Readers’ Column for the week of March 10, 2024

You may call The Owego Pennysaver Readers’ Column at (607) 687-2378 24-hours a day, or email comments to ReadersOP@gmail.com. We reserve the right to revise or reject any message. Also, to stay aligned with our political policy, comments surrounding elections taking place locally will not run.

 

I am an older person, and I consider myself an old fashioned person in general. I miss the days when people respected their elders and treated each other with respect and kindness as well – in grocery stores, schools, and everywhere else. But I don’t think we can blame young people for the sad state of affairs we find our country in these days. There are plenty of adults who set a very bad example. So for those of you who are lamenting the past, and idealizing the good old days, you may want to ask yourselves whom you plan to vote for in the fall. Good morals and true Christian values begin at home. It is up to us as parents to teach our children right from wrong, and sometimes that requires a hard look in the mirror and an honest assessment of our own behavior.

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An English teacher asked the class, “Who knows the difference between complete and finished.” After a moment a man in the class answered, “When you marry the right woman you are complete. If you marry the wrong woman, you are finished. And when the right woman catches you with the wrong woman, you are completely finished.” — Ancient Chinese Proverb

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I’m not the person who commented that forgiving student / college loans / debt on the backs of the taxpayers is wrong, but I quite agree; and I did indeed go to college. I incurred no debt; I did not take out any loans. I put “my nose to the grindstone” from grade one, and worked hard to achieve excellent grades, earning grants, and also opportunities for on campus employment. Any expenses not covered were paid out of my college savings. Additionally, there was the generosity of my parents, who were frugal and set money aside. I realize this doesn’t happen for everyone and that times have changed. Thus, a “loan” may be necessary. My parents were not college educated; however they taught me that the definition of “loan” was something you paid / gave back. If you are unable to anticipate paying something back you don’t borrow it, period. Also, it was always my understanding that, being a college graduate, your earning potential would be enhanced, so you could pay back those you were indebted to. All pretty elementary; I might suggest if one cannot understand or grasp the basic principle of a loan, perhaps college is not for you.

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The Newark Valley Food Pantry is accepting names for Easter baskets. Food will be distributed on Saturday, March 23, between 10 a.m. and noon at 79 Whig St., Newark Valley. You can call Sue at (607) 642-3339 or Sherry at (607) 642-8176 to sign up for your basket.

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I’d like to know why the village of Owego is ignoring their homeless population. Some of these people are not drug users, they’re not violent people, they just need a little help to get on their feet. Whether family has abandoned them or they just lost their job, we need to find out what the circumstances are to reach out and help some of these people. Again, the village of Owego needs to step it up!

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We have such a great school district here. All of the administration and the teachers are so helpful and kind. The bus drivers that we have are fantastic and the people that work at the bus garage are super as well. We should all be so grateful. 

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Here’s a chance to share your favorite recipes with the whole community! The Newark Valley Historical Society is assembling a cookbook as a non-weather dependent fundraiser and would welcome your contributions. We would like all categories of recipes sent to nvhistory@stny.rr.com and marked subject: “cookbook”. Please include your name so we can attribute each one. We will use all of them that we can. The deadline is March 25. 

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Someone, probably near my home on Payne Marsh Road in Berkshire, received my FedEx Package in error. I am offering a cash reward if that person would kindly bring the package, which is from Maryland Square Shoe Company, to my house. My name and address is on the back, and it is of significant monetary and sentimental value. No questions would be asked of you if you would bring it to its rightful owner. Thank you. 

 

National Political Viewpoints

I came across an old edition of this paper from the Trump years. First of all, it was stuffed full of ads so you could shop wisely and locally. Now most of the store ads, both in the B&W sections and color inserts, are gone. Secondly, sale prices on many common grocery items have DOUBLED, or more. I learned math the “old” way, that’s a 100% increase! For example – store brand ice cream: then $1.99, now $3.99. Well, enough of that. While the big guy enjoys his ice cream, I’ll put that $3.99 towards a box of cereal (up 28+%). After all, it’s now my family’s dinner, as recommended by a democrat CEO. 

