Readers’ Column for the week of January 26, 2025

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 messages.

 

If you are struggling with drinking, AA is always available to help. Call the AA Hotline in Tioga County, N.Y. at 1-800-307-4285.

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“We abuse land because we see it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” — Aldo Leopold

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My largest annual bill is the school portion of my property tax. Some school districts have been requesting more funds to stash just in case of future cuts. Small expenses should be budgeted monthly, while large items over five years. In nearly all large organizations, folks are frugal in the early stages of the budget, then overspend at the end to avoid reductions in their next budget. Instead of penalizing them for saving, we should offer them a portion of the savings as an incentive reward.

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I know people are short on time when grocery shopping nowadays, but if you care about what’s in your cornflakes, etc., then reading labels before purchase is beneficial. Sometimes a long standing brand name product, still made after over 100 years, in the U.S., has better quality ingredients and is worth a bit more expense. Please also be aware that California is way over the top as far as declaring common natural ingredients as “harmful.” If you feed a lab rat five pounds of sugar all at once, it will naturally have adverse effects on it. Be aware that some of us have been consuming these ingredients for decades, and we are still here. By the way, I can’t wait for Aldi to open in Owego for quality, fresh produce and name brand cereal.

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So Governor “Hocus Pocus” is having two police officers ride on every subway train at night, and she said the state will pay for it. Why should my tax money fund incompetent management to operate a subway system I do not and will not use? The MTA has invested, or rather squandered, millions of dollars in attempting to deter fare beaters, but the State refuses to amend the bail laws. The new devices at the turnstiles are ineffective, as people are already jumping them. Where are the police officers coming from? They are already down a number of officers, and those remaining are being forced to work overtime.

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I understand that there has been some resistance from the employees of the Village of Newark Valley in providing the requested information. This is not acceptable. A few years ago, I needed information from a neighboring jurisdiction. My request was met with a friendly smile, even though the request involved old information and required some digging. What could be the issue? If I recall correctly, there are penalties for an office that does not comply. I have known the gentleman making the request for most of his life. He has a good character, does volunteer work, and cares deeply about the viability of the village. He is stepping up and doing what others should be doing. I no longer reside in the village but have a financial interest in property there. I care too. Let’s fix this!

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I was wondering if anybody knows what to do with all those small propane tanks that you use in the Mr. Buddy heaters.

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Each day as I go down Brown Road, the Berkshire end, and reach the railroad tracks, I cannot believe it could get worse, but it does. Every time I travel that road, I think surely it’ll be fixed, but it’s not. At night, there needs to be a flashing light and some warning signs indicating that this road has gone to pieces. I cannot believe the road crew hasn’t had troubles with plowing because of it. We no longer receive a town newsletter or have had a road crew newsletter in forever, so I’m not sure if the supervisor knows how bad it is, but something has to be done on Brown Road. Once again, thank you.

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I am curious if anyone knows what’s going on with the old Mobile Station on South Side Drive near the bridge. It appears that a restaurant may be going in there, but I haven’t seen anyone working there in a couple of weeks now.

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I found that Honeypot Road in Candor was in good condition on Monday. I traveled along it a couple of times, and it was plowed as always. Snow drifts across certain areas; the individual complaining should know that.

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I’ve never called in before, but it seems like there’s a rumor going around that a roller-skating rink is going in where Walgreens is located. I just wondered if this is true.

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Candor’s Pothole Pete did it again! We had about six snowfalls this year. Six no shows for the roads. It’s a dangerous situation for drivers on these hills. This is a dangerous situation for school buses and parents bringing their kids back and forth with sports. Six times this year you didn’t get out and plow the snow on the roads. Get it done, road boss!

