Readers’ Column for the week of July 20, 2025

You may call The Owego Pennysaver Readers’ Column at (607) 687-2434, extension 2, 24-hours a day, or email comments to ReadersOP@gmail.com. We reserve the right to revise or reject any messages. To allow more callers to be heard, please limit your comments to 100 words or fewer. We will not be running comments that exceed this number, give or take five words.
 
In the past three weeks, there have been three power outages at this location. Two were less than three minutes, and Monday’s was four hours. Getting information regarding Monday’s outage from NYSEG was impossible. Spectrum did provide information. There was no weather event on Monday. Today’s technology is light-years ahead of that which was in the 60’s. We now have AI, where humans no longer need to think. What is really scary is that there is no redundancy in NYSEG’s power grid. Preventive maintenance, like tree trimming, ended over a decade ago. This isn’t climate scare.
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A bit late, but no less sincere. A big THANKS to all who came to the latest Coburn Library book sale!
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As you are cleaning out over the summer, please keep in mind the Saint Patrick’s Church Rummage Sale that will be happening on two weekends: Sept. 12 and 13 and Sept. 19 and 20. Should you happen upon household items, sports equipment, or children’s toys that are in good shape, please consider donating them to this cause. You can drop off items in the church hall on Aug. 2 and Aug. 23 from 9 a.m. to noon.
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I was at Valu Home Centers in Owego the day after their closure was announced and was shocked to see how the public was behaving. A grown woman had a full-on tantrum and was screaming at the cashier about how she didn’t know what she was going to do anymore when they closed. She was by no means the only one acting that way. I can guarantee that the store closing will be harder for the people about to be unemployed than it is for anybody else. Show some kindness, people.
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D. Perry, I wrote down the wrong phone number to call back about the boat from the garage sale on Route 434 in Apalachin. If you see this, please call me at (607) 689-3020.
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On July 6 we had a power outage, and the Owego Fire Department was called out. We were directing traffic at Talcott Street, North Avenue, East, and West. A lady drove up with a bag full of ice-cold bottled water and gave it to all of us, as it was a hot day. It just proves that there are nice people here in Owego who look out for each other, and I’d like to tell her thank you.
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Well, what do you think, folks? Here’s to NYSEG; they want another increase. You’ve got the elderly and the handicapped who are struggling right now to pay that bill, and they want more money. It’s not an American company, and we have nobody in the state of New York who will protect the people! We’ve got a great governor, and all those representatives, aren’t they wonderful people? What I’m gonna tell you, what you should do is watch every time there is an election and vote those people out because they are worthless!
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What a beautiful tribute to the Vietnam veterans with the memorial ride on Saturday. I counted over 190 but maybe a little less or a little more because some of them were riding side by side. What a wonderful tribute to have paid, and the person who helped get it all together did a beautiful job, and those bikes were so beautiful! It was just wonderful; it makes me so happy that I am an American and so proud to be an American. Thank you!
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Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. (Exodus 20:8)
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When going from Armstrong Place in the Village of Owego towards Main Street, turning left, I no longer seem to get out of there. I have to pull into the crosswalk for pedestrians to be able to see out. There’s signage and fences and all sorts of things there. It’s a very dangerous situation, and somebody ought to take a look at it.
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Someone keeps stepping in to say the No Kings rally was some perfect little protest; however, yes, you all did leave a bunch of trash behind, and yes, there was yelling. When I went by, I put my windows up and tried to ignore it, but what I got was jeering. Don’t act like it was all so innocent and perfect.

