list will not be called by solicitors, and then they exclude themselves from the law and bombard us with their silly ads for their re-election. They pull the same crap for their pay and benefits, free mailings, and anything else that they can do to practically prohibit anyone from overtaking their part-time, over-paid job for which they control their own salary and other gross benefits. WHEN ARE WE GOING TO STOP THIS?