Readers’ Column for the week of March 7, 2021

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.

 

I had a book published in 1969 titled “Air and Water Pollution”. This is not a new subject. That was 60 years ago but nobody was paying attention then, and nobody is paying attention to it now. 

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So many people out there do not know what a diesel engine is. It’s an internal combustion engine just like gasoline. However, the diesel engine gets better fuel economy. The engines can last a million miles on trucks; on highway trucks they do. All the highway trucks have diesel engines and some of them go a million miles before they decide to buy a newer model. The diesel is safer because gasoline is a high explosive. If you want to drive one and get burned that’s fine, be my guest.

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To whoever called 911 about an odor of natural gas around my house Friday night, thank you! New York State Electric & Gas was there very quickly and saw to it that the inside of my house was well. Found a small leak on the outside pipe that was fixed fast and safely. Thank you again for your thoughtfulness. 

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For all you people who want to promote battery-powered cars, these batteries don’t get charged at night while being in the dark. They get recharged by plugging them into the wall to the other power plants that are producing electricity. Is it a free electrical system there? Probably not, probably a loss. 

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This is for the person that asked for a dog groomer in the area of Newark Valley, Berkshire, and Richford. Somebody posted a number for me and I would like to say thank you. I’d like to find out if there is any more than just the one, however, because that one only has evening hours, which makes it hard for me. So thank you, and have a good day.

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What’s wrong with people? When we have a power outage the more people that call it in, the quicker they can find where it’s at and fix it. No power here! It’s Sunday afternoon, it’s getting cold! I called and somebody else I gave the number to called. Call people, call! The quicker you call the quicker it gets fixed.

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I would like to acknowledge a young writer and how well of an article he did, titled “Growing Up Black in Owego” – Dominick Matarese. It was very well written and I know he’s young and I think he’s doing a great job.

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Thank you, electric company, for getting my power back on here in Nichols. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Two and a half hours, wonderful. We appreciate it, thank you.

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I was driving on the lower half of Mclean Road the other day when I saw several pickup trucks parked along the side of the road. There were several men with rifles with scopes on them and walkie-talkies, and they were looking up the hillside. I was wondering, what is it? Yeti, mountain lion, bear, fisher cat? What’s out there and what are they hunting? 

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In need of savvy computer tech to resolve either a hard drive or a program issue. Please reply by leaving your contact number in this column.

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To the person who had interest in the train whistle over on the flats, you are confused. We are not complaining about the Norfolk rail system, it’s the Owego Harford system. When the train blows the whistle from Delphine Street all the way to George Street several times a day with no flagman, which is a safety issue, and it appears that the village fathers don’t seem to care because it’s been brought to their attention. In the past here have been flagmen and no whistle involved for everybody’s safety. 

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The Newark Valley Food Pantry is taking requests for Easter baskets for anyone in the 13811 zip code area. They will be given out on March 27 at the food pantry at 79 Whig St. in Newark Valley between 10 a.m. and noon. To call and request a basket, call 642-3339.

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When you drink soda with seltzer water in it you get the maximum fizz from the seltzer water, which should be at 42 degrees, so you keep it in the refrigerator until it gets to 42 degrees. It won’t pop too much when you open it but it will still give you a lot of fizz. 

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It has come to our attention that an inaccurate comment was made in this column on Feb. 28. We would like the opportunity to clarify for the community that the Spencer-Van Etten Central School District is not proposing a $15 million tax package, but rather, a $15 million Capital Project. Visit www.svecsd.org/capitalproject.cfm for more information and to view the Capital Project Virtual Tour, or contact the S-VE District Office at 589-7100 with any questions.

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The Spencer-Van Etten school district sent out a brochure on another building project to be voted on. The project is supposed to cost about $16 million, but the math provided is sketchy at best. First, they are using an unrelated previous building project as a DEDUCTION of the actual cost. An honest accounting would show an INCREASE of the cost of 1.5 million or 10% from this project. All paid for by tax money. Another strange assumption is the assurance that the Star deduction will be around for the repayment time of the project to the year 2039. The Governor has spoken for its elimination for years. Why does the district promote this kind of make believe? We had a 20% tax increase the last time we had a building project of similar size. The vote is on March 16.

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The new coronavirus motto is loose lips, big hips.

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A previous poster railed against the media showing pictures of people getting COVID shots, saying it was a deterrent for encouraging people to get them. I see it as the opposite as I have not seen any shot receiver flinch, grimace, faint or scream out. The poster (assuming it was a male) should put on his big boy pants and take the shot to help tamp this thing down. Wimps did not build this country.

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Has anyone else gotten a letter from Root Insurance stating that an unusual account creation pattern has been noticed and that an investigation has been launched and law enforcement notified since my unique identifying information may have been compromised? Not sure if this is legitimate. 

