MASKIN, HERZIG IMPRESSED

Delgado Meets With OFO,

Says Session ‘Illuminating’

ONEONTA – U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado, D-19, today met with the poverty-fighting Opportunities for Otsego’s board of directors and staff.

The freshman congressman called the meeting “illuminating and deeply important to understand the headwinds facing thousands of Upstate New Yorkers experiencing poverty and homelessness.”

OFO CEO Dan Maskin said he was “honored” to have Delgado visit the organization, adding, “I was thoroughly impressed that he took the time to listen to each of the 25 participants’ stories about issues impacting the poor.”

The meeting lasted for two hours, said Mayor Gary Herzig, adding that Delgado “was fully engaged in discussing the issues relating to daycare, rural transportation, affordable housing, domestic violence, and the need for a comprehensive energy policy to create jobs and housing using renewable energy sources.”

In the district this week, Delgado is focusing on affordable housing and poverty-related services.

In summing up today’s meeting, the congressman said, “Combatting inequality is essential for economic growth in our region and I immensely appreciate the work of organizations like Opportunities for Otsego, which focus efforts on supporting disadvantaged communities. I look forward to continuing to work alongside them to address inequality and support economic growth in Otsego County.”