Tracy’s Relief Aid Comes Under P.U.P. Fire

Albert area representative Tracy Panton has come under fire from the People’s United Party after it came to their attention that relief being offered to constituents appeared to be blatant politicking. The P.U.P. says it is shameful propagandizing during a time of national crisis.   Since Monday, Tracy Panton and her Albert Care Team have been busy putting together relief packages, which they are distributing to residents in that area; the bags contain ramen noodles, beans and other items.   The initiative was born out of a conversation Panton says she had with her husband and together, they approached family and friends to pool their resources in order to give assistance to those who are affected most by the COVID-19 crisis.  The care packages, however, are being handed out in tote bags that bear Panton’s campaign slogan and that has rubbed many the wrong way.  This morning, Panton went on record to explain how the initiative came about.

Tracy Panton

Tracy Panton, Area Representative, Albert

“As you know, I was elected to serve this constituency in 2015 and the Albert Care Team and I, I have a team of six people, and I have tried to the very best of our ability to serve the community.  This is one of the most serious crisis that our country has had to face, certainly in my lifetime.  I was not around for the ‘31 hurricane or the ‘61 hurricane, and while I know there is a joint oversight committee and that the members of the house have agreed to come together to look at some of the national issues, in terms of how we address the threat of COVID-19.  I certainly felt that I have a duty and responsibility, not only to this constituency but to this country and to the people who have supported me and the people who live in the constituency, whether they support me or not.  And so, my husband and I, and a few of my family members decided that we would pool our resources together.  We all added some money to the kitty and based on what I was able to raise within my family, I reached out to a few of my friends in the business community.  Some of them were able to provide cash donations and some of them provided goods that they sell in the store.  I work very closely with the business community throughout the year for all the activities that we have in this constituency and so we were able to put together why I call care bags to give three sets of people: the elderly, the sick and the disabled in the first instance.  We’re then going to assist single parents who have lost their jobs and have children to feed.  And then if we have any items left over and I don’t know if we’ll be able to go beyond that, we’re going to ensure that each household who hasn’t been served in those two rounds of giveaways would then be given a bag of basic food items.”