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.
Is anyone else as ready as I am for seven years of on-the-job training to be over by the current occupant of the Oval Office? I can’t believe anyone would want to continue the mess we’ve been in for the past seven years, which is what you get if you vote for Hillary! More of the same! Everything this walking disaster has touched is an abject failure from Obamacare to the treaty with Iran!
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Donald Trump has finally revealed his “radical” new health care plan to replace Obamacare: Every American not covered by Medicare or employer-paid insurance will be required to buy insurance from private insurance companies. Those who cannot afford coverage will have their premiums paid by the government. Does that sound familiar?
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I don’t see where Gas-fracking improves the fracking process. Large quantities of chemicals are used (corrosion inhibitors, biocides, etc., used to hold open the fractures, and liquid propane needs to be thickened – so foaming agents will need to be added.) Gas-fracking does nothing to solve the toxicity of deep brines that flow out of the gas well bores. Gas-fracking requires compressors at the drill site to re-condense returned propane for reuse. The process is so dangerous that the Gas-fracking process is now “nearly robotic” because of risks to personnel on the well pad. Hope your home is not near by. Then there’s transportation. Instead of trucking water to frack jobs, trucks will be transporting hazardous materials.
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Oct. 2, 2015 was World Day for Farmed Animals (WDFA), founded in 1983. WDFA is dedicated to exposing the needless suffering and death of sentient animals raised and killed for food. Each year, approximately 65 billion animals are killed to produce meat, eggs and dairy. Most of these animals are raised on factory farms, where they are confined, mutilated and raised to grow so large, so quickly, that many of them literally suffer to death. Even animals raised on small family farms endure many of these abuses. Regardless of how they were raised, all animals raised for food face a gruesome slaughter. We envision a kinder, more compassionate world where animals are no longer seen as commodities, raised for their flesh and by-products. (Taken from World Day for Farmed Animals website.)
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Does anyone have any information about Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc.? This company has applied for a permit to Frack a well in Tioga County using gelled propane. I was just wondering what kind of experience they have.
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Due to our tax policies, Americans pay more for broadband Internet, food, airline tickets, and banking services than the citizens of any other advanced nation.
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The drug thugs are at it again. In 1994 the drug industry convinced the president to insert a provision into the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) rules that would require all WTO member countries to adopt U.S. type patent and copyright laws. The least developed countries have been granted two delays to implementation of the rules since 1994, because the WTO acknowledges how burdensome and harmful enforcing these rules would be to countries where the average income is less than $1,000 per year. Neither the governments nor their people can afford the patent-protected drugs. Generic drugs are generally much cheaper and just as effective, but the drug industry doesn’t care about promoting public health in developing countries as much as it does monopolizing markets and making big profits. This comes as no surprise to Americans who have seen outrageous increases in drug prices recently and know all too well how the drug industry misleads consumers about the safety and effectiveness of its drugs.
The drug industry isn’t satisfied with the billions of dollars in profits it already makes. It plans to squeeze whatever it can from the poorest people in the world when the current rules extension expires next year. Will our government choose to turn its back on millions of suffering poor people in developing countries?
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We are so disappointed that in the national news network’ coverage of Pope Francis’s public appearances, the broadcast of any music was turned down so the newscasters could talk over the choirs or orchestras. Who do these newscasters think they are? Do they think we would rather listen to their ramblings than the music of the ages? Do they think their voices are more important? Where is our decorum?
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The drug thugs are at it again. The pharmaceutical industry is adept at influencing the decision makers in Washington. For example, the law that created Medicare Part D forbids Medicare from negotiating with drug makers for lower prices. Congress actually passed a law that forces the government – hence the taxpayers – to pay whatever prices the drug companies demand. Congress also sets budget limits on Medicare spending, which forces drug rationing on the elderly, veterans, the poor and others. Many U.S. veterans with Hepatitis-C virus survive combat only to be killed by government indifference and corporate greed. The drug company that makes the HCV drug charges the government $1,000 a pill and hides its enormous U.S. profits in an Irish tax haven. American taxpayers are being taken for a ride and the sick are being denied access to life-saving drugs. Why is our government shielding drug companies instead of making sure its citizens are getting the prescription drugs they need?
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I would like to know if the village has any plans to repair the giant pothole at the corner of John and Front Street before winter arrives.
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Dr. Ben Carson, you just lost votes regarding your statement about forced vaccinations. Too bad our American Medical Association and the pharmaceutical industry doesn’t learn from other countries that have a low percentage of attention deficit, hyperactivity disorders and autism as a result in the way in which they administer vaccinations to children.
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It’s good to see John Boehner resign. It would be better if nobama resigned but he would never do that. He prefers to bow down to China and Iran. Now the Republicans can find a leader who will strongly oppose a Marxist president. Let’s hope our next president is a non-politician who will take back our country and make us great once more.
