Readers’ Column for the week of Sept. 23, 2018

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 was disappointed to see there were no political comments in the Pennysaver last week. I hope this was only an oversight and I hope they will be returning.

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What the hell is wrong with our government anyway with taking their time to make marijuana legal? After all, alcohol is legal and it makes you do stupid things like drink and drive. I know; I used to do it. It was stupid of me to do so; I could have killed someone. I no longer drink, I smoke a little weed at home and it makes me hungry and helps me sleep at night. I sleep like a baby and all my pain goes away. No side effects like the doctor prescribes me. What the hell is wrong with that? Tell me.

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I was just wondering when someone is going to adjust the traffic lights in the village of Owego, especially on the Court Street Bridge turning left. The light always stays on for 10 seconds, it’s not long enough and then you wait forever. I wish someone would take a look at this. 

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I agree with the guy who called in about the walk signals on Route 434 in Apalachin. It is a big waste of money. They should put the money towards the potholes from Pennsylvania Avenue all the way to McDonalds on 434 in Apalachin. I think that would be a better way to spend the money because nobody ever walks there.

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Why is it that the government makes marijuana illegal when cigarettes and alcohol are legal and they both can cause health problems, as we all know. After all, it was put on this earth for a reason just like everything else. I don’t use it to get high. I use it to relax and sleep at night and no hangover in the morning. I feel great! 

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There’s a rumor about the Kwik Fill acquiring property in Candor near Honeypot and the Route 96B intersection. I hope it is true.

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I’m a first time caller to this column. I thought it was interesting, and I took note of something that somebody put in last week’s column. I also am very puzzled as to why they are putting walk signals in many of the intersections along a busy Route 434 in the Apalachin area. It seems to make no sense to me unless they are building a trail for biking and walking along the road between the highway and Route 434. Also, he is very correct, the highway Route 17 eastbound definitely needs to be repaved. The whole right-hand lane is torn up from Owego to Apalachin. Kudos to the person who made note of this.

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I have an older car, 24 or 25 years old and I was wondering about HX New York State license plates, which are historical plates, and if you can you those for daily driving. I see several around town, some people say you can use them for driving daily and others say no. If anyone could let me know on that it would be greatly appreciated. 

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It would be so beneficial if Owego could use the large lump sum that they will be receiving from the Federal government towards restoring the back end of river row.

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I am totally disappointed in the apparent non-communication between the Owego Apalachin School District and the town road officials for not keeping our kids and bus drivers off the roads during the flood situation.

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We are a senior disabled couple on a fixed income trying to get some help. I am blind and my husband has emphysema and a bad heart. We have tried to get help from a local organization, but they put us on a waiting list almost a year ago and we are still waiting. We also tried local churches. We are wondering if anyone out there can help us. Our number is (607) 687-1512.

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If the town worker that went to someone’s house to assess drainage issues is smart enough to know that water runs down hill, he should also be smart enough to know that it follows the path of least resistance. I was taught that in grade school. A person could only surmise from that knowledge that removing debris and trees that are blocking drainage ditches, runoff, culverts and sluice pipes as well as dredging creeks and waterways would aid in insuring the water would freely flow to its destination of the rivers. I, for one, believe this would minimize the flash flooding that plagues our area. Perhaps if our tax money were going to things that protect our communities and our properties rather than in the pockets of town and government elected officials, we would find a reasonable solution to stop all the damage. Am I the only one who sees it? To fix a problem you must go to the source, like creeks and runoffs. Have you ever heard that no one plans to fail; they just merely fail to plan? 

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Is there anyone in the Spencer Van Etten area with a backhoe that can repair a recently washed out driveway? Please post a number.

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I have three large trees that have been lowered to the ground. Possible firewood and / or camp wood, you cut up and haul away and it’s yours. Call (607) 428-8104. 

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The Newark Valley Project Neighbor is here to help people in the 13811 area that need food. The pantry is open from 3 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday at the Newark Valley Methodist Church (go to the back of the Church and go down the stairs). The senior pantry is on the second Wednesday from 10 to 11 a.m. If you cannot make that or have questions, call 642-9971, 642-3339, or 642-8176.

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Just drove by the Nicholas Wilson Memorial Park in the Village of Newark Valley. Whoever takes care of it, do you think you could take care of the dead grass and weeds on and around the fence? 

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At a board meeting in the Village of Newark Valley, taxes were brought up and the mayor suggested we should go and voice our concern about school and town/county taxes. I agree, so I took a look at my tax burden for the last 13 years and the following is what I found. From 2005 to 2013, county/town taxes have gone up $21.32 per year – that translates to 1.98 percent per year or 25.8 percent over 13 years. In the same time frame, my school taxes have gone up $26.49 per year, which translates to 2.35 percent per year, or 30.5 percent over 13 years. Now comes the reason why I started with the village. Same time frame, village taxes have gone up $23.66 per year; that translates to 5 percent per year or 65 percent over 13 years. When I moved to the village my water and solid waste bill was $247.80 per year, now it averages $744 per year, which translates to 15.38 percent a year or 200 percent over 13 years. It’s inevitable that our taxes will go up. I don’t know what the average should be, but between school, town and county, the average for me is 2.16 percent. Board meetings take place the second Tuesday of each month. Come and voice your concerns. 

