Readers’ Column for the week of October 17, 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 have a flowering magnolia tree and it has been blooming since springtime. Now it’s still blooming. Is it supposed to bloom so long? 

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To answer last week’s caller, yes, I live in the Owego area and I do upholstery. You can contact Jim at (607) 727-4476.

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Why are more students in our schools labeled gifted and talented? 

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I was wondering if any of the readers would know why the Subway went out of business down by the tractor place on Route 38?

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I’m calling in response to the people in Newark Valley who were wondering what sounded like a cannon. It probably was. It was probably Stoughton Farm’s pumpkin cannon. Stoughton’s Farm is a great place to go this time of year. There are loads of apples, pumpkins and fun for kids, especially the corn maze. The pumpkin cannon went off on Saturday and it was so much fun. There is nothing to worry about. It makes a lot of noise, but it’s fun. Good shout out to Stoughton’s Farm.

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Has anybody else heard that the press secretary is Pelosi’s niece?

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I always make sure I get to read this column. I think it’s turned into a comedy column. The blame game is always the blame game. Washing diapers? FUNNY! What woman today would even know what a washable diaper is? I think they’re hard to find to even use for a burp bib, if they even know what they are. And then we end the column with a comment that republicans are appalled because Taylor Garbage is no longer open on Saturdays. If they can’t find a way to get their garbage somewhere or pay $7 to have it taken away by B&E, it’s a sad world out there. Everybody just wants to dial you to find out this and find out that. That’s sick too. I’m 75 and I don’t like to use the computer but there are other ways to find out information.

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We are told that the air is dirty, the oceans are dirty, and the borders are dirty. It’s not a secret. Somebody is doing that. Somebody is dumping garbage and stuff into the water that we drink and swim in and whatever. Something should be done about this!

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I’m looking to donate gently used women’s clothing, size 8 to 10. If someone could post in this column where I could take them I would generously donate jackets, jeans, shoes, etc.

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Thank you to the guys that painted the lines on Glenmary Drive. Seeing it getting dark earlier and getting a little nastier, it’s a welcome sight to see it. Thank you so much for doing it every year. 

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Beware of a scam about a mega ticket. They say it’s worth $5,500,000 and do not tell anyone about this. They ask for your account numbers, etc. They say they are from Spain. The envelope is from Portugal. There is a phony U.S. Government stamp on it but it is slightly scrambled. Beware!

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Last winter and spring solar netted us good amounts of credits, 45 to 164. This summer when their letter stated there was more sunshine than usual, the credits are 0 to 6. What gives? 

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If you are able to put new people on the Owego Town Board, please consider it. I believe the old guard needs to be broken up. There is more they can do to solve some of our problems than just say NO!

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The Town of Owego website has an article heading that says the yard waste drop-off location is open until Oct. 30. The last press release says it closes Oct. 16. Also, will there be leaf pickup after that? Your residential taxpayers need better information.

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Despite the windfall of COVID under-run money into OACSD’s piggy bank, don’t expect any for the children. Teacher pension inflation will confiscate it. We are in and appear to remain in high inflationary times for some years. Inflation changes the formula by which the teacher’s union calculates how much money it will confiscate from district taxpayers. There is no limit. Perhaps it will change from the current 10% to 24% as has happened in time’s past. The teacher’s union will not share a dime of this bloat. Our children and taxpayers will bear the full burden. 

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Boss Cuomo was only the proxy, much like a pimple, of the New York State Democratic Party. Thus far no state democrat is acting to reverse the foul, unscrupulous, and immoral things Cuomo did. These include putting teacher evaluation under teacher union control (all are outstanding), renaming the Tappan Zee Bridge the Mario Cuomo Bridge, destroying / nullifying Freedom of Information Laws, and building an impenetrable wall between citizens and the state’s government. By nullifying FOIL he ensured no one could know what the Albany scoundrels and scalawags and freeloaders are up to. Will the state’s democrats please turn back the clock to better days?

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I recently received a letter from my “Woodlawn Avenue Neighbors” that sounded very fishy because the ‘neighbor’ had an address on Day Hollow Road in Campville. I think that if any other Halstead Development residents got this letter they should think twice before answering any questions.

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I thought the lack of squirrels was just in my neighborhood. While they can be pests at times, they have always been a part of nature around here. It is alarming to see creatures disappearing that are part of the ecosystem. There’s also a lack of bats, songbirds, and even chipmunks and toads. These critters help with insect control among other necessary functions that make our environment work. I hope someone has an answer and / or suggestions on how we can reverse this loss.

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You are already paying for someone else’s elementary and secondary school. You’re already paying 2/3 of the student’s junior college tuition – or all of it if they qualify for the free program. An educated society benefits everyone, so it is beneficial to have society pay for it. Helping pay for childcare means the parent can have a job. If jobs paid more, maybe the need for assistance would decrease.

