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.
I would like to sincerely thank the writer of the Pets in Peril column for the article on Millie the Beagle. Millie was found and brought to the Tompkins County SPCA the night before last and was returned to us yesterday. Because of the community’s fine work we got Millie back. My family and I thank you all.
~
I don’t get it. If there is supposed to be a strict separation of church and state, then how are some schools spending time in class studying the Muslim religion? They’re not allowed to do so with Protestant religions or Catholicism. Why Sharia law and Islam? Seems like that ought to be stopped yesterday, if not sooner!
~
To the person who ran over my dog on Sunnyside Road in Nichols about three weeks ago and did not bother to stop. Just in case you were wondering he did not make it. His name was Tank and he left behind four adults and four children at his home with broken hearts. We know accidents happen but he was a large dog and you most definitely knew that you hit him. It’s just a common courtesy to stop and let the homeowners know. I hope this never happens to you because it is a heart-wrenching thing to go through. Happy New Year!
~
Register to vote in the 2016 New York Presidential Primary: March 30, 2016, last day to postmark application and last day it must be received by board of elections – §5-210 (3); March 25, 2016 – In Person Registration: Last day application must be received by the board of elections to be eligible to vote in primary election – §§5-210, 5-211 and 5-212; March 30, 2016 – Change of address – §5-208 (3).
~
What would you say to those who are skeptical about the types of work you do? “One day at a show I was at, some religious people chose to come and try to discredit our ways. As I explained to them who came to my free class – Energy readings or vibrational readings are no different than the way a person responds to positivity or negativity. If someone is mean, you choose to stay away from them. If someone is loving you, lean into them. My thesis in college was taking a bunch of plants and growing them to different types of music. Some of the plants got to listen to classical music like Bach and they thrived. Some listened to marching and aggressive music such as hard rock and they died. As with anything in life, always move forward not back.” From an interview with Beth Hill of Beth’s Natural Way in Truxton, N.Y. (August 2015)
~
“The word ‘Republican’, once used to describe a political party, has now come to define a personality disorder.” Andy Borowitz
~
Can someone explain to me why Hillary Clinton is still able to walk the streets? Why is she not on trial, or better yet, in jail? In every poll, the one word people most associate her with is liar! We’ve had seven too long years of that going on. If Hillary wins and is elected President, it demonstrates how voter fraud, illegal maneuvers and just plain corruption are alive and well in Washington.
~
In your Dec. 27 edition (page 7) a reader requested information on an organization that the elderly could contact for ramp construction. That person could try contacting Broome County Office of Aging. They have a group of volunteers that put in ramps. The number is 778-2411. They are a resource for a number of services of value to seniors. Also, I would like to commend you on the Owego Pennysaver. I very much enjoy the variety of articles and information contained in it.
~
Please remember that most cemeteries observe their hours of visitation as dawn until dusk. Cemeteries are closed from dusk until dawn. They may not draw a chain across their gates, but when it’s dark, the cemetery is closed. Please also remember that during this mild winter that most roads inside the cemetery are soft and can be easily damaged. Please park along a main road and walk in. Many of our cemeteries have been vandalized, and it’s important for all of us to look out for our local cemeteries. Thank you.
~
Is it a fad? According to FARE (Food Allergy Research Education), eight foods account for 90 percent of food allergies. They are: milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, fish, shellfish, soybeans and wheat. Individuals with allergic reactions to one or more of these food groups range from .2 to 1.37 percent of the U.S. population. If for all these years diabetics could stay away from sugar products, why can’t those with other dietary restrictions monitor their own intakes? I’ve noticed the absence of Peanut Butter cookies, brownies with nuts, Toll House cookies, regular bread (not gluten free), etc. previously often served at community dinners. Are we not even responsible, as individuals, for what we eat? If you as an adult are allergic to one or more of these foods groups, don’t eat it. If your child is allergic, watch and educate your child. It’s one thing to have your special foods labeled and available, but don’t take our special foods away from the rest of us at public community functions. I think it’s grossly unfair to pressure organizations to adhere to your dietary restrictions.