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As I traveled on my rural Tioga County road this morning after the rain, I found four dead frogs and two dead baby snakes run over in the road on a one and a half mile stretch. Did you know that nearly one-third (32 percent) of the world’s amphibians are threatened? Amphibians have existed on earth for over 300 million years, yet in just the last two decades there have been an alarming number of extinctions. 

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What in the world is going on with this OACSD administration? The Superintendent absolutely butchered the decision to cancel school when other nearby districts were closed and roads resembled creeks. He then had the audacity to blame the Tioga County Sheriff’s Department because he didn’t get the word about the State of Emergency until an hour after it was put in place. Mr. Green must accept responsibility for his mistake and apologize for putting the lives of the children and district staff at risk. Every member of this community should demand more. Get it together OACSD. 

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To the person wanting public swim times at the Owego High School, visit www.oacsd.org/CommunityConnection.aspx. For swimming at Tioga Central, visit www.tiogacentral.org/Aquatics.aspx.

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Our current mayor, as well as the last one, both promised to fix the unfair sewer charges that are devastating small businesses and landlords while giving unfair advantage to those outside of our village. Why has nothing happened? Why is there talk of building yet another apartment complex when Owego cannot even take care of its own residents who own businesses and apartments, and who are trying to make a living in this village.

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Attention Village of Newark Valley taxpayers. The village is proposing putting in windows in the municipal building (Post Office). The building is a historical structure, which means there are mandates to adhere by. The cost of windows will be $130,000 of grant money, $100,000 of OUR building reserve fund, and will NOT be energy efficient. In this day and age it would be absolutely insane to spend over a quarter of a MILLION dollars on windows, while not saving in energy costs. If you were putting new windows in your home would you replace with what you have or upgrade to a energy efficient windows? Is there no other alternative? Remember it’s your money! 

National Political Viewpoints

Those people in Carolina, they don’t have to worry. The president will throw them a roll of paper towels.

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The person who thought it was terrible that President Trump did not attend Senator John McCain’s funeral was unaware of the fact that it was by invitation, and neither Sarah Palin or President Trump were invited to attend the funeral.

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Approximately 2.6 million people lost their jobs with Obama, and he wants credit for the surging economy? What a joke! He said the manufacturing jobs were gone and gone forever, not so with President Trump.

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I am wondering what other people think about Dianne Feinstein having a Chinese spy for 20 years as a chauffeur. Please respond with your thoughts. 

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Just as an American citizen, I would like to know why people in Washington, the Democrats, and some reporters get on national TV and say that American people think this and they think that. They don’t know what we think.

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Obama the big phony played on our hope and change. The worst president of all time now lectures us on how he started the great Trump recovery. Obama should be relegated to the garbage heap of history where he rightly belongs. Go Trump!

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Foreign British Secretary Boris Johnson looks so much like Donald Trump they could be brothers. You’ve got to check that out! I just saw it on CSPAN and I’m telling you I have never seen such a likeness in my life. They could be brothers, very close brothers. Check that out, it is amazing!

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So a huge investigation is launched thinking there was Russian influence in our presidential election. The only influence that has been uncovered is that of the Democratic Party to guarantee Hillary will be the next president. So if the polls were reporting Hillary with a huge lead, why did the Democrats feel the need to do such crooked and underhanded meddling? Obviously the Democrats knew something they didn’t want the American people to know. The mainstream media followed their lead with fake news reporting of the polls showing Hillary with a huge lead, but anyone with any sense knew that Hillary would lose based on the turnouts at her very few rallies. She just could not compete with the thousands of people that turned out at the Trump rallies. 

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This is to the reader who didn’t realize that the president picks the Supreme Court judges. Where have you been? Come on; wake up! Presidents have been picking judges as long as there have been presidents. This is to the reader who said Obama was so intelligent and classy, where have you been? He’s the worst president ever and also the biggest liar ever, next to Hillary, because he let his IRS, FBI, CIA and others do illegal things against ordinary citizens. As for Obama being intelligent, that’s a laugh! He, himself in his book, said he hardly ever went to class because he was smoking dope. How did he ever graduate? Once a doper, always a doper.

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The deep state leaders and the Department of Justice, including the FBI and CIA, tried to interfere with the 2016 election, smear Donald Trump and get Hillary Clinton elected. Now, two years later, these facts are being finally brought to light. Hopefully, these leaders and Hillary will all end up behind bars. Go Trump!

