Readers’ Column for the week of June 7, 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.

Some of the comments in this column are truly frightening. In the May 28 column someone advocated bringing back the death penalty “for crazy people with guns” and to “get them before they get us.” So crazy people should be murdered / executed? “Strung up like Christmas tree lights?” Your editorial staff needs to shut down something this insane / dangerous. Talk about crazy, this person is not to be encouraged. People are entitled to their opinion, but there is a certain responsibility to public safety.

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Where is the street cleaner in Owego? Desperately needed!

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An imperative for our new OACSD BOE members is to restore a BOE that answers to the public. Stated another way, answer questions. The current BOE abhors being grilled by the public and that is why they illegally removed the public forum from the BOE meeting agenda. It has been there as long as records of OACSD BOE meetings exist. Further, the BOE needs to stop censoring meeting minutes and ensure these meetings are video recorded and posted on the District Docs website with the agendas and written meeting minutes. This also would change the behavior of the Gavel Happy BOE. They have demonstrated by loss $1.5 million of the scholarship fund that they are not as smart as they think!

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Hi there, I would like to know as a town of Owego taxpayer, where are all of my tax dollars going? I actually had to go to a hardware store and buy some patch to patch a couple holes in front of my house because the highway department cannot come out and do it. I’ve called the highway Superintendent several times. I just want to know where my tax dollars are going because now we have to patch our own roads.

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I don’t know if it’s the Waverly or Barton area, it’s where the old bus garage used to be, there are a lot of junk cars there and now they’re gone. So I guess whoever made them remove their junk cars is doing a lot better down there than they are up here in Nichols. We need some assistance with all the junk lying around in Nichols. 

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Now that the Owego Apalachin Central School District has new members on their Board of Education, I hope a librarian will be hired for the elementary building. And considering that the OFA library was closed two years ago, could the district please provide shelves in the middle school library for the high school books, which are still in boxes because of lack of shelving? Thank you. 

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I have four, in really good shape, Elvis Presley stamps, and I’m willing to give them to anybody that wants them. My phone number is (607) 748-2942. If you are a stamp collector or whoever you are, I’m ready to get rid of them and I’d like to give them to somebody that wants to use them.

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The flags across the Court Street Bridge for Memorial Day Weekend looked great, and it’s also good that all the lights are actually working now.

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I was saddened to hear a person resent tax money to the Apalachin library. I enjoy the library so much. I love to read and can’t afford buying books. They also have DVD’s and computers to use. I don’t have one, but children’s programs are well attended and very appreciated. It’s a community treasure. This person needs to take time and visit the library, the staff. Tracy, the new director, is outstanding. We’re so lucky to have her.

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It appears that the Owego Apalachin Central School District is being held hostage by the Albany elite bullies. Let’s all stand up to those bullies and say no.

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It’s very unfortunate someone put a negative spin on a reader’s investment advice. No amount is too small to invest. Also, I learned about investing so that you don’t put money away for your child’s college. They need to pay their own way. That’s how they grow into adults. And remember, where you are in life is due to decisions that you’ve made along the journey. Don’t criticize others for their advice.

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Hi, I’m looking for someone to clean my house in the village of Owego. I am not looking for a cleaning service; I’m just looking for somebody that might be willing to clean my house. My phone number is (607) 687-0926. Thank you very much. 

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Great news! There is a used book sale coming up at Coburn Library. It will be held Friday, June 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturday, June 10, from 1-4 p.m. Great finds in all genres are available, and it is a freewill offering for the cost. Wow!

National Political Viewpoints

Why are the Republicans having so much trouble getting the documents they need from the Biden administration to further their investigation? That only says one thing, and I think we can all figure that out.

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What, 87,000 IRS agents? Why not put 87,000 security guards in our schools or 87,000 agents at our southern border? Come on man, Americans want answers.