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“But as Biden pushes for the largest military budget in the postwar era, 63% of U.S. adults say rising prices are a source of hardship; 41% report difficulty paying for basic needs like food, housing, child care, and utilities; and 23% said they were unable to pay an energy bill in full in the last year. These measures of financial distress are all higher than what they were on average in fiscal years 2021, 2022, or 2023. In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, the president’s focus is on weapons.” “Biden is Bankrolling Israel’s War Amid Growing Financial Hardship at Home” — Stephen Semler. March 1, 2024. The Intercept.

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There are 8.4 million illegal immigrants, costing the taxpayer $8,776 per year. Joe signed the executive order to start it, and all he needs to do to stop it is sign another one.

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New York democrats did it again, ram through a new congressional map to give them an edge in elections and change law to limit challenges.

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Governor Hochul has proposed budget cuts to slash state aid for about half of all of the school districts in New York State; get ready folks, we have to fund the illegal immigrants.

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Never in my nearly 80 years have I felt more like I’m living in The Twilight Zone. So now embryos are children, but abortions should be just fine, even after birth. There used to be a saying, it’s not nice to fool Mother Nature. Biology is what it is for a reason. Time after time human interference works to the negative eventually, be it flora or fauna.

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When you fly the wrong flag at the White House, let people roam around half naked on the South Lawn exposing themselves, take millions of dollars in bribes, leave classified documents in your unsecured garage, cause the death of 13 soldiers in Afghanistan, interfere in elections, mandate a dangerous vaccine, ruin the economy, and create the most divisive nation since the Civil War then you, Joe Biden, should be indicted!

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Top 10 reasons to vote for Joe Biden; 10, you want open borders; nine, you want illegals to have free healthcare; eight, you want illegals to have free education; seven, you support abortion even up to the time of birth; six, you want to defund the police and fund more social programs; five, you want this country to be a socialist nation; four, you want to abolish the 2nd amendment and give up your guns; three, you want to abolish the 1st amendment and give up your freedom of speech and religion; two, you want to pay higher prices for gas and groceries; and one, the number one reason you should vote for Joe Biden is because you have completely lost your mind!

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In response to the person who wanted me to look up the meaning of the words indictment and conviction, I need to answer.  It’s hard to have an indictment when the SCOTUS is being bought. When they put their thumb on the scales it certainly is hard to find justice. Look up the word JUSTICE! Supposedly no one is above the law, not even the people with money.

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Anyone who is planning to buy Trump sneakers, don’t hold your breath. Did you ever wonder why they became available the day after the court ruled and fined him millions of dollars? He’s not selling sneakers, he’s selling you a line, and you buy it.

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Donald Trump was found guilty in the E. Jean Carroll case. Because you don’t like the outcome doesn’t mean it was unfair or corrupt. Initially he was fined 5 million dollars, but because he couldn’t keep his mouth shut and defamed her more it was increased. Haven’t heard much from him since about that case.

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Say Donald Trump gets elected, y’all better learn Russia. (Maybe not, probably not.)

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“The godfather”: “Richard the Third” Degenerates into the last act of “King Lear”. He’s losin’ it –

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Not really all “there”. Disappearing into his own personal house of mirrors.

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There he goes, drifting headlong into a breakdown. 

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Joe Biden made all these executive orders to change everything at the border when he was elected. Now he goes to the border, years later, with the government shutdown looming. Now, all of a sudden, Joe Biden wants to spend more money on manpower, machinery, and intelligence. Seriously? You create the problem, now all of a sudden your back is against the wall. 

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Joe Biden going to the border is like an arsonist returning to the fire that he set. 