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I would like to thank the gentleman who immediately came to our aid on Monday, Feb. 22, when I fell on the ice, hit my head, and could not get up.

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If you take the time to look it up, the reported water temperature at the Titanic sinking site was 28 degrees F. Salt water freezes around there but the salinity isn’t consistent, so the freezing point varies. In addition, the volume of water affects freezing time. A small glass of water will freeze long before a gallon will. So it takes a super long time for the ocean to freeze. Looking things up isn’t difficult.

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Try looking up the Springsteen circumstances. Passed field sobriety. BAC legal. Ended up with a minor drinking location violation because of that.

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In New York you can buy electricity from independent companies and NYSEG, or from Niagara Mohawk or ConEd, or whoever has to deliver it to you. Can be generated in any manner. If you have a home system you connect to the grid and NYSEG or whoever buys the excess.

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To the woman who paid for my groceries at Tops in Owego on Sunday, Feb. 28 when I couldn’t find my wallet – thank you, and bless you.

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During WWII we interned Japanese-Americans because Japan was at war with us. During WWII we did NOT intern German-Americans and Italian-Americans, even though Germany and Italy were at war with us. I wonder what the difference was? I wonder if that’s what is underlying the “no immigration across the southern border” demands. Where is the demand for a wall on the northern border and the east and west coasts? I can hardly wait for the convoluted responses.

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Can someone tell me how many chickens are allowed in s small flock egg business in the Village of Spencer? I was told 25, but no roosters.

 

National Political Viewpoints

I want to know if anybody out there actually thinks Joe Biden is doing a good job. Seriously. Even you Trump haters, I know you are not that smart, but you can’t be thinking that Joe is doing a good job. It’s like he’s trying to do everything purposely badly. He is such a buffoon I almost feel sorry for him. I said almost. 

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So Joe Biden isn’t even going to give the State of the Union address. How hilarious! They are afraid to put him in the public eye that long. He can’t even read off a teleprompter for more than five minutes. How embarrassing. He’s the laughingstock of the world.

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So Joe Biden and the democrats pass a $2 trillion COVID relief bill in which 90% of it goes to democratic pork, bailing out New York State and the unions and every other loser state run by liberals. Can you see anything wrong with this picture? Send the money to people that need it, period. Not this other bullshit. It’s ridiculous. I’m sorry, how do you democrats sleep at night? Do you see nothing wrong with this? You’re despicable and Joe Biden is an embarrassment.

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There are plenty of democrat Marxists who support the Green New Deal. In reality it is opposition to pipelines, fracking and fossil fuels, and this will lead to the loss of at least 15 million jobs and may cost dependence on foreign energy supply. The worst is yet to come. So much for Bidenomics. 

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Open borders violate national security. Impeach 46.

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For all you ignorant democrats that still refuse to admit that there was voter fraud. After one month of buffoon Joe being the worst president ever, will you think about it again? And excuse me for being redundant with ignorant and democrats. 

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Give a democrat a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a democrat to fish and he’ll steal your rod, take your wallet, sexually assault the fish and then blame President Trump. Ancient Chinese proverb.

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Remember the presidential debates? When Joe Biden called Donald Trump a clown? Well, it takes one to know one. Look what we’ve got now.

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So all you republicans are attacking Cuomo because two women paid by the Republican Party said he sexually harassed them. There is no proof of that, but that’s okay. Meanwhile, we had a president for four years who’s been accused of forcible rape. Forcible rape! How many times, and it’s still going through the courts and I haven’t heard a word mentioned about that. You hypocrites. As far as this Pennysaver, this is nothing but a spinoff of Fox News, blatant lies!

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A lot of people are talking about Donnie Trump running for office again. I think the only running Donnie is going to be doing is running away from the law because they’ve got his tax returns, and from what I hear there is enough in there to put him and his family away for a long time. 

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How embarrassing it was, Trump, the buffoon, speaking at the CPAC Sunday. I don’t miss his crazy tweets either and it’s been so heavenly not to hear his voice. Maybe now it will get back to the way things should be. Trump tired everyone out with his nonsense and all of his thousands of lies. 

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If it’s true, the democrats won the house, the senate and the presidency, but they did it in an under the table crooked kind of way, so I would not brag about that. 2022 is just around the corner and then from there 2024, and the republicans will take everything back legally, because that’s the way republicans do things – legally, and above board. 

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In the last four years the Republican Party has become the party of fear. If the leaders do not walk in lockstep with the previous president, he has publicly sworn to attack them. This is democracy? If his mob had succeeded in killing Mike Pence, would he have then seized emergency powers as do other dictators? 

