Readers’ Column for the week of April 21, 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.

 

The Owego Lions Club is also collecting used eclipse glasses and eyeglasses at the following locations in Owego: the Countryside Community Center, Country Florist, Open Door Mission, Owego’s Parkview Hotel and Restaurant, and at Scott Smith and Son.

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There is gold along Davis Hill Road. This is one of the most biologically diverse spots in Tioga County. Along the road are Black Walnut, Catalpa, Slippery Elm, Yellow Birch, Poplar, American Beech, Eastern Hemlock, White Pine, Black Cherry, Black Locust, Shagbark Hickory, Red Maple, Red Oak, and perhaps more. These are native trees. Perhaps our environmental folks could approach the landowners on either side to establish a small forest conservatory. If you aren’t blind, many of the dead Ash trees look like a scene out of a WW1 trench. Here, climate folks, you could do something other than mindlessly bleat climate porn. The Chestnut, Elm, Ash, Cucumber Magnolia and Paw-paw have been exterminated. The Hemlock is dying now. In order to save the planet we need a New York law requiring all vehicles be electric. This, in order to save the planet?

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I’ve been running a pair of cameras for several weeks now, filming a stretch of Glen Mary Drive; I have a half a dozen cars and trucks so far dumping trash out their windows, I plan on making a six month compilation and putting it on YouTube. Look for it this summer.

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It would appear that Mr. Haig’s assertion that the OA school district is hoarding money has merit. His letter was also published in the April 3 edition of the Tioga County Courier. If the school district does not provide a good explanation for this, I believe a lawsuit against the district is in order. Their hiding of their actions has gone on far too long.

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Why is it that when the Candor highway department fills the potholes on Prospect Valley Road they always seem to stop before Bush Road? The potholes on the bridge and beyond are terrible. Please fill them in

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For the driver of the black SUV that nearly killed someone coming off of Route 434 and onto Hilton Road at 50 MPH, never mind the pedestrian crossing the road, you need to be careful you don’t run someone over. They call it manslaughter, if you do, and the penalty is prison. 

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Well, spring has sprung and the asphalt plants are up and running. My hopes are that NYSDOT returns to Brown Road and Route 38 in Berkshire and permanently repairs the entrance, which is a complete mess. They came before winter and filled the potholes to get us by, and this was greatly appreciated. It is now time to get the permanent repair that the taxpayers are due. PLEASE help us, NYSDOT.

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Oh this is such fun! Let me add to the cat in the garden conundrum, since it’s a delightful distraction from all the truly horrible things going on in the world! A, why are you complaining to this publication instead of politely explaining the problem to the cat owner in question? Interesting. B, anyone working in the ground or around plants should be wearing some kind of gloves! My goodness, there’s everything from wild animal poop to snakes to harmful insects such as wasps, ticks; fungus, bacteria, thorns, slivers, etc. C, how are you 100% sure it is a pet cat, as opposed to a stray or feral? D, outdoor life is messy. I routinely have to clean up after robins and crows decorating my freshly washed vehicles and laundry on the line, deer and bunny droppings, etc. E, YOU may do things that are equally annoying to your neighbor(s). Absolutely DO NOT use mothballs! Try orange or lemon peels – they are free.

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Yes, it is rude to be an irresponsible pet owner and frustrating when it’s your neighbor exhibiting that rudeness. I understand the feeling of “I shouldn’t have to [fill in the blank].” Unfortunately people don’t easily change. Wouldn’t it be more proactive on your part to devise a deterrent that doesn’t involve mothballs? You could plant things that create a barrier, plants with scents that cats don’t like such as rosemary, or set up some netting. I guess I’m recommending you give up the fight and create your own boundary.

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I think that they should make everyone have a road test now because they certainly don’t know how to stay on their own side of the road, and they’re very impatient everywhere. Is it legal now, when someone’s making a left turn, that everyone should barrel around them to the right all the time? No matter if there’s a highway there or not?

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I absolutely can’t believe that the town of Owego Farmers market can’t be in downtown Owego, where walkers can walk to and use their SNAP benefits. When I was traveling not too long ago there were many towns I went through, Greene, Bainbridge, that were looking to start their farmers market and guess what, they were in the town square, so good luck to them. I won’t be traveling out there to buy vegetables.

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Since many of us in the area were unable to see the real thing last Monday of the total solar eclipse, is there any way someone in the area could possibly put on a syndicated depiction of it in one of the planetariums or something like that? I’m sure with the thick cloud cover we had here in the valley that we weren’t the only ones that missed it. Probably a lot of people along the line of totality in New York and Pennsylvania were just as disappointed as I was. I’ll be 84 years old in 20 years when the next one comes around, if I’m still here, God willing. I really was looking forward to seeing this one. I really would like to see a reenactment of it if one could be duplicated.

