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.
A microcosm of how an inflated and imposed hourly rate works at a local level – Seattle, Washington produces more jobs, which pay $0.00 per hour. Labor Reports furnished by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Seattle/Metropolitan area showed a 6.3 percent unemployment rate at the end of recession year 2011. After the first quarter, in April 2013 the unemployment rate had recovered to a low 4.1 percent from a recessionary high of 6.3 percent. One would assume that local government politicians thought they were on such an outstanding recovery with those numbers, which they were, when in 2014 the Seattle City Council and Mayor voted to legislate all local employers to pay a minimum hourly labor rate of at least: $11.00 by April 1, 2015; $13.00 by Jan. 1, 2016; $15.00 by Jan. 1, 2017. To date their unemployment rate which had been 4.1 percent in April 2013 and 4.9 percent in March 2015, has now increased to the current rate of 5.3 percent as of March 2016. If Seattle stays on track for the 2017 hourly rate increases and the upward corresponding unemployment rates of the previous two annual cycles, Seattle with all their wisdom, are on track to see a reporting rate of 5.7 percent representing 26,350 unemployed, an increase of 7,400 more people will be making $0.00 per hour than they were three years ago because everyone is entitled to $15.00. Another classic of when the government believes they can control labor costs and market outcomes. The only thing they get to control is the person who becomes a receiver of government entitlement programs.
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WATCH OUT! White Ford van stealing dogs!
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I am sick of all the baloney about Hillary Clinton. She was grilled 13 hours about Benghazi and e-mails; nothing was found. A bunch of Republicans admitted it was drummed up to stop her from winning. The Planned Parenthood film was proven to be a hoax!
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Severely injured / disabled gentleman still looking for a battery powered wheelchair, preferably for outdoor transportation as well. (Machine requiring minor repairs okay). An older 3-wheeler ATV will possibly be considered. Please call 642-9912 evenings or leave message for return phone calls. Thank you so much!
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Spring is here! Please help with how your cemetery looks this spring and summer. Many cemeteries do not have the financial means to pay for full time caretaker employees. Nichols Cemetery, Nichols, N.Y. is having a cleanup day Saturday, April 30 at 9 a.m. Bring rakes, trimmers, etc. Rain date is Saturday, May 7. All winter decorations must be removed before May 1.
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I see that Colonel Sanders was at the arena in Binghamton. I wonder if they’ll be having any anti-Sanders ads. He wants to put us back 200 years when he talks about the environment and he’s a Socialist. I think they’d also have some anti-Hillary ads. If they had an anti-Hillary ad it would say, “Hillary, there’s no truth in her”. That’s what the anti-Hillary ad would say.
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To the person who was inquiring about the AARP Driver Safety course, you just missed it in Berkshire but they said something about Newark Valley. You might want to check your Pennysaver when you get it. They have it on the What’s Happening page.
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This is to the person with the concern about the length of the red lights on North Avenue. I think they need to put in pressure pads on the side streets, that way those lights would stay green until somebody came up from the side streets to turn it red. I hope they do something.
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Here are a few matters you should seriously consider when voting in November. Do you want Socialist Democrats like Hillary or Bernie picking the next Supreme Court Justice so that we progress down the slope of Marxist deception and depravity for another eight years? Or do you want to select a non-establishment Republican like Cruz or Trump who just may force prosecution of former administration criminals like Nobama, Hillary, Eric Holder, the director of the IRS, the former head of the FBI and on and on for their part in obvious criminal activities associated with Fast and Furious where government officials funneled illegal firearms to the Mexican Cartel, IRS scandals targeting conservatives and the Benghazi debacle where Hillary obviously lied to the relatives of the four dead Americans and then claimed that they lied when they were taking notes of her speech.
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I am sure that the relatives of those whose lives were lost in Benghazi will not vote for Hillary. She lied about it!
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Thank you John John Zechman, for your recent editorial. Until we respect all lives from conception to death we are killing our future citizens.
