Readers’ Column for the week of December 5, 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 want to thank the employees at the Apalachin post office for their service. I was a customer there the other day when another customer was having a bad day. They handled it very professionally.

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What kind of person would knock an old lady down and run off with their purse? I’ll tell you what kind of a person it is. The same kind of person who would steal from an amputated veteran!

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This is to the person who is looking to drop off sheets, tablecloths, etc. to a place without charge. The Open Door Mission is a good place to go. 

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Does anybody out there know where I can purchase some Lowenbrau beer in Tioga County? It seems like it is next to impossible to obtain. 

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This is the squatter’s bill of rights. One, they live rent free; two, they don’t have to comply with the lease; three, they get free electricity; four, they get free water; five, free garbage service; six, free septic; seven, free heat; eight, the right to break your plumbing; nine, the right to break your electrical system; and ten, you’ve got the right to get of jail free card. God bless America.

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To the person who is looking for a donation site for used clothing, tablecloths, etc., Catholic Charities, formerly Nichols Elementary school, is always looking for bedding, linens, and especially children’s clothing. You can drop it off Monday through Friday. We usually limit it to one 30-gallon bag per month, as we do not have enough volunteers or space to sort through it all.

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This is to any HO train enthusiast out there who has a layout or anybody who is considering building on a HO train layout. I would like you to give me a call please at (607) 761-7604. Please leave a message and a phone number.

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Thank you to Taylor Garbage and Recycling picking up garbage on Thanksgiving, and for having it posted in the Pennysaver. It was really great to have it done. Thank you!

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Until we can fully charge an electric vehicle in 10-20 minutes (the average time at a gas station stop), electric vehicles are impractical for the general public. Also, major cities can’t currently even supply adequate power on hot summer days when everyone has their a/c cranked; do you remember the disaster in Texas last winter during a freak cold spell? Solar didn’t work out so well providing power with their predicament. Batteries in cold climates take longer to recharge, and where are all the spent batteries going to end up, your local landfill? We’re nowhere near ready for electric cars, folks. Ahem, follow the science.

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Just to let one and all know, there are handmade hats, scarves, and mittens available to anyone who needs one (or more). There are trees set up on the porch of the Wesleyan House of the Owego Methodist Church that have these items on them. Stay warm!

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The historic Owego Central Fire Station’s roof is now leaking so badly that the entire top floor is now roped off as unsafe and uninhabitable. The water leaking through its ceiling is now dripping into the second floor. Soon either the roof will collapse or the bell tower will fall down. The Village claims it does not have the money to repair the station, despite having received millions in DRI funding from the state; funding for the repair of Central Station that was confirmed by the current governor’s visit on Aug. 8. It appears that the funding that was supposed to go to save the Fire Station may have gone somewhere else. I think the State Comptroller should look into this diversion of funds.

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At the Nov. 29 Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Green presented OACSD’s most recent academic performance metrics. Congratulations and thanks to all those staff and teachers who made this happen. They met and exceeded some goals. Perhaps soon OACSD will be punching above its weight. Setting financial and contract compensation goals would easily put OACSD on a path to financial equity and sustainability.

 

National Political Viewpoints

I was wondering if anyone knows where a person could apply for one of those high paying union jobs making solar panels that Biden talked about. Does anyone know?

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So Joe took 50 million gallons of oil out of our reserves yesterday. Well, it’s good for about two and a half days of gasoline for the U.S. So, how about opening up the pipelines and stop being anti-Trump, and let’s be energy free like we were. Unbelievable! 

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In most countries like the United States, voting is by secret ballot. Yet when these people are elected to office they mostly vote by direction of party leadership. Is there some disconnect between what we wanted and what we got? 

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This is a quote by Booker T. Washington, “A lie doesn’t become truth, wrong doesn’t become right, and evil doesn’t become good just because it is accepted by a majority.” 

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Donald Trump was the worst president that we’ve ever had, but I most certainly can understand why most people are frustrated in this country. I can understand why they wanted to overthrow our government. It’s corrupt, it’s inept, and they don’t give a damn about the people. It’s all big business, big money. It wouldn’t surprise me one day if they would be successful in turning over this country. Hell, we have no government as it is; let’s face it. It’s all for the rich or for the poor; the middle guy is getting stuck as usual.

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So VERY sad to see how close we are in this country to losing our democracy. All the always-Trumpers and staunch Trump supporters don’t seem to realize that if we do away with elections and just let him (or another leader) stay in power, it is an autocracy / dictatorship. Come on, you are better than this. Our nation’s earliest leaders did not establish the United States of America to be a dictatorship.

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What an incredibly ignorant and inane comment in the Nov. 28 Pennysaver! I can only hope the person has a sick sense of humor. The comment recommended we all stop buying “all this stuff” at the current inflated prices; then the prices will come down. Seriously? How are us few who still go to work every day supposed to get there without gas? Are we going without groceries? One common food staple has gone up 25%; other basics are close to that. Are you expecting us to go without toilet paper? How about a replacement car if yours should have to be replaced; new is next to impossible to get at any price and used car prices have increased. As your friend Joe, who caused this issue, is fond of saying, come on, man!

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We were in Afghanistan for 20 years. 2,448 U.S. service members were killed. Thousands more were wounded. Bush 2 sent us in. Obama drew down the troop levels. Trump campaigned on getting out and drew down the levels even more. Trump signed the withdrawal agreement. The last days would have been chaotic no matter who ran the operation – just like in Saigon. Yet somehow it’s all Biden’s fault. Can someone please explain that thought process? 

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For those who call in and bash the democrats and republicans, can you please do me a favor and STOP!