Readers’ Column for the week of March 12, 2023

You may call The Owego Pennysaver Readers’ Column at (607) 687-2378 24-hours a day, or email comments to readerscolumn@stny.rr.com. We reserve the right to revise or reject any message.

 

I’m calling to see if anybody out there has a Rollator Walker that they would like to sell. Please leave a message in the column for me to reach you.

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I’d like to know why the lights are off on the riverwalk at nighttime. Is it for a reason or are the bulbs just blown? It would be nice to have it lit up at night, especially since the weather is getting warmer. 

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Is there any place in the Owego and Newark Valley area where I can get printing done now that Susquehanna Printers is gone? 

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Yes, there is a God and it isn’t Kathy Hochul. Our governor’s job should be to serve the people, not run their lives. 

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I do not think that we should be allowed to have the “F” word in big letters on our vehicles and our homes. I understand it’s a freedom of expression, but I feel the freedom of my kids not having to read that is also an issue. 

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For the people interested in having plastic bags once they’re discontinued, they can be bought at most grocery stores or by ordering them online. There are several kinds that are available.

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I’d like to know what the Town of Nichols village board is doing about homes that have garbage piled around them. I get fined if I don’t shovel my sidewalk. I just don’t understand how they can have all that stuff piled up there. They need to do something about that, it’s disgusting!

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Has the Owego BOE been having any discussions about the mascot name change? To not change means our taxes go up to cover the missing state money. So what is next? I think we should become the Rhubarbs. Or if you insist, try the Fighting Rhubarbs. No color change required from red and blue. It would be totally cool and unique. Other districts would be jealous. Never doubt the intimidation factor of the Fighting Rhubarbs. I can hear it now. We are (clap, clap)! Rhubarbs (clap, clap)!

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Take note, Governor Hochul set the deadline for destroying our OACSD Native American Mascot of June 30, 2023; otherwise she will steal our tax dollars. Before the coming OACSD budget and BOE member vote shouldn’t we know where they stand on this matter? 

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115 in the shade, but I’m up to my ears in corn, by golly. This here climate change is just dandy.

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I am seeing drivers in our area run red lights with greater frequency. One particular spot where this happens a lot in Owego is at the light where East Front Street meets Front Street / Fifth Avenue. The other day I was waiting behind a car on East Front Street for the light to turn green. When it did, the car turned right, however another car driving west on Fifth Avenue decided to go through the red light and had to swerve dangerously to avoid the car who had thought it safe to go. Please respect red lights, and take an extra couple of minutes to get where you are going safely.

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I think some of the readers of this column are confused about recent criticisms of the Village Mayor and Trustees. The problem has been that these leaders have been approached many times over the years about their decisions and policies. People feel the responses they have gotten have not answered their questions or concerns. It has taken a small group of citizens to repeatedly confront the Village government on several fiscal issues to get any response. Based on comments made recently by the Deputy Mayor, their thinking has not changed on fiscal matters. The need for reform continues. 

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Jesus first. Others next. Yourself last. The only one qualified to throw a stone. Didn’t Jesus? Let’s remember that when we want to judge others and condemn other’s simply because they have a different sin than you. We are all sinners in need of a savior, who is Jesus Christ.

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“Another glorious day, the air as delicious to the lungs as nectar to the tongue.” — John Muir

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I am amazed at how many late-model cars I see on the road with no daytime running lights on. It makes a big difference to other drivers so we can see you, especially on dull, cloudy days. (Older cars may not have these.) Also, I often see people driving without full headlights on in foggy or rainy conditions, and in the early morning or twilight hours. It is no big deal to err on the side of caution and have at least driving lights, or even headlights on.

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Saturday, March 4, and another Southern Norfolk train left the rails, distributing over 23 mixed freight and tanker cars to both sides of the rails. The area was put into lock down, with residents isolated inside their homes. This is the same Southern Norfolk line that travels the entire Owego east / west rail system through the residential and business district covering over approximately 11 miles. The trains, when moving, are rolling through at a high speed, which any driver on 5th Avenue going the 30 or 40 MPH speed limit, or sitting at the rail crossing at Erie Street can attest that the Southern Norfolk trains move through this 11 miles of track at speeds going at least 55 MPH, if not faster. It’s been advised by inquiry with the Village, Town, and County that they have no say on getting the speed of the train lowered. Please contact Congressman Marc Molinaro in D.C., State Sen. Tom O’Mara and Assemblyman Chris Friend. The time to get action for Southern Norfolk to slow down through the Village and Town is now. Southern Norfolk is on the ropes with the EPA and Federal Railroad Administration for the two trains that have left the tracks in the previous four weeks, both in populated areas.

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To the person that complained about reading Newark Valley’s issue – skip over it. It’s that simple. We don’t put it in there for you; we do it so the village residents know what’s going on in our village. Some can’t come to the meetings.

 

National Political Viewpoints

The Fox News host knew Trump lied about election fraud and then peddled on air to its gullible audience, knowing the rubes would believe any made up nonsense they told them. Sadly, their viewers did fall for this misinformation and out and out lies, spreading falsehoods over and over. Just check the dominion defamation voting machine logs for the discovery facts. Fox has shown it has little respect for its own audience but they make money off them, so they continue spewing any, devoid of facts, conspiracy theories their misguided watchers seem to want, delving deeper and deeper down the proverbial rabbit holes.