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I just came back from voting. I was given my ballot, I looked at it and asked where can I write in on the ballot the name. I was told you can’t write in anybody, you have to vote for the people on the ballot. I thought we lived in a democracy. I thought, we the people, make the laws but it seems like the democratic and republican parties, they make the laws. According to the election board you are not permitted to write in a name. If you make any mark other than circling for you candidate the ballot is invalid. This is the United States of America, this is what I went into the military for, this is where I was going to give my life for this country but the voting laws are made by the rich. Donald Trump is right, this is not a democracy. You are told who could vote for, you have no right to vote for anybody else other than the money people that tell you who you can vote for.
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The Smithboro Cemetery Association Annual Meeting will take place on May 26 at 6:30 p.m. at Kerry Root’s house, 32 Lisle Rd., Smithboro.
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This may be off limits but if Donald Trump is having problems with Internal Revenue Service now, himself, what’s he going to do for us? Comb all the monies for his campaign because it came out of his pocket. Down we go!
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You have to feel sorry for Bernie supporters. The Marxist Democrat establishment has used super delegates to virtually insure that Hillary gets the nomination. There is only one chance for Bernie to win and that is an indictment for crooked Hillary’s atrocious Benghazi scandal. Considering their hideous nobama regime, there’s a fat chance that will happen. Oh, by the way, where do think all those millions of dollars of Bernie contributions will end up?
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I’m the proud grandparent of children that go to the Apalachin Elementary School and am hoping that this year, instead of third, fourth and fifth going to Skate Estate, that they take the money they’d use on that trip and donate it to a local charity like TCRM, the Boys and Girls Club, or Camp Ahwaga. There are so many, and wouldn’t that be a wonderful lesson for the children, that in their name a donation was made to help a lot of people.
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I heard it is common knowledge that Charlie Mead and our Newark Valley Town Board is considering maintenance of Village streets. I guess the Mayor spoke to Stu Yetter and our Councilmen a few weeks ago. Hats off to the Town Board as this does reduce one duplicate service. The Candor Town DPW plows their Village roads. The local news reports that the Owego Town and Village Boards are reviewing services and efficiencies. Town of Newark Valley – good thinking!
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I went out with my daughter for supper tonight and had a very enjoyable time and we were enjoying ourselves. We were headed west out of Owego on Route 17C just starting up the elbow hill. There were three deer in the road, my daughter stopped and we sat there waiting for the deer to get out of the road, a car came down the hill driven by a man, it was about 7:30 and still daylight plus our headlights were on. He drove right into one of the deer and tossed it wounded into the ditch. Why in heavens name would any human being deliberately drive into a deer and leave it lying wounded in the ditch? What kind of people are in this world anymore.
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So dear Donald Trump wants to build a big wall so foreigners can’t get over it. But doesn’t he realize already their digging their tunnels to get under it and have done it for years! What’s up?
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I was under the impression that the underpass was going to take traffic off of East Main, Main, John Street and Erie Street, but it seems to have worsened. There’s always tractor trailers on these streets. It looks like when it was closed they all learned to take the shortcuts now.
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Why should I as a taxpayer in Tioga get out and vote for the school budget? If the first does not pass then the teachers and the school officials go back and use scare tactics with our children. The last budget had to be voted on twice. So if it didn’t pass the second time would there have been a third vote? Can we do this for a presidential vote? And why are high school students voting? How much in taxes do they pay? Do they know the struggles of working a 10-12 hour day or having to work two or three jobs in order to pay our school taxes? I urge the real taxpayers to stand up and say no to the good old boys club of the Tioga school district and ask for the superintendent’s resignation. Let’s stop this madness of spending!
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Who says consolidation doesn’t work? The Owego / Apalachin School District consolidated Owego and Apalachin years ago. Maine Endwell consolidated, Spencer Van Etten consolidated, after years and years it’s worked. There are other communities that have done the same. Why can’t we get our taxes reduced in the Village of Owego by consolidating services?
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I would like to know if anybody in the area does caning. I have a rocking chair that needs a seat put in it. I would appreciate it if anyone knows anybody that does caning on a chair to call me at 754-6418.
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Follow the news. Is there anything that Donald Trump talks about other than himself? 99 percent of the words he puts out on television and in his meetings are about himself. Check the record. Be afraid, be very afraid if they guy gets in the White House.
