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From thebahamasweekly.com - Bahamian Politics
L. Ryan Pinder Candidate Progressive Liberal Party Elizabeth Constituency Bye-Election Rally Remarks January 27, 2010
Mr. Party Leader., Mr. Deputy Leader, Mr. National Chairman, Dame Marguerite Pindling, Party officers, stalwart councilors, Chairman and officers of the Elizabeth branch, the people of Elizabeth, my fellow Bahamians. Elizabeth, time is drawing nigh – there are less than three weeks left in this campaign. In less than three weeks you have to decide on who will be your next Member of Parliament. I am confident that I’ll be your choice. One man’s decision to abandon Elizabeth has become another man’s opportunity to serve you. I am anxious, excited, willing and ready to serve YOU, Elizabeth. As I have been visiting house to house, knocking on door after door, I have been attentive to your call for good representation. All you ask from your Member of Parliament, is that you see him often, not only during elections; that he gives attention to the special needs of the Constituency; and that he goes to Parliament as your unrelenting voice on matters of local and national importance. Well I believe that I am the right man, in the right place at the right time and Elizabeth, I believe I am the Better Way. Elizabeth and The Bahamas need someone with a good grasp of the Bahamian economy, it needs and present challenges. Someone with the vision to expand our economy and spark job creation. That man is me. My Plans and Programs I am confident will lead to Peace, Love and Prosperity!!! That will certainly be a change. As I move about the Constituency, and even on radio, I have been getting questions in an attempt to get to know me better. People want to know for example who I am, why I have chosen the Progressive Liberal Party ticket, what I intend to do for Elizabeth.
Let me make a definitive statement. LEO RYAN PINDER IS
A BAHAMIAN, PLP, AND PROUD. I am Bahamian like my father, and his father, and
his father before him, and all my forefathers dating back to the late 1600’s. Yes I have lived and studied and worked abroad. I am no different than thousands of Bahamians who have done the same. There are many in my position who will never return home. But I have chosen to return, with the knowledge and experience gained abroad, specifically to make my contribution to the further development of our Country. And in particular Elizabeth! As I move about Elizabeth, people remember me as the young boy who was foot-to-foot behind my father whom to date, in their opinion has been the best MP they ever had. They remember that I couldn’t play basketball well back then and I still can’t play basketball well today. I will be following my father’s footsteps not hanging on his coattails; so years from today, people will say, “Boy, Marvin was a good M.P. in Malcolm creek but Ryan was as good as or even a better representative for Elizabeth!” Yes Elizabeth, I am the right man, sent to the right place, at the right time. Now I am running on a platform of strong community organization, job creation, and the establishment of a job skills bank as well as other worthwhile projects for the constituency of Elizabeth. My platform includes first and foremost, creating natural community zones, so that each zone can have personal access to me to voice the specific concerns of that area. I intend to create at least 4 local districts in Elizabeth each with its own community support group. By doing this Elizabeth, the residents within each respective community support group will have an avenue to express their concerns to a group leader who will have direct access to me as the Member of Parliament. These Community support groups will also be responsible for the scheduling of community Youth outreach and after-school programs, health and lifestyle events, training and job-skills opportunities, and elderly care initiatives for our senior citizens. I intend to strengthen and promote the small businesses already in Elizabeth. Also, I would like to be an intimate part of the creation of many other small businesses in Elizabeth, with a view of empowering residents to take a hold of their economy and their own destiny. I whole heartedly believe that we are in an era, where we must begin to depend less on Government for handouts, and start depending more on ourselves and each other for hand-ups. As your MP, I will partner with you to make Elizabeth the model of this new and innovative wave of entrepreneurship. This is why I propose to establish, the Elizabeth Business Association. Through the Elizabeth Business Association, there will be a focus on an entrepreneurial re-education policy that will be open to all Elizabeth residents who desire to successfully own and operate a small business. Some Residents of Elizabeth have already offered themselves to be mentors and teachers in this program. Hand in hand with this program we will create and coordinate a database to provide a listing of all un-employed residents of the Constituency and their respective skills and communicate the list of available persons first to businesses in Elizabeth and then to others. Also through The Elizabeth Business Association, and in my capacity as a Member of Parliament, once an employment opportunity becomes known, I will match the opportunity with the Elizabeth Job Skills Bank to encourage employment within Elizabeth. And yes Elizabeth, I will be right there leading the way, working to make Elizabeth a Beacon of Hope for all the Bahamas. This is a glimpse of what you can hold me to, as your Member of Parliament for Elizabeth. It is clear and concise and achievable. I believe in partnership Elizabeth. Hence, I believe that Ryan Pinder and Elizabeth, in partnership with the business community, our church and community leaders, our police force, our clinic and schools, and whoever is Government will become a model constituency of progress and hope in our Country and demonstrate what can be accomplished when people are committed to PARTNERING FOR PROGRESS. No hand outs but a hand up. Elizabeth, we must return to a sense of Community, to a sense of commitment to each other – ONE FOR ALL and ALL FOR ONE. So people say, “Ryan with all of your experience and genuine concern, and vision, why the PLP?” Well the PLP is historically, is presently and will be in the future the Party of progress for all Bahamians, that is why. Don’t mind the noise in the market, there is no need new philosophy, but there is need for change. The political organization at the forefront of advancing the needs of ALL BAHAMIANS is still the Progressive Liberal Party. The current Government has failed you. Are we to forget where the Bahamas was three short years ago as compared to now? There was a construction boom in this Country. There was an entire Ministry dedicated to attracting investments, and strengthening the financial services of The Bahamas. Billions of dollars were in the pipeline for the redevelopment of New Providence and many of our Family Islands. The Airport deal was already in the pipeline and so was the road improvement project. The National grade average in our public schools was steadily improving, and the Urban Renewal Program was improving many of our social problems. Now what is the state of affairs? It is misery. I contend that the real reason we are even having this bye-election here in Elizabeth is to try to distract Bahamians from the dismal performance of the Government. Elizabeth, we will teach them a lesson, we will show them the future, we will show them Ryan Pinder, we will show them PEACE, LOVE and PROSPERITY. There is no question why I am PLP, Elizabeth – the record speaks for itself. And while I am running on the vision of Ryan Pinder and what that means potentially for the future of our Country, I am proud to have the legacy of my father and the legacy of my PLP as major planks in my foundation. In concluding tonight I just want to set the record straight. Ryan Pinder and my campaign workers will not engage in any mud slinging in this campaign!! We are about plans, programs and people and committed to change and a new political order where PEACE and LOVE rule!!! We wont be surprised then Elizabeth, less than three weeks from today, as they call the results of the twelve polling divisions when we hear, Pinder PLP, Pinder PLP, Pinder PLP, Pinder PLP, Pinder PLP …. ALL THE WAY! GOOD NIGHT AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU SAFE!!! © Copyright 2010 by thebahamasweekly.com - |