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I’ve noticed that there are more and more tornadoes lately and the increase of them seems to be that these are chastisements for all the immorality and the corruption that is going on.

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Wondering if there’s anyone out there that can do lawn work, mowing yards, taking care of bushes, maybe doing it every other week for an elderly lady that’s on Social Security Disability, limited income. Please reply back to this column. 

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There’s another one in the column this week talking about code violations. Isn’t that something? Another guy that just can’t stand to mind his own business. They don’t care about you, but you want to sit and poke your nose in your neighbor’s business. Leave people the hell alone! Take the code man with you and leave this state, leave the country. People like you are destroying this country. 

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I want to thank Martin Plumbing and heating for their very quick response to my problem. I called right at 8:00. I did not have hot water. They came up, maybe an hour later, examined the problem, and told me what it would cost. He left, got the water heater, and he came back and by 2:00 I had the hot water heater installed. Very explanatory, very efficient, and I couldn’t believe they got it all done in one day. Thank you very much. I highly recommend them. 

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Can someone get high smelling marijuana? It comes to my home and in my home from my neighbors. To me, I don’t particularly like it, it smells like a skunk. I know I can’t do anything about it. They get away with everything, but can something be done about it to protect me? I don’t like it. Somebody let me know. 

 

National Political Viewpoints

There are times when things are so infested with vermin that the whole structure needs to be raised to the ground. In order to fill out the online IRS tax forms, i.e. 1040, you are now required to purchase the Adobe app for $19.99 per month. How much money did it take to grease the gears of government in order to stick it to the taxpayer? The IRS has previously used their Adobe license for your use. The feds want so much control over you as to force you to do everything electronically. There is no law that prohibits a paper return, however, smarmy doesn’t stop the government. I don’t want them to have my email. Do you trust the government anymore?

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In response to a fellow reader; JUSTICE: justness, fairness, and the exercise of authority in the maintenance of right. I suppose you have PROOF that SCOTUS is being bought; perhaps your information comes from “The View”, or CNN, or CBS, or MSNBC, etc.

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I have a question for you Trumpsters. Think about this for a minute if you’re able to. Why do you think Mr. Trump keeps on asking for delays at his hush money trial? If he’s so innocent as he claims, wouldn’t you think he’d say, yeah, here’s the truth and I’m innocent and I got proof and that’s that? He just wants to delay it until after the election and you people just don’t get it. I don’t get you. 

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Okay, I can understand people not being fans of Joe Biden. I cannot wrap my head around how people can still support that orange guy; I don’t even want to dignify it by saying his name. Joe may have a few issues, okay he’s old and he may forget every now and then, but at least he’s not an insane criminal. What is wrong with the people who support him? I don’t get it. I thought humans were higher on the intelligence scale. Looks like I’m wrong.

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Turns out that all the jobs that Biden’s been bragging about creating have been part time jobs and jobs to foreigners. More fake news!

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So the far left liberal party was all excited when they raised $25 million a few weeks ago for Joe Biden. Well, a few weeks later Donald Trump raised $51 million and he didn’t need two former presidents and three or four far left wing Hollywood stars to attract people because Donald Trump is a star.

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So OJ Simpson had to pay $33 million in restitution for murdering two people, but the Democrats want Donald Trump to pay $93 million to a woman that accused him of rape that he was found not guilty of. That sounds about right. What a joke!

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Anyone seen the state senator announcing leaving the Democratic Party after 40 years? Did you see what his main goal was? Reducing property taxes! Why can’t we get something like that in New York State? Why can’t we get a governor in New York State, a senator, anybody that will help reduce the property taxes in New York? They turn their backs, they turn their heads, and they close their eyes. They don’t care! People are losing their homes in this state. It is disgusting! You can’t just ignore it. Do something about these property taxes. It’s ungodly. You people just keep ignoring this problem. Do something about it before we all want to leave the Party. 

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Three and a half years ago Biden opened this country up. He opened the borders, let them all in. We have them all over the United States, all kinds of immigrants. He kept saying I don’t have the power. Now it’s getting close to voting time and he’s watching the polls. Guess what? He’s going to issue the executive order to close the border. Isn’t that something? What votes will do! Anything to win the seat. I hope people don’t buy into this bogus crap.

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Did you see Biden’s speech; fighting inflation remains my top economic priority? Can somebody tell me where the hell he’s been the last three and a half years? Was he still in the basement with Doctor Jill taking a pill? Somebody tell me, where has he been? Look at that gas! Where has the guy been? 

