Readers’ Column for the week of April 19, 2020

You may call the Owego Pennysaver Readers’ Column at (607) 687-2378 24-hours a day, or email comments to readerscolumn@stny.rr.com. We reserve the right to revise or reject any message.  

My Friends, it seems there is much discussion these days about whether we are living in the “End Times”. God has not left us in the dark about His plans for this world. Jesus tells us about the Signs of the Times and the End of the Age in Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21 and in the Book of Revelation. “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is near. So, you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near,” (Luke 21:30-31) Jesus not only tells us what to look for but He tells us what we should do. “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36) With all that is going on in this world, it is time to think seriously about whom Jesus truly is and what He has done to bring redemption and reconciliation with God to each of us, if we would only believe. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved… (Acts 16:31)

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I have witnessed people taking food at the free give-outs that are well to do and no reason for them to do that. Do they realize they are potentially taking food out of the mouths of people who need it? Absolutely shame on them! 

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As long as people let politicians, police, utility companies, etc. behave like they have been it will never end. Cuomo has been running this state like North Korea for far too long. It’s not his personal property and we do not belong to him. If everybody would stick together then maybe something could be done about it, but until people say no more, you’re just going to keep getting more of the same.

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Mayor Mike says keep the cards and letters coming. You’re going to keep getting those big sewage payments even though the apartments in Owego are empty and the businesses are shuttered. So Mayor Mike says keep the cards and letters coming. Keep the big sewage payments coming.

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Storm troopers coming, get ready. 

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This is the guy who told the readers to ask for the MSDS sheets on these chem trails, I only did this to wake people up and look for themselves instead of being like lambs to the slaughter being led by the democrats, even though you think Cuomo’s this great guy because we’ve got this coronavirus. He’s not your buddy. He’s one of the ones trying to kill off two thirds of the earth’s population. He’s just hiding behind this and you people are being led right down the golden path like lambs to slaughter. You’re gonna just keep believing it until you are all dead. 

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I guess there’s a newsflash. Seeing as Lowes, Home Depot, Tractor Supply and all these places that have their garden centers closed right now, nobody’s going to be able to buy seeds or plants to do their garden so this will put a bind on the food supply next fall and cow feed is at a shortage so the government is saying these milk producing cows are going to have to be slaughtered because they don’t have anything to feed the cows. Farmers are smarter than that; most of the good ones raise their own food. So if they slaughter the cows now there isn’t going to be any beef later and you’ll be paying double for it. 

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Who would be stupid enough to sacrifice their children and family to go to church during a coronavirus pandemic? A dumbbell, that’s who.

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I was so happy to read in the paper that the sheriff’s office is going to help to fight animal abuse in Tioga County. I was very angry when I read in the paper a few weeks ago that the Tioga County Legislators were not going to do anything about the animal abuse. Hurray for the county sheriff’s office and their helpers with the fight of animal abuse!

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I would like to know who it was that tore apart trees and bushes along roads in Richford and Berkshire, including trees on my own property. They were not trimmed; they were ripped and shredded. A most cruel and ugly thing to have done. Why?

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It’s very important when you’re wearing a mask to ensure it covers your nose and mouth. Those are both necessary to be covered to prevent the spread of the COVID virus. That is the purpose of the mask. This is also in addition to all the other prevention steps like washing your hands for 20 seconds frequently, staying away from people, keeping a 6-foot distance between people when you must go out, etc.

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I would like to know if anyone picks up piled up yard brush and Christmas trees since the Town of Owego has refused both services. 

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Why do some people on Front Street think that it is appropriate to pile brush on the riverside of Front Street? The village picks up brush and chips, sticks and branches. Some people also think that tossing leaves and weeds into the river is okay. The village picks them up too, and composts them. The river used to be treated as a garbage disposal unit. Let’s keep it clean and treat it with respect.

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The COVID-19 statistics are informative, except they don’t tell you what city or in what business the person got the virus. When they say the different counties, that’s not telling you very much.  

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“On the surface, it appears that two unforeseeable and random shocks are threatening our dream. In reality, the dream was always an illusion, and its collapse was already underway. That’s because oil fracking has never been financially viable. America’s energy independence was built on an industry that is the very definition of dependent — dependent on investors to keeping pouring billions upon billions in capital into money-losing companies to fund their drilling. Investors were willing to do this only as long as oil prices, which are not under America’s control, were high — and when they believed that one-day profits would materialize. Even before the coronavirus crisis, the spigot was drying up. Now, it has been shut off.” — Coronavirus May Kill Our Fracking Fever Dream, by Bethany McLean, New York Times, April 10, 2020.