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Before you vote, ask yourself, “Does your board member work harder NOT to help you than Help YOU?”

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This is interesting. The Town of Spencer boasts that they do not have zoning. However, reading the Spencer Code on their website there is a mention of having a zoning map. Well, do they or do they not have zoning. I wish that when they copy laws from other Towns they would at least have someone proofread them. I know it would be too much to ask that the Town Board read the Code.

 

National Political Viewpoints

Can you believe that 38% of Americans still support the worst president of all time, mainly Joe Biden? They surely need counseling.

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Newsflash! The Taliban just announced its purchase of Hunter Biden artwork. They sold 20 HMMWV and 5,000 AR15’s to finance this purchase. It is reported they were mounted in the palace in Kabul Afghanistan.

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So, we are paying $6 million a week not to build a wall. Are you kidding? Joe Biden, you are the most despicable person to ever hold any office. 

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The economy is just waiting to boom back to the Trump times, but slow Joe keeps getting in the way with his mandates and his firing of people. Joe, just go get a double chocolate ice cream cone and go back into your basement. Get out of Washington.

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For the person believing fake news about all the times Trump lied, when is the last time Joe Biden was fact checked on anything? Nothing has come out of his mouth that is true since he’s been our pretend president. 

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I hear Joe Biden’s been doing a great job. He’s got prices up, inflation is up, unemployment is up, and taxes are going up with his spending spree. I say thanks Joe, great job, every time I drive by a gas station. Other people should feel the same way.

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All I have to say is Let’s go Brandon, Let’s go Brandon.

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I’m giving up. I’ve asked for four weeks for someone to write in and give me any accomplishment of Biden, and I’ve gotten nothing. I’m giving up on that idea. My next question is, why is Kamala Harris in a bakery in New Jersey looking at cakes when she’s got a disaster at the border? 

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This is a lifetime left and center democrat, even closer to socialist. Anybody angry yet? That’s not my intent. I thought this was supposed to be a government of, for and by the people but it seems that both sides, far left, far right and everybody in between are disagreeing simply for the fact of disagreement, conditioned to take the opposite position of the opposite side of the fence. I really thought we were supposed to work together on this. Call me naive, but I’m kind of disappointed in the American people right now. 

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I turned on the TV and low and behold, there was Trump at another rally in Iowa. The word I heard that stood out was “fight”. That’s disgusting, and that’s why people who follow him are acting like they are. This is not good for our country and he just won’t go away. 

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I would just like to award an Emmy to all those announcers on CNN and fake news for their terrific acting ability in making us believe that Biden actually has a clue as to what he is saying. They sit there with a straight face as they view a tape of him stumbling and bumbling and mumbling and losing track of what he is saying, and then they try to act as if the man is a genius and is doing a great job. Good job you bozos.

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To the person that has the sign over their garage about Biden, your language is disgraceful for your neighborhood. 

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So now Biden has bussed 70,000 illegal aliens around the United States in the last two months. Get that? Two months! Meanwhile Biden’s COVID mandates have led to the firing and resignation of hundreds of thousands of police and healthcare workers throughout the United States. Impeach Biden now!

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Republicans are making it easier and easier for state governments led by Republicans to overturn the election results that they do not approve of, even if the majority of folks voted that way. Wow! What country are we living in? And now the Republicans are saying that those homegrown terrorists that took part in the Jan. 6 insurrection are patriots. What?

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I agree with the comment last week of how good it is to see President Biden riding a bike. The previous president rode in a golf cart and ate way too much fast food! Sad to see that many in the Republican Party just let him get away with whatever he wants, and believe all he and Fox News say!

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In response to the person who wrote in about President Biden going to Delaware for a week; why didn’t it bother you when Trump golfed quite frequently? There’s always a double standard.

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The person who thought CNN was reporting incorrect news better wake up. If the debt ceiling was not raised, not only would Social Security checks be stopped, the markets would fall and the country would see major inflation; if you don’t like CNN that’s fine, but at least try to learn the truth.

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Former President Trump pushed through a tax cut for his rich friends that added something to the tune of 8.6 trillion to the National Debt, and now the GOP that supported it doesn’t want to raise the debt ceiling. It’s way past due for the U.S. citizens to demand a referendum to change our Constitution. We the people want a voice in decisions, a vote on the Federal Budget, term limits for Congress, outlaw Lobbyists, and no big business contributions for anyone running for Federal office, just for starters. 

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We don’t get to vote on spending laws because we are a republic, not a democracy. It’s been that way since 1789.

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Trump played 285 rounds of golf as president – let’s rip Biden for taking a short vacation.

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The choices are Build Back Better or increase military spending and foreign aid to buy more weapons of death and destruction, which would you prefer?