~
“It’s been a happy holiday season for the American Empire’s next commander-in-chief, Hillary Clinton. Her gifts have been remarkable. I am not referring to any special talent for inspiring voters and articulating a vision for democratic change. Mrs. Clinton is still a wooden and uninspiring campaigner. She remains an abject, Wall Street-sponsored corporatist beneath carefully constructed fake-progressive rhetoric. She’s still the same old “new Democrat” – a dismal, dollar-drenched servant to concentrated wealth and power – beneath deceptive, populist-mimicking oratory and branding.” “Hillary’s Happy Holidays” — by Paul Street
~
To the person wanting a link to a video saying that she wants to take away guns, please try this link: www.redstate.com/2015/10/16/hillary-clinton-comes-out-in-favor-of-mandatory-gun-confiscation/. By the way, Australia’s gun grab wasn’t a gun “Buy Back” program such as many states and municipalities have offered, as Clinton claims in the video. It was a mandatory confiscation with a modest cash reimbursement to soften the blow and not the “Good Price” again as Clinton claims in the video. All you have to do is type “Hillary Clinton gun confiscation” into Google and you will get more than enough evidence to show that she wants to ban and confiscate guns. Here are just a few more examples from the search: hotair.com/archives/2015/10/17/hillarys-gun-confiscation-proposal-will-probably-backfire-in-a-big-way/; www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/10/16/hillary-clinton-australia-gun-ban-worth-looking-u-s/; www.nraila.org/articles/20151016/hillary-clinton-supports-australia-style-gun-confiscation; and https://www.nraila.org/articles/20151009/clinton-says-that-the-second-amendment-does-not-protect-an-individual-right-to-keep-and-bear-arms.
~
Republicans, who are well off, continue to gripe, complain and whine about the inequities of social security. They complain that the government short changes them on their so called investment. Do these whiners and complainers have any idea what it was like for the majority of the American people before the social security system started in 1936? Imagine Charles Dickens America.
~
I’d like to say thank you to my secret Santa and the nice young gentleman who delivered it to my home on Jennifer Lane. I’d like him also to know I passed his random act of kindness on to a single mother of three young children. God bless you both and thank you.
~
Regarding the 2016 health plans that IBM retirees had to listen to, all the help they were getting to decide on what they wanted, the only things that would have helped them at all in the whole six hours would have been automatic payments taken out of their checks or reimbursement. They were the only things out of all that time that didn’t happen and now they have to send out more paperwork to have that happen. It seems to me that the whole time was spent making damn sure the companies, the insurance company, the company I worked for, the companies involved in the helping everybody are covered against any lawsuit. What help it was to the people was just ridiculous.
~
I can’t believe what an incredible jerk Obama is, and Cuomo is right behind him.
~
Hey Andrew, we’ve been missing you at the OFA pool in the morning. You might want to start back swimming in the New Year. Hope to see you soon!
~
I was wondering if anybody knows what to do with old electronics like printers and such, and also old 33 LP records. If you could respond in this column I would appreciate it.
~
It’s nice that Obama and his family are able to vacation in Hawaii while America burns. Now he wants the government to know anytime anyone sells a gun to a friend or neighbor or relative. Why is it any of their business? They keep everything quiet from the American people. We pay their salaries. And to the person saying Republicans lie every time they speak, this tells me the writer doesn’t know lies from the truth. Look at Obama and Hillary if you want to see a pair of liars. Every word from their mouth is nothing but a lie.
~
I agree with the caller who said to stop calling Republicans buffoons. Nearly everyone with a brain knows the biggest buffoon and the worst president ever is nobama who wants to destroy every American traditional value.
~
Wouldn’t it be great if they opened a Golden Corral somewhere in our area? Yum, yum!
~
Could someone please explain, under the Tioga County deed transfers, why the village of Owego is paying $63,768 for 129 West Ave. and $61,807 for 162 West Ave. Both of these homes were flooded in 2011. Someone please explain.
