Readers’ Column for the week of March 19, 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.

 

The Newark Valley Food Pantry is taking requests for Easter boxes. Pickup will be April 1 from 10 a.m. to noon. You must be in the 13811 zip code area to get one of the boxes. To reserve your box, call (607) 642-8176 or (607) 642-3339.

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I was wondering how to stop getting mail for my deceased husband. I have written and got a hold of different ones, especially social security, when they know he has been gone for several years. It’s very disgusting to go to the mailbox and all I get is his mail. If you know of any way of stopping it, please let me know.

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I’m calling about the railroad. I find it of great interest that the village has been told for years that they can’t do anything with the railroad because it is controlled by the federal government. I think it is time we stood up, the village and the town, and let the federal government know that we have a problem with the Main Street crossing and with trucks getting stuck on it. We all know, if a train hits a truck there is a good possibility it could derail; especially with the speed the trains are going through Owego. This should be addressed, and now is the time to do it. 

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I was just reading in this column about a person saying they would get fined for not shoveling their sidewalk here in Nichols, and of all the garbage around homes that nothing is being done about. It’s true. There are several houses that have junk and garbage piling around their house and it brings down the value of the people around them. Can the code enforcement officer do something? 

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I never thought I would see the day when people would get offended over rice, butter, and pancake mix and syrup! 

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This is extremely important! I get mail in Apalachin, and when I get it there is usually one or two things missing weekly. Now I’ve got two newspapers; I get the Enquirer and the Courier, they are big enough. I didn’t get them last week. I don’t know what to do. I have called and called, they will talk to them, will do this, will do that. I know they are putting the mail in the wrong boxes. They have to be! I’m missing mail on a regular basis. 

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How much CO2 is sequestered by one acre of foliage? Corn is listed at 8 tons / acre. How much CO2 is sequestered by one acre of solar panels and the vegetation around them? We need to know; so let’s stop being ignorant and begin to establish an area where constructive, productive, and community information may be concentrated – The Owego Pennysaver. We can share information in this column and in the editorial section. If we utilized this resource, it would be far more informative than the national news sources. What do you think? 

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What are the chances that solar panel electric generation enhances climate change? What do you need to consider? Define weather and climate, source of energy, relate to solar panels, normal result of solar radiation, ultimate result to alternate use of natural earth cover. Do solar panels and the power resulting from their use really reduce climate change? 

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The Salvation Army in Waverly had to close up shop last year. Does anyone know where they moved to? 

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To the person looking for a Rollator, please call (607) 754-0845.

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Just think – if Waverly had parking meters on Marijuana Street in Waverly, a.k.a. Broad Street, they would be making a ton of money. The place is always packed and you can’t find a place to park. 

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We’d just like to say thank you very much to the Owego road crew for taking such good care of Maple Lane all winter long! We have been salted, sanded and plowed, and you did a great job!

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I see the VFW is having a big celebration for the Vietnam Vets. Too bad it’s 60 years too late.

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Being community minded in the village of Owego, I like to look at statistics. I recently looked at the crime rate in Owego. With a crime rate of 49 per 1,000 residents, Owego has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all of the communities of all sizes. From the smallest towns to the very largest cities with chances of becoming a victim, either violent or property crime here is one in 20. I have had six break-ins at my property in 2022. If you would like to see more, just go to crime statistics Owego on the Internet. 

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Rumor has it a Newark Valley village board member is moving out of the village. If this is true, this member should resign immediately. This board member should not have any more say on our village. It’s bad enough this member worked on our budget while knowing this.

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We are the Big Horn Lenape Tribe of Delaware Indian descendants. If any of you readers know of Bear Town, a Native American refugee town in the Van Etten area from the 1700’s that existed after General Sullivan came through, we would like to hear from you. Especially if you are a descendant of the Native group from the Nobles Hill area out of Swartwood. Or if you know yourself to be a descendant of Lenape-Delaware / Munsee or Mohican / Nanticoke ancestors, we would like to hear from you. We have a genealogical base and are always looking to add information to it. Contact us by email to bighornlenape@yahoo.com.

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At the March 6 OACSD Board of Education meeting, the first draft of the 2023-2024 Budget was presented. As in almost all years, the Budget had a “Budget Gap” in an amount of about half of 1%; this year $351,790, or rounding error. NYS School Aid increased by 12%, or $3,300,000, which is huge in context. With great anguish, torment, consternation and gnashing of teeth, the BOE focused on how they would close this Budget Gap. Will it be necessary to deprive our students of essential resources, raise taxes, and / or use reserves? Currently our district’s savings accounts are well funded. There was a defining silence with regard to the huge increases in salaries. For the budget, this increase is the largest ever in percentage and amount. All of the district’s labor increases are defined in union contracts, and this year it is 4.25% or $850,000. This budget increases labor costs by $2,200,000. When pensions and social security costs are added to this, it is $2,600,000. No BOE member asked, “For what purpose is the huge increase?” What deficiency or extraordinary expense is this $1,850,000 to fix? Don’t know. Will we be paying bonuses in 2024? Even though reserves are high, taxpayers and students might be better served if $1,850,000 went into the piggy bank? What about a third year of no property tax increase? OACSD could be famous!

