Otsego must plan for gas drilling
OCCA agrees with The Daily Star's Oct. 1 editorial, "Drilling task force would help," dealing with a proposal to form a gas-drilling task force to "assess the ability of Otsego County to meet the emerging infrastructure needs as gas drilling progresses and help the various entities develop plans for meeting those additional needs."
County Board Chair James Powers has reservations about having adequate resources to staff such a committee. We understand his concern, but not taking advantage of the minimal resources we do have and allowing things to move ahead with no planning whatsoever will only cost us more in the long term.
The county also has the (sometimes untapped) "resources" of concerned residents and organizations who have compiled much information on gas drilling and are willing to offer their time free of charge to ensure that we are adequately prepared for eventualities associated with gas drilling.
Powers also stated that regulation falls to the state rather than Otsego County, but it is ill-advised for us to displace responsibility. I refer readers to our Aug. 2, 2008, opinion piece "Is the DEC up to the task?" _ available on The Daily Star and OCCA websites _ addressing DEC's unpreparedness to deal with gas drilling.
Rep. Stephen Fournier stated, "What worries me is that it (the task force) might be stacked with people who all have the same opinion." That worries us too, but his committee would appoint task force members, therefore having control over its makeup.
Gas drilling presents many environmental concerns. It does not behoove us to shrink from the responsibility of addressing them.
Planning is proactive, not obstructive. It is appropriate that the county Solid Waste and Environmental Concerns Committee form a task force to deal with an issue that could change the face of Otsego County.
Martha Clarvoe
Hartwick
Democrats have much to offer
Your Otsego County Democratic Committee has worked hard since Election Day 2008 to identify strong candidates for public office throughout the county. Owing to these efforts, and the efforts of others, the Democratic Party is fielding a very strong slate of candidates for election on Nov. 3.
Our candidates for countywide offices are, for County Treasurer: Dan Crowell; and for the County Board of Representatives: Keith Carpenter (Burlington, Edmeston, Exeter, Plainfield), Rich Murphy (town of Oneonta), Cathy Rothenberger (Oneonta Wards 3 and 4), Linda Rowinski (Oneonta Wards 5 and 6), Marti Stayton (Oneonta Wards 1 and 2), and Kay Stuligross (Oneonta Wards 7 and 8).
Election of these candidates would provide the best hope for improving government in Otsego County. There is insufficient space here to describe their qualifications, except to say that each of them is intelligent, practical, experienced and dedicated to representing "we the people." Let this be the year we bring balance and meaningful dialogue to Otsego County government.
In addition to the countywide offices, the Democratic Party is offering excellent candidates for local offices throughout the county, such as Dick Miller for Oneonta mayor, Judge Lucy Bernier for Oneonta city judge, Bob Wood for Oneonta town supervisor, John Frisch for Oneonta town councilman and Phil Hoseley for Oneonta town justice, along with many others.
For more information, I urge Otsego County voters to contact the candidates or the Otsego County Democratic Committee at otsegodems@gmail.com or 263-5425.
Additional information is also available at www.otsegodems.com. Please vote on Election Day, Nov. 3.
Edward T. Lentz
New Lisbon
Lentz is chair of the Otsego County Democratic Committee and a candidate for the New Lisbon town council.
Obama didn't show disrespect to military
This letter is in response to Ms. Janet Whelan of Mount Vision and her view that President Obama has no right to be on a late-night talk show when our military servicemen and women are fighting abroad and risking their lives and limbs in the service to their country and at the direction of their commander in chief.
If I'm not mistaken, President
Obama never once made any ill-advised comments relating to our military personnel serving abroad or anywhere else for that matter while a guest on the talk show.
The same cannot be said about former President George W. Bush. You do remember his rather awkward moment during a black-tie event for radio and television journalists in Washington back in March of 2004 when he jokingly narrated a slide show in which he was seen looking for weapons of mass destruction in the Oval Office.
You do remember "weapons of mass destruction," don't you? That was the "real'" reason we were in Iraq, according to President Bush. Did he somehow forget that at that time 585 of our best and brightest military men and women gave the ultimate sacrifice while another 3,354 Americans were maimed for life looking for his WMD? In case you were wondering, no weapons of mass destruction were ever found in Iraq.
I would hope there is a difference between a president taking a break from his duties of running the country and having a lighter moment on a late-night talk show than that of a former president who in a moment of callous and cavalier self-depreciation made those who voted for him scratch their collective heads and wonder ... why?
Douglas Knox
Franklin
Seniors treated badly by Cobleskill board
I stopped into the Cobleskill Community Center senior meals site where our senior citizens and our ARC senior citizens go to have their meals, get together and talk, play bingo, listen to music and dance sometimes, work on crafts, read books and have holiday parties that include the school children. The seniors would decorate for each holiday. The seniors feel that the meals site is a home away from home. The school children always liked coming in to sing and do plays for the seniors, and the seniors always looked forward to the children coming.
The walls have been stripped of all the seniors' decorations, flowers and pictures. Half of the tables they use have been taken from them. Their bingo cupboard and craft cupboard have been taken from them. The desk was put into a corner. Our seniors were told that they couldn't have any of their things there anymore.
I have also heard that there was going to be a youth group coming in to decorate. Nobody seems to know anything about this, including the children themselves that I have talked to.
Why is the Cobleskill Village Board treating our seniors so horribly? It and the government have taken enough away from our senior citizens. Stop! Remember, someday soon you will be a senior citizen. Do you want to be treated this rotten?
People of the community _ I was told there is going to be a meeting on Oct. 21, at 7 p.m., in the meeting room of the police station building on Mineral Springs Road. Please come and let your voices be heard against this outrage against our seniors in Cobleskill.
Pamela Sherman
Cobleskill
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