Reifer bowling bouncers and yorkers

DEMOCRATIC Labour Party (DLP) candidate for St. George North by-election, Floyd Reifer, says while persons have already queried what he will be able to accomplish while in Opposition, he said he intends to represent the people relentlessly.

“I’m not even in Parliament yet and look at how I have them chipping. I’m bowling bouncers and yorkers daily,” he said, pointing to work that has been fast-tracked in the Woods in Flat Rock and the pavilion in the Glebe.

“The residents talked to me about the unbearable noise and the dust. I talked about the stench from the dump and all the potholes are getting filled in all over the place now. Things happening. Thank God for by-elections,” he mused. “I promise you St. George North that when you elect me as your representative, I will continue to shed light on all of our issues.”

Speaking on the campaign trail on Sunday night at a mass meeting held in Newbury, St. George, Reifer said he has noticed a “disturbing” trend in the constituency. He opined that over the last 26 years, former BLP representative Gline Clarke has had a “habit” of starting projects, but they were never finished.

He said that key issues still being highlighted by residents are the poor state of the roads, overgrown areas and the fact that some persons are still using pit toilets.

“They want debates. You know what I am going to tell them about these debates? Bring the microphones, bring the podium, let us go down by the Lower Estate dump and inhale that stench. Let us go by the overgrown bush in Cottage and let us debate. Let us go up Superlative by the pit toilets.

“I will not be distracted,” he assured. “What is politics? Politics is about representation. This is no time for gimmicks and grandstanding when people are suffering. People are hurting, unemployed, frustrated. Every spare minute I get I will spend with my people.

“We have heard the excuse from Gline [Clarke] that his party was not in power. Every single failure he says, ‘But my party was not in power’, but let me tell you this – Mia [Amor] Mottley and Gline Clarke entered Parliament at the same time in 1994. They have represented their constituencies for 26 years. Have you ever heard about a bad road in St. Michael North East that didn’t get fixed? You ever heard about flooding in St. Michael North East that wasn’t addressed. Have you ever heard about street lights in St. Michael North East that weren’t replaced. You ever heard about groundwater coming through the pipes in St. Michael North East?

“I ask you why? Why St. George North got treated so badly. You mean even in the last two years nothing can be done. If they did nothing in the last 26 and more of nothing in the last two, then it is not hard to think they will give you more of nothing if you give them the vote,” he said.

Reifer took note again about the comments made by former Barbados Labour Party Cabinet Minister DeLisle Bradshaw, who last Thursday on a BLP platform in support of candidate Toni Moore, suggested that “any idiot can play cricket”. Reifer said the comments were not only disrespectful for the many cricketing greats including Barbados’ only living National Hero Sir Garfield Sobers, but it also has an impact on the many Barbadian athletes.

According to Reifer, “I feel strongly about this... My family is a cricketing family, so this cuts me deep.”

He also alluded to comments made by Sports Minister Dwight Sutherland to address the comments made by Bradshaw, but argued that candidate Moore stood in silence and did not condemn the comments made on her platform. To this end, he called on residents of St. George North to boycott Moore at the polls come November 11, 2020.