Letter from Kathleen Taylor

Leslie Berliant Gets My Vote

I am writing in support of Leslie Berliant’s candidacy for the 7th District representative on the Otsego County Board, representing the residents of Cherry Valley, Middlefield and Roseboom.

Our towns and our county are facing serious challenges. Groceries, housing, and healthcare are less and less affordable, and our elected leaders are pretending things are okay. They are not.

We all know about the cost of groceries. And according to rentdata.org, the median cost for a two-bedroom apartment in Otsego County is $1,259.00/month, an 11 percent increase from last year.

More than 27 percent of Otsego County’s residents get their healthcare via Medicaid or the ACA (Obamacare). The effects of the Republican federal shutdown—particularly the cuts to healthcare and our hospitals—has been met with silence by our Republican-run county board.

We need affordable food, and we need affordable housing. How will our county representatives respond to the healthcare cuts? What will they do to protect us?

I trust Leslie Berliant, a business owner, a parent, and a community member who cares about protecting all of us, to speak up and take action. I urge everyone, particularly those who think elections don’t matter, to get involved and vote for her. Early voting runs October 25-November 2. Election Day is November 4.

Kathleen Taylor
Cherry Valley