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I’m calling in response to the person who told me I need to get some glasses because I missed the comment section about the brush and the grass on Route 17 being so high. I just wanted to let this person know, I do have glasses but I lost them in the brush and the grass, 3-feet high, on Route 17; or did I lose them in the van down by the river.
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I live in an apartment complex, and garbage removal is included in the rent. All you have to do is bring it to the curb once a week. This week something got into the garbage and four or five bags were broken open. I was amazed to see how much recycled items are being sent to the landfill. I would guess at least 70 to 80 percent, disgusting. Can anyone out there tell me what can be done about this? Why do we have recycling laws when there is no enforcement?
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IBM needs to get a computer company to assimilate information on their retirees so their retirees don’t have to continually fill out forms to get what is coming to them. Particularly, a program called SHAP. They know who gets it, how much they get and you have to fill out a form and ask for it every time and you can get it quarterly. The other thing is you have to fill out paperwork if you don’t want your spouse to have part of your health money allotted to you and you have to fill it out annually even if you don’t have a spouse – and they are aware of that. It seems like they could certainly find somebody that would accumulate the data for the elderly retirees.
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Attention local citizens. Lately we have had low flying C-17’s in our area – small black helicopters flying in clusters of eight over the Southern Tier. Most recently, we have had military shipping containers on our local rail system. Wake up people, our government is preparing for Martial Law.
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I was calling in regards to the Holiday Food and Toy Basket sign ups. They are only doing for three people plus. Now how can they do that? There are other people out there that need food at Thanksgiving and Christmas, the elderly at that. I think it’s wrong that they did that and they shouldn’t be doing that.
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Big Round Hay Bales, FREE, you haul away! Call 642-9912 after 8 p.m.
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Common Core – Take a deep breath. Cursive printing has come up short. Questar Assessment is the provider whose contract the NYS Attorney General is evaluating stipulations, and whose need for psychometricians is evident in the employment opportunities bulletin. Breathe, NYSED commissioner Elia indicates, “We are in the process of putting together opportunities for practitioners throughout the state – teachers and administrators as well as school board members, everyone – to give feedback on the specifics of Common Core.” Let’s support her desire to comprehend the effects of Common Core. Clear the air! Suspend CC Testing for the 2015-2016 school year. Provide opportunities for students, parents, guardians, and groups of interested individuals, professional associations and others to get together and share experiences, positive, negative or indifferent. Summarize the information. Present it to the Board of Regents in an open, unemotional, non-confrontational setting. Leave personal out. Do it right. Who needs Common Core? Why? How do we get it done if the need is shown? If not, un-adopt it!
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There’s a famous saying in Cuba, “The communist government pretends to pay us and we pretend to work.” That’s exactly the motto the democrats live by and want to spread throughout the U.S. When capitalism flourishes once more in Cuba you will see a tremendous improvement in the Cuban economy.
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The Owego Free Academy fundraiser at the Hickories was really fun. Only wish more people could have been there. Perhaps the Porch Fest in Ithaca took some people away but till the great events, more families would have enjoyed all of these things we had for the children and the music was great! I hope they do it again next year and more people attend.
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Anyone would have to be pretty stupid to be bamboozled by Hillary. She is the queen of bamboozle.
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There’s a public nuisance on Browns Lane in the Village of Owego. They are confused about their property boundaries. They are trespassing on public property and installing monuments on public property. They do not own this property and need to go to jail until they can prove they are not trespassing. Where is the OPD? Why is the OPD not enforcing this and protecting the quiet neighbors that really do own the property nearby?
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Does anyone repair teddy bears? Also, I have an 11-inch bear that I would like to have a sweater made for with boxing gloves on the front, and also would like to find some boxing gloves for him. My number is 687-5854.
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I cannot believe this but it happens everywhere. There is a tree limb on wires between the viaduct on 17C and the onramp that goes to Route 17 and 434 and it’s been lying on there for two years and nobody has taken it down. I can’t believe this!
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Concerning the comment about the Tioga Central School District budget, maybe spending is out of control when you notice the brand new all-terrain vehicle that they now daily ride around in at the football games. As far as getting out to vote, I did twice and still the good ole boys club, also known as the administration, got what they wanted. The scare tactics they were using appalled me. When so called outside people attend the meetings, they were belittled and it doesn’t really matter what your input may be. I think what really would help our school district is to break up the good ole boys club, get new blood in there, maybe people whose lives do not profit from raising our taxes and living off the school budget.
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Big large Tioga County secret. The Boys Club in Owego thanks to the Hooker Foundation and many others has been completely remodeled inside and out including a new lot. It’s been rebuilt with new equipment, and it has reasonable rates for seniors ($60 a year), treadmills, and a weight room, new gym, parking and entering in the rear. You need to visit before they have an open house.
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Lots of records, LP’s and 78’s, call 565-3651.