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Makes me sick watching fake news now as they try to turn the border crisis around and blame it on Trump and the Republicans. For three years they’ve invited and let illegal alien criminals into our country; and now, with some lousy bill, they’re trying to turn the tables and people aren’t buying it. You let these people in for political reasons and the fake news is trying to cover for you, and if any of you people out there are so ignorant that you’re going to believe it and you’re going to blame it on the Republicans, then there’s no hope for this country. 

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So Joe Biden won’t even mention the name of the Georgia student killed because of his policies. What’s the matter, Joe, you feeling guilty? Let’s open the borders to more criminals. Why not? What do you care about? 

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This morning, Friday, Feb. 28, Canada just lost their rights for freedom of speech. Freedom of speech is no longer allowed in Canada. If they hear you have any hatred or feel any hatred that they can prove, you can get life in prison, which is even more than they will give to people who commit murder. God help us all because it may be here soon. 

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I guess The View is doing Trump a big favor by advertising for him because that’s all they do. They have nothing to say except Trump this and Trump that. Guess what? He’s getting free advertising! 

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So Joe Biden is calling people that disagree with his far left climate change hoax Neanderthals. Look in the mirror. 

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To the person giving up the political comments, I am confused. For lent you are supposed to sacrifice something you really enjoyed. So are you saying you enjoy these comments or you don’t? Please explain. 

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Instead of spending all that money to go into space, why don’t they take that money and increase people on Social Security and take care of the people down here? Ridiculous! 

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They should get rid of the national political viewpoints from this column. It’s the same garbage week after week, recycled. 

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Do you know what being a dictator is? Making your own Department of Justice and the FBI to use against your political opponent. Does that sound familiar, democrats? 

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One last response to Biden paying student loans; people are mad. They possibly worked for years in multiple jobs to pay tuition. Also, college is like buying a car, like a Cadillac. If you can’t afford it, you go to a cheaper car. Don’t spend more than you can afford. You wouldn’t do it for other things in life. That is a drain on you for years. Keep it in control. 

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What I would really like to see in this country is instead of squandering billions of dollars on illegal immigrants, put metal detectors in every school in the country. That would be the wisest use of money instead of just squandering it away. It’s ridiculous what we’re spending on them. It’s ruining all the counties and all the states. We can’t afford them. It’s got to stop! 

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Well, now that the House of Representatives has spent their time investigating the Biden’s instead of doing any work for the American people, maybe we should start investigating the Trump children. Let’s see, Jared Kushner, son-in-law, received 2 billion, that’s with a B, from the Saudi Arabian government and we don’t know why or how come, or any parameters on it. Ivanka Trump, using her Trump name, and being at Mar-a-Lago with the Chinese president, got many favors from the Chinese for her products that she sells. And then there’s Eric and Don Junior, who can’t even do business in New York. Time to start investigating some other people’s children, okay? 

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In response, President Trump deserved every one of those golfing trips. He made America great again. Look at his accomplishments. He worked hard 24/7. Now let’s look at Biden. What were his accomplishments other than being on vacation? He runs from the problem. We can’t afford four more years of Bidenomics that he claims is working. Yes, it’s working. It’s making us all poor and government dependent, and look at the border. What a mess! 

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Wonderful news! The Supreme Court ruled in Trump’s favor. They knew they couldn’t get away with that. And now President Trump is speaking and what a difference! He’s asking for questions from the reporters. Wow, now that is a stand-up guy! 

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Monday’s unconstitutional Supreme Court 14th Amendment decision favoring insurrectionist Trump was a two-part gift to the wannabe dictator. The right wing majority on the court has effectively lowered themselves further down into Trump’s swamp. The Roberts Court emphasizes and promotes states’ rights until states try to hold Trump accountable for his own actions, and then the court snatches individual state rights away. Clearly Trump has partisan help from this unjust Supreme Court whose respect keeps falling and now has the lowest approval of any Supreme Court in history, and it deserves such public disgust. Interestingly, the second part of the released pro Trump opinion had the court divided 5 to 4 based on gender. So now is the already very unpopular Supreme Court sexist too? It would seem so. 

