Readers’ Column for the week of January 15, 2023

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. 

 

There was a comment in a recent column from someone that missed the plastic carryout bags that we used to get at the grocery store. I still use them and can get them at Sam’s Club, in the northeast corner of the building. They are called T-Shirt Carry Out bags and come in a box of 1,000.

~

I agree with the lady that misses the grocery store shopping bags. They do have many uses around the house. However, I have not experienced withdrawal symptoms because I have five big drawers full of bags, enough to last me a lifetime.

~

Regarding the latest school shooting, this time by a six year old in an elementary school. One thing that may help is to stop the use of backpacks! When I was a kid, not all that long ago, backpacks were pretty much for hikers, period. Everyone in the country was not hauling around huge backpacks everywhere. Kids used their arms to carry whatever books needed to go home for homework, and that was when a lot of us still walked to school. There was a belt-like strap to hold them together if you had a few, and were a nerd. Our parents supplied lunch back then, it was put in a small paper bag / lunch box. Water bottles were not necessary; there were water fountains in the school. Gym clothes for upper grades were taken early in the year and stuffed in your locker until they developed a life of their own; we all survived. Where this habit of hauling around what was once considered luggage with everything but the kitchen sink is unnecessary. If you need to take a laptop to work or school, laptop cases are too slim to hold a weapon. Discouraging this backpack trend in general, and eliminating them totally in school, would be a start.

~

I’m also missing plastic bags. I saved every one before the ban took place but I’m almost out now. I’m repurposing bread bags and carrot bags now. They really do serve a purpose. Can you buy something similar somewhere?

~

There is a continual debate going on over whether this country was founded as a “Christian nation with God being the Supreme Ruler”. If you do an Internet search on the “Founding Fathers and Religion” you come up with statements like this: “There were Christians among the Founders – no deists – but the key Founders who were most responsible for the founding documents (Declaration of Independence and Constitution) and who had the most influence were theistic rationalists. They did not intend to create a Christian nation.”

~

I see some chatter in the column this week regarding a petition going around in the Village of Newark Valley to dissolve the Village. I am rather neutral on the subject, and do not see a negative impact either way. The comments in the column say that the town will do this and that to “only” Village residents, such that the Town Supervisor would create all these districts within the Village limits and stick it to “just the Village” residents. What does bother me is that the Mayor and a few others think that the Town would screw all the residents, yet has shown zero factual evidence in that actually being the case. Has anyone taken the time to gather information from the Town Supervisor before making these statements? I am assuming no, and that it’s mostly assumption.  

~

I do love this column, especially if I’ve had a crappy week. Always something amusing! Like the person who must have a phone or Internet that took the time to ask if the Superintendent of Public Works was going to be on the ballot. Why wouldn’t you simply call the Village Office; or better yet, call DPW and get an answer? If you’re trying to make a point, doing it this way only makes you seem stupid. Also, I totally agree regarding televised New Year’s Eve entertainment. More of us are staying home, as you’re afraid to even enjoy a glass of wine with dinner; COVID still reigns supreme. What was on the major networks was pitiful. Try PBS next year; orchestras that play actual music; dancers that waltz and have actual dance steps in beautiful attire.

~

The army names the helicopters, not Lockheed Martin.

~

Village residents don’t pay the same town taxes as town-only residents. You pay less because you don’t get the full services, such as the highway department.

~

The village DPW superintendents are not and never have been on the ballot. The election in Owego is on the third Tuesday in March.

~

My solar yard light stays on all night. My walk lights stay on until at least 1 a.m. It is all about battery capacity and charging ability. Same with any solar system;
design it properly and it will work just fine. 

~

It appears the majority of readers support our Owego Indian mascot, and in my opinion, rightfully so. In addition to the history and honor of our mascot, I think this is also telling the governor not to dictate OUR choices and hold us hostage with our own tax dollars. I have seen no information from the School Board on what (if anything) they plan on doing, which must include the COST of any such plans. I suspect they don’t want to have a public debate on the subject. So, what is the school board position? Also, excellent comment regarding the Blackhawk Helicopter name. I suggest people visit army.mil and find the article, “Why army helicopters have native American names”. “In Honor” is the reason why! But her majesty in Albany knows better.

~

I’d like to know if there is somebody out there that could put a zipper in a hoodie. I would pay for the zipper and labor. You can leave your number in the paper and I will call you.

 

National Political Viewpoints

Welcome to the Charlie McCarthy and the Mortimer Snerd era of the House of Representatives. (Apologies to Edgar Bergen.)

~

The clowns in Washington, DC are concerned for our health and want to ban gas stoves; seriously, if they are so concerned about our health outlaw junk food.

~

If you think having classified documents locked up in your office is the same as taking them home and putting them in a magazine stand in your living room, then you have serious perception problems. 

