Readers’ Column for the week of January 26, 2020

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. 

Does anyone know when the State will finish testing the pavement on 17 in the section west of Owego marked Test Pavement area? They have been testing it more than 30 years and could use that technology on the rest of the corduroy road from Monroe to Jamestown.

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I was wondering if anyone had any information on the BelAir BBQ in Owego. My family has multiple gift certificates and we can’t seem to find the place open. If anyone has any information on it or how to redeem these gift certificates please reply to this paper.

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Holy squatchamoley, I saw that same Glenmary squatch trout fishing down below the Talcott Street bridge one afternoon. I was out in the creek and he came up and took a whole stringer of fish I had tied to the bank and ran away with my catch. Went back a week later, the best part is, he brought my stringer back! He must be a friendly squatch.

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I’m just calling about cars parked on Brown Drive when there is no parking between November and March. You’ve got a car on the road that has no license plate, cars parked on the side of the road all the time; wintertime snowplow comes up and can’t turn around. I’m just calling in to see if the town of Owego can do something. 

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I am very interested in the Sasquatch reports because I live off of Glenmary Drive and I go hiking in the woods by my house, and I have seen Sasquatch scat. It is not bear scat, it is not deer droppings, it is a big Sasquatch Bigfoot scat. 

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I would like to voice my opinion on the people that go to every free food truck everywhere. This is a disgrace. There are families that really need the free food and there are people that are taking away from those that really need the free food. They need to be stopped! One or two trucks are fine but not eight, nine, ten or 11 trucks. This is a disgrace. They need to be stopped immediately! 

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Does someone out there have a black thigh length coat; size XL, that isn’t theirs, because I have one that isn’t mine. There must have been a mix up. Please call 239-0991 to exchange.

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Is there any place in Owego that you can take items that need to be dry-cleaned?

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Where’s the outrage? New York State buys fracked gas from Pennsylvania. Vote Cuomo out! Cuomo has got to go. He has many other screwball plans for New York. Like what is with the new bail deal that let’s criminals out? One guy robbed six banks within the New York City area. It’s terrible. Vote Cuomo out. The man is delusional! 

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I went for exercise at the top of McFadden Road in Apalachin. I go up Gardner Road and Baker Road and can’t believe all of the scrap vehicles in the area, construction vehicles, box trucks, electric trucks, unlicensed commercial trucks and cars. Is this area a legal junkyard area? Does the code enforcement officer ever drive around or do they stay in the office all day? I imagine the ground is totally polluted with oil and fuels from these rusting day-by-day and probably tainting water wells in the area. How do people get away with this? The DEC should be investigating and code enforcement should put an end to it. Someone should be severely fined. The newest addition is a short bus as well as two box trucks on the edge of the road. My sympathy goes to the area residents. Their property value must suffer greatly. People are extremely inconsiderate of others. 

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Driving too close is often the cause of chain accidents. We often have to pull over to get away from the back bumper driving. Please do not tailgate!

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Pete Rose is not in the Hall of Fame? He should be! He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. Pete Rose, I vote for him!

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A bank robber is out of jail because of the new bail offers. He’s due back in four days for his hearing. Now what do you think the chances are of him even showing up? A big thanks to Cuomo for keeping us safe. 

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I was wondering if there is anybody who lives in Vestal where I do that pedals Avon anymore. I haven’t had an Avon lady here in Vestal in a long time and I am trying to find something, and if they still carry it. You can call me at 748-2942; my name is Blanch.

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Man, am I glad the holidays are over! How about you?

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How many readers are getting a call from the Turtle Creek Pennsylvania area code, (412) 646-8317, about a $299 charge to your account. They don’t tell you what account you have or anything like that, but they want you to call them.

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Let’s make cigarettes like the old time cases of beer. You have to return 20 butts in order to buy another pack. Cigarette smokers think they can trash the place and you no what? The only thing they are trashing is their health. They’ll pay for it someday; but in the meantime, let’s get something in place where we don’t have cigarette butts all over the place. 

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, some of these comments are much too long. I don’t read them at all. I skip right by them. Also, if you want to call up the governor’s office to tell him how he is ruining New York State, please call 1-877-255-9417 and you can leave a recorded message. Call up Cuomo and tell him what a terrible job he is doing and vote him out of office. Do not vote for Andrew Cuomo.

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If anyone out there knows of someone struggling with addiction, give The Center of Treatment Innovation a call at 223-4825. They came to our home and helped our family member. I can say she’s alive today, thanks to them!

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This is to the person who called in saying they needed their Spectrum TV box rebooted. They’ll have to have a whole new box. Those boxes don’t last. I’ve had mine replaced several times. I’m sure all the problems you are experiencing is because your box is worn out. Have them replace it.