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TAX CREDITS – The amount you may subtract from taxes you owe; refundable, partially refundable, non-refundable. Some by name: Child Tax Credit, Child and Dependent Care; Adoption Credit, Premium Tax Health Care; Earned Income; American Opportunity; Lifetime Learning; Energy Efficient; Home Improvement (more to come). May also be described as economic development subsidies granted for a particular kind of corporate activity a state wishes to promote. Questions: Who has the authority? What taxes may be used? What is the value and effect on local tax resources? Where is this information found?

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Did you see Kathy Hochul come out to tell you about childcare and praise herself? How wonderful it is? I would love to see her walk out and give a big interview about how she’s going to cut taxes. She’s going to make everybody in the State of New York feel a lot better because she’s going to do something about these exorbitant taxes. Now that would be something to go down in history! It really would be nice to see just one Democrat governor come out and say, “We’re going to tackle these taxes.” We’re going to reduce these taxes, so hang on because we’re going to fix it. Now that would be cause for celebration!

 

National Political Viewpoints

A generation later, when industrialization disrupted the country as westward expansion had done before, the so-called robber barons bent the government for their own purposes. Men like steel baron Andrew Carnegie explained that “[t]he best interests of the race are promoted” by an industrial system, “which inevitably gives wealth to the few.” But President Grover Cleveland warned: “The gulf between employers and the employed is constantly widening, and classes are rapidly forming, one comprising the very rich and powerful, while in another are found the toiling poor. Corporations, which should be the carefully restrained creatures of the law and the servants of the people, are fast becoming the people’s masters.” — Heather Cox Richardson. Jan. 16, 2025 [Is history repeating itself?]

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When you vote for clowns, you’ll end up with a circus. The devastating California fires were predictable and preventable, but with influence from hard-left outfits like the Sierra Club, catastrophic fires have become part of the silliness. Insurance companies are really good at predicting adverse outcomes and appropriately declined to renew numerous fire policies. They protected their business interests so policyholders who live in REASONABLE jurisdictions would have coverage at a reasonable cost, and that’s fair. Today’s wildfire situation did not occur decades ago when proper forest management and good mitigation practices were the norm. Then California elected the progressive government they wanted, along with all the feel-good DEI, and the theoretical environmental folly that goes with it. California’s grossly inept officials are now desperate to find somebody else to blame. Anybody else! Meanwhile, California burns. — Ponytail Scott

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The Left has put Elon Musk in their crosshairs. These are the Lefties who want all your stuff. Elon is the deepest pocket they can pillage, as he worked for and accumulated about half a trillion and paid taxes on it. Elon has gone where no man has gone before in pushing open the limits of space. President, in hiding, Gavin Newsom, can’t even dance. Take it all in.

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To those Democrat readers still complaining about a LOST election: Some of your fellow party members in California have LOST their lives, family members, homes, pets, and jobs; so, quit whining, and do something positive – HELP them!

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As the saying goes, “back by popular demand,” President Trump is back in the White House. Happy days are here again. My flag will be flying all week in celebration!

 

Trump’s approval rating, according to the Marist poll conducted from Jan. 7 to Jan. 9, the approval of Trump was 44%, disapproval rating was 49%. Trump didn’t even get 50% of the popular vote. No big mandate exists with the American people, despite Trump’s lying claims otherwise. Trump isn’t as popular as he desperately wants us to believe. At least with the inauguration now being held indoors, we don’t have to listen to his lies about crowd size again, which he was so fixated on. It’s always about what is best for Trump in his mind, never about what’s best for America.

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Couple of things I don’t understand. How does Biden pardon people who have not been convicted of any crime? And how is he up this early at 8:00 to have tea with President Trump on Inauguration Day?

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Today is the inauguration day of the second term of President Donald Trump. The last four years under Biden have been a train wreck. I consider it a stain on America’s reputation. Now we’re going to start getting back on track.

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Jan. 20, the fall of democracy in the United States. What a sick, sick bunch we have in Washington. We have criminals in charge of our White House. What a sad day, and supposedly this big landslide was a joke. What an awful day this was, the worst day this country has seen in history!   