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I am curious who sets the price of the water and sewer in the town? I recently received my bill and did a comparison of what I use and am charged and what the Town of Vestal charges. Based on my calculations and what is listed on the Vestal website, Owego is considerably higher. I don’t believe our water is better than the water supplied by Vestal. Currently, I am looking for a filter to correct the water that is supplied by the Town. I don’t believe it is because of upgrades. If you pay attention to the many fire hydrants in the district you will notice that they are lower to ground level than they should be. I also wonder if we are footing the bill for the thousands, possibly millions of gallons of water that are leaking from the top of one of the water towers in the town. It is great that we have water and sewer. Maybe I don’t understand why we pay what we do. If I’m completely wrong, educate or inform us. 

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Several months ago I called into this column asking for recommendations on who in the area would be able to do some tree trimming at my home; several readers left recommendations. I repeatedly contacted all of the recommendations and left a message. Only one returned my call and then never showed up. I had nearly given up on this until I saw a truck from CNY tree service out of Endicott working in the area. The crew stopped by, gave a competitive estimate, and returned when they said they would to do the job.

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Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

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When are the police going to start enforcing the no parking signs in front of the Big Dipper Barbecue and Dave’s famous ice cream (doesn’t help the signs are 8-feet in the air)? People are constantly disobeying the signs. Let’s start enforcing these zones before someone gets seriously injured.

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Over the period of my lifetime as a full time resident of New York State it appears that the State’s Public Service Commission is anything but for the public. In the vast majority of cases it rules in favor of big business and too bad public. Every project that they approve almost always gives a huge reduction of all taxes including sales tax for the materials they buy at the expense of the public, the residents of New York State.

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The coronavirus projected deaths have been vastly overestimated from the start. What were the projected deaths over 1,000,000, and then 600,000, and now down 60,000? Right now there are only about 18,000. The 2017-2018 flu season deaths were 80,000. If that flu season was covered by the news media as this coronavirus is being covered, do you know what it would look like? It would look just like today, with everybody in a panic. I think we have been bamboozled!

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What did New York City do wrong? Why so many cases of the coronavirus? We weren’t the first cases, but we are tops for the number of cases. I hope between his noontime press conferences, governor Cuomo spends a lot of time finding out what he, and other elected officials, should have done to keep us out of this mess!

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One of my first thoughts was, we have to worry about bringing the coronavirus into our homes, with using our own bags to bring home food for our family. I’m not debating the fact they are a problem in our environment, however so are many other things. For one, disposable diapers. Is N.Y. going to ban them?

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“Rural nurses and doctors, scarce in normal times, are already calling out sick and being quarantined. Clinics are scrambling to find couriers who can speed their coronavirus tests to labs hundreds of miles away. The loss of 120 rural hospitals over the past decade has left many towns defenseless, and more hospitals are closing even as the pandemic spreads. Coronavirus illnesses and deaths are still overwhelmingly concentrated in cities and suburbs, and new rural cases have not exploded at the same rate as in some cities. But they are growing fast. This week, the case rate in rural areas was nearly double what it was six days earlier.” “Coronavirus Was Slow to Spread to Rural America. Not Any More”. NY Times. April 10, 2020

National Political Viewpoints

Now think about it, these words were put in your mouth by Trump. You’re going to get this big stimulus package to everybody that needs it. Now these people are waiting and now it’s a “maybe later” deal. In one side of the mouth out the other, that’s a Trump and we did vote for that SOB. Think about it, how stupid could we be! It may be a long wait for some very needy people.

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Nancy Pelosi bought Amazon stock before the coronavirus was detected in the United States and so far she has made a $5 million profit on the stock.

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So The Donald wants to have sole oversight of the $3 trillion. Isn’t he the one who, whenever he went bankrupt, came away richer and those who invested with him lost their shirts?

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I think Donald Trump is the best president that the United States has ever had. He will straighten out this country. He is a very smart man.

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It never stops! Here we have this coronavirus crisis, which I pray ends soon, and the Trump haters still keep on with their lies. It seems like the bull goes on forever with them.

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I only believe 25 percent of what comes out of Trump’s mouth, but that is 25 percent more than I can give the democrats credit for.

I am so grateful that I live in New York State and have a great leader in Governor Cuomo. He works so hard to keep us informed, get the equipment, and all of the emergency and healthcare professionals needed. I am so glad he’s there and doesn’t pay any attention to Trump’s “it’s no big deal, it’s like a flu” comments. 