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If you think that the winter weather forecasts have gotten worse over the last two to three years, you’re not imagining it. The National Weather Service has become the boy who cried wolf, and the problem is their GFS-FV3 model, which was introduced in 2019, and which is flawed and just plain terrible. It over-predicts snowfall because it underestimates temperatures by several degrees. It’s becoming absurd. Every school closure this year has been unnecessary. This week Broome County declared a preemptive state of emergency because of a forecast calling for two feet of snow. We got one or two inches at my house in the Village of Owego.

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To the person seeking to buy a Rollator Walker; you can obtain one at no cost by calling The Med Shed, a medical equipment distribution shed in Nichols. Ask for Jim at (607) 699-3173 or Barb at (607) 699-3736.

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Thank you to all of those who supported the Friends of Coburn Library Book Sale last weekend! We raised over $1,000 for the library! For those of you that like to plan ahead, our next book sale will be in June. Thanks, again!

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Well here we go again, yet another huge increase in water bill. If I read the notice correctly it could add $200 or more per year to the average residential bill. I hate to see what it will do to businesses. Is there a way we can challenge it? Seems the public service commission gives the big guys whatever increases they want. Between the village’s unfair sewer billing scam, NYSEG increases, and ever-rising school and town taxes, where is the breaking point? Why are people surprised when businesses close or move away?

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To the person who was inquiring about a Rollator Walker, you can call the Med Shed in Nichols. They give medical supplies away for free. Call Jim at (607) 699-3173, Barb at (607) 699-3736, or Charlene at (607) 699-3302.

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Imagine receiving $2,400,000 in 2007 and it is your responsibility to provide the maximum number of college scholarships as possible. Do you hire a professional financial advisory to maximize the number of scholarships, or stuff it in the lowest interest-bearing accounts and ignore it? Due to inflation, particularly in college tuition and fees,175%, this $2,400,000 is now worth $950,000. This $2,400,000 was donated to OACSD in 2007. Our OACSD Board of Education had the responsibility to manage this to maximum benefit as stated in their then existing policy manual. As has been clear since 2011 and before the BOE has been asleep at the wheel. Their bylaws specifically defined a responsibility and obligation to manage this Golden Rule Scholar to maximum benefit. In the dark of the May 9, 2022 night, the BOE, in violation of the then existing bylaws, expunged Sections 6255 GIFTS AND GRANTS and 6240 INVESTMENTS. You will never know how much damage due to gross negligence, refusal to abide bylaws, and flat-out laziness has been done to our best and brightest, and hardest working students. With the stroke of a secret pen a dysfunctional BOE absolved itself of gross negligence and breach of its duties to you. Our children have been cheated. The BOE has, since 2015, been working to remove its obligations and responsibilities from its governance charter, and here is the result. Please consider being a BOE candidate this year. Seven randomly selected taxpayers would better serve our community.

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I happen to live on a dirt road in the Town of Owego. I’ve lived here for about 70 years, and I can recall no time in the past when my road has been in such poor condition. Plugged ditches and sluice pipes, deep ruts, potholes galore, more water running down the road than in the ditches. Not good. I’ve traveled other dirt roads in Owego Township, and they are all the same. Does the town highway department realize that it is their responsibility to maintain the dirt roads as well as the hardtop roads? Doesn’t seem so. If you happen to live on a dirt road in the Town of Owego you can call the highway department at (607) 223-1296 to voice your opinion about your road.

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To the residents of the Village of Newark Valley, when a Mayor and Trustees are re-elected term after term without opposition, they tend to get territorial. Territorial also induces automatic ownership of his or her position, which can lead to being defensive as nobody objects until some issue goes unaddressed. The business of the village is to administrate setting the projects, business and tax rates. Residents have a right to speak up for accountability, yet there is the issue of attendance at regularly held Village meetings to be knowledgeable of the process. Small village attendance is in the ballpark of zero to three residents. 

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Fox News; “Lying liars about a liar.” Har.

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To the person complaining about people discussing Newark Valley issues in this column, come to a Village of Newark Valley board meeting. Board meetings are the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Noble room at 9 Park St. in Newark Valley. You will find out rather quickly that this column is the only way for the people to be heard.

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Our Government is becoming a joke. Check this out. The Internal Revenue Service is now reminding thieves that they must report income gained through their crimes. This would be hilarious if it wasn’t also a stark reminder of how normalized crimes, like robbery and shoplifting, have become in recent years. It gets more difficult to distinguish between parody and reality every day. According to IRS Publication 525, taxpayers are legally required to report the value of whatever property they stole during the tax year. “If you steal property, you must report its FMV (Fair Market Value) in your income in the year you steal it, unless in the same year you return it to its rightful owner,” the rule reads.

