Readers’ Column for the week of April 16, 2017

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.

What kind of a company would build a facility in very prime property in excess of 50 acres for a cost of $39 million and then sell it to private individuals for less than $3 million and then give the buyers an additional $8 million in credits? The bottom line, the buyers really did not buy the property, it was given to them with an additional $5 million slush fund. Who would do something that ridiculous? It would have to be the State of New York. No wonder they love New York.

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Why and when did the village remove the big slide at Marvin Park, and dismantle the skate park? All of a sudden, they’re just gone. It must be that the village has a new, kid-gloved insurer. Village taxpayers with children don’t get a say in the matter? This is akin to when Chicago destroyed Meigs Field in the middle of the night. When my homeowners insurance company told me to remove my pool’s diving board, I told them to take a hike. I found a new insurer. Why couldn’t the village have done the same?

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To the person who objects to the unlicensed vehicles on Main Street Apalachin. I took the license plate off of my car for the winter.  Unlicensed vehicles do not make the neighborhood bad. The cars would look the same if they had plates on them or not. Maybe you should call your neighbors and tell them to clean up their yard. Let’s face it, a slob is a slob.

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The term “pinhead” may become a common term in the future. Smithsonian’s magazine article regarding the use of more technology devises in automobiles causes us to use our brains less and less and as a result, over time, our heads will become smaller and pinhead will be a proper description for advanced civilizations. Advanced technology, but not in the brainpower. What will happen when the technology becomes worn out if brainpower no longer exists? Will we eventually become extinct?

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There is an alarming concern for today’s lack of morals and respect for life. While there are many factors, some are more glaring than others. Today, I would like to speak of the nightly line up of television shows. Who among us sits and watches a murder take place or a woman raped, a child molested for entertainment? All the while, eating popcorn, watching a heinous crime and the show does nothing – no moral lesson, nothing. Just another horrific crime story next week. In real life, life never goes on, not for the family and not for the victim. We need to get our heads out of the sand. People copy what they see, children especially. The fact is, children, young adults and people with mental issues watch this over and over, week after week whether passively or actively, this absolutely has an affect. 

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I had the most wonderful time of my life working for Endicott Johnson. Everybody else?

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It is ridiculous the amount of money being thrown at the heroin epidemic that isn’t doing a damn thing to stop the epidemic. It opens offices, it staffs the offices that puts in their internet problems that gives jobs to friends of whoever is setting up the office and then the money’s gone. That’s not going to lick the heroin problem obviously and it hasn’t. As far as educating people, they’ve been educated. Now figure out some other way to stop the epidemic that works.

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I am calling in regards to the person complaining about the dog constantly barking. As far as the dog’s barking, if people would take care of their cats then dogs wouldn’t bark all the time. There’s only about 25 of them in back of this dog all the time irritating him, why can’t they be responsible and take care of their cats?

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I would like to make a call regarding the person who is letting their dog poop on William Street. It would be nice if you would clean it up; everybody else has to clean up after their dog. I know it’s not the dog’s fault, it’s the owner. If you would clean it up it would be nice.

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We residents and taxpayers in the Owego Apalachin School school district need to take our district back. We need to hire people and administrators, in particular, who live in the district. Once again, live in the district.

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A big thank you to Officer Roy Schreiner from the Tioga County Sheriff’s department and his crew for cleaning up Fox Street in Owego. They did a great job!

National Political Viewpoints

Where were all of you disgruntled people a few months ago? If all the people on the dole, welfare and free lunches had showed up and had voted Hillary, then President Trump and Reed and Tenney would not be raking it in already. It is like the sign in the antique shop – ‘IF YOU BREAK IT, YOU PAY FOR IT!’

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I never thought I would say this, but I admit I would feel safer if Hillary Clinton were in charge of foreign policy in today’s dangerous world scene. 

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In early November I sent a comment to this column about my surprise and disappointment with Trump’s election. I continue to be disappointed in the direction this country is going under Trump’s leadership. His administration appears to be in utter confusion and chaos. Rather than presidential, his demeanor continues to be thin skinned and egotistical. Rather than draining the “swamp”, he seems to be filling it with his cabinet picks. Racism will not be improved by his pick for attorney general. Women’s rights are scheduled for a step backward. The reduction of financial regulations will jeopardize the economy. Bringing back coal will not help the environment. The way things are going, I am not now or will I be surprised by the likelihood of: Trump’s approval rating continuing to sink. We find ourselves in a new war. There will be another government shutdown. We will find out why Trump is beholden to Putin. The probability he will be impeached. There will be a reversal of what has been a growing economy.

I don’t know what the solution is to this calamity. We are reaping what we have sown. Hopefully Trump will implode if left to his own devices. At very least we have to stop worshipping the emperor and join the growing protests.

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Here is what President Trump should do in Syria. First, scrap the nobama / Iran capitulation deal. Allow the Jordanians and Egyptians to send troops into Syria but give them whatever air support is necessary. If Russia objects, sell the U.S. missile systems to the Ukraine and Poland. That is the deal that nobama cancelled. If China does not put the cabash on North Korea, sell U.S. Missile systems and remilitarize Japan.

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Guess who’s back? We have a Republican president and is that something? He’s trying to start a war! Can you imagine that? Donald J. Trump, who just two weeks ago said we needed to stay out of all those foreign Middle East countries because they’re just trouble. Just another lie by Donald Trump.

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Guess how many pistol packing, law abiding citizens have committed a crime? Any statistics on this? Before we are all forced to carry, as some towns in Texas are now, let’s keep our rights not to carry deadly weapons.

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I agree with the person who talked about the resignation of Chuck Schumer. I think it’s time for him to go. I really do! He throws a monkey wrench in the machinery.

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Trump’s got what, 199 weeks left in the White House? It can’t come soon enough. Too many lawsuits, too much lying and spending too much money on his trips to Mar-a-Lago that we taxpayers pay for. I feel sorry for the people who voted for him and believed him. What a carnival barker! What a person for our children to look up to. Ever since he got into office there is more violence everywhere. I think he promotes it.

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So how is Trump’s Putin puppet while going after Syria? The fact is Trump is NOT his puppet.

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Comments about the political scene here. I agree Chuck Schumer doesn’t do too much in New York, but I wish people would be more respectful at saying President Trump, that’s what he is. As far as what he is doing now, he was voted in and people should have respect for that thought. He is carrying out, I believe, a lot of things Obama had started but didn’t carry out, for whatever reason. Sometimes as I read these comments I wish they would put some background as to where they get their information.

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So Syria gave up their chemical weapons through negotiations with Obama. If you like your doctor you can keep your doctor. If you like your insurance you can keep your insurance. How about that? Isn’t that refreshing? 

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I am outraged that Claudia Tenney (NY-22) refuses to meet with her constituents. And no, the highly controlled tele-town-hall does not count. She ran to represent us saying she would put “people before politics,” and yet, she has now forgotten us. When asked, on the record, why she won’t schedule town halls she compared it to a shouting match. Well, Ms. Tenney, if you believe that your constituents will be shouting maybe you aren’t doing a good job representing them; what are you afraid of? I voted for her, and I regret it. She has joined the Washington Elite and forgotten about the actual PEOPLE she supposedly represents. Call her office in Binghamton and demand she meet with us.