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It’s not surprising that Trump is pushing to get the economy going again. He doesn’t care how many more lives will be put at risk. His fortune is based on the hospitality business, which, with the economy shut down, is in the toilet. Yea, he’s in panic mode.

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Well here we go again. Our illustrious Governor, in a press conference, touched on a few points about the pandemic, and then launched into his “pat on the back” speech about how he built a new bridge to replace the Tappan Zee. Is that really relevant, right now? Also, saying the Federal Government denied New York State with monetary assistance is ludicrous. Several weeks ago, while Albany was putting together a new Budget, they rejected $6 Billion in Federal Assistance to help the State’s healthcare workers, while keeping in place a half a Billion dollar film tax credit for Hollywood producers. So the Democrats seem to be up to their old (usual) tricks. 

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As usual, last week’s Pennysaver had several negative comments about President Trump. If only you knew how well you are playing into the hands of the Trump re-election. You are so easily dismissed. Reading the first and third words of your comments, it becomes obvious you are suffering from TDS (Trump Delusion Syndrome) and therefore, what you say is of no interest or value. Because of your constant whining and moaning, more and more people are getting disgusted and deciding to vote for President Trump, so keep up the echo chamber bit.

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Here’s hoping that the Trump supporters are seeing why he is not an effective president, and is harming the credibility and reputation of our country. I personally have never seen a politician who ignores the truth as much as he does. A few examples are the president not listening to multiple sources in January and February who were warning him about the pandemic. At the time, he was saying it was going to disappear. That didn’t happen and we weren’t prepared. Trump complained that the previous administration left him nothing to work with as to how to handle a pandemic. The truth of the matter is that President Obama established a National Security Council that put together a 69-page pandemic playbook that was completed in 2016, including a step-by-step list of priorities. Trump abolished the council and ignored the playbook. He also recommended the use of hydroxychloroquine, which is used for other diseases, for people with COVID-19. The doctors and scientists are the ones who should be making those recommendations. Trump continues to ignore the warnings of experts and spread disinformation. I am a Republican, but I will be voting for Joe Biden.

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We learned that the trip of former acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly to Guam last Monday to harangue the sailors of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, there to clean the ship of coronavirus and to help the crew infected with it, cost taxpayers $243,151.65, according to estimates by a Navy official. He flew in a modified Gulfstream jet that costs $6,946.19 an hour to fly. The flight time to and from Guam was 35 hours.

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At the time when the first virus case showed up in Washington State the impeachment hearings were going on. Trump never said the virus was a hoax; he called the Ukraine hearings a hoax. He shut the China border down for travel. The democrats called Trump a racist and xenophobic for doing this. Nancy Pelosi was in a crowd of people telling them to go on with their everyday life. Go to restaurants, movie theaters, and sporting events. A lot of the politicians were telling people to do that and said President Trump was overreacting. Trump was learning what to do next as reports were coming from his task force of experts. No matter what he does or says the left will condemn him. This is time to work with each other because we are all in this together. I want to thank the first responders, doctors, nurses, truck drivers delivering products, and people in general who are listening and staying home unless it’s necessary to go to the store. God Bless our troops, and all the people of the USA and around the world who are also suffering with this pandemic.  

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Donald Trump, I’ve heard you seek congratulations for your response to the pandemic. I will be pleased to give you many THANKS. THANK YOU for not responding to the earliest signs of it and taking the highest level precautionary measures. Because you didn’t restrict or even warn against travel to infected areas, COVID-19 gained the upper hand and the viral enemy gained our inner perimeter without a shot fired. THANK YOU for not completely funding the national stockpile to ensure some safety backup plan, we are now at a disadvantage due to lack of supply and the very people trained to save us are in very dire need and perilous danger. You wouldn’t know yourself, but these people are the heroes you only dream about being. They are us. “We the people.” They are dying. THANK YOU for leaving a disorganized state system to fend for itself though. Many of our governors have done far more to protect us than you have or will and we THANK them, not you, for that mercy. 

1 Comment on "Readers’ Column for the week of April 19, 2020"

  1. Kenneth Patterson | April 20, 2020 at 2:22 pm | Reply

    My name is Ken Patterson, I live in the village of Owego. I have been laid off work for weeks which allowed me to get a lot of yard work. I would like to thank the crews of the DPW for their hard work and for all the times they stopped and picked up all the branches and leaves I put out. you are doing a great job you guys, keep it up.

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