Readers’ Column for the week of May 31, 2015

I want to kill two birds with one stone about the Tioga school budget. I do not know how the School board and the Superintendent could think about asking the community for a 30 percent hike in taxes after going years without asking for any increases. Of course this is going to be voted down. If this is the kind of smart decisions the leaders of this school district are making, no wonder this district is considered the poorest district in Tioga County. For My second bird, to those who voted down the budget because they felt that the teachers are being paid too MUCH. DUMB DUMB DUMB people, when did we start putting a price on education? To say that someone gets paid too much to teach my child to read is laughable. Voting down a service that is providing the community with smart educated community members is probably the dumbest idea ever. You don’t go into a rich neighborhood and find a school district that has more than 60 percent of the kids not able to read by the seventh grade. Last time I looked around the ghost town called Tioga Center there is nothing going on. Come on let’s think about the future, not the now.

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President Obama is pulling out all the stops to achieve fast-track authority to ram TPP and TTIP through Congress without amendment or debate. These are easily the biggest corporate power grabs in U.S. history. Call your congressperson (Hanna or Reed) and tell them to vote NO on the job killing TPP and TTIP.

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Fast track of TPP will kill jobs just like NAFTA killed jobs. Don’t make that mistake again.

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So, “Captain Environment” gave a commencement speech calling global warming our #1 priority in this country. Hmmm. Only one entity that I know of might be concerned with that, namely God. Are you a God, Captain Environment? Lets get back to reality here, Captain, if you haven’t noticed, you have really screwed up nearly everything you and your “disciples” have touched since you rode into Washington. Seems like a prudent “God” might take the time he had left in office and try and not make so many mistakes, because if you are really concerned about your legacy so much, maybe you should just stop trying to meddle in things you are wrong about, and start slowly packing up the moving vans instead. And make sure the vans are solar powered, right? Yeah. Sure.

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In the recent public dialogue about OACSD, nothing was said about what our District could or should be. We are most like Vestal demographically, yet we compare poorly whatever measure you choose. Our Superintendent’s salary is $165,000 and the Vestal Superintendent $157,000. Vestal has 4,000 students, OACSD 2,100. Vestal teachers make considerably less than OACSD. Vestal third to eighth grades’ standardized math test scores far exceed the average; OACSD third to eighth graders don’t meet state average. If OACSD is a good School District then it can surely do a much greater service to our students. Could they please make an effort to do so in the new school year?

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Congress Plots to Pay for Horrible TPP Deal by Raiding Medicare. It’s a move that will result in deaths. Call your member of Congress (Reed, Hanna) and tell them NOT to kill Medicare. In fact it should be expanded. And tell Schumer you are outraged he voted for the job-killing TPP.

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Looks like the tax creep Joe Chartrand got himself a new part time job. My friend in Apalachin saw him stuffing flyers into mailboxes in her neighborhood on budget vote day. He must be working for the Post Office now because it would be illegal for him to do that unless he’s a postal employee, wouldn’t it?

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I would like to thank all who responded to my rhubarb article. I picked the first responder of several and she (and he) was happy to get them. Thank you, too, Pennysaver!

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Only in America do we accept weather predictions from a rodent, but deny climate change evidence from scientists.

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I think it’s time for Doug’s Fish Fry to open a permanent place in the Owego area. We went to the one in Owego last week and Everybody’s Bulk Store parking lot is not nearly big enough to handle the number of people that come. We have some nice eateries in Owego, but not one, that I know of, that specialize in fish.

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Sensing Spirits still looking to do investigations. Investigations are 100 percent free, and if you think your place may be haunted, please send us an email to dusinberre_85@yahoo.com.

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You want to hear something really ludicrous? Nobama just said that climate change is a cause for the rise to power of the despicable thugs like Isis and Boco Haram. Good grief! What is happening to this country’s so called leaders and how much longer do we have to put up with this nonsense?

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It’s no secret that the fate of the U.S. rests upon the next election. The big money puppeteers are supporting two candidates. On one side we have a candidate, Hillary, whose main claim to fame is that she is a woman and that she has no accomplishments except for being a horrendous Secretary of State and that she says she can raise $2.5 billion dollars to run for president. On the other side we have Jeb Bush who said he supports giving illegal aliens resident state status for low college tuition rates, which out of state citizens don’t get. If these are the two choices in 2016 you will see massive numbers of disgusted voters sit out the election.