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Is anyone afraid of the criminals that just escaped from the Haitian jails being the next to migrate into this country? I’m scared to death. They’re not that far away. Biden – close the border!

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Does anyone know why Saturday Night Live would waste good airtime to mock Joe Biden? Joe does that every day all by himself. He’s a comedy act all by himself. And I’m still looking for the guy who people say can run circles around all of us put together. The guy that has more energy than any of us. Has anybody seen him? I haven’t. 

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To the person who wrote in about people complaining about Biden canceling the student debt loan. Well, I went to college and I paid my own loan off, okay? Because I wasn’t stupid enough to go to a college for $60,000 a year, I worked hard and I paid off my loan. So all you freeloader democrats who want other people to pay off their loans, you know where you can go.

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Donald Trump built over 500 miles of border wall and he would have built more if the democrats had given him the money. He had to finagle to get the money to build that. And then when Joe Biden came in office, the wall that wasn’t complete yet was left to rest in the ground and then sold off at pennies on the dollar. So get your facts straight, democrats. I know you have trouble with facts. 

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The apoplectic Communist Democrats suffered a monumental defeat on Monday when the Supreme Court ruled unanimously. Get that? Unanimously! The best president of all time, Donald J Trump, could not be removed from the Colorado ballot. People power finally returns to the USA! 

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I hope you are following what’s going on in Europe with the farmers. Everything is about this UN 2030 Agenda. Please bring this out to the reader so they can get some good reading. They’ll tell what’s going on in the United States right now, right down to what’s going on as far as the illegal’s, and what they’re doing to the farmers. I hope you print this so people understand what’s going on. 

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Attention Trump voters – voting for a “Strongman” means you will be losing your rights, that includes having meaningful votes in future elections because there won’t be any. Logical thinking is required for the United States to stay a democracy and have your vote count for freedom. Don’t give it away to Trump. Trump won’t be your strongman. He will be his own strongman, and once you realize this, you won’t be happy. You’ll be afraid. He won’t care about you, because once in power he can and will just care about what’s good for him. That’s what dictators do. Look around the world for many examples of this. Once you vote for this strongman, you’ve burned that bridge behind you and there’s no coming back. Our democracy will be gone forever.  

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In response to the individual with a monster student loan paid off by the government. As a blue-collar worker for almost 40 years, I never made as much money as a college grad. So why should I pay taxes to pay off a student loan for someone who has always made more money? 

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I, as a Democrat and as a lot of us out here, would like to see a young Kennedy get on as a third party. Maybe his idea of running this country is way better than what we had for the last three and a half years. Nobody wants to go through that again. We need to wake up here and do something, people, we can’t keep paying these taxes. Not everybody is making $200,000 and $300,000, like you politicians. 

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By the way, democrats, there is absolutely no evidence, none, that giving a child the COVID vaccine does any good. The contrary, there’s evidence that it hurts them. And there are lawsuits coming. 

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Who would have thought one man can bring down the fall of the United States. One man who was a criminal, a convicted rapist, 18 times accused rapist, which he probably did time and yet still gets the so-called Supreme Court, which turned out to be a bunch of kangaroo courts. This is a joke. This country turned out to be a corrupt Third World country and it’s going to get worse. If that guy gets in there, you might just as well kiss democracy goodbye and even you Republicans, you’re going to think it isn’t so funny in a couple of years when he refuses to leave office and starts telling you what to do with your life. You made a huge mistake here supporting this guy and you’re not smart enough to correct yourself, so good luck. 

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So earlier Biden said he would be willing to debate President Trump. Now that he has the opportunity, he’s backing out. Does anybody know why? 

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Happy days are here again. John Kerry’s last day was yesterday. Finally, the American people do not have to witness his jet flying all over the world to preach climate control. 

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This is the true definition of a Democrat. It’s a person that has totally destroyed a Republican’s life forever. It’s a true fact!