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So I guess Joe isn’t that worried about the deficit and paying for our budget because he’s taking a long weekend at his Beach House instead of working on it. That way he can blame the Republicans. You know, working an hour a day really gets to you. I guess he deserves a vacation.

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The Supreme Court just put a check on Biden’s phony new Green Deal agenda by taking away some authority from the EPA. Thank God! 

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Typical Democrat fear mongering tactics, refused to negotiate with Republicans for over 100 days, then at the last minute blame the Republicans so you can shove through all your BS social programs and Green New Deal crap. People are on to you. Negotiate three months ago, not now at the end. You people are just pure evil. I’d rather not honor our debt than pass the crap that you people want us to pass. If we don’t, it won’t matter, don’t worry. You will get your Social Security check. 

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To the person thinking we should take in immigrants. Shame on you! How about our veterans, our homeless people? We have people here in America that need our help. Why are we taking in millions of illegals, which we already have, and now they’re coming across legally? Okay, I feel sorry for them, but give me a break. We need to take care of American people, our people; you know, we need to take care of ourselves first. Shame on you for saying that. We need to take care of our veterans and our homeless here. Thank you.

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I don’t know how Fox News got sued for spreading lies about this stolen election. Well, how come the American people aren’t suing Al Gore and John Kerry, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and the rest of the administration for spreading those lies they know about that climate nonsense. We have the cleanest energy in the world but yet they’ll spread their lies and put the fear in people. Why the hell isn’t somebody suing those people for spreading their lies? They know it’s a lie. They shushed up the scientists that told you they were lying.

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So far this weekend, nine killed and 29 wounded in Chicago, which is run by a liberal mayor. They also have some of the strictest gun laws in this country. Keep electing liberals, Democrats. This is what happens.

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Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Everybody would have to be a fool to vote Biden a second time.

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Welcome back to reality all of you that have left the Trump Cult! And, to those of you still in the cult, why? What has he ever done for you and yours? Why do you support someone who acts the way he does? And breaking the law? Don’t get me started! Those in the cult say he is being targeted, and Trump whines about how he is treated. How is that a strong leader? And, if he didn’t break the law he wouldn’t be in these circumstances. 

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This week’s Reader’s Column was a reminder of why I left the Republican Party. One delicate snowflake lamented that “what [Governor Hochul has] done to New York State is disgusting” and that she has “made it a living hell” for the people who live here. Grow up. I could list probably 100 different examples of what a “living hell” might look like, and I’m certain that your life is nothing close to it. First, let’s have a quick look around the world, shall we? Would you agree that the people who are victims of China’s ethnocide of its Uyghur population are in a living hell? How about the people born into the lowest caste in India? How about the children forced to work 14 hours a day burning plastic from wires and drinking heavy-metal-tainted water in the vast dumps in Africa, China, India, and Pakistan, where the world’s discarded electronics end up? How about women in Arab states where Sharia law is the law of the land, where they are literally the property of men and have no rights whatsoever and no sovereignty over their own bodies? There is no such thing as calling the police and reporting sexual assault in those places. How about the people merely trying to eke out an existence in African nations under the control of warlords who plunder and murder? How about the hundreds of thousands of people fleeing Maduro’s Venezuela? Even here in the United States I can give you plenty of examples of what an actual living hell might look like. Children abandoned at birth who end up in the foster system and are sexually abused at an alarming rate.  How about the children-brides of FLDS church leader Warren Jeffs? How about the thousands of children who were repeatedly sexually abused by Catholic priests? How about children right here in Tioga County who are physically and emotionally abused, typically by drug-addicted or alcoholic parents. How does your “living hell” compare to all of that? Look, I’m sorry that you have to live alongside Democrats and that you have to pay taxes. It’s brutal, I’m sure. But, I assure you: you have a terrific and privileged life here in New York State, and you should stop taking that for granted. Spend just one day volunteering with a charity that serves people who don’t have a silver-spoon life, and you’ll understand. Maybe.