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I see that the minutes are posted on the Town of Owego website from the last meeting about the town salaries and I noticed that supervisor Castellucci gave himself an $11,000 a year raise.

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If New York State is going to continue with the recent exams, there should be two exams – the standard regents and an exam for alternative education. I’m sure there’s a way that Albany can do this. We’re not being fair to our students in alternative education that must take the standard exam.

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I fully understand that people believe their god is the real god. But they need to realize that there are a myriad of gods that people believe is the real one. Quoting from your particular set of beliefs doesn’t change the fact that others do not share your belief.

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A study is needed to determine the fate of the Village of Spencer. Neither the Village nor the Town is in compliance with the governing rules of the State of New York. Part-time governments usually have a limited vision of what is needed to operate. Going to public meetings result in shouting sessions that are overpowered by groups of people who are lacking the knowledge of how the small-town government has to operate. Led by those that misinform the public. A study will lay the facts out so a reasonable decision can be reached.

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“Those who love peace must learn to organize as effectively as those who love war.” — MLK, Jr.

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The River Row merchants should put a flashing light on the pedestal in the middle of Front Street. They are quite lax about taking the sign in at night, and it could stand a washing once in a while. Please!

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Last year a reader called in about the postmark payment act of 2014 (HR 3909). It seems that a New York State utility company’s customer service representative and their supervisors would like too ignore it; and the company policy as stated on page 4 of the billing statement. I wonder why they would do that?

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Hear we are again. Four days ago it snowed and there are more sidewalks not cleared than I can count on two hands. Somebody please explain to me what our village police and maintenance workers do besides drive around and make sure they stay on the warm side of the windshield. Remember Mayor Baratta, it’s an election year!

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So our tax assessor is having a seminar to help us save on property taxes; that’s awesome. Only problem is she is having it on a Tuesday at 2 p.m. The county and state don’t have to worry about losing much tax income since the only people that could attend will be working to make the money to pay their taxes. Another well planned event to help as few as possible.

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I think it’s time that the Village of Newark Valley (Mayor / Village Board / Code Enforcer / got serious about the junk cars and other stuff that plagues our village. Not only is it unsightly, it brings down our property values (taxes still go up) and it’s not good for our environment (such as oil / gas / anti-freeze / brake fluid /batteries, to potentially leak into our ground water and a place for vermin to nest. Plus it’s not fair to the homeowners (taxpayers) that work hard to keep up their home’s appearance, just to live next to a junkyard! Remember what the place on Whig Street turned into before it burned down? How did that affect our environment? There is no sense to have codes and laws on the books, if they are not going to be enforced and acted on. It’s good to hear a solution is coming to get rid of so-called Zombie properties.

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Looking for several dozen clean, empty “Xerox” type boxes that reams of paper come in (18×11×9″). Perhaps you know of a school or business that goes through a lot of paper and boxes that is willing to put them aside for periodic pickup. If so, email mscid@stny.rr.com. 

National Political Viewpoints

A fitting tribute to today’s MSM as they endorse those who would support a “Democrat-Socialist” government and a one world global order; “Give me the media and I will make of any nation a herd of swine.” – Joseph Goebbels

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As I sit here this evening I’m pretty saddened. I had a conversation with my sibling and it turned into a big argument because she seems to think that Trump and the republicans are the way to go; and that he doesn’t lie and he’s honest and Fox News Network is absolutely the God’s honest truth. I’m disgusted with the whole thing and it really saddens me that there is this big of a wedge between my sibling and myself. For all you people who are his supporters, you better beware because if you vote to reelect him again and he makes it, you’re going to find out just how bad it is to live in North Korea, Russia, and all those places with dictators. He doesn’t elbow up to those guys because he thinks they’re great. He’s trying to learn something and obviously there’s some kind of ulterior motive, and that’s what he plans on doing and you guys better get it together and you better pay attention, because you are going to lose all your rights and then you’ve nobody to blame but yourself if you reelect him again.

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Nancy Pelosi and her Marxist cabal headed by Sanders and Warren will go down in history as the 5th column traitors to the U.S. Representative Government. Meanwhile President Trump is building the wall, getting vastly better trade agreements with China, Canada, and Mexico. He is improving the military to the strongest point in history and providing military forces with the best healthcare in history. Trump has increased employment and wages to astronomical levels and is the most honest speaking president in history. He will win in an even bigger landslide this year and propel the U.S. to even more greatness than ever before. Go Trump!

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Saturday night on Fox News, Jeannine Pirro called our Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, a bozo. Well who is the bigger bozo? It is the famous Judge Jeannine Pirro who was driving 119-mph in Nichols, N.Y. Remember that episode? I am so happy to this day that she didn’t kill anyone. This was never mentioned on national television or in the newspaper, and I wonder why.

