Dear Sir,

On February 5, you ran an opinion piece from the independent candidate for Paget East. This contained a number of false attacks on me. My opponent is entitled to his opinion. He is not entitled to make up his own facts. Thank you for allowing me to correct his falsehoods.

First, my opponent falsely suggests that I do not serve my constituency. This is completely untrue.

He falsely states I have “never stepped foot in Tribe Road No 5”. My visits to Tribe Road No 5 include collecting a constituent to take him to the Department of Financial Assistance, where together we sought to clarify his coverage. On another occasion, I assisted a constituent on No 5 who had trouble getting a passport for her child. These are verifiable facts.

My opponent falsely suggests I have never canvassed St Michael’s Road. I have been to every house there, some numerous times. He might ask the guesthouse on the corner who assisted to get the road drain unblocked.

My opponent falsely states I have never canvassed Harvey Road. Again, I have visited every single house on Harvey Road and met with my constituents there. Does my opponent know which three mothers on Harvey Road have young toddlers? Or which man grows nectarines? Or which woman kindly allows excess rainwater from the road to be drained into her property? Again, facts.

Second, my opponent says my support at the protest by Gilbert parents “was the first time [he has] seen [me] in the constituency”. That’s ironic. I live in the constituency. My opponent is registered elsewhere in Devonshire.

My opponent also seems unaware the One Bermuda Alliance has been fighting to keep Gilbert open since 2010, when former Paget East MP Grant Gibbons successfully fought the Progressive Labour Party attempt at closure by education minister El James. At the recent PTA protest, I confirmed to parents that a new OBA government would “‘press pause” on PLP school reforms and halt this year’s proposed closure of Gilbert.

Third, my opponent falsely accuses me of “inactivity” in Paget East. He clearly does not know me well. When the Paget Primary bus stop was spray-painted with graffiti, I had it immediately repaired and repainted. When several motorcycles were abandoned near St Paul Church, I had them tagged, removed, drained and taken to the airport dump. I removed the growing mountain of debris across from the old post office, providing trash cans for those who continue to illegally dump trash bags there.

When motocross riders were damaging Paget Primary’s sports field, I met with the school and the police to seek resolution. And when the light at Bermuda College crosswalk got decked by a car? After many attempts to get a new one shipped and installed, the light has been repaired by the Department of Public Works (with my heartfelt thanks for its efforts).

Some may see my opponent’s falsehoods as merely part of the “rough and tumble of politics”. Yet I believe Bermudians are done with politicians who just make things up.

And what is completely unacceptable is my opponent’s disgraceful contention that I regard one shooting in Paget East as being of less concern than another. What a truly nasty thing for him to allege. Any shooting is an horrific thing to occur on our island.

This is my opponent’s first foray into frontline politics. Respectfully, he is not off to a good start.

SCOTT PEARMAN

OBA candidate for Paget East

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