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Jeanine Pirro literally was screaming on her show Saturday night while interviewing Huckabee and others. She is getting louder and what a viper mouth! I wonder if she screamed and yelled at the state troopers in Nichols, N.Y. when she got pulled over for going 119 mph. I bet not. She should have gone to jail; she could have killed someone. I wonder if FOX News knows about the Nichols, N.Y. episode. Maybe I’ll give them a call.

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I don’t like Obama, Cuomo, Schumer, Pelosi and Maxine Waters, but I wouldn’t wish them to go to hell. Hell is a terrible place and I wouldn’t wish my worst enemy there.  

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As a taxpayer and an American citizen, I would like to leave a comment and I hope you print it. I have called Schumer’s office a number of times trying to figure out why there is so much bias between the Democrats and Republicans. There are questions I have about Dianne Feinstein having a Chinese spy as a chauffeur for 20 years, and Lee Salisian videos showing where he dragged his girlfriend off the bed and called her filthy names. Am I the only one that has questions like this? I would like some answers, so if you could post this I would love to get some feedback. 

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If you want anarchy vote Democrat. Cuomo wants to make New York State a sanctuary state. Is that the way he wants to reward us faithful New Yorkers? That’s like opening up your door and letting all the criminal elements right in. Invite them in and give them all your money like welfare programs and just turn over the state to undesirables. Is he nuts? Vote Cuomo out!

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I listen to Donald Trump and all I keep thinking is what is the matter with you people that keep listening to this moron? The man is a serious danger to our country. Wake up!

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The only thing Trump has done is broken his promises. Where is all the infrastructure work on our unsafe bridges and roads? Where is the reality dealing with the crooks in the banks and most important, where is the incredible healthcare he promised us? He is a con man, so wake up. Don’t you people know a con when you see it? 

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The booming economy started Election Day 2016, so why is Obama trying to take credit for it? Obama increased government spending, he increased regulation and he increased taxes, which all resulted in the slowest economic growth since the great depression. But I’m happy Obama, and now Hillary, are hitting the campaign trail for the Democrats. They represent nothing but failure. I wouldn’t want them campaigning for me, but I believe the American people are enjoying the traveling comedy show. 

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George Orwell’s futuristic dystopian novel, 1984, saw the origins for the Ministry for Truth (propaganda) arising from the totalitarian regime. He missed it. The Silicon Valley elite is Orwell’s new Ministry for Truth. Twitter has banned the term “illegal alien” as hate speech. “Illegal alien” is a term defined in U.S. law since the 1790 Naturalization Act. “Hate Speech” is defined as whatever you want it to be, i.e. violation of your safe speech or disagreement based on facts and logic. When industry (Google, Facebook, Twitter, media, etc.) becomes the lapdog of leftist socialist politicians you have Fascism. Soon books will be burning. 

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A very sobering thought every American should be aware of is that every military expert agrees that in event of an all-out war there would be no winners, but the United Sates would be the biggest loser. I do not believe President Trump is really aware of this fact.

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Fakes News Flash – Trump guilty of complacency of in 2,975 Puerto Rican deaths due to hurricane Maria. Hurricane Maria caused 2,975 fatalities rather than 18! Google “Ascertainment Hurricane Maria” to read the report making this allegation. Democrat politicians commissioned this report to dodge their own responsibility for the loss of life. The Commonwealth of P.R. is the example of the American Socialist / Nanny state. Among other socialist economics principal’s electricity is free. As soon as Maria’s first winds blew the grid collapsed. Building codes had not been enforced and infrastructure resiliency ignored. Emergency plans that were in place were not designed for greater than a Category 1 hurricane. Category 2 through 5 hurricanes are historically repetitive events for P.R. So P.R. Dem leadership stepped in front of the bullet and therein lays the causation for post Maria fatalities. What about the rugged individualism and self-reliance of Puerto Ricans? The U.S. average for citizens on social security disability is 4.7 percent; strangely P.R. has 17 percent on SS Disability. In this same year, Texas and Florida quickly recovered their infrastructure after hurricanes Harvey and Irma, and P.R. remains a basket case. Governor Cuomo has a great affinity for P.R. Does P.R. represent Cuomo’s New York values? 

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Seems like Mr. Trump would welcome Paul Manafort’s cooperation with Robert Mueller, to seek the truth about the Russia interference and to rest the possibility of collusion. Why is Mr. Trump worried? Repeated NO COLLUSION will get him nowhere.

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Way to go Robert Mueller!

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If you answer the question, “Are you better off now than you were two years ago”, you’re led to the conclusion of how you need to vote in the mid term election coming up. For 99 percent of the voting public, the answer HAS to be yes!

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How pathetic! Some female is drudging up something that MIGHT have happened in high school many, many moons ago. I wonder if we looked at Senator Feinstein’s high school history, would she be in the Senate? Would ANY of the members of Congress be in their current position if we examined THEIR high school records?