“Boots” Martinez leads protest at opening

But it seems Mark Espat was not the only area representative to be the subject of a picket this morning. While she was unveiling the Port Loyola Health and Development Project, members of the division’s Poor Housing Committee staged protest nearby. The group, lead by the United Democratic Party’s Anthony “Boots” Martinez, who lost to Balderamos in 1998. The protesters claim that since Balderamos-Garcia was elected, she has not done much for the community.

Protester #1

“Ninety-nine percent of these people are poor people. You can just go over by the next side of the boulevard and just

see people changing in their houses, lone sharks. I mean what happen?”

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Coordinator, Poor Housing Project

“My personal view as a politician, I accept my defeat at the polls and our challenge now is to move forward with the division and working together. I think the division should be moving forward.”

Protester #2

“She no come to us and tell us nothing about… We can’t face her none at all no care what kind of arrangement we make to meet this woman. She does not want to meet with us so this is the only way we can get to her. And yet she still ignores us so this is the reason why we are out here today because we are hurt.”

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Area Rep., Port Loyola

“It is a free country, it’s a free society and we encourage community participation if they want to get a particular message out. Let them, but I think the work of me as area representative and of our committee, the political committee as well as this Health and Development Committee speak for itself Jackie.”

Balderamos-Garcia told News Five that she has never received a request from Martinez and his committee, but said she has no problem meeting with the group.