Readers’ Column for the week of September 24, 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.

Have you ever wondered what happens to the money you put in the Salvation Army red kettles? While it is used to assist people in need in a variety of ways throughout the year, most recently students of the OACSD were the recipients. Four-dozen backpacks were recently donated to the district, along with over $400 in school supplies.

~

Yes, it’s been a while and I feel guilty about not getting back to a lady who had placed a comment in the Pennysaver about looking for a room or two rooms to rent because she had animals, and that it was hard for her to find a place. I was wondering if she found a place. If she could leave her number in this column I will get back to her.

~

Doesn’t anyone see the irony of the school mascot name change? We are told to change it, in part because our forefathers unfairly took away the natives’ property when they no longer had the means to defend it. Is not this exactly what the school system does? As soon a property owner falls into hard times or retires, and no longer has the means to defend their property from the snowballing taxes (on what the owner supposedly already owns),  it is taken from them forcibly and given to someone else (ever notice the tax auctions). Nothing is new under the sun, just the methods, names, and places.

~

Just calling in about the Owego Coin Laundry on Route 17C. I really like going there. It’s a nice little place, but I was wondering when the owner is going to get some of his machines fixed. I counted six or seven that were out of order today. So hopefully you can get those fixed so more people can come. Thank you.

~

I had a call from a car dealer a couple of days ago. They said that my model car and year was in high demand, and they wanted to know if I wanted to sell it back to them. Talking to them on the phone, it’s more of a scam. They want you to bring your car in so they can give you an offer for a trade in and show you another car. I would think people would want to be advised about that. I don’t think that’s a good way to sell cars, myself.

~

I was just reading The Owego Pennysaver and the person calling in about the park in Nichols looking like a hay field. I totally agree. Part of the dike is all torn up and full of mud. It’s just a total mess.

~

Long time coming, the streets of Owego are looking great. Sad part is, they will only look this good for less than two weeks until the dirt piles up. The village needs to take more pride by cleaning the major truck routes like Main Street and North Avenue. With the amount of trucks using this route they should be swept weekly. I have actually seen black soot pile up at least two inches or more, which eventually makes its way onto the sidewalks and then tracked into the establishments. Please, can we keep these two streets clean on a regular basis? 

~

I’m just wondering why, in the Town of Candor, I see two school buses going on Anderson Hill within 15 minutes of each other. It seems like we could have just one bus to pick up all of them. There aren’t that many on that road.

~

I have to agree with the lady that wrote a couple of weeks ago about people speeding on Anderson Hill in Candor. Yeah, they really do speed; nobody pays attention to the speed limit up here.  

~

The reason that Nichols Park looks like a hay field now is because Mr. Cass is gone, and he was probably the hardest working person in Nichols. 

~

This is a message for all the drivers out there, one of which I am. When the power is out, as it was earlier this week, stop lights are out and they become a stop sign. Something people need to learn is to give the right away, where right away is due. The other thing is, I usually travel on Route 96 or 38. People that are walking are supposed to walk against the traffic, not with it. Perhaps The Owego Pennysaver would consider doing an article occasionally and reviewing what some of the laws are, not only for drivers, but laws that may apply in the village. 

~

The Richford Potato Festival was held on Sept. 16. The Owego Pennysaver and the Richford Town newsletter notified the public that the Richford Fire Department was having a chicken BBQ starting at noon. There was no mention of having to pre-order the dinners. We drove down there at 12:40 p.m. and were told the dinners were all gone, and that you had to pre-order to get them. This was very disappointing and inconvenient. The pre ordering requirement should have been specified. We are seniors with difficulty preparing meals, so this was especially disappointing.

~

I was wondering if Tioga County or Waverly could at least paint the yellow and white lines in the road going down Waverly hill? On these mornings when it’s foggy, you can’t even see the lines and then you have the cars coming at you with the white headlights that blind you. One of these days I’m afraid I’m going to end up going over the ditch. 

~

I would just like to say how nice the Village of Newark Valley Green looks. THANKS to everyone’s efforts!

~

I have a complaint about a growing nuisance problem. People around the village are putting up portable basketball nets on the sidewalks and then playing ball in the streets. The kids that play are under age 10, and sometimes parents are not present. I have seen walkers, elderly, people with dogs, etc., who have to go out in the street because the sidewalks are blocked. Some of the people that do this have driveways with paved garage areas that they could easily put the nets there. I have talked to many people, yet nothing gets done about it. It is a New York State law that nothing can block sidewalks, let alone use the street for anything other than wheeled traffic.

~

It’s that time of year where the Village of Newark Valley will be discussing the budget. Not sure the exact date, but we need as residents and taxpayers to pay attention. Over the last five years our taxes have gone up on average 5%. (Remember the 20% they raised a few years back?) We’ve all been doing with less the last couple of years; it’s time the village did too! Please, on both sides, let’s be cordial, respectful, and non-condescending, and let’s focus on today and tomorrow, not yesterday!

