Readers’ Column for the week of July 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. 

 

Thank you to the wonderful people who helped me look for my grandma’s hearing aid at the Candor Ice Cream Store on July 15. And a giant thank you to the lady that did actually find it. Have a blessed day.

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In response to the message last week starting with “man’s best friend,” which went on to say how much we love our dogs and how much we truly miss those that have crossed the rainbow bridge, I want to say thank you. I would have appreciated these words on any given day, but especially now with all the current world turmoil; this message means that much more. Thank you as well to all of the families that have helped our local shelters by donating, fostering and/or adopting. You have made such a difference! Our pets are an incredible gift to us and should be treated as such. 

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Apparently a lot of people think some work-for-free fairy godmother is going to do the online distance teaching if the school building itself is closed.

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Some interesting facts from Johns Hopkins Research, the probability of COVID-19 transmission from a person without a mask to a healthy person with a mask is 70 percent. Probability for a person with a mask to a healthy person without a mask is five percent. And the probability of transmission from a person with a mask to a healthy person with a mask is 1.5 percent. The pandemic is not over, especially when you look at places like Florida, Texas, Arizona, etc. If you do not want a second wave here, please wear a mask, practice social separation of at least 6-feet, and use hand sanitizer. These places where the pandemic is growing never put these practices as a requirement and are now paying the price.

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You’ll have to excuse me, as I’m a little new to the area. However, with the recent controversies I think we should look into the Owego Free Academy and the usage of Indians as a mascot / affiliation. I understand that there’s history here but I think we should look into something that represents the area currently and would not be considered offensive. I’m admittedly rather fond of the Owego Free Academy Sasquatches, or possibly the Owego Free Academy Chili Dogs. 

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What is it with the local landlords around here that let one tenant have the run of the place, they can disturb you at all hours and do whatever they want to like move whoever they want in with them, let their buddies use the place as a public bathhouse / Laundromat and motel, and refuse to hold them responsible for their actions or their obnoxious disturbing behavior.

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The young lady and her assistant who were in charge of the tire and metal drop off on Saturday in Owego did an outstanding job. It was very well organized and I appreciated their assistance. Thank you both.

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I want to thank the Town of Owego for holding the tire collection on July 17. It was a great service to the community.

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I took a nice long walk on Gould Road on Sunday. I ran into Bigfoot lounging in the shade drinking Redd’s Hard Apple and listening to Bob Seger on his boombox. He just nodded hello, gave me a peace sign and I continued on my way. What a great walk.

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To the person who thinks they shouldn’t have to pay their school taxes if schools don’t fully reopen in the fall – apparently you don’t have children or grandchildren because teachers, administrators, and support staff are working longer hours and even harder than usual to make sure that children and families have the curriculum, supplies, and support that they need to return to school ready to continue to learn when it is finally SAFE to do so.

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I wonder if Broome and Tioga chambers of commerce and the development agencies are looking to get businesses up to this area out of the danger zones? Plenty of space, employable people, and an intersecting highway system.

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With the virus changes projected for schools, I think there’s a huge discount / rebate ahead for school taxes. Think about it. Buses are making fewer runs on fewer days, fuel savings, and salaries for drivers. Fewer hours to heat / cool schools, too. Fuel savings. Less food and food prep. Fewer people needed on fewer days to do food prep. The list goes on and on. I hope the administration is on top of this and does what’s right.

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My dearest friend in the world is in a mixed color marriage and I never thought of color one way or the other. I just thought about human beings. Human beings, and there’s just too much out there in the news. Everywhere you look, it’s worse than the pandemic! It’s crazy, why do we judge people by their color? It’s their actions, and people of your own color can be worse than someone of a different color. I found that out, so try to help each other and be good, don’t judge.

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I don’t understand why we wouldn’t send our children back to school in the fall, they’ve been out too long and if people are following the facts and listening to the experts there is more risk by keeping them out of school than putting them in school. Put a mask on them and send them to school. That’s where they belong. 

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I, too, am wondering when they are going to put the veterans flags up in Nichols. 

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To all the politicians, state officials, state agencies, county agencies, village agencies, please enforce the laws and the executive orders! What about us, the majority that are law-abiding citizens? When we call to ask for help, whether it’s related to people or businesses not following the mask mandate or illegal parking, we’re told, “We don’t want to upset the public.” Most of us are law abiding. Wake up and enforce the law!

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Any store, business, office, etc. that requires and enforces masks to be worn will be getting all of our business. You may not have been on our to do list before but you certainly will be now, so keep up the great work trying to get our world back to a function by enforcing the mask wearing. If you don’t want to wear a mask people, don’t go out!