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If Anthony Fauci didn’t commit a crime and botch the entire COVID case, why was he pardoned by Joe Biden today? I don’t know, you figure it out.

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With Paramount banning TikTok because of its information and misinformation, when is it going to ban Fox News?

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I am curious about the elite individuals who will be sitting in the Rotunda watching Team Trump’s coronation. Do they realize that on Jan. 6, four years ago, the Rotunda was trashed, defecated, looted, and people were injured because of Trump’s resistance. Furthermore, I wonder how many people are aware that many of the senators sitting there were hiding under their desks, praying for their lives. This time, however, Biden is ensuring a peaceful transition, very unlike the last time when Trump wouldn’t even go to his inauguration. We may soon wish we were back in the old days.

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Has anyone seen the electric school bus that caught fire during the morning school run? Has anyone seen that, or is it being concealed from the public? Is this what we want our children to ride to school on?  

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I was disappointed by the political content in the paper this week. We constantly see it on TV, the radio, and everywhere, and I believe it was overkill. Our country cannot improve when Democrats and Republicans are constantly at odds. They’re immature, and their refusal to attend the inauguration is truly absurd. It shows what kind of character they have from the beginning. Thank you.

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Pelosi, AOC, and Michelle Obama are skipping Trump’s inauguration. Do you really think he cares? I’d be honored if they didn’t show up.

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It’s a proven fact that Donald Trump legally cannot hold office because he was involved in the insurrection. It’s a proven fact he was involved and that he enticed people with the insurrection. The Constitution strictly forbids anybody from holding any public office that was involved with an insurrection, even if you are accused of it, you can’t hold public office. You can Fact Check this if you want to.

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Isn’t it funny; now that Trump is going to be president, Hamas actually decided to release the hostages? Coincidence? I think not. It’s Just like when Reagan took office and there were hostages under Carter, they knew better. But Joe Biden actually thinks it’s something he did. Well, he’s wrong, it’s just because they’re afraid of Trump and they know he won’t take any of their crap. Thank you, President Trump.

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I just got done watching Joe’s farewell address to the nation, and I had two words to say: Good Riddance!

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I wonder what this country will look like when Trump is done with it. Him and his oligarchy are a dictatorship. We need to clean up this mess. We need another Teddy Roosevelt, somebody who actually cares about America. We don’t need children working for peanuts at some Fortune 500 companies while the rich get richer. We don’t need dirty water or dirty air. We don’t need any of this garbage. We need reasonable regulation, but not letting the rich do what they want. Like Trump says, what have you got to lose?

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We’ve got some really screwball laws in this country. A convicted felon with 34 felony counts, who cannot even vote, is allowed to run for President of the United States of America. A convicted felon who can’t even carry a gun. That’s the commander in chief of all of our armed forces? This is insane! You people who voted for Trump, I’ll guarantee you will have buyer’s remorse. Wait and see.

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I’m hoping and praying that this gets blasted all over the country. I hope the readers’ column publishes this, and the TV and radio carry this. I want the Democrats to truly showcase what they’ve done. Sixty fire trucks are going to help with the fires in California, but they’re held up in Sacramento for emissions testing while houses are burning. Can you imagine this? This is the Democratic Party, people. This is why I walked away from them. They’ve gone completely crazy. Al Gore started it, Kerry pushed it because he’s too lazy to get a job and this is what’s happening. All those poor people’s homes are being burned, and you have 60 fire trucks that could be fighting fires right now, but they’re held up for emissions testing! It’s time for them to leave office. I’m telling you, this has gotten completely out of hand.

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Mr. Trump just declared a National energy emergency and that only he can fix it. Not sure exactly where this comes from as U.S. oil production and exports reached record highs this year,surpassing those of any country ever. Additionally, U.S. natural gas production and exports also reached record levels this year. Both oil and gas outputs were higher than in any year during his first administration. Instead of believing him, it might be more beneficial for individuals to actually look up facts.