Readers’ Column for the Week of May 31, 2026

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. Please limit your comments to 100 words or fewer. We will not run comments that cannot be reduced to 100 words.

Mike M., Thank you for finding my property on May 5 near the Apalachin Speedway and turning it in to the police. It is nice to know there are still honest people that do the right thing. Please let me know how I can get in touch with you so I can thank you in person by leaving a way to contact you in this column.

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When it comes to solar panels and wind turbines, every element of “saving the climate” is a financial transaction. It has never been about the environment, the habitats, the grasslands, or the birds. It’s always been about money. Every solar panel, every wind turbine, every time. And the cost to natural habitat in our state is going to be tremendous.

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The land beneath solar panels will never be used for agriculture again. They release heavy metals and allow glass shards and microplastics to fall onto the ground below. In large-scale commercial installations, the vegetation under the panels is drenched with herbicides. The fertile farmland is lost forever.

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According to a Tioga County Courier report, the Candor Highway Superintendent is trying to buy a new truck. Seems like new equipment is in that town all the time. Must be that the taxes are too high if there is so much surplus money. Last I knew, people are struggling to just buy food. Who is controlling all of this spending? I am very disappointed in the town of Candor board for letting this continue.

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If you want to know how cruel the world is, try having a sick cat with no money on hand. Vets around here will not even look at a cat unless you have money to pay right then on the spot. Except for one vet who told me that if I said it could be euthanized, I could do a payment plan.

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I would love to see a Chic-fil-A where they just tore down Pizza Hut. That would be a great feature next to McDonald’s and right off the highway. That would give us another new, nice restaurant in Owego. Let’s get one down there!

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The only good thing about all the bad things that are happening in this world is that means that Jesus will be back soon. Praise God!

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Friday evening, my husband, a veteran, and I heard fireworks close by. Being a family of veterans, we were shocked that someone would be so immature and disrespectful of Memorial Day. It’s a time of remembrance for the veterans that have passed away. They fought to keep our country free, which we definitely enjoy, and to think of the living veterans that are continuing on the same mission, the sound of fireworks can trigger PTSD or worse, including flashbacks. Fireworks should not be allowed on Memorial Day or during Memorial Day weekend.

National Political Viewpoints

Kudos to the “Letters to the Editor” authors: well said! Keep writing!

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So, after wasting billions of taxpayer dollars on a worthless war, sucking more billions for unwarranted tariffs, tearing down part of the White House to build a billion-dollar ballroom (I’m sure we’ll all get to use that) with more taxpayer dollars – Mr. “I do everything for me and my billionaire buddies” want more billions of taxpayer dollars to give to the scum who tried to wreck the capital. The list of his self-centered antics is, of course, much longer. Hopefully we can survive until he’s gone.

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Trump and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche negotiated 1.776 billion on a raw deal against you, your family, your church, and against all of us. Why? To fund his criminal militia to take down our government once and for all! Such criminals as the Nazi sympathizers who marched in Charlotte that Trump supported, and the violent attackers against the Capitol Police on “J/6.” They kill and maim, they steal your daughters, they steal your money and your vote. Trump wants to fund these violent criminals to keep himself in power and them as his thugs. Where is your loyalty?

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June Esler wrote a very insightful letter to the editor in the May 17 edition. (I only want to correct that Islam IS a religion, one that is unlike the Judeo-Christian foundation of our country.) If you didn’t see it, try to get a copy and read this well-written message. Division among our citizens is exactly what the Communists are working on, so they can more easily take over our country.

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It is so refreshing to read Joseph Shortino’s letters to the editor. He understands what is happening to the U.S. and gives a wake-up call to those who read them.

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Is there a tax I can pay to stop hantavirus, or does that only work for climate change? — Studebaker Hawk 

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MAGA/Trump supporters, if you still believe in Trump and think he’s great, you’re stupid. He calls people stupid all the time. Republicans must be okay hearing that. They are taking advantage of you. They spend a lot of money figuring out how you think and making ads full of lies to scare you. He is making himself and his wealthy friends wealthier by using the taxes you are paying. You were too stupid to learn about Trump before you voted for him. You listened to crap on YouTube and Facebook and decided he was the 2nd coming.