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I don’t understand how any Christian can possibly support the former president. Just this last weekend at a gathering they had a golden statue of him. Anybody who knows anything about the bible knows that when you embrace golden statues, idles or Gods, you are headed in the wrong path. Do not fall for all this garbage. He’s evil and I don’t understand why anybody would possibly support him the way he is so immoral, condescending and just downright nasty, arrogant and evil.

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I see a couple of new 2024 Trump banners. I’m just wondering if there is someplace local that is selling them? I couldn’t find them online, just checking.

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Newsflash! The lowest income people pay 30% of their budget for transportation. Now the Green Deal Marxists have proposed a bill to stop any new gasoline stations. We reached energy independence under Trump. Now Biden once again wants to become dependent on the Saudi oil so he lets off the Saudi prince with a hand slap for ordering the murder of Khashoggi, and then permits an illegal invasion across our southern border to further tax our energy and financial resources. Nice going Biden!

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Should not our wonderful leader have had a State of the Union Address by now? I’m thinking it’s too much for him. It’s past his bedtime because it used to be on at about 9 p.m. I don’t know, maybe he’s working with Cuomo on something, but I’m waiting for that State of the Union Address. Maybe he’s not going to do one, I don’t know. He sure doesn’t follow in Trump’s footsteps at all. Trump ran circles around this guy.

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Hats off to President Trump because he’s the only president who realized China’s threat to the United States. He is the only president who stood up to China. Biden can’t even come close. He sees no threat after all, why would he? His son has received millions from China. 

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Here’s an idea. How about we submit it to a vote of everyone eligible to legally vote in this country, “Do you WANT to allow hoards of illegal aliens to come into our country, that taxpayers need to support, etc.?” Bet the vote would be predominantly negative!

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If capitalism, representative democracy and our way of life are all so bad, why are a gazillion illegal immigrants wanting to come here? Why are they allowed to put their problems on U.S. taxpayers instead of staying where they belong and fighting for freedom there?

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The Democrats have fed you a line of hogwash. The five that died at the Capitol building protest did not die from beatings, as the Democrats want you to think. Officer Sicknick MAY have died from the after effects of being sprayed in the face with mace, or even from a stroke. Where is his autopsy report so we will know? The crowd trampled one lady. One person died of a stroke. One person died of a heart attack. An unarmed Ashli Babbitt was shot and killed by a Capitol police officer. Is that police officer going to be charged with murder?  You have the people in the Capitol building, protesting, and they break a few windows. But you have the Democrats with their always-hateful hyperbole, calling it an insurrection! I am so sick of the Democrats and there over the top language and charges. Stop the damn lying, I’m sick of it! Then in several cities you have Antifa and BLM burning city blocks down, not their property, like the Capitol Building. They destroyed other people’s property, and really beat and killed people. And you call it a mostly peaceful protest? 

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Well well, look at the state of Texas now. They wanted nothing to do with the national power grid because their clueless Governor wanted to be independent from the rest of the country. Now after his electric utility disaster he’s walking around crying with his hand held out, wondering when the federal government will come and bail the state out. Talk about ignorant Republicans. You can’t have it both ways.

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It really amazes me how some people judge the presidency based on the price of gas at the pump. I’m sure that extra buck and a half out of your pocket is going to kill you. 

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I think I understand now. We should believe the allegations against Cuomo, but not the ones against Trump or Kavanaugh. Got it. Seems so clear now.

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ALL states and local governments are losing revenue due to COVID, ALL. Transportation systems are losing money. Theaters and performing arts are losing money. Aid to them is no more pork than stimulus checks to individuals. Don’t cash your check if you think aid is bad. Oh, and Trump touted infrastructure needs for five years, yet never proposed anything for it. As soon as the Democrats try to deliver chunks it’s suddenly pork? The conservative whine is getting really old.

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Biden signed an emergency declaration for Texas on Feb 14. Cruz took a snow day to Cancun. Are you that blind as to who did what?

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I have over 20 years of gasoline cost records. It hit over $4.00 per gallon under Bush. Peaked at $4.25. Remember that next time you fill up.

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Maybe Governor Cuomo should legalize prostitution; he’s just like Spitzer!

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Come on people, don’t be a Re-Trumplican! Educate yourselves and learn why Trump was the worst President ever, and should never be allowed to hold office again! Watch and read The Lincoln Project, PBS, ABC, CBS, and NBC News. Stay away from Fox News as it is the REAL fake news!