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The caller who defends Obama for sending money to Iran was talking through his rear end. Obama sent U.S. assets of $400 million to Iran in violation of ITSR560.203, which prohibits the clearing of any payments to Iran whether it is done directly or indirectly, as Obama did through the Swiss and Dutch. Furthermore, ITSR560.701 already states that willful violation constitutes serious felony offenses under federal criminal law, punishable up to 20 years in prison. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

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Pelosi will be remembered as the worst House Speaker ever. She caves to pressure from her own party, even when she does not agree. It seems to me like she’s slumped over, like she doesn’t walk with confidence. I will be so glad after November when there is a new speaker. 

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President Trump was criticized when he spoke of weak and poor management in Puerto Rico. Well it turns out he was correct. Just recently millions of unused U.S. survival kits were found; blankets, baby food, water – all unused, wasted! Once again, President Trump was right, but criticized by the fake news. The man must have ESP. The best president the United States has ever seen! 

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Nancy Pelosi must be getting desperate. She’s sending out letters asking for money. She’s really getting afraid of Donald Trump. I’m a republican, not a democrat, so she must be sending them to everybody. Go Trump! Trump is going to win. Trump is a good man; he’s done right by America. He’s got more jobs, built the wall; we need more men like him and tough women, not like Nancy, in our government. God bless America!

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It’s interesting that there are a total of 17 states that declined a tax residence on their federal or state pension income. 

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I really had to laugh after I saw the meeting of the minds at the White House overnight. It didn’t take very long for the boys and girls to stand up and wander around and read their papers, which was a big no-no. Isn’t that the way we raised our kids? No, you’re not going to do that; ten minutes later, hmmm, I guess it’s okay. We’ve got babies in the White House; think about it.

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President Trump’s leadership has produced numerous stock market rallies day after day after day. Anyone who is in the stock market and spews lies, hatred, and disrespect for our wonderful president should return any monetary gain that they have acquired with their stocks since the election of President Trump. But we all know that will not happen as we’re dealing with hypocrites. Go Trump!

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President Trump has a lot of patience. I do not know how he deals with the irritating media staff from fake news networks. They ask dumb questions and will repeat that exact dumb question if they don’t get the answer they want to hear. He handles them graciously, calmly and professionally. I sure couldn’t do it; I would just have to walk away.

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Pelosi’s got to go, Schumer’s got to go, and Schiff’s got to go. Vote them out!

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Have any of these New York democratic so-called politicians ever held a real job? I think not. Charles Schumer went to school, went to Washington, worked as a clerk, and decided to run; and the stupid people of New York elected him. He’s never really worked hard for the millions of dollars that he now has. I’m sure he did not work like most of us. They promise you the world and they deliver nothing. Vote them all out come November, I cannot wait. 

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Donald Trump will never become a monarch, he will never become a king, but you can bet your ass he will become a dictator. Just wait until that happens, and we all know it’s due to you republican congressmen. You allowed this man to take over our country. It will be the death of America. It will no longer be the land of the free. You can kiss your rights, your liberties, and your freedoms goodbye. Is that what you want, just so you can get reelected? How small, GOP, Guardians of Putin.

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To all you Trumpsters, a lie doesn’t become truth just because people believe it!

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Mr. Trump has spent $13.7 million on trips to Mar-a-Lago since 2016. Taxpayers need to get a second job to support his lifestyle.

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Somebody needs to open an investigation into the Democratic Party to find out if they have any ties to America.

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As a Sanctuary State, Martians are flooding New York. Our DMV offices are being overwhelmed and voter registration is sky-rocketing, despite that Martians are unable to read, willing to learn English, uneducated, and of low IQ. New York State is no longer hemorrhaging population. To accommodate Martians, Cuomo is modifying road signs and tax forms to include Martian hieroglyphics. How wasteful, Martians can’t read or won’t speak human. School lunch menus will be modified to include squigsmooshes (similar to smores with pickled puppy nose). Doctors won’t be licensed until they learn Martian anatomy for free healthcare. Wait, stop, Cuomo is building a wall. Martians only vote Republican.  

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Let me see if I understand this correctly. President Trump gets impeached for basically doing nothing wrong; actually, if you look at facts, not emotions and innuendos. The Obama / Clinton / Biden “administration” does everything they accuse President Trump of doing in spades, and they are not held accountable. Why is that?

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It’s laughable. This whole impeachment ballyhoo put on by the Socialist Democrats is aimed squarely at the low information voter, the person who doesn’t bother to do their own research and find out the TRUTH as opposed to what they’d like you to believe. Absolute waste of time, money, and effort.

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A house divided against its self cannot stand. I pray to God the republicans get on board with good, common rational sense. 

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Watching the Democrats work on impeachment strategies is like employees that spend six of the eight hours you are paying them trying to figure out how to screw you out of the other two.

