Readers’ Column for the week of January 28, 2024

You may call The Owego Pennysaver Readers’ Column at (607) 687-2378 24-hours a day, or email comments to ReadersOP@gmail.com (please note the new email address). We reserve the right to revise or reject any message. Thank you.

I liked the comment about the dress code in the workforce today. I totally agree with them. In a hospital we used to know who was who by their uniform. In a general store employees wore something that said, “I’m here to help you, if needed.” Pride comes to my mind, how we dress and act is the reflection on the business we represent.

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A big thanks goes to the reader that commented on the absolute slovenly appearance of employees. I thought I was alone in noticing and being disgusted by it. How disrespectful of their job, and one’s own self. My goodness, I had relatives that looked nicer after mucking out the cow barn; and they certainly knew how to operate a comb. The total lack of pride and general terrible attitude is discouraging and off-putting – so unprofessional. I’ve even encountered this in medical settings. It’s like everyone has just given up and can’t be bothered to take care of themselves; and employers are either afraid (or not allowed) to speak up, to have (or are allowed to have) standards, or are too lazy or greedy to provide any kind of “uniform”, not even t-shirts with a logo (which can be “written off” as a business expense, last I knew).

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The person who wants to “get rid of this negative column” is, sadly, missing the whole point. People need to air and share their unhappiness (and there’s a lot of that lately). People are comforted to know other people have grievances, some worse than their own. “Misery loves company” is a very old saying. If you took any kind of a psychology course, you’d know it’s only human to dwell on the negative. There’s also an old journalism saying for reporters, that goes, “If it bleeds, it leads.” “Uplifting” news doesn’t sell. Human nature, baby. Tear the column out and dispose of it if it distresses you before you’re tempted to “peek”. And, BTW, if you are peeking, you’re just the same as the rest of us.

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I was appalled by the stories in various papers regarding the cruelty to animals at the facility on Glenmary Drive in Owego. A big thank-you to the people who lived close by and reported what they saw. The animals, some dead, others malnourished and living in filth, were removed by the ASPCA. This facility should be closed down immediately. That two that were arrested should never be allowed to own animals again. People boarding their animals there should remove them. Our Tioga County officials should look into closing this type of facility for good.

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I just wanted to thank the Candor Town Highway Department for their ditch work on Logan Hill Road a couple of weeks ago. My family removed multi-flora roses, limbs, and brush from where you finished down to the village drive. I think when it rains and the snow melts the water will stay in the ditch now. I appreciate the work you did, especially because it was January and past the seasonal maintenance date.

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Been having trouble with your mail pickup and delivery in Berkshire? You’re not alone! During the week of Jan. 15 there were three days when our mail courier decided to not travel on our road to pick up or deliver mail. When I called the Post Master about the problem he told me that the mail vehicles have trouble on snow covered roads, so it’s acceptable to skip the road. I told him that our roads had been maintained throughout those days and regular traffic, the school bus, FedEx, UPS, Amazon, and many other vehicles traveled over the road without any difficulty. He said there wasn’t anything he could do, but that I should contact our Congressman, since it’s Congress who has mandated that the mail vehicles be used. It’s something when our garbage and recycling service is more reliable than our mail service. A letter is going to Congressman Molinaro today. 

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I was interested in the two comments last week about Newark Valley’s Village taxes. There is no question that Newark Valley property taxes are high. In a village of 930 people there are 11 or 12 people who receive regular checks for work for the Village. It is excessive. There are two full time clerks for 930 people; a ratio of 1/465 residents. The Town of Union has a ratio of clerks that is 1/15,000 residents. The three DPW workers total 6,240 hours of potential work in a year. Everyone in the Village knows that there isn’t enough work to support 6,240 hours of payroll. There are alternatives, but the Mayor and Trustees refuse to consider anything. Some can afford these taxes, others cannot.

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I look forward to this column every week, as I am sure everybody else does. It keeps us informed on many subjects. If you don’t like it, don’t read it. It’s the real world today with information we all need to be informed about.