~

I like to watch live streaming Internet cams. What I have noticed, and it drives me nuts, is at nighttime these cities, like New York, are lit up like a Christmas tree. Why? What’s with you people? It might be fine during the winter to have the places lit up. The lights would add heat to the building. But during the summer the air conditioning has more to cool down due to all the heat generating lights you leave on. And look at Times Square, where huge displays are constantly running at 3 a.m., and when no one is around to see them. You want to eliminate carbon dioxide emissions, turn the lights off during the summer! 

~

So Owego got $10 million to enhance the village almost seven years ago. Can anybody explain or even show me where that money has gone? Whoever is responsible for all this money should be held accountable as to why there is nothing that has improved this village’s OVERALL appearance, and give some type of explanation as to who is getting the benefits from that grant!

~

Whoever found my blue 4-wheeled walker by the restroom near the 9/11 memorial last Wednesday, Sept. 13, please turn it into the Parks Department by calling (607) 762-2114. Distance walking is very painful without it. Thank you. 

~

Would a pediatrician care to weigh in on the current trend of hauling tiny tots around all types of terrain in giant, soft-sided wagons, bouncing around with no back, spine, neck or head support? Not to mention any protection from the sun and UV rays. Golly, kids are strapped snuggly into car seats, conventional strollers, and high chairs.

~

About the issue of cats in your garden; I have cats and litter boxes, but in the summer they spend most of their time outside and they don’t come in to use the litter box. You can get a spray that helps discourage the garden litter boxes.

~

Not sure what Nichols Park the reader in last week’s edition was referring to. For the last four months I have been walking every day in Kirby Park. The gentleman taking care of this park has kept it in excellent condition, both mowing and trimming with a weed trimmer. Hopefully they were referring to a different park.

 

National Political Viewpoints

In one of John F. Kennedy’s speeches he says, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” It’s almost as if he’s talking directly to you, Donald J. Trump, and you Republican Trumpsters who just go right along with them. Quit worrying about your own political career and your money and your status and your power. Start delivering for the American people. At least the Democrats are helping the people. Trump lost. Face the facts.

~

Special elections in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Maine, Kentucky, Virginia and several more states show voters rejecting MAGA extremism. The silent majority is winning elections or democracy and freedom by voting or common sense found in the Democrats. 

~

According to our military leaders in the Pentagon and the Department of Defense, Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville has put military promotions on hold for the last six months, which degrades our military readiness and is hurting our National Defense capabilities. Republican Tuberville is pleasing Iran, Russia, China, and North Korea with his blockade on all military promotions that is making our armed forces weaker, putting America at substantial risk. Republicans used to support our military, not undermine it. These days Republicans are putting naive, petty politics over our national security. Want a strong America? Vote for Democrats. They support our military and law and order, unlike Trumpsters. 

~

I’m tired of hearing that Joe Biden shouldn’t run again because of his age. He shouldn’t run again because he has destroyed the country in what time he’s been there. He is the worst president this country has ever had in that chair. Look what that move has done in three years. He doesn’t care about the people. He only cares about what Joe Biden wants. 

~

So the fake news keeps insisting that there’s absolutely no evidence that Joe Biden did anything wrong in his crime family. Are they kidding me? How much more evidence do they need? It’s unbelievable. But they’re going to still get more evidence, so even then they won’t be able to lie. Give me a break.

~

Biden is the most corrupt, distributable and cognitively incapacitated president in U.S. history. He was totally supported by government agencies like the Justice Department and the corrupt news media. The greatest existential threat to the U.S. is the Marxist Democrat Party. Odds are the big guy will resign, claiming health problems. That would be good news for Gavin Newsom, or another Marxist Democrat. The big guy could retire on the $30 million the Biden regime got from China, Ukraine, Romania, and others. Street crime, open borders and economic disaster are at our doorstep. The U.S. cannot take another four years of Biden nomics.

~

For all you Democrats out there, I have two easy questions. Why is an ex-drug addict making business calls from the Oval Office? And why are Joe Biden’s grandchildren getting paid money from China? That’s all I want to know. 

~

In what other civilized country are there allowed to be sanctuary cities that protect illegal aliens and criminals? How does that make any sense?

~

Our military is 15,000 people short of their recruitment goals because it has become politically driven. This isn’t funny anymore, Democrats. Now you’re affecting our security.

~

So globalist Joe visits New York City and totally ignores the migrant crisis. Let me take that back, the illegal alien crisis that he has purposely caused. Please, anybody out there that even thinks about voting for him, open your eyes. 

~

Why isn’t Biden getting charged with humanitarian violations because of the migrant crisis and drugs flowing into the country? One of the amendments to the Constitution says something about protection of its citizens, securing the country. He should be ashamed of himself, treating us so badly. 

~

So Biden just released $6 billion to Iran under the conditions that they would only use it for humane purposes; although the leader already stated that they would use it for whatever they wanted to. Way to go Joe, and you trusted this clown.