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Several comments stuck out this week. The border opening; we are in a pandemic, people are struggling to get vaccinated, we haven’t been able to see our own families, and Biden opens up the borders allowing immigrants into an infected country? Bringing in who knows what with them, when we aren’t taking care of our own Americans or have COVID 19 under control. Makes NO sense. Keystone XL; stopping has no effect on Americans. What about the 11,000 jobs taken away at the stroke of a pen, and the livelihood of these families? Talk about putting the cart before the horse! Saying The Pledge of Allegiance. It reminds and shows the reason those Congress members took that oath! Just a few are loyalty, homage, obligation, devotedness, and faithfulness – and to support and defend the Constitution of America. What I am seeing is nothing but a power struggle. As for the stimulus package, so many of us are in need of it, we just want it passed and put in our accounts. But as we wait for this money, the reality is that 1.9 trillion of those dollars is nothing compared to where the biggest share is going. Read it, you’ll be shocked.

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It is a horrible display of transparency when the news media, CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, NBC, and others cover up major scandals for the Democrats. These news outlets are not covering the disgusting act of Andrew Cuomo’s dealing with nursing homes and the scandal. Now, Andrew Cuomo is being accused of sexual harassment by a co-worker, and not one of the news outlets made mention of the accusation, other than Fox News. Where are the Democrats, who say we must take sexual harassment accusations seriously? Why is the news media doing the dirty work for the Democrats and covering up two of the biggest scandals? And, both accusations are against the same governor, this should be a huge story to report to the American people.

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When Donald Trump was president, the country was in great shape. But then Joe Biden and the Democrats came along and spoiled everything. Had it not been for them, Trump could have served a second term and possibly extended it indefinitely until he was succeeded by his children and grandchildren. The Trump dynasty could have lasted for generations. If only we didn’t have those pesky Democrats, we could’ve had a one-party system with a president for life. How great would that be? Hey, wait a minute; that sounds too much like a totalitarian dictatorship like Kim Jong-un in North Korea. So maybe we should keep the Democrats around after all, even though we might disagree with them and their policies. Without the Democrats, the alternative is a mighty grim picture indeed. Just ask the citizens of North Korea.

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Shame on all those Republicans who enabled Donald Trump for far too long! All of those in the House and Senate who let him get away with EVERYTHING, and the right wing media who continued to spread the BIG LIE that Trump won the 2020 Presidential election (he did not). And, all of you others who continue to fly the Trump flag. Why? Why have you given over your party to this man?

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We were once Republicans, but left the party when the moral and ethical values that we prized were scuttled for greed and power. Today’s Republican Party is unrecognizable, and this weekend’s CPAC meeting put the exclamation point on why my wife and I both left. For a Party that claims to be so patriotic and so religious, this weekend’s display threw all of that in the garbage can. How can Republican’s claim to be religious and believe in God, and are now worshiping a golden Idol? How can any Republican claim to be a Patriot and love this Country and support sedition and wrap themselves literally in Trump’s flag. How can you support Qanon, Proud Boys, or the Oath Keepers if you are a true Patriot. These groups are calling for the VIOLENT overthrow of our duly elected government. For those so-called Republican Christians, have you read your Bible lately? Those MAGA hats you are so proud of are like wearing the “Mark of the Beast” on your forehead. Just read Revelations chapters 13 and 16. Trump’s CPAC message was one of hate, revenge and disloyalty to the very foundations of this Country. What ARE YOU THINKING! Really?

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With all the ugly nonsense Governor Cuomo has pulled regarding sexual harassment of employees on the job, where is Hillary and all the other feminists with their usual blather? Guess it matters if you have a “D” after your name.

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Pelosi didn’t put the COVID relief bill through back in June 2020. When the election was over she said now we can work on the bill because we have a new president. She bragged about it. So it goes to show it’s all about me and my friends and not “we the people” she is concerned about. Nine percent of this latest bill is for COVID; 91% is for union pensions, blue state bailouts, planned parenthood, universities, national endowment for the arts, Schumer’s bridge from New York to Canada, Pelosi’s tunnel, vaccines for people in other countries, abortion for women in other countries, and numerous other things that have nothing to do with COVID relief. I know you probably get tired of reading the same things over and over about what is put in these bills, but I’m tired of “we the people” being treated like we don’t count; but after all, we pay these politicians’ salaries and expect them to work for us. They won’t let our children go back to school but the illegals at the border are being schooled. 

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Ted Cruz was without electricity for two days and his daughters wanted to go to Cancun. He flew them down and came back the next day by himself; all the while he was in touch with Governor Abbott, talking about the blackout and what can be done. The Democrats are more concerned about Trump voters and how to destroy them by banning books being published, kicking them off social media and blacklisting them so they can’t get jobs. John Kerry was colluding with Iran for four years behind Trump’s back to undermine Trump. Trump bankrupted Iran and took out Soleimani and cut out Middle East deals and set up a balance of power. So Biden is going back to bed with Iran and undoing all of the good that Trump did.