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When unwanted items are put in or near the St. Pauly Textile shed at St. Margaret Mary Church they benefit NO one, whereas if they had been donated to the appropriate place, for example The Open Door Mission or the Salvation Army, they could have benefited many! Thank you for following the guidelines and placing your donations in TIED plastic bags.

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I’d like to thank Marty Sauerbrey for the care and protection she continues to show for Tioga County residents. Thank you, Mrs. Sauerbrey. 

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I just want to say to the Lockwood Road hunter window shooter, you might think you got away with it this year, but believe me our group is getting larger all the time. We wanted to post your picture, but we didn’t think they would let us put it in the paper, but we’re showing it to everybody. They see what you look like. Everybody’s watching for you come next year. Hopefully we can get you and your girlfriend arrested, and get you off the road. So just remember, we’re always going to be watching you. 

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When you sign up for Social Security, you must sign up for Medicare also. I didn’t for a few years, so what they did is hit me with a small fine every month. After a few years my last payment has put my total fine to $1,500. Be careful! 

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I just got my insurance bill for my car, which I do pay like some people do and some don’t, and it went up $67, so I called them. And why? It’s because of people who drive without insurance, people that cause accidents. So, I want to thank all you people out there, because of you we pay more because other people that do not have insurance and drive get away with it. So it’s not fair. But thank you for making my bill much higher. It’s wrong. People that have no insurance should go to jail instantly and have their vehicle taken from them. I don’t know if that happens, but it should, so have a good day people. 

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I lost a key ring with a dog on it, and it had some store cards on it like Price Chopper, CVS, and Tops. If anyone finds it, please call me at (607) 687-5854 because I want to get that back. Thank you. 

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This is in response to the comments claiming 2023 was the hardest year. Well, I lived through 2023 and I also lived through the 1950s, and I really didn’t see much difference. Let’s hear from some of you older folks. Thanks. 

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The highway department and Town of Newark Valley need to stop using salt. If you visit the Berkshire Road you would see how no salt works. Salt destroys roads, salt costs more, and salt destroys vehicles. Please, think about a change. Thank you. 

National Political Viewpoints

For all my republican friends who forget what President Biden walked into. He has brought the economy back, gas is down, he got COVID under control, and have you checked your 401K’s – they’re up. Unlike trump that SAID he wanted to have the government shut down, wanted people to lose their savings, and wants to take revenge. Republicans have lost 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and I’m sure they will lose again in 2024. NO RED WAVE!

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I have only one question for republicans, what are you thinking? 

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Just don’t understand why, with polls showing 70% of those polled don’t want a repeat of 2022, you’re still voting for one of the two to be president. Both have shown to have issues with reality, the leaders of both the primary parties are just not listening to the people they are supposed to represent. We deserve better; sooner or later the next generation will have to clean up the mess that Congress and the White House have created with their attitudes of “their experience is the best option”.

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To the writer of “It’s my party”, it was my party for 55 years and until the day Joe Biden opened the borders and shut down oil production. Remember all those illegals that crossed those first few days? All wearing Biden T-Shirts. From producing our own oil to paying top dollar and depending on our enemies to supply our needs. Go Green! How’s that going? I have never seen anything destroyed like our country has been in the last three years.

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Recent measles outbreaks are partially blamed on parents who refuse to vaccinate. But it is also on a list of illnesses prevalent in Central American countries in 2019 (before COVID), where there are few or no immunizations. Others possibly carried here by unvetted illegal’s include Hepatitis A and B, typhoid, cholera, rabies, diphtheria, polio, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, meningitis, shingles, tuberculosis, and flu. And now we “welcome” even more sicknesses from over 100 more countries. Thank you, Biden Administration, for the open and uncontrolled borders! Can we ever put America first?

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I’m in the 70 plus category and I have a question for the Anti-climate change folks, what’s it going to take to convince you, gondola tours of what is left of New York City?