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Animosity and bitterness don’t create good neighbors. Sometimes putting a smile on somebody’s face helps you sleep better at night.

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I’m calling in regards to the comment about the Dollar General in Catatonk and I’m pretty sure it’s going to open in August. That was what I was told, but not sure.

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Does anyone know what is killing the Colorado Spruce trees and why the DEC or Cornell University hasn’t said anything about it? Most of the people I’ve talked to haven’t even noticed, but then who cares about trees anymore.

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Free fabric swatches and blocks, call (607) 372-2652.

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This is message is for the taxpayers in the Tioga Central School district. Please vote no on June 16; the school was notified five years ago that state aid was going to be reduced. All of the school districts in the area started cutting accordingly. Tioga Central continued with business as usual. Now they are over $900,000 in debt. Why should we, the taxpayers, have to pay for something that wasn’t our fault? Maybe there should be another in-depth state audit as to how that school is being run financially. This time maybe all the votes should be counted and accounted for.

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This is for the Tioga County taxpayers for the Tioga Central School vote that was voted down. When they had an emergency meeting that was on television, I think every taxpayer in the county needs to go and ask for the superintendent’s resignation because he flat out lied to the public and to the television station; and too, the high school principal, it’s not a bad time for her, she’s not going to lose her job with budget cuts. She has accepted a job with Groton School District, so she lied to us. And the teacher that they interviewed isn’t even from Tioga County that pays our taxes. Tioga Central taxpayers, I hope you vote it down again. As far as Tioga Downs offering us money, I think the superintendent needs to make a move now in order to cut out things and meet them half way. Come on Tioga, let’s stick together!

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Last week someone commented that they talked to the kids about the Tioga Central budget being defeated and how the kids are worried about losing their friends, sports and teachers. It was also stated, “You need to listen to kids.” Excuse me, but the kids are kids for a reason. They don’t understand why they are in school in the first place. They are not there for friends, sports, and to support overpaid teachers. They are there for an education, period! So no, we don’t need to listen to the kids and approve a 30 percent tax increase making it harder for parents to raise their kids just so the kids can have their friends, sports, and overpaid teachers that don’t want to be held accountable to any standards. Simply put, the kids don’t pay the bills and make education happen. We, the adults do.

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Someone called in last week about the library taxes voted on with the school taxes. We have a house in Endicott; taxes went up $200 last year. I called the town and the supervisor to complain, and they said the library increased it by voting it in.

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We have boards, some can be used for kindling and beams for anybody that would like them for free. Give me a call at 659-3871.

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Correction for what was put in wrong last week. Trickle down does not work, income inequality is not joke.

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To the lady that’s giving away rhubarb plants or anybody that has flower bulbs to give away, please call Diane at 657-8495. Also, the man that had his cane taken, give me a call, they are free.

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I am a retired teacher and I do vote yes for every school budget. I suppose you could say I’m biased. Keeping my job was very important. However, if you pulled out the school staff vote, no budget would ever get passed. I am glad to see so many voters do take interest in the voting process in both Owego and Tioga Center. The voter turnout was better than any other school district so I hope the school board did take notice. Tioga Center did not receive its 60 percent and Owego passed by just two to four votes to reach its 60 percent. Schools do need to live by a controlled budget set by the state. Only these two school districts in the immediate area felt they could exceed this cap.

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In last week’s Pennysaver, Scot Taylor said, “I understand it’s a tough economy, I get it that the private sector doesn’t get salary increases. I understand their concerns.” My concern is how do they expect to be able to get raises enough for the cost of living and make up for the increase in taxes when the private sector doesn’t get it. Can somebody answer that for me?

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Where are all the Owego Village trustees hiding? I thought we were going to get moving on getting this flat rate sewer changed back to a fair price.

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The other day I just happened to stop at the Owego Treadway to see if they were back opened again for breakfast, and shockingly the were and let me say, the food was just great! The service was tremendous. I would recommend anybody who’s looking for a nice sit down meal first thing in the morning to stop at the Treadway. I happened to go back for lunch and it was the same thing. Great meal, great price, great service! Glad to see the Treadway is back open again for lunch and breakfast.

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From the sound of the vandalism that was at the Hickories Park it doesn’t sound like the sheriff’s office is currently able to handle the job they are supposed to be doing.