Readers’ Column for the week of December 21, 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. Please limit your comments to 100 words or fewer.

How bad are our schools? At the store the other day, I bought an item for $10, the cash register wasn’t working right, so I told her to figure the tax, 8 percent, which is 80 cents. She’s just looking at me. She’s got her phone out, trying to figure it out. What made it even worse is that when I handed her $21, she now has to figure out that she has to hand me a ten and two dimes back. Where are her parents? Are they going to school and just letting her pass when she can’t figure out simple math? 

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I just learned something today at the Post Office. If you live in Apalachin and you mail something to someone in Apalachin, if you take it up to the counter, it doesn’t get taken to Syracuse or Rochester, but you have to take it up to the counter.

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On Lower Front Street, there is a major, beautiful home being restored. Across the street, there is a large camping trailer that has been sitting deserted on Front Street all year long. Is this a code violation?

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If you are wondering how to get a tip for your carrier, send it to the office at 181 Front St., Owego, N.Y. 13827 with your return address so it will get to the carrier that delivers to your address. Thank you very much.

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I see the governor wants every new home built next year to be electric. Does she own stock in the electric company so she can get more money or something? That is so wrong! People who have homes built should have them the way they want them built, not hers! She’s just going overboard on everything. God bless America.

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The county legislature should be ashamed of themselves for taking another large property off the tax rolls in the village. Bad enough already, 50 percent of the village is not taxed, and now this large commercial property. The village would be better off with retail in there, not more offices. What are they going to do with 56 Main? It will probably sit there like Elm Street; they should have bought Elm Street.

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New Yorkers, vote Leticia James out of office!

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I would like to make a statement to all the people and the big businesses that are giving out food, toys, and clothes at Christmas. Don’t stop at Christmas time. Spread the love around all year long. There are people going without food and clothing all year round. Just remember, Christmas is not about Christmas; it’s about Christ.

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I’m curious to know who is responsible for cleaning up the garbage left behind by the homeless people and also who is responsible for covering the cost. I don’t think it’s fair to either one. It’s your garbage; pick it up and take it with you when you go. 

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This is for the person who stole my trail camera on Bow Bridge Road in Little Meadows. You didn’t realize there were two cameras, so I got your picture. So paybacks. So I want to say thank you.

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Standing on the promises of God, there is no better place to be.

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I am at a loss as to how 56 Main St. in Owego is not sufficient space for Tioga County. What are the plans for that huge building if the DMV, etc., is moving to a new building a block away? Is the new building going to be multi-level? And thanks for taking even more property off the Village tax rolls, increasing each and every resident’s and/or business owners’ already egregious taxes and bringing traffic congestion to an already dangerous intersection with serious flow and maneuverability issues. Was there a public hearing about this?

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Here we go again: buy a plaza in the Village of Owego and borrow millions to build a new facility. Repairs are costly; the DMV is difficult to access, parking is insufficient, and consolidation of services, lower-level floods occur. Then we’ll only raise taxes for a short term, right? Fix the building, install an elevator for handicap access, or move the DMV to Route 38. Build an addition. We don’t need a $70 million project. Speak up, Owego.

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So, Owego spent another $1 million to take another functioning downtown property off the tax rolls. Who is going to pay to keep this village from going bankrupt?

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So if it costs nearly a million dollars to renovate a tiny building, what private entity do they think will have pockets deep enough to convert 56 Main to “market-rate apartments.” Does Owego have a need for that many apartments? I understand the building on the corner of Main and Lake is back up for sale, as that project fell through. Are we going to have another “pink prison” on our hands? Shouldn’t responsible governments have a firm plan before abandoning a property and building another?

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A reminder to all who received food boxes from the Helping Hands Food Pantry for Thanksgiving that the December boxes are slated to be distributed on Saturday morning, Dec. 20. If you cannot make a pickup that morning, call Emily at (607) 657-8158 or Joan at (607) 657-2501. The pantry will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

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Will the village representatives please explain to the taxpayers how the tax rates will not increase as they continue taking more valuable properties and making them tax-exempt?

National Political Viewpoints

I am disgusted with Trump’s never ending self promotions and constant enrichment of himself and his family. His job is to look after the American people, not just himself and his already wealthy friends. Even Republicans are distancing themselves as Trump’s poll numbers sink to all-time lows. I’m hoping America survives Trump’s assault on its democracy.

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Here we go again: the president is running his mouth, and he is using rhetoric. It is really just disgusting and inappropriate. But I’m sure that all you Republicans think it’s all right, and I’m pretty sure that he’s the one who has created the issue at Brown University. I really hope that we see that it’s one of your people who supports that clown who decided to go shooting the police up, and you all need to tell your president that he needs to cut the rhetoric, that he’s the one causing all this violence, and he needs to knock it off.

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Way to go, Donald! Just proves to us who you are every day. Your comments about the Rob Reiner family were truly cruel, pathetic, and all about you. You never change, and sadly we’re stuck with you. Thank you.

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Big deal, gas is 10 cents lower than under Biden. Meanwhile, try to fill up your fuel tank this year and see what it costs you. Have you checked your electric bill lately? Mine went up $60, and he’s up there talking crap about affordability as a democratic hope. What’s wrong with this guy? Something isn’t right with him.

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“Yep, during Trump’s Christmas address, he talked about snakes, sharks, and an Ivanka look-alike. In a weird way, Trump’s Christmas speech worked because it left the entire room thinking, ‘Sweet baby Jesus.’” — Jimmy Fallon

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The Democrats’ current platform. If Trump is for it, we are against it. That’s it; their entire platform, brilliant.

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More than one very sad event occurred over the weekend. Even sadder is that President Trump continues to make it all about himself as he incorrectly labels Rob Reiner a has-been and further rants about the reason this person and his wife were murdered in their home being Trump Derangement Syndrome. Really? I submit that it is President Trump who is deranged. Please, supporters of Trump, see him for who he is and get out of the cult. He is a self-serving, egotistical man who acts more like a child than an adult. But, perhaps that is due to his age.