Readers’ Column for the week of April 1

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.

Wedding ring found at Mario’s Restaurant in Owego. Call or stop in to give description.

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There will be three AARP Driver Safety classes in April at the Community Center in Owego. For dates and times, please call Erica at 687-4120.

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I was wondering if anyone would be interested in old candleholders or candle jars that still have wax in them. If interested, you can leave your name and phone number in this column.

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I’d like to thank the Tioga Lions Club for putting on a wonderful picnic on Saturday. They go above and beyond to make everyone feel at home and serve a delicious dinner. The macaroni and cheese was fantastic and the strawberry lasagna was to die for! Everyone had a great time and we really appreciate all the work they put into it. 

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On average 11 people are killed talking on cell phones or texting while driving, this is adults and children. I don’t hear anyone yelling or having demonstrations to take cell phones away from anyone. I think anyone even caught talking on cell phones while driving should be a $500 fine. This will stop a lot of people using their phone while driving.

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Well, we hooked up our digital receiver to one TV. All others are dark. There will be a lot less TV watching here. Seriously, do others country put up with this nonsense of boxes, cables, and multiple other electronic stuff strung all over their homes? What ever happened to three free networks packed with something you actually wanted to watch? All the cable networks are making billions off of advertising, selling junk to us and we still have this backward technology that we pay through the nose for. And no, I don’t want some ugly dish on my house with wires strung all over the outside subject to hideous weather. 

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I am shocked that the new O/A school board had to have a synthetic turf to replace the natural grass on the football field. Is it just because other schools have it and we do not get left behind? The last I heard artificial turf causes more injuries than grass. And where are we going to get almost 2 MILLION DOLLARS to pay for it. Our taxes are too high as is. I also wonder when this was decided? I do not recall reading of it in the papers.

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I cannot see how the gambling joint, DEL LAGO, can have an income of $147,000,000.00 and cry poverty and want all of the residents of New York State to bail them out by cutting their taxes, which they have already been given a big break in their taxes for 20 years. Before these casinos got a license from the state all of them grossly overestimated their income as a factor in getting approval. The general public said they were flooding the market and here we are footing the bill for their possibly inflating their income to get approval. I hate to say it, but the damn politicians will give it to them.

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I am writing in response to a well-written comment in your column regarding Coyote Hunting on our hill. I fully concur with the excellent points that were highlighted in this letter. One detail left out of this letter is that coyote hunters are using GPS technology so they can locate where their dogs are, meaning they are free to roam wherever their scent is taking them. We have had issues in the past with these hunting dogs running through our property and horse pastures extremely close to our house and structures. Recently we encountered one of these hunters while walking with friends and several pet dogs. While he was polite, although somewhat patronizing, he said the season was over at the end of March and we wouldn’t have to worry about them anymore. The irony is, why do I need to be concerned about them at all at anytime of the year when they and/or their dogs are trespassing on privately owned posted land that I paid for and pay taxes on? So to our neighbors who allow this hunting on their property, keep in mind these dogs are free to roam and certainly have no concept of whose land and property they are on. So while you may be allowing the hunters on your property, the dogs are going wherever their scent takes them. I would be very interested to read opinions of a law enforcement officer, a lawyer, the DEC or anyone who can explain to me why this practice is allowed and why as a landowner I have to put up with it. While I don’t agree with hunting coyotes with dogs, for those who insist on doing so, buy your own property, pay your own taxes, and leave us be. You are not neighbors on our hill, but people who feel they have some unknown right to be here. Also, in the May 25, 2018 edition of the Pennysaver is an article where two coyote hunters “accidently” shot a pet dog. Luckily, according to the article, the dog will survive after being taken to Cornell University. This sad incident just points out an unnecessary risk to us and our pets on our hill for no logical explanation.

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To those who complained about the Christmas decorations – They will go back up July 1 and be on display year round from here on forward, making it a truly year round Christmas display. Don’t like it. Don’t look at it. Drive a different route. Install a fence. Heck. How about you mind your own business?

National Political Viewpoints

Yes, I would build a tall wall between Upstate New York and New York City. Vote for me, I’m not a crook. 

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I see the Democrats in the swamp beat Donald Trump on his spending bill big time.

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Fox News is so pathetic, it almost makes you feel sorry for them rather than disgusted with them thoroughly, but not quite.

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To inform last week’s reader, the AR15 came out 11 years before the Mini 14, 1964 for the Cold and 1975 for the Ruger. You also seem to think nobody needs an AR15 or Mini 14 and there is something wrong with you if you do. I think nobody needs any type of whiskey, beer, wine or marijuana. I am willing to bet you are a left-winger who indulges in all of the above and then maybe some things too. 

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Finally, the so-called Democrat leaders are asking Hillary to stop disrespecting the American people. They must finally get it. I hope, for their sake, she listens and heeds the advice. 

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It really grieves me the insulting and disrespectful things that people say about President Trump in this column. I think that even though you don’t like Mr. Trump you should at least have respect for his office of the presidency. 

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Perhaps our expert on the AR15 rifle could enlighten us on what its use IS. We now know all the things it isn’t and do know that it is a killing machine as demonstrated recently. It is very efficient at killing people, even in the hands of a novice. It may not be a military weapon but it certainly functions like one. Laid out a barrage of bullets and you are bound to hit someone in a schoolroom full or children or a theater full of sitting people. So please tell us AR15 expert, what do you do with an AR15? 

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Why is all this commotion aimed strictly at gun control? Why isn’t there at least as much anger aimed at the Keystone Cops in law enforcement? How many times was the ball dropped by all the law enforcement agencies involved in ALL of these mass shootings from Columbine to Parkland, Fla.? Where is the push to remove the nut jobs from owning ANYTHING harmful, from a rake to a gun?

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President wannabee Senator Gillibrand is off to the races. Her promise is “Guaranteed jobs programs, creating floors for wages and benefits, and expanding the right to collectively bargain…” Aren’t’ these called a Public Employee Unions, designed to expand the Democratic voter base? Whether they are citizens or illegals is irrelevant. Developing skills, adequate education, English fluency, etc. is irrelevant. Another lifetime voter block demanding more and more entitlements from those who work for a living. It would be more productive to provide a guaranteed income than add unaccountable civil servants or push them onto private enterprise. Occupy Wall Street and more free stuff! This is not meant to broad brush all civil servants. It should frighten us to death that Gillibrand’s free stuff has traction.

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Liberals are again denigrating conservatives as deplorable, only with other words. Conservatives are poorly educated and more religious. When the liberal monolith of academia has only taught revisionist history, civics, and political science since Vietnam, what should we expect? But are they really educating when graduates have to be taught physics and math before they can work in a factory? Income inequality and gender studies produce no wealth. Therefore, more free Bernie stuff for the educated/uneducated liberals. Bible bangers donate more to charity than the Liberals. Liberals want Big Gov. to extract charity at the expense of those who strive to create wealth.

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I applaud the courageous young Americans who marched last Saturday, drawing attention for change of guns laws. They were respectful, energetic, and sincerely believed they would make a difference. I pray that congress will hear them. Thank you President Obama and Clinton for acknowledging the kids.

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Ya gotta love it! Bill Clinton has an affair WHILE IN OFFICE, and the Libs have no problem. President Trump MAY have had a consensual affair with Stormy Daniels 10 plus years ago, and the Libs go ape! Makes sense, doesn’t it?