Gratitude, hope in Kingston Central
Dear Editor,
As a resident of Kingston Central it is with a sense of gratitude, on the one hand, and hope on the other, that I pen this letter.
Gratitude that, in the form of Councillor Rosalie Hamilton of the Rae Town Division of the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC), we the citizens have someone whose task seems, first and foremost, to be our welfare. Even in the wake of death threats she has remained undaunted and steadfast in her quest for justice for us.
Hope, that like John the Baptist hers has been the lone voice calling for peace and calm since and upsurge in crime in recent months.
It’s an open secret that there has been a spate of senseless killings in the constituency starting after the last general election and escalating since the start of the year.
Speaking of the last election, the results of the September 3, 2020 vote have since been cannoned in the pages of history, but there is an unmistakable link between those results and the work that Councillor Hamilton did prior to and continues to do in an effort to keep a lid on things.
The pollsters and pundits have had their say. For the most part, the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) massive victory has been attributed to the popularity of it’s charismatic leader Prime Minister Andrew Holness. However, behind the scenes are unsung heroes who played vital roles in that victory.
One such individual who has done a substantial amount of work for the JLP is Councillor Hamilton. An astute political individual, Councillor Hamilton who, against all odds won her division in the last local government elections by a single vote, was instrumental in securing victory for her party in the People’s National Party bastion of Kingston Central. In so doing, she catapulted political neophyte Donovan Williams to Member of Parliament status with a seat in Gordon House — a feat, which others, among them the formidable Olivia “Babsy” Grange, failed to accomplish. Councillor Hamilton quietly and meticulously cut away votes in key PNP areas which paved the way for the party’s win.
A student of her late leader Edward Seaga’s philosophy, “it takes cash to care”, Councillor Hamilton, from her widow’s mite, assisted across party lines to secure employment and set up programmes for the betterment of those of us who reside in Kingston Central.
It is for these actions, and knowledge of her other plans, I express gratitude and see hope for the future of this long-neglected constituency.
StaceyAnn Matthews
Kingston Central
c/o howiemac53@gmail.com