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People, it does no good to wear a mask and leave your nose out. Please remember to cover your nose also.

 

National Political Viewpoints

The Socialist Democrats are all about tolerance, inclusivity, fairness, diversity and kindness. Oh wait, that’s what they say, but not how they act! Guess once again, it’s do as I say, not as I do! Kind of phony, huh? Just depends on whether you agree with them or not.

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This is Tuesday afternoon – I caught some of Biden’s speech while vacuuming and related maintenance chores due to everyone being home all the time. If his party thinks they are going to get him elected on a platform of green energy, etc. I think they are mistaken. A couple of weekends ago I was in Western New York State. The gigantic windmills, which took huge amounts of money to build, transport, assemble plus huge amounts of resources to manufacture not to mention the destruction of flora and fauna to build roads to install, sat there quite perfectly still. Solar panels are a joke, they also are pricey to build – both in money and natural resources. They last very few years before they have to be replaced. The storage batteries for them are a joke. The investment never will show positive return. Find something else to have Joe blather about, there certainly is a lot to choose from!

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The vicious comments regarding Trump makes one wonder whether the caller went to school, read a book, or just spouts Mainstream Media vile hate? Double Dog Dare you to read George Orwell’s novels Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four and two, study history, then compare and contrast the Democratic and Republican Parties. It’s not very pretty. Prior to taking the name Republican Party they were known as the Abolitionists. Can you still identify as a Democrat?

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Someone is going to be surprised in November when they go to vote and discover that the governorship is not up for election this year.

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The New York Times did not admit the bounty story was a lie. Many people in a position to know have affirmed the intelligence report.

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Biden has stated that he will only raise taxes on incomes over $400,000. I’d bet a substantial amount that very few people in our area would be affected.

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I keep reading comments here and other places about how Trump might change the date of or cancel the election. Just where in the constitution does it say the president can change the election date or cancel it? The Constitution says, “The Congress may determine the time of choosing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States”. There is a similar section of setting the election date for representatives and senators. The date was set by law in 1845 as being the first Tuesday after Nov. 1. To change it would require the law be changed. The president cannot change it on his own.

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Betsey Devos could not or would not answer questions when asked by a reporter. She repeatedly said children should be back in school, which everyone agrees. Maybe Dr. Jill Biden, with an educational degree, can help her when Joe Biden becomes president. But it must be a prerequisite to avoid answering questions to become a republican.

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Against my better judgment, I tuned into David Muir on ABC News. As usual, more Trump bashing. Why should the President mention COVID in his press conference? Isn’t that up to his White House COVID team and the medical experts? Personally, I could use a break from the constant barrage on radio, TV, and the Internet. Perhaps he thought the same. I’m beginning to believe if you don’t die from COVID that you will die from depression.

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Trump should get after all of the manufacturers that produce cleaning supplies like antibacterial wipes and alcohol and any cleaning products that help kill the COVID-19 virus. I feel the COVID is being spread mostly because people can’t get the cleaning supplies. If you do find any, either it is limited or it is gone. Trump’s got to get serious and follow up to make sure that hospitals have what they need at all times. 

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So now Trump is killing your kids. First of all, no one is telling you to send your kids to school. You could homeschool them if you are against sending them to public school. However, I think if you taught your kids, I guess they would be as ignorant as you. My advice to you is to make an appointment today with a mental health professional. You are sick.

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In trying to persuade me to your side by destroying things, I’ve got news for you. It’s not working! I feel just the other way about you. If you don’t like this country, if you hate it so much, move out. I’m sure North Korea would love you. They’d love to put you in one of their death camps. Vote Trump 2020.

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So Trump is the law and order president. To me, he is the bone spur president. How can he keep letting these felons off the hook? If I went down the road and stole a candy bar they would throw my butt in jail.

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I see why some of the people call in to leave comments about Donald Trump, they like to make up facts just like the president. For example, the New York Times never ran a story that said the Russians paid bounties on U.S. servicemen in Afghanistan was a lie. Instead they aired both sides of the dispute in the U.S. Intelligence community about what the facts were and the reliability of the story. Taking information that only favors your view is called confirmation bias. What we need in the country is the truth. It’s much harder for Trump supporters to praise the president with such obvious feelings on his part. 

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Thank you, Governor Cuomo, for your intelligent briefings on the COVID-19. You know what you are doing. New York State would be like Texas and Florida if it weren’t for you. I hope you run for president someday. You have my vote already.