~

Republicans have the unique ability to visually check their own polyps.

~

Seth Myers on Kevin McCarthy becoming Speaker of the House – “Ahead of the last round of voting for House speaker, Alabama Congressman Mike Rogers appeared to charge at fellow Republican Representative Matt Gaetz. And, out of habit, Gaetz yelled, ‘I’ve never even met your daughter!’” “It’s one thing to hold a dude back by his shoulders, but by his face? Is this the House of Representatives or a Long Island wedding?” “They chose McCarthy the same way you choose Thai food on New Year’s Day: ‘You guys want Thai? Well, nothing else is open!’”

~

“Leftover, reheated” jobs; jobs that were lost due to COVID and came back now that various restrictions have eased should not be counted as “fresh” new jobs in the “jobs created” count. They were not created, merely reinstated. Deceiving.

~

To the person who was complaining about the price of eggs under this administration, I believe I heard that right after his inauguration that President Biden set off spreading avian flu virus to many of the egg producers just to raise the price.

~

Former President Trump recently criticized late night talk show hosts as being worthless fools with no talent. Jimmy Kimmel’s response was this, “Yes we make a lot of money, but do you know what we do with it? We pay taxes.”

~

I marvel at the hypocrisy of the democrats and the two-tiered justice system. Readers of this column constantly brought up the supposed classified documents that were at Mar-a-Lago. It was suggested that Trump should be jailed. Well it just came out that classified documents were found at the Penn Biden Center. Why don’t you democrats who cried for Trump’s head say anything? How come the corrupt FBI hasn’t raided that residence; or why isn’t the political DOJ doing anything? Also, Biden’s trip to the border had illegal immigrants moved off the streets so Biden could have a nice photo op. Surely, we can’t see how out of control the border is. 

~

To the outraged democrats that are aghast that Santos dolled up his resume; hello, Senator Elizabeth Warren flat out lied on her college application, whose education / degree eventually led to her becoming Senator. She effectively stole a spot in an Ivy League University from an actual Native American. Santos just happened to get caught. I bet if you dug around, many democrats have lied on their resumes. People in glass houses.

~

If Congress doesn’t have a Speaker does that make it speechless? There are more upsides to this whole scene. Having a gridlock is the next best thing in support of having a constitutional government, and a shutdown of the House is almost as good as a government shutdown. It shows that our government, as originated, is working the way it was intended – two parties, debates, and compromises. 

~

The call for a One World Order, or Great Reset, is a call for centralized power among the elites. They will decide what you can eat, see, say, do, etc. They will determine what your children may learn. These elites will idealize one of themselves. This greatest of the greatest elites shall be known as the Antichrist.

~

I don’t understand why the media is making such a big deal about these top-secret documents found at two Biden locations. You’ve covered up all of the other “Big Guy’s” screw-ups and corruption. I can’t believe, all of a sudden, the media has got integrity!

~

Hillary had classified information, and was this information just released now? They found it on Nov. 2. No, they held it until the midterms. Oh, when Biden was asked about these documents, he didn’t even answer the questions! Can you say big time double standards? I’m so glad I’m smart enough not to be a democrat and so glad the republicans have won the House. Now we are going to see things differently. Things are going to change, and all for the better for this country.

~

Wow, the more we hear, the Biden family seems to be more corrupt than the Clintons! I didn’t think that was possible. But I’m guessing that’s a democrat trait. Biden must be listed as the worst president ever.

~

On the front cover of last Sunday’s New York Post there were the words, “Joe, No,” and it had an article about Joe Biden running again in 2024. It showed him with a scary grin on the front page with frightened people. My question is, who in their right mind would want him to run a second term? That really frightens me. If you think he’s bad now, God forbid he does a second term, he will be much worse. 

~

Dismantling democracy is not a winning republican strategy; it’s a losing political strategy as witnessed by the Nov. 8 elections. Democrats held on to critical secretary of state seats, enabling our democracy to survive in the future against election deniers that lost elections in all swing states. That’s a win for our country to retain being a democracy. Voters rejected election deniers running to take over elections. The disgraced, twice impeached, ex-president Trump recruited election deniers who subsequently and consistently lost big time battle ground states and rejected Trump’s picks that would have taken away voters rights.

~

Kevin McCarthy says, “I feel good,” after losing 11 times. I can understand why they call the Republican Party the stupid party.

~

What’s currently going on in the House is exactly why you don’t vote for that group. Fighting, discord, egos, lying, cheating, and they all think that’s fine. If they can’t even make a simple decision on whom to elect to run the House in congress, then how are they possibly going to get anything done? We need to vote for people that want to work and are not interested in their fragile egos. Stop voting republican, they’re nothing but destroying the country. It’s obvious.