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I wouldn’t believe it if I wasn’t living through it, but can things get any worse for Biden? Come on, Trump, we need you in November 2024. Hopefully we’ll make it that long without entering World War Three. Thanks, Biden voters. I hope you’re happy today.

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, sit there and write letters, call your congressman, call your legislature. Tell them to get somebody to check out these property taxes in upstate New York. Take a ride around people, look at the new houses going in and taxes keep going up. The taxes just keep rising and rising. Either somebody is getting a big fat wallet or somebody cannot do the math. We need somebody honest to go around and check the books and see what the hell is going on because we have a governor that could care less about upstate New York. Where the hell is all this tax money going? The property taxes go up and up and up and nobody cares. Somebody is getting a big bankroll.

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Today starts Trump’s hush money trial. All I can say is lock him up, lock him up, lock him up.

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I have a question for you Trumpsters. Is there anything out there that he will do where you will finally come to that conclusion that he’s not a good person, that he’s not going to be a good president? Where do you draw the line? If he raped your grandchild, would you give him a pass? I’m starting to wonder. What is wrong with you people!

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So what is Biden’s plan to correct the border? He has no plan. Crime, no plan, inflation, no plan, energy, no plan. Oh yeah, he has my vote.

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Biden is offering debt relief on student loans even though the Supreme Court said it is unconstitutional. He goes ahead with it anyway. But may I remind him that there is not enough money in the country to buy votes to put him back in office for four more years. Obviously we couldn’t take it and the country needs Donald Trump. November, get here quickly please!

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The United States must be the laughingstock of the world. We are in a time of crisis and our Republican political party is attacking the president and everything good about this country. They’re siding with Putin and Marjorie Taylor Green. You people rally around her just like Trump. You guys can’t wait to say something bad about Biden or any other Democrat. This country is going to pot. You Republicans go to Russia if you don’t like it over here. 

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Trump is on trial this week for paying off an adult film star for sharing their one-night stand in 2006. Why does this matter to us? The man who did this was the President who wants to be president again. This behavior demonstrates poor judgment and criminal behavior. He’s a newly married man with a new child and still has sex with a porn star; he then pays her off and lies about it, which is criminal. 

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Biden’s answer to everything is “don’t”. Well, Iran “did”. Now what’s he going to do? Oh, I know this. They do nothing, and the Democrats don’t go after the illegals that don’t show for their court dates, but President Trump is expected to be in court every day. Another double standard. Come on November! 

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If we’ve learned anything over the last four years, we’ve learned how important it is that President Trump be reelected in November. Our country and legal citizens cannot survive another four years of fighting RFK or Newsom. 

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So Trump thinks he’s Mandela, then he thinks he’s Jesus Christ. Oh my goodness and you people vote for him. What the hell is wrong with your skulls? Jeez, I always thought he was a Mussolini or Hitler. 

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I’ve known this man for a very long time and he is a crook. All he does is make promises. I’d like to see everybody that likes Donald Trump get off the bandwagon and support Joe Kennedy in the 2024 election also. I do not approve of him saying, if I’m the president of the United States, I will take away Social Security and Medicaid. We don’t need that. I am on Social Security and I think he’s a jerk and I hope somebody would please back me on this and also make sure that he is not the next president, or this country’s going to need help! 

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Oh my God, Marjorie Taylor Green, I wish she would shut her big mouth! If she’s so interested in continuing to the House, maybe she ought to shut up and step up and take the job of speaker. And the other thing that you guys, the Republicans, need to shut up about is the border. If you guys would just shut up, work together and put the border packets that were already negotiated into something, get the job done, then be part of the solution, not the damn problem!

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The most prolific liar in America’s history is finally looking like he will be held accountable. Stay tuned, as The First of several criminal trials is about to begin. 

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George Conway, a very conservative, well respected, nationally known lawyer, just said on live TV – Donald Trump is a narcissist psychopath and that Trump is only running to stay out of prison and for retribution on his perceived enemies in his warped and twisted mind. Trump will “stick it to everybody” and if he wins, he’ll use the government to “really stick it to everybody”. That’s what a Trump led government will be all about – Revenge. 

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This has to do with the Good Morning America show. I have not watched it and will not for very close to four years because of the three commentators that were allowed to talk about their political views and talk down the other side. The producers let them get away with it every morning. 

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Impeach Mayorkas then impeach Biden while this country still has a chance. 

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There is one thing that every American should stop and consider. Do you hate Trump so much that you would vote for the Democrat Party when it’s obvious that the Democrats are ignoring the Constitution and the rule of law? Consider it very carefully.