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The hypocrisy of Biden’s acceptance and tolerance of Hunter’s drug use and addiction is a perfect fit, and accounts for his own personal ability to bail his own son out while at the same time ignoring the loss to others’ who have had sons and daughters die due to the influx of smuggled Fentanyl coming over our open southern borders. The count of ‘recorded’ deaths due to Fentanyl from 2019-22 was at 287,129 people, and well over that now as they have not yet released the 2023 count.  The count does not include the millions of the walking addicted zombies allowed to be living on our streets due to illegal drugs, as is Fentanyl. What we do know is in 2023 alone there is a recorded historical high of 2.5 million illegal immigrant crossings (by grace of an Executive Order), and likely an even higher number of deaths due to Fentanyl and another year perpetrated on Americans. As of January 2024, with Biden’s numbers in the tank, he now decides that the border is not safe. At least we know where his priorities and values lie, on himself and being re-elected. A policy he now invokes with his acknowledgement that our southern border needs more security, and his push of what Trump did in 2016.

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On Jan. 19, via Governor Hochul’s portal, I asked why New York State was not performing some of its functions. These are important functions, which the state has done for decades and always accomplished by a certain date. Hochul acknowledged my request with some political manure; however, read her message between the lines. Governor Hochul shall “rebuild our communities”, [provide a] “safer future for you”, and “make government a force for good once again”. New York is a one-party state with the highest taxes and out-migration. Being they have been a one-party state, then the democrats are responsible for destroying our communities that now need to be rebuilt, and adherence to law and order needs to be restored. Maybe she could start with establishing lawful immigration? It would be easy. Maybe she could see that the New York State government does its essential functions. Does she have anything else to do? 

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I’m just wondering, if I accuse somebody of rape 30 years ago, and even though I don’t have any evidence, can I sue them for millions of dollars? Just asking. 

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Democrats like to use the term “reproductive healthcare and abortion” in the same sentence. Healthcare for who? Not for the baby. 

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I find it mildly amusing that any time Biden tries to talk or send Harris in his place, all they do is talk about President Trump. Why don’t they brag about any of the good things they have done for our country and in the world? Oh I get it, he hasn’t done anything good in the country or in the world, so let’s talk about Trump and try to bring him down. The American voters are too smart and we will all be pulling the lever for President Donald Trump in November anyway. 

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During the globalist Joe Biden’s first hundred days in office he revoked 70 of Donald Trump’s border policies. And you wonder why we have a border crisis now, or 8 to 10 million people. Illegal immigrants, many of them criminals, have invaded our country. Nice work. 

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The extreme MAGA House Republicans say they will not accept a bipartisan border deal that helps solve the problem they constantly complained loudly about because they don’t want the border crisis to improve; that may help President Biden, politically. But what ingenuous hypocrites these MAGA Republicans prove themselves to be. They should be working to solve the border problem, not continuing it for a perceived political advantage this next election. It’s just a talking point for them to not resolve, but to complain about. The MAGA group are actually against slowing illegal immigration, thinking it will help their dear leader Trump politically. The border problem could be greatly improved ASAP, but that’s not what they want. The MAGA Republicans prefer extending, even promoting more chaos. 

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I think anybody should be held accountable for their actions, including not paying their bills, assaulting people, and just rude behavior in general. That’s what the former president needs to be held accountable for. He’s trying to divide and destroy this country. The former president put us in the most debt of anybody ever and our current president is working very hard to lower our debt. Anybody who votes for a Republican is crazy. All the dictators in the world are waiting for the Republican Party to get the presidency so they can take over the U.S. They’re just waiting and chomping at the bit. They can’t wait for us to fall underneath should that former president ever be reelected. He needs to be put in prison where he belongs for trying to destroy our country. 

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The Supreme Court clearly stated that forgiving student loans is unconstitutional, yet this is Joe Biden’s sleazy way to try to buy young votes; he keeps forgiving student loans to the tune of $131 billion. How is this possible? And you want to talk about a dictatorship? This man pays no attention to the Constitution. So open up your eyes, Democrats, and see who the real dictator is. 