~

Do any of the readers know the purpose of Biden going down to El Paso? The city cleaned up the streets and got rid of the tents. It looked immaculate when we went. It is too little too late. That border was not shown to him in the reality that it is. He needed to talk to the residents and he needed to do something about that border. I think it was just for him to say he went to the border but he accomplished nothing, as usual with this administration. So, if you know why he went, please call in because I would be interested in your comment.

~

To the democrats who are uninformed and keep saying the republicans want your social security, remember Joe Biden in 1983 voted to make your social security taxable and in 1993 again, only at that time he wanted to take 85% of your social security and make it taxable. Let’s keep the record straight.

~

I see Brazil was watching the republican traitors two years ago. They tried the same thing, but at least Brazil is doing the right thing. They are arresting all the people and are tearing their crap down. Too bad our country didn’t get a little tougher. One other thing, the first thing McCarthy wants to do is cut down the IRS, wonder why, because you know why, it’s because half of the Republicans don’t pay any taxes. They cheat and they know it, and they don’t want to get caught, just like their buddy Trump. 

~ 

You want to talk about somebody who lied on their resume, look no further than slow Joe. The man has lied for 50 years; he’s lied as a senator, he’s lied as a vice president, and he lied as a president. The man tells nothing but lies, so all you people criticizing anybody else about embellishing their resume, look at the make-believe president and it’s all over the place, the facts are out there and once he gets nailed for the Hunter-Biden laptop, he’ll even be worse. The hypocrisy of the people criticizing somebody who lies on their resume, unbelievable! 

~ 

Republicans will not destroy Social Security and Medicare. Why do you people keep lying about that? Why don’t you just put another ad on TV of somebody pushing granny over the Cliff in a wheelchair like you did before. You people are pathetic, and you think that if you keep repeating the lies that people will believe it. Well, it’s not true, period! 

~ 

So it seems that before Joe went to the border they sanitized and cleaned up the area he was visiting so it didn’t look as bad as it was. What else is new? Typical Democratic hypocrisy; it doesn’t matter what you do now Biden, you already did the damage. Millions and millions of illegal aliens are in this country, not to mention all the drugs and all the deaths because of you. 

~ 

So the first day back working and the republican Congress already voted to get rid of the 87,000 IRS agents that were to be hired. Thank you very much, job well done! Now hire those people to enforce the border and get rid of the illegal aliens that are invading us. 

~ 

Trump will be charged with messing around with Georgia’s election and, if we find him guilty, he’ll be in handcuffs and he’ll be behind bars. And to all of you people that still think trump is so great; I can hear it now, “Oh he’s been framed, uh yeah, that’s what it is, he’s been framed.” Why can’t you people admit he’s not innocent? I’m sure you’ve raised your children the same way. 

~ 

On Nov. 2 classified documents were found in Biden’s private office. They had been there since he was vice president, and being vice president he cannot declassify anything. So did I miss the massive raid on Biden’s home, every one of them? Every democrat went on public TV and said no one was above the law when it involved President Trump. Hillary had classified information, and why was this information just released now? They found it on Nov. 2, but held it until midterms.  

~

How funny is it that now that the republicans are in charge of the House, the democrats no longer want any investigations. They call them witch-hunts. Huh, witch-hunts? Sounds like six years of going after Trump, but what do you expect from democrats?

~

Will the democrats want slow Joe Biden to resign for embellishing on his resume like they do the congressmen, because he’s been embellishing on his resume and lying for 50 years. So I’m fine with that, let’s go ahead.

~

It turned out they found Biden documents six days before the midterms but conveniently just turn them over a few days ago. Coincidence? I think not. Another way they cheat on elections.

~

Republicans are not governing for the people; they are grandstanding individually, only for their own egos, self-interest, and promotion. 

~

The house GOP now offers extremist agendas rejected by voters. What’s with this secret three page tax agenda? Its cutting defense spending and cutting taxes for the wealthy, and gutting Social Security and Medicare benefits to pay for it. 

~ 

Are they going to appoint a special counsel to investigate Biden’s records or are they going to have the FBI invade his home in the middle of the night and go through his wife’s clothing? Yeah, probably not. His name’s not Trump, so why would they bother? More double standards on the part of the liberal left.

~

Biden just said the records were in a locked garage with this Corvette. Oh, okay. It was in a locked garage, which means it was safe. What a buffoon!

~

Republicans have become everything they claim to despise. Whatever happened to Ronald Reagan’s shining light on the hill? Congressional Republicans are dismantling it and thus darkening that once shining light of hope.

~

This is why the Republicans have not received the majority vote in presidential elections since the year 2000, save for one election in 2004. Most Americans don’t want the MAGA that QAnon Republicans are pushing on to America.