National Political Viewpoints
“The Power of Positive Non-Thinking” — Donald Trump
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A couple of points about the One Big Beautiful Bill: the tax breaks for billionaires and millionaires are permanent, but the tax break on SS is temporary, conveniently set to expire exactly when Trump leaves office. No taxes on tip income up to $25,000 sounds great, but they wrote it to only help people who don’t take the standard deduction, which 99% of people who make $25,000 do, and 90% of people who make $50,000. They wrote the Medicaid cuts to start after the midterm elections. That way, the pain won’t be felt until they have secured reelection. Tricky, huh?
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Numerous Democratic senators and congressmen are concerned that their constituents are asking them to have a violent takeover of the White House because they don’t like the President’s agenda and are frustrated by how fast things are happening. What that tells me is that Democrats are happy with illegal immigrants living off American tax dollars, receiving our Social Security benefits and Medicare benefits, reducing Americans’ ability to get those benefits. And that they believe that illegal immigrants who are convicted violent felons, repeat offenders, and those who are criminally insane should be freely walking our streets.
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I don’t get it: The billionaires’ tax welfare club; those who truly need welfare get the short end. “Let them eat cake.” They can get along – they always do. “Baby needs a new super yacht – a backup for the one I already own.”  
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Trump performed his little dance jig on TV; now everybody is picking up the dance he did. I guess he was a good teacher!
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You know, the one big, beautiful bill is beautiful and great because the Democrats hate it; they hate it! Thank you, Donald Trump, for another step in making America great again. Thank you very much!
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So, the mayor of Los Angeles is now raising money and funds to protect the illegal alien criminals who live in her neighborhood. Wow! What is wrong with you people? Again, what don’t you understand about the words “illegal aliens” who came here without permission, who crowded in line ahead of good people that are doing it the right way, who broke every law in the world, and now you’re fighting to protect them to keep them here. How does your mind work? Explain.
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President Trump and Governor Hochul, who do you think you are? Are you both crazy? We are about to lose our Medicaid, and children are going hungry because you’re messing around with SNAP. What more are you going to take away from us? Are you human or what?
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What a sight to see Trump and Netanyahu together. A war criminal who has an arrest warrant out for him from the international court, our president, 34 felonies and a rape case filed against him. And yet, the two of them are congratulating each other that the only reason they’re not in jail is because they became president or heads of their countries. And then to think he’d offer him the peace prize when Gaza’s being blown to smithereens, so are the Ukrainians and neither one of them are able to do anything. We are the laughing stock of the world.
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Funny how Pam Bondi said she has Epstein’s files right on her desk in front of her. It wasn’t long after that Mr. Trump got a different tune. Now he says, well, let’s move on; nothing to see here. Well I voted for him, and I’m sick of his lies. Anybody with a lick of common sense can see something doesn’t smell right in Denmark. How do you have the evidence one day, and then it disappears? What an amazing magic trick! I used to like Trump, but now I see through him.
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The Attorney General, Pam Bondi, says she has obtained files that don’t exist. Does that make any sense to you, Trumpsters?  
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It’s bad enough that these Democrats and Republicans are sticking it to us; now they’re sticking it to our children. Do you get it?
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Well, it looks like the Republicans are reaping what they sow. The Lord is angry with them for destroying His creation, our earth. Flooding in Texas, floods and tornadoes in Kentucky, and now even Newark Valley. Yes, we will all reap what they have sown.
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Don’t be surprised if that Maxwell woman who was with Epstein disappears. She knows a lot about Trump and all those rich people, and believe me, Trump’s on the list, and that’s why they’re hiding that list. They know he’s on it. If you people don’t believe that, you Republicans, then you are worse off than I think you are.
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Everybody is complaining about the mayor in New York City. Take a good look at Cuomo! He wants to take another stab at it. He thinks people are ignorant. That man did nothing for New York. He made code enforcement stick it to you; he made things worse. He kept taxes high; he squeezed every penny out of you. We have his twin sister in office right now, Hochul, whom I call another Cuomo. So take your pick; Cuomo will not go away. People have to look at him and say, “Go away; move out of the state of New York.”
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In Texas, during the flooding, some of the first people there were Mexicans who crossed the border to assist their neighbors. FEMA wasn’t there, and Homeland Security wasn’t there; they were busy picking up workers in California. Why didn’t they send them there? And as far as all the people wearing crucifixes around their necks in the Trump administration, that does not make you a Christian; that just simply means he’s probably selling crosses. Christianity does not do what they are doing. Jesus welcomed everyone. Jesus was a migrant himself, but far be it for them to realize that.