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More trash from the Trumpster. Did anyone else hear Donald Trump attack Hillary Clinton because as a woman she doesn’t look presidential? What’s wrong with women in Trump’s mind? Does he have a mind?
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I’d like to make a suggestion to the State Highway Department. People coming right off of North Avenue are coming around the corner and turning left, right onto Court Street. They need to put some kind of sign right on the corner where people can see it. There’s one facing over where the bar used to be and it’s hard to see and then people coming down Main Street and I’ve seen them turn left onto this one-way street. I think they should rectify this, there is going to be an accident there. I’ve seen this one too many times.
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As Donald Trump is on national television carrying on about an opponent putting pancakes in his mouth. Did you stop to think what’s coming out of Donald Trump’s mouth?
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In regards to the suggestion on the memorial in Nichols at Kirby Park, I suggest you attach a glow stick to the balloons, therefore it would not be a safety hazard.
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I am one of those misinformed who may also present false material but let me quote an internet statement regarding Common Core Test participation. “If fewer than 95 percent of a district’s students fail to participate, Federal funds may be withheld. It hasn’t happened yet.” Did our N.Y.S. Legislature pass a recent budget containing a stipulation that School Boards must submit an acceptable APPR protocol or face loss of fiscal support? Did the Attorney General and Comptroller approve an RFP 15-008 mandatory requirement #6: “All materials must be held strictly confidential and must not be copied, duplicated or disseminated by any manner or discussed with anyone except as authorized by NYSED,” in the Questar contract? How many of the Task Force on Common Core recommendations support nationwide standards and national participation. There are at least 20 recommendations. Would you consider rating them on the level of participation, district, combined districts, county, city, regional state or federal? Thank you for your interest. Let’s share Common Core info from now until Nov. 8 and inform the public as to what is correct accurate information.
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Words of wisdom from Billy Currington: “God is great, beer is good and people are crazy.”
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The quitters have activated one of their cells. We are watching and will take action. Go Pro.
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This is what I think of our government and this election. “For as their laws and their governments were established by the voice of the people, and they who chose evil were more numerous than those who chose good, therefore they were ripening for destruction for their laws had become corrupted.”
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Tioga Central School District taxpayers beware. The proposed budget is $18,186,327.00. The total number of students in enrollment is currently 1,009, pre-K through 12th grade. This works out to $18,024 per student for one year. Multiply that amount by 14 (pre-K through 12th grade) = $ 252,337.00 per student, for a high school education. That’s over a 1/4 MILLION dollars per student.
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Congratulations are due to Sweeney’s Market of Apalachin on their store renovation. The store looks absolutely amazing. Especially the new floor and display cases. One thing that has not changed, same great friendly service from the staff.
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Does anyone know of any place to get personal papers shredded in Owego?
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If the Republican leaders think Donald Trump would be a “sure disaster”, try blocking his nomination and running Ted Cruz. They will then find out what a “disaster” looks like.
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“Hearken to me well, friends and neighbors. Kinder Morgan, the inheritor of Enron with friends in all the high places, got broken over the knee of some snow-country folks with keen eyes, sage wisdom and infinite patience. The next time you find yourself thinking corporate power is indomitable, remember Rindge, New Hampshire. The plodding durability of devotion may not be glamorous, but by God and sonny Jesus, it gets the sidewalks shoveled down to the grit when the snow flies, and every so often sends some power company suits sailing over the horizon like so many windblown leaves”. From “A Pipeline Defeated: How a Small Town Saved Itself” by William Rivers Pitt.
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It is extremely wise for New York State not to allow fracking at this time. Every day we read of more and more disasters coming to light with the damage that is happening to water, streams, farm animals and the like. It seems that there are many communities that change their minds to the negative after a couple years of prosperity and then the troubles start. Big business has little or no regard for the landowner once they get an option on their land. There are many instances of dishonesty in acquiring the land with lies about ‘take it or leave it, we’ll get it thru the courts’. It is sad to hear of all the horses that are stricken in Pennsylvania. I wonder when it attacks the cows, chickens and other farm animals that support our nations food supply.
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The Tioga Central School District gets the highest percent of its budget from state aid of any district in the county by a significant margin. The TCSD tax rates are the lowest of any district in the county. Stop whining.