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I see the space shuttle went up again. I wonder how long those batteries will stay charged. It’s got to be electric, don’t you agree? That idiot in the white house wants everything electric, so that shuttle has got to be electric. How long do those batteries last?

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Wouldn’t you much rather be bitching about Trump’s tweets than worrying about the saber rattling that the weak Biden administration has shown to the world?

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Everyone who voted for Biden ought to be hanging your heads in shame because you didn’t know that Biden and his string pullers were socialists and believe in this one world government.

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A person lives 20 years longer now than they did when social security started, so all you brain surgeons out there should be able to figure out that something is going to have to be done. Republicans are not trying to get rid of it; they’re trying to fix it down the road. People that are 30 and 40 years old might have to work a couple years longer. That’s what it’s going to take. Nobody that is near retiring is going to be harmed. Nobody is trying to get rid of social security or Medicaid. Okay? So stop using those as talking points.

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It was very ironic on Friday to watch a coward who received numerous deferments for the Vietnam War present the Medal of Honor to a true American hero, a man who didn’t run and hide, but served his country with honor.

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It’s enjoyable to hear people that were democrats say that they had switched their party to republican. They are finally waking up. They are finally realizing that the democrats get cozy with power. 

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Please don’t be so simple minded. I did not watch President Biden’s State of the Union Address. I knew it would be a waste of time. I knew it would be a comedy and I don’t care for comedies. So please, get your facts straight before you say I must have watched it. I did not. What I saw and heard were excerpts from the newspaper.

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Trump fooled me once, shame on him; fool me twice, shame on me. 

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I find it mildly amusing that all of a sudden there is a big push for the republicans to fix the economy, the gas prices and the border, when the democrats made this mess. Now remember, Rome was not built in a day, so please be patient. They had good policies in place when the Biden administration came in and got rid of all of them, so give them time to get it back and working, as it should be. 

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Fox News was afraid to tell viewers the truth, so they aired fake news to keep their brainwashed indoctrinated with propaganda viewers have been watching so the money would continue rolling in. Fox kept the profit motive number one instead of broadcasting facts that would upset their viewers. 

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Is it just me or are democrats always miserable? You never see them smile.

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It’s getting where you don’t even want to watch the news anymore. It just gets worse and worse. We had those four people kidnapped in Mexico, and two were killed. Crickets from the Biden administration, and now they’re going to raise interest rates, the stock market took a big dive yesterday. I’ve never seen anything in worse shape than this country is right now. Thanks to Biden’s administration and all the people that put him in office. I hope you are happy.

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Irony is the GOP calling everyone who doesn’t conform to their ideals a groomer while they, themselves, are the only people in America who are obsessively policing everyone’s gender preference to conform to their own rigid definition. This is what actual grooming looks like.

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The GOP has forfeited the ability to defend itself against stupidity and has become a party in which even its best educated must feign a level of ignorance that would get you flunked from a ninth-grade civics class.

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I watched in disbelief as a man who received numerous deferments to avoid Vietnam presented the CMH to a real hero, a man who was afraid to serve his country. Just curious if any other veterans feel the same way, or are you giving Joe a pass?

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The opposite of woke is asleep.

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While socialism is usually regarded internationally as being on the left and conservatism is generally regarded as being on the right; myself, I like to apply the ole “‘Lefty / Loosey-Goosey” and “Righty / Tidy-Tight’’ or, as some see it, “Unhinged vs. Under Control.”

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Whoever suggested President Biden and Nancy Pelosi attend more Catholic churches has a lot of nerve. There is only one judge and I’m sure he doesn’t need your help.

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We, the people of the U.S., are good, great, generous, and rich. We are not perfect. God blessed us with an abundance of natural resources no other people have. We were further blessed by the fact that our founders created a government as corruption free as possible. Many countries that should be rich are poor because their governments are corrupt. Biden, Congress, and our one-party state are nothing but seething cesspools of corruption. How long has it been since we had a New York State governor that wasn’t kicked out of office? Elites like Hilary and Hunter Biden are above the law. Bill and Hillary Clinton have stolen about $1B from their foreign-based Clinton [charitable] Foundation. There just are not enough laws to keep crooks honest. If you define yourself as bad, why aspire to be good.

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Who is the speaker of the house? Is it Kevin McCarthy or MTG?

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Please don’t criticize Dr. Fauci about the COVID vaccine; you have no medical degree. Why don’t you stick with injecting Clorox and inserting light bulbs?

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How predictable. The fake news is now attacking Tucker Carlson to try to destroy him because he is letting out facts about Jan. 6 that they don’t like.

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Kind of funny how the anti-vaxers and the anti-maskers were correct. I haven’t heard any apologies from the fear mongering liberals out there who want to control your life. As usual, you were wrong again. Everything you did during the pandemic was wrong.

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Did anybody see that two-faced lying Schumer on that television? He’s a U.S. Senator for New York, and he stands on the television and lies through his teeth! Why doesn’t that moron resign? He is nothing but a liar! The whole justice system is corrupt, right along with Schumer. The tape is real, we saw it on Jan. 6, we saw it again with Tucker Carlson; you are all liars!

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Did anybody see the Canadians up in arms and all mad about the property taxes? They ought to come to New York and check them out! What do you think, Governor Hochul? You are going to fix New York, right down the crapper. 

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I just saw on TV that Biden wouldn’t let in that famous tennis player because he doesn’t have his vaccinations. What double standards does this man keep carrying? But he will let in millions across the border with no COVID vaccine! Why can’t people see through this man for what he really is?