~
Follow the news. In all of the media reporting about mayhem and violence and who struck John. One significant thing about the Republican presidential candidates seems to get lost, they all want to cut social security benefits if they take the White House. The Democratic candidates on the other hand, Sanders and Clinton, want to see ways to increase social security benefits, especially for women and widows and poor seniors. Think about this when you are considering on voting for our next president. Do you depend on social security for anything? Republicans want you to have less.
~
This is for the idiot who attacked the 80 year old IBM retiree for complaining about the health care plan complexity. You fool, wait until you are 80 and your body is falling apart and you face many medical challenges and you have to spend eight hours total on the phone like I did. The idea is to always better your position in life. IBM used to supply a booklet outlining retiree healthcare options. Towers Watson, a vendor of IBM won’t do this. I know because I requested it. Instead you are subjected to hours of phone calls with sometimes knowledgeable providers and sometimes not. I also suggested that Towers Watson send everyone a one or two page statement summarizing exactly what your plans are and what you pay monthly. Again, they won’t do it. Keep your sour grapes to yourself when people try to change the system to make it better and hope you live to be 80 also.
~
Is there anybody that Donald Trump won’t attack in his pathological lying? He attacks women regularly as we have all seen, and he has attacked disabled people. I guess he would call Franklin Roosevelt a cripple as well.
~
This morning’s paper said that in 2015, 589 bills were passed by the state senate and assembly and signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo. No wonder the state and the federal government can’t take care of the government. What do we need 589 bills every year for? The 10 Commandments cover everything unless you don’t have any religion there’s still one sentence that covers everything, do onto others as you would want others to do onto you. No wonder the government can’t get anything done, they’re so far behind on everything.
~
The United States just recently sent $389 million for refugee aid to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has refused to take in any refugees at all as of yet. What great allies we have.
~
Keep your eye on the ball is an old but true saying. The Republicans talk about national security, they talk about gun control, they talk about foreign affairs. What they are not talking about is their plans to cut your social security and cut entitlement programs to the bone if they get into the White House. Keep your eye on the ball.
~
I’d like to make a comment to the person who had someone steal their Christmas lights and they’ve only got so long to live. God bless you. I hope maybe this will go away and the Lord will bless you and save you. The lights were taken from Whig Street in Newark Valley. Good luck with that, I hope you get them back because I had something taken from my residence. I’m not going to say where I’m from or what was taken. If you had the Tioga County Sheriff’s Department on this I would suggest getting a hold of the state police. That’s all I’m going to say.
~
In 2013 the New York State Legislature passed and the governor signed a bill that allowed school districts to offer up to a 15 percent reduction in assessed value on property owned by veterans who served during a time of war. About half the districts in the state have said yes to this measure. Where do the districts in Tioga County stand on this issue? They have until March 1 to act for this year. What a tangible way to show our support and appreciation for the sacrifices these veterans have made.
~
This is a question regarding the work that is continuing on the new OES building. We have been told that while the children are in class the building will continue to be worked upon. The question is, have the workers all have background checks? Are they all legal immigrants? We need to consider the safety of our children.
~
I said it before and I’ll say it again. Obama will go down in history as one of the very best president’s we’ve ever had. Watch the History Channel, watch PBS, pay attention, read the newspaper, quit believing everything you hear from Fox News.
~
Now the thumb sucking crybaby Republicans are upset with the president because he had the courage to speak out about some sane gun control measures that have been on the books for years. Instead, the head of the Republicans in congress, which again is doing nothing except voting on denying healthcare for millions of Americans, this fellow Ryan says that the president should be concentrating on Isis. Please do not forget dear readers that congress has yet to fund the money for a war on Isis, although they have been asked to do so relentlessly. The thumb sucker buffoons work on spending your tax money. What a joke!
~
I just wondered if anyone else has a received a letter this week from their Medicare supplement insurance company. My husband and I pay $193.01 a month but according to the letter, if it’s approved in April, which you can bet it will be, they will be increasing our premiums by 62.3 percent so that for each one of us it will be over $313 a month starting in April. Of course it’s past December so we can’t change now unless we pay a hefty penalty, so we are stuck with it for a year. I was just wondering if anyone else has received a letter like this. I don’t know how they think people are going to live with these rate increases. Something’s got to have a cap put on it and stop all this.