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Dear Green Loons, would you like to do meaningful rather than be a bunch of useless and useful idiots of the Green New Deals. Our forests have been decimated. The Ash are almost all dead. Elm and Chestnut are ghosts of the past. Now Hemlocks are under attack. A government/private land agreement needs be made so as to repopulate the forests with a diversity of species. Not monocultures. Additionally, the deer will need to be substantially culled so as to let the saplings get started. Advocate for it and Cuomo will sprinkle fairy dust on it. Fracking hasn’t poisoned the planet.

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Senator McSally called a reporter a liberal hack when he asked her a legitimate question. What a low shot, she’s old enough to know better. I’m sure it was put out there for Mr. Trump’s ears, but I wonder how her mother heard it.   

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What a hoot, just had a good laugh. Adam Schiff was on TV and said that McConnell is not doing the senate hearing fair. Wow, when they had the house impeachment trials, they had five secret meetings downstairs without any Republicans. All the witnesses they called were hearsay and they had their chance to prove that President Trump did anything wrong. They couldn’t make up their minds what to charge him with because there was no crime. They did not allow the president’s witness’s to testify to defend him.  They made up the rules as they went along. How can they not be glad that the economy is doing good, employment is plentiful with jobs, more people off of food stamps, the wall is being built to keep the drugs out, and peace is being made with other countries. Please wake up and realize how good we have it in the great United States of America and the great military who are defending our rights to stay free and who have lost their lives protecting us; and those who are still serving so we can have these freedoms.

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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been taking heat this week from state politicians, many of whom say the governor’s priorities seem misplaced. They argue that Cuomo has appeared more concerned about trying to get the motto “E Pluribus Unum” onto the state flag than about closing the state’s $6.1 billion budget gap or addressing a much criticized bail-reform law. Violent offenders are running free,” Basile wrote on Twitter. “City schools graduate less than 1/3 ready for college. High taxes are driving people out — BUT he wants to change the state flag.” Despite having just about the same number of residents, New York spends about double the amount – with a government that is about twice the size – when compared with Florida. While New York and Florida have similar population levels – 20 million and 21 million – the state and local governments of New York spent $348 billion in 2017 compared to $177 billion in Florida, according to a new study from the Cato Institute. After analyzing 2017 data, the researcher found that New York spent $69 billion on K-12 schools, compared with $28 billion in Florida. Each state has about the same number of kids enrolled. When it comes to public welfare, New York outspent Florida by $71 billion to $28 billion. New York politicians have been complaining that high-earning residents are leaving for low-tax states such as Florida, which has no income tax or estate tax, the study’s author Chris Edwards, director of tax policy studies at Cato and editor of www.DownsizingGovernment.org, told FOX Business. “But New York politicians have only themselves to blame because government in the Empire State is so costly and bloated.” And – as of 2018 – New York’s government employed 34 percent more workers than Florida, including three times as many welfare workers, two times as many highway workers and 31 percent more teachers. Remember this when considering your next New York leader choice.

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Donald Trump has corrupted pretty much every federal agency, but the one that is most concerning is his corruption of the Department of Justice. Bill Barr, in 1992, ran the cover-up of the Iran/Contra treason scandal on behalf of George HW Bush and Ronald Reagan. Now he’s running, according to Lev Parnas, multiple coverups for Donald Trump. From every federal agency to every member of the House and Senate, to the Vice Presidency, Donald Trump has corrupted them all. He’s able to do this because in 1976 and 1978 the Supreme Court legalized billionaires and corporations owning politicians, and the Republican Party put out a “for sale” sign. The big corporations and oligarchs don’t just own the politicians now; they own the media outlets, the television stations, the radio stations, the television networks, and a massive number of major Internet sites. One of the biggest oligarchs, Mark Zuckerberg, has directed Facebook to allow Donald Trump’s ads filled with naked lies in them to continue without restriction. At every level, our republic has been corrupted by massive amounts of money legalized by the Supreme Court in 1976 in 1978. It gave birth to the Reagan Revolution, it was cemented into law with Citizens United, and if we don’t act soon it will destroy this nation. On another note, Newsweek is reporting that the United Nations investigation of developed countries around the world finds that poverty in the United States is now so widespread and severe, with over 40 million Americans below the poverty level and many of them living without basic sanitation or enough food and without any access to healthcare, that large parts of America are functionally as bad as or worse than many Third World countries. Republican policies and 40 years of Reaganomics have turned America into a “third world country.” But the media continues to support Republican candidates and highlight Republican issues like increasing military spending and cheerleading for more tax cuts for the wealthy. Maybe we should reverse those tax cuts for the wealthy and use that money to help the poorest among us to live better lives? After all, that seems like the Christian thing to do.