A number of speakers appeared on the platform of Ms Pam Webster at Island Harbour on Sunday, February 15, providing much support for her election campaign on a variety of issues.
They comprised Ms Marie Horsford, who chaired the meeting; Terrence Webster, Mrs Mona Fleming, Paul Harrigan, Tyrone Hodge and Pastor Kennedy Vanterpool, the latter being two Anguillians coming from the United States.
“As we move our campaign through the final stages toward election day we will not spend too much time laying out each segment of Pam’s vision in detail,” Mona Fleming stated. “That vision has already been documented in her Development Plan for District 1. Pam’s plan is detailed and comprehensive and can serve as a guide for the future development of the entire island. Pam has worked diligently developing that plan; and we are proud to see that even our opponents are using parts of that plan in their platform campaigns.
“But the value of a comprehensive plan, such as the District 1 Development Plan, is in the implementation; and Palmavon Webster has the knowledge, the foresight and the expertise to implement that plan. As a matter of fact elements of that plan have already been laid out.”
Speaking in particular about the Anguilla United Movement, Ms Fleming charged: “Friends that movement moved so fast, we couldn’t see the huge taxes, levies and even bigger promises coming. Now after five years, all we have are levies, taxes and surcharges. Today that movement is still moving. Still moving from promise to promise, advertising signed MOUs on properties they don’t even have cursory access to. The bogus promise of health tourism on Junks Hole Beach land [is] a project that the owners of the land know nothing about.”
She went on: “Ladies and gentlemen… they are all lies and empty election promises: bogus schemes and empty MOUs. Friends, from what I can see, no serious investors will put their money in Anguilla…not at this time, and definitely not under this leadership. High cost of electricity and water, an inadequate health care system coupled with exorbitant taxes, levies and surcharges on everything imaginable. If we don’t better that leadership we have now, we can prepare ourselves for even more hardship in the next five years.
“If we had a strong, capable opposition, one that cared about the people, we would have had elections two years ago. With strong opposition, we would have been able to spare this country some of the pain and suffering over the last five years. The truth is the opposition had no alternative plan, so they stood by and watched the government stutter and stumble their way through.”
Mrs Fleming observed that there was a growing anger in Anguilla and she expressed the fear that there were dangerous political divisions on the island. She noted, however, that there was an urgent need to turn around the economy, and that this was Anguilla’s biggest problem.
Paul Harrigan was not prepared to waste time discussing the failures of the present government. He pointed out, however, that the government had campaigned on the fact that the salaries of the previous government were too high; criticised the pensions and gratuities of ministers of the AUF Government; and was also critical of the recent move by the AUM Government to arrange gratuities for members after serving in the House of Assembly for five years.
Mr Harrigan stressed: “They promised that they would not tax a dead economy; that the Stabilisation Levy was going to be temporary – and they turned the House of Assembly into a poppy show for derogatory, abusive comments and lies…They promised in their election campaign that they had a plan to move this country forward, but only would reveal it if elected…They never had a plan and the proof is in the pudding.”
Harrigan praised Pam Webster for her work in the Island Harbour community and for seeing the need for village centres and implementing the same at Island Harbour and East End.
He added: “Pam meets regularly with kids in our community, helping them to obtain their drivers’ licenses and providing them with jobs or assisting them in finding jobs. Pam is always encouraging the young people…We cannot leave this task all up to Pam and the Government. We will have to do our part as parents, teachers, leaders, etc. Pam has the ability to lift this country to a higher level socially, politically and economically.”
Pastor Kennedy Vanterpool, who sees himself as carrying on the legacy of his father, the late Vivien Vanterpool, who was an ardent supporter and mentor of Pam Webster, was the next speaker. He spoke about his own support for the Independent Candidate and her ideals of leadership and plans for Anguilla. He was followed by Mr Tyrone Hodge, known for his full endorsement of Ms Webster and her planned programmes for the island.
The tone of the meeting was set by Mr Terrence Webster who is usually the opening speaker for Ms Webster’s platform campaigns.
