Our Opinion: October 13, 2011

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October 14, 2011

Our Opinion: October 13, 2011

The Cooperstown Crier Fri Oct 14, 2011, 10:10 AM EDT

Kosmer deserves your vote

While it’s important for all of the candidates running for Otsego County representative to be well versed in the many issues facing Otsego County, there is one issue that dominates: hydrofracking and natural gas drilling.

John Kosmer has shown real leadership on this grave matter since his co-founding of Sustainable Otsego.

Our businesses, big and small, our crucial tourism revenue and our residential way of life would all be irreparably damaged with the advent of fracking and drilling. Though it’s fine to be a latecomer to the issue, opposing the will of the vast majority of the residents and their duly elected town board is not. John Kosmer was out in front of the major issue facing us all. For that alone, he deserves your vote.

Jeff Katz

Cooperstown

Sustainable Otsego candidates have foresight

I write to endorse the candidacy of John Kosmer for county board of representatives from the town of Otsego, along with Bennett Sandler and Julie Huntsman for town board in the town of Otsego.

All these candidates have been in the forefront of resistance to gas drilling in our area; they have provided an unprecedented service to our community by providing a forum for local residents to express their views via petitions and phone surveys to our local elected representatives.

Through their efforts, it became clear that voters in the town of Otsego overwhelmingly opposed fracking. This is no opinion, but, thanks to them, a documented fact. Because of their efforts, the town of Otsego amended its Land Use Law to prohibited heavy industry, including fracking, in the town.

What is important here is that these three people did not, like their opponents, put up a finger to see which way the wind was blowing. Instead they recognized a grave threat to our community and took steps to avert it.

If things were left to their opponents, the town would be at the mercy of the frackers.

Business as usual is no longer good enough. In a time of increasing scarcity of resources, and of decreasing reliability of state and federal governments to protect local interests, we need people in office who can provide real leadership in anticipation of problems.

This leadership will be vital to a myriad of other town and county issues.

Fortunately, the town of Otsego has an opportunity to elect Kosmer, Sandler and Huntsman, candidates with foresight and courage. Vote for them on Election Day, Nov. 8.

Adrian Kuzminski

Fly Creek

Kosmer for county rep

This is a letter of support for citizen John Kosmer for county representative. Look for Sustainable Otsego slate, and pull the levers.

I had a visit the other day from a county rep asking me for his support. Why would I support county reps who have passed the buck on gas drilling?

“The state does not give us authority,” he said.”We hired an engineering firm to look at the roads,” he added.

That’s not good enough.

Looking for someone else to protect that which is most dear to us right here is not good enough.

John Kosmer for county rep, on the Sustainable Otsego line: he’s not looking for excuses.

Russell Honicker

Cooperstown