| The
Senate Race In Caribbean Community
From Caribnews
By Michael D. Roberts
The 20th Senate District in Brooklyn is yet
another district where the overwhelming ethnic population is Caribbean
American. This was the district that was held for many years by
Brooklyns present Borough President Marty Markowitz.
Earlier this year Carl Andrews won the remainder
of Markowitzs unfinished term in a special election where
the only challenge came from Ms. Frances Purcell who ran on the
Republican line and lost. Now Andrews appears set to win in November.
Jamaica-born businessman Wellington Sharp is
among the names being tossed around to challenge Andrews who has
the backing and support of the Brooklyn Democratic machinery on
account of his chumminess with Assemblyman Clarence Norman the leader
of the machinery.
It was Norman who flatly refused to support
the on-again, off-again political guffaw of Roy Hastick the President
of the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce, who moved from setting
up an exploratory committeeto run to just plain whimping
out.
This campaign that never jettisoned any real
candidate from the race since the political antics might have just
been things to bring some short-term publicity and since Hastick
perhaps never really wanted the job.
But he certainly was the best candidate that
would have united Caribbean American support, making his victory
as easy as taking candy from a kid. But in the end cowardice prevailed
and Andrews romped home in a largely uncontested race that was run
by the county who anointed one of its own. This showing by Andrews
was the first since his defeat by former City Councilwoman Una Clarke
in 1991. So a decade later, having done sweet nothing for the Caribbean
American community in the interim, Andrews suddenly develops a burning
love for us.
Just like former Councilman Noach Dear, who
waged a bitter battle against poor van drivers trying to make a
living in Brooklyn, who all but ignored the Black parts of his district,
and who now professes a new-fangled love for Caribbean Americans,
Andrews is now seen in every Caribbean American event. Both he and
Dear know what the numbers are, and if our people get mad and energized
a credible Caribbean American candidate that can take out Andrews,
and deny Dear any shot at the State senate not withstanding the
fact that both have managed to attract to their ranks a set of political
prostitutes from our community.
Back to The Citizen page!

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