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“I seriously doubt tonight’s farewell episode is the last we’ll hear from the indefatigably creative Colbert, who will likely move to a new platform where he’ll enjoy more freedom and financial success than he had at CBS. And as for Trump, he might think he’s winning the War on Laughter, but much like George W. Bush, he’s going to discover that his mission is far from accomplished. He can cancel all the comedians he wants, but he will never make us stop laughing at him.” — Borowitz

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In response to the comments about the rich paying more in taxes, they actually do. But if your employer doesn’t make a profit, then you’re out of a job. People believe a higher minimum wage is needed. I grew up in the eighties and didn’t have any higher education. Ronald Regan was president and supported trickle-down economics; the minimum wage was $4 an hour. I had a very nice apartment, a new car, groceries were affordable, and gas was .90 cents a gallon. We make more now, but have less. Be careful of wolves in sheep’s clothing, just saying. 

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This November, all Upstate voters need to remember who green-lit the ravaging of our environment and productive farmland: Gov. Kathy Hochul. Her and her minions are destroying our beautiful state.

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Sanctuary city? I believe they misspelled harboring fugitives. — Forest Gump

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In last week’s Pennysaver, a comment was made stating that Trump was not supporting Ukraine. Really? Where do you think the target intelligence and the materials, engineering, and software come from for Ukraine to deploy such a devastating drone war? Do you think Ukraine spontaneously became a super sophisticated drone warfare expert? Overt US involvement in this war gives Putin opportunity to make it a US vs. Russia and then go nuke. Further, this is a European problem, and all they have to do is give Ukraine adequate support.

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Even before the unprecedented mid-decade redistricting, Mr. Trump coerced his party to do so; eight of the 10 most heavily gerrymandered states were Republican. Republicans in Indiana who refused to do this on ethical principles were forced out of office by him to set an example for the rest of the party. The result will be that no matter who the people want to represent them, the Republicans will win. Is this “ fair and equal” representation?

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Harrison Ford, Robert De Niro, and George Clooney are warning us against Trump. They are sounding the alarm in graduation speeches and the news. So are Bruce Springsteen and Ken Burns. They have seen the destruction of our government, the people we left dying when Trump and Musk dismantled USAID’s critical help around the world, and now another ‘endless war’. They have been witnessing the robbing of our Constitutional Rights. They are asking you to stop supporting Trump and his enablers. Listen, they are warning us.

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I read last week’s Pennysaver and found one entry particularly interesting. A reader described social service programs as being ripe for fraud, waste, and abuse. It is quite true. Left out was that fraud, waste, and abuse is even more prevalent in big business receiving tax dollars. Inflated government contracts (think $750 hammers), no-bid emergency relief contracts, large government payments to industrial farms, and overbilling on contracts. It’s a long list. Guess what. There’s a lot of cheating going on out there in and out of government.

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David Rothkopf’s story in The Daily Beast from May 6, 2026, asserts that the Trump administration is lying about “the nature, costs, consequences, and results” of the war in Iran. The story contains numerous specifics supporting his argument, including the source links. If one thinks they are not true, then one should do the research to refute them and include those references in their rebuttal. However, the problem with “unknowledgeable and uneducated self-appointed experts” criticizing what they don’t understand is that they are a major demographic of this administration and, therefore, unfortunately shortsighted when it comes to critical reading. — CallMeIshmael  

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As far as Iran goes, it looks like Trump bit off more than he can chew. 

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And so Congress was sent home on a break last year, many times, and this year, when they can’t get a vote on something, then they just send Congress home. So, this last week, it was a vote on war powers and budget reconciliation. Republicans did not have the votes, so home they go. Many will hear from the constituents; Nick Langworthy will not. He never shows his face in public. He’d rather live in a little bubble he lives in. We’re all as well as Trump says.

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To the person who wants to get rid of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act and insurance and the like, because there’s fraud. Why don’t you just send all your money to Donald Trump right now, because he’s going to try to steal it?

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FOX News has no idea about integrity and reporting news. In fact, it isn’t news; it’s their opinions. Last night, when a gunman fired near the White House, Fox News came on and talked about how far-left radical and violent people are. Once again, the far-right radical people, no January 6. However, they are pardoned and get money. They never mention guns and mental illness, which 99 percent of the time is what it is. But guns should be in everyone’s hands, according to MAGA.

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I got a message for your Trumpsters. If Donald Trump is such an honest man, why would he attempt to pass a law in which the IRS is not allowed to audit him or his family’s fortunes? Can you give me an answer to that? He’s not honest. 

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It’s pitiful how some people can hate one man. Just pitiful!