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I love the way the Democrat party says Trump will be a dictator. Well, who’s the party that won’t even let anybody run against their candidate. They’re not allowing anybody to run against him. That’s not a dictator? Explain it to me. 

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I used to like Nikki Haley, but not so much anymore. She said she would pardon Trump if he was convicted and she doesn’t even know what the civil war was about. I was going to vote for her, but now I’m going to vote for Biden. 

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Remember, the radical liberals doings of yesterday are the leaders of today. That sounds scary. 

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I’d like to settle the election stolen once and for all. I believe the Democrats would have done anything to stop Trump. I believe there are bags of mail hidden somewhere that never got counted. Many even testified that there were bags of mail that they didn’t put out. 

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I have another comment. The remark Trump said about being a dictator was very much misunderstood. I heard and saw him say I’d like to be a dictator for one day to bring back policies. Biden’s a dictator, running our lives. 

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Wholesales last year dropped to the lowest level in 28 years. Thank you, Joe Biden. Another one of your great accomplishments. What a phony!

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Hey Trump, I’m going to put one of your lies to rest from four years ago when you lost the election. You said that under the Biden administration everything was going to crash. People were going to lose tons of money. Well, guess what? I have made out very well with my retirement and my investments, so you don’t know what you’re talking about. Anybody that continues to believe you is nuts! 

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What a hypocrite DeSantis is. He’s complaining about all these people kissing Donald Trump’s butt or kissing his ring, and then he turns around and does exactly that. That’s why I don’t vote Republican. 

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I can’t believe that people in the United States aren’t protesting about the way the immigrants are getting treated and all the privileges they have. They protest about everything else. This is very important. I can’t understand why our country is letting them take over our schools and airports and everything else they can take over. Doesn’t anybody care about our country anymore? 

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I used to like Nikki Haley, but the more I hear her talk she reminds me of John Kasich, the guy in 2016 that ran and then realized he didn’t have a prayer. Just get out of it and save your money and let the Trump train begin, and stop lying about his memory going. He made one mistake in his speech; you made about four mistakes. Get over it. Do not compare him to Joe Biden. Goodbye Nikki, you were my favorite and now you are at the bottom with the rest of the rhinos. 

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Wake up, people. Trump is not the man you think he is. Just watch him on TV. He is raving and ranting, calling everyone names. He’s only interested in being number one and being on TV. He is not capable of being president. He has no morals and doesn’t care about the country, always himself. Be careful who you vote for. It means your life. 

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It’s pretty sad that Republicans have to lie about Democrat policies just to try to turn people against them. What’s wrong with these people? Like saying the Republicans are saying that the Democrats are housing immigrants in the schools in New York and making the kids go remote. First of all, it’s not true. They had one night that they brought some immigrants in when it was cold. They put them in there for one day and the next day the kids went to school, so I wish they would stop lying. If they’re embarrassed of how the Republicans are, go Independent even, but just tell the truth.  

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Joe Biden wasn’t elected. He was installed like a toilet. 

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You go, girl. Nikki Haley gave Donald a good run. All the others gave up and backed down or were threatened or paid off by Trump. Maybe this is the year we finally have a woman president. 

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A woman’s healthcare decisions are hers and should not be decided by any government body; but I’m curious as to why, with several different birth control options available, there are so many abortions. They can’t all be the result of rape or incest, so why? I understand there are times when abortions are medically necessary, so why?

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The front-page headline of a recent Press & Sun-Bulletin was a small but nearly daily example of our governor’s efforts to put New York State right over the brink to oblivion. “Corning Inc. slashes 200 jobs locally” (the hemorrhaging of more jobs for the handful of people who are honorable enough to work). “New York hopes to build 15K homes on state land.” In former prisons, because we can’t possibly lock up bad guys who prey on the innocent); psychiatric hospitals, no help for the folks most in need; and SUNY campuses. Guess who will wind up with these 15K apartments? Asylum seekers? None of this is helping the exodus of those who can afford to leave the former “Empire” state. Good luck, Corning folks.