~

Did you see your first lady governor on the television? She’s all for the migrants. All of them. She’s enjoying it. She’s loving it. I guarantee you by the time the next election comes they will all have some kind of ID. They know they can’t win. They’re going to do this to make sure they hold that seat. Now, people, I’m going to tell you, if you want four more years of what we just went through, you just let it keep going. Don’t bother voting. But I’m telling you, go and watch everything, all the polling stations. Chucky Schumer is a corrupt bird. 

~

So my question is, what will the Biden – Harris campaign run on? The economy, crime, the border, foreign policy? The auto strike? The illegal drugs in our country? I can’t wait. 

~

Why don’t the Democrats stop obsessing over President Trump and deal with the major issues facing the taxpaying, hardworking legal American citizens? I know why. Because they have no answers. We have no leadership in this country. I’ve never seen it in all my 70 years as bad as it is. I hope we can turn it around in the next election. 

~

Our government is lying to us. Our inflation is nowhere near 3.7%. 

~

Why is it nobody wants to talk about the wages that illegal immigrants are getting paid? I found out illegal immigrants are getting paid $300 a week per individual. 

~

If the Biden administration says that they are the most transparent administration and say that Joe Biden has done nothing illegal, then why did the Biden administration send a memo to all news media outlets, i.e., Fox, CNN, MSNBC, etc., telling them NOT to air anything about the Republicans’ impeachment of Joe Biden? He is the most corrupt president the United States has ever had. I cannot wait to vote him out. Trump 2024! God bless the United States of America.

~

This is for all you Trump haters out there. I agree 100% that he is the rudest, most arrogant and condescending person I have ever listened to, but he has never lied, that I know of; everything he predicted during the 2020 elections has come true. If Biden is able to put three words together, it’s a lie. When he was running for president, his promise was to unite the country. He has done nothing to help us. The Democratic Party does not care about us, only about staying in power. Maybe if you did not watch The View and MSNBC and CNN you, too, would realize this.

~

Democrats and RINOS released a virus, used it to rig an election, then had the FBI dress as patriots and stage an insurrection. And everybody knows it.

~

When is Congress going to pass a ruling to pay back the monies borrowed from Social Security? Since 1968 they have borrowed $1.7 trillion from Social Security, when are they going to start paying it back instead of giving our tax dollars to everybody? Us retirees should be receiving at least double what we are getting now. This is causing us to no longer have a social life, and forces some of us to live on the streets and beg for help. 

~

Any state or city that has declared itself a sanctuary is only encouraging illegal aliens and they should be the ones supporting them. We have over 32 million homeless in the U.S. and 11 million and growing illegal aliens. The illegals get free housing, food, medical care, and education; the legal homeless citizens get nothing, there is something wrong with this picture. Demand that Congress fix the problem.

~

The U.S. debt is still on the rise, currently 2 trillion and growing. The Biden administration keeps handing out billions to support the U.S. proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, where are these funds coming from? Stop the printing presses and borrowing to support countries other than the U.S. citizens. Foreign Aid is nothing but a bribe to buy loyalty to the U.S., it should only be for humanitarian crises and natural disasters, not to support wars.

~

Congratulations to those of you that have left the Trump Cult! A twice impeached, four times indicted person who NEVER takes responsibility for his actions should NOT be President. Want to “Make America Great”? Stop supporting this individual. Stop buying his virtual trading cards, stop believing his rhetoric, stop sending him campaign money that is most likely used to pay for lawyers. He is NOT standing in the way of the Judicial Branch coming after you, unless you are breaking the law. This is NOT a political witch-hunt; he broke the law, he needs to be held accountable. Doesn’t matter what your last name is, if you did the crime, you need to do the time.

~

On the front page of a Binghamton paper, “Due to the economy under Biden, folks can’t even afford their pets and are turning them into already overburdened shelters in record numbers (some of these are not no-kill).” Maybe the “big guy” can adopt them all; he’s had such success adopting dog(s) solely for appearance sake, not out of love for the animal. 

~

Can someone knowledgeable in such things please explain why, when migrants and asylum seekers are an (ever increasing) international problem, severely stressing the resources of the countries they’re fleeing to, who in turn are spending billions to ensure their survival, why aren’t these countries banding together to solve the basic problem of why these people feel the need to flee their homeland? There are summits and global organizations galore. Shouldn’t there be meetings with the leaders of the affected countries to see what can be done so they can retain their population? 

~

I am extremely disappointed in the Democrats. For YEARS their sole strategy has been to demonize a non-politician. Is that what they’re afraid of? He’ll find out the games they’re playing? Did they ever think of actually doing a good job for the middle class? As it stands we are not wealthy enough to comfortably afford the crazy prices on necessities, send our kids to private (safe, sane and academically excellent) schools, or hire private bodyguards. We make a bit too much (for now) to qualify for benefits to help with the basics; although we are the ones paying for the benefits for others. Democrats need to stop being selfish and hypocritical and actually care for the middle class; you know – deserve votes.

~

Please be sure, if you are eligible to vote, that you are a registered voter; and please vote in the 2024 elections! If you want to treat others in a manner better than name calling and belittling, do not vote Republican! #Christians with a Conscience