Letter from Kerry Osterwald

Benton Praised for Good Presentation

Macguire Benton is the right person for the Otsego County clerk position.

On Monday, October 9, the Butternut Valley Grange in Gilbertsville invited local candidates to an informational/Q&A session before their membership meeting. In attendance were both candidates for Otsego County clerk. I was excited to hear that we were getting a chance to meet and hear from Jennifer Basile, as she has refused all debate requests from the Benton team and hasn’t done nearly as much, if any, door-knocking and mingling with our communities.

MacGuire and Jennifer had 10 minutes to introduce themselves and discuss their experience, ideas, and plans for the Clerk’s Office and Otsego County if elected. A dice roll decided the order, and MacGuire went on first.

Using all of his allotted time, MacGuire spoke enthusiastically about his life and work experiences, his time on the Cooperstown Village Board, and various other professional and volunteer positions that have brought him to this moment. MacGuire spoke about his ideas for reopening the Oneonta DMV, a mobile DMV, and increasing participation in the veteran’s discount program at local businesses. He told the crowd about his time spent organizing large groups of volunteers, working in a small family business and helping it grow through the years, and about his volunteerism and service. All outstanding qualifications for an elected official to possess.

MacGuire brought fresh energy to the room, lifting those around him with confidence and excitement about his plans for our county. I truly enjoyed listening to him speak; it was heartwarming to hear and feel his love for the people of Otsego County and his plans to help us thrive. He left the crowd hopeful and smiling.

Jennifer went on next. The tone was admittedly different, needing more confidence and somewhat scattered. Jennifer only used her portion of allotted time but did discuss some of her professional qualifications, mostly things learned on the job as deputy clerk. I don’t recall hearing her discuss her community service, if any, or the importance of volunteerism, which was disappointing. Jennifer only discussed a little about her plans if elected, briefly mentioning reopening the Oneonta DMV and a mobile DMV.

After hearing both candidates speak, my choice was more apparent than ever—MacGuire Benton is what our county needs to move forward and thrive in today’s world. He and his ideas are fresh, approachable and have the best interests of our many small communities at heart. He has the experience and talent to get the job done. MacGuire has run an impressive, clean campaign; he has gone door to door in just about every corner of our county to show us how much effort he plans to put into the position when elected.

I didn’t get that vibe from Jennifer. I didn’t feel enthusiasm, compassion or approachability. I was left feeling like I had missed something from her.

If we want to see changes in how things are run, we must be willing to make those changes at the ballot box. You can’t get something different by continuing to vote for people just looking to hold a position; we need someone who wants to do the work and has the enthusiasm to make our county thrive! MacGuire Benton is that change we need!

Kerry Osterwald
Town of Butternuts