 

National Political Viewpoints

So Kamala and the democrats are now talking about climate mental health. Maybe they should be talking about Joe Biden’s mental health, and their own.

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So the great mayor of New York City wants to set up a permanent welfare system for illegal aliens and he wants to send 100 illegal aliens to college for free in Upstate New York. Isn’t life grand? What a joke!

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Hey Joe Biden, I have a news bulletin for you. The rich pay more than their fair share – by a lot!

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Let me get this straight. You come to this country illegally breaking the law as an illegal alien. You move to New York City to get a free room, free board, free everything, and now you’ve got a chance of getting four free years of college with everything paid! Wow! Great plan democrats.

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Have there ever been two more incompetent people in the white house as there is today. And has there ever been a bigger cover up and protecting people in the white house in today’s fake media? It’s unbelievable!

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“Teflon so far” Don Trump and his mega millions didn’t really want to “stop the steal” as they really tried to “promote the steal” and undermine democracy, as evident on Jan. 6, 2021.

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The head of Fox News Corporation, Rupert Murdoch, admits that Fox prompted the spread of election fraud lies through their broadcasts. Newly unsealed court documents add to Fox’s legal troubles, revealing Fox fired hosts that dared to tell the truth on air. Sean Hannity said privately that he was disgusted with Trump, but would not tell his show’s viewers for fear of losing them and a potential subsequent drop in ratings. Murdoch also declined to reign in the hosts that spread false voter fraud claims.

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In response to last week’s question about who the speaker of the house is, it’s Kevin McCarthy; he has the title, but he gave away all the power to MTG and her band of crazies to get it. 

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So Joe is now blaming President Trump for the crashing of the bank. Does this clown ever take responsibility for anything? And by the way, Joe, it’s your fault, your policy’s fault. Okay? You did this, not Donald Trump. Once in a while fess up to your mistakes. 

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To quote former Vice President Mike Pence, “Tourists don’t injure 140 police officers by sightseeing.” Trump’s former vice president called out Fox’s Tucker Carlson’s selective editing of turning Jan. 6 taped truth into misleading distortion. Pence, referring to the Jan. 6 insurrection, stated it “put his family in jeopardy.” Pence also stated “history will hold Trump accountable.” 

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Can anything else go wrong with this Biden administration? Now our banks are failing! Oh my goodness, I’m almost 80 years old and I’ve never witnessed anything like this. Everything this man touches just goes south.

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I was surprised last week to read that someone had a problem with a comment in this column about Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden. I presume the writer suggested Nancy and Joe attend some more Catholic churches to learn what the Church actually teaches so that they stop spreading the sewage they have been spewing for some time now. Both Nancy and Joe consider themselves to be devout Catholics, which makes me wonder if they have a problem with the meaning of the word devout or a lack of knowledge of the doctrines of the church, which are about 2,000 years old.

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Full disclosure to my fellow vets; I was equally angry when fellow draft dodgers and cowards Clinton and Trump touched the CMH. There was no draft for Obama, he just didn’t have the backbone to serve.

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Donald Trump is the best thing for Joe Biden. I say this because the banks are failing around the country and inflation still runs hot. Biden can blame it on Trump and The GOP because his administration behaves like pre-school children; not me, not me, it was Trump. Yes, employment numbers still look great, but we are still recovering from the pandemic. Please have Mr. Biden explain to me why all of the big banks are talking layoffs this year; J.P. Morgan’s Jamie Diamond says most Wall Street banks are talking layoffs, Premier and one of the biggest banks in the country, Bank of America, are seeing profits fall and are talking layoffs. So you say so what, but these institutions hold most of the Mortgages in the world, so what will happen is money loans will tighten and the recession is on. Trump did not ease the Barney Frank policy; it was the democrat congress.

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To all of you in the Trump Cult and always Trumpers, why? Even with current concrete evidence that he and FOX News lied to you all about the outcome of the 2020 election, you still sing his praises. You even like to say that the war in Ukraine would not be happening if Trump were President. What? If he were in the White House not only would Putin be in Ukraine, but also he would be in every other place he wants to take over. Please pull away from Trump and his Autocratic tendencies before it is too late for our country. Please hold him responsible for his actions. 

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I am glad to hear that Biden is opening drilling in Alaska. For oil, I think he realized that nobody, either in China or any country, makes extension cords long enough to keep the airlines moving.

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The FDIC bailout will devour a massive piece of the FDIC insurance fund in guaranteed deposits greater than the $250,000 lost by depositors who allowed the bank to loan money at low rates when we were in the beginning of high inflation. The cost of replenishing FDIC will now fall on other banks, which will be passed on to average consumers via new and hiked service fees, and will stay competitive with ever-rising interest rates. President Biden’s response was that we all, as Americans, should look at these bank failures in a “broader contest”, which the reality of this asinine statement is a C.Y.A. as a result of Biden’s preferred economic policies put in place for those who he relies on to fund his political rise and his next chance to stay in the White House.