SERIOUS ASSISTANCE TO THE POOR, SAYS KARL HOOD

St. George, June 7, 2008 -- Pastor Karl Hood, NDC candidate for St. George South-East, says he plans on providing serious assistance to the poor, youth and the elderly in the community after the July 8 general election.

Hood, expressing confidence that the National Democratic Congress will win the election, says an NDC government will invest in people.

"This is an area that definitely I would vigorously pursue in transforming community centres into community developmental centres, so that young people can go there and learn skills and engage in other productive activities,'' said Hood.

He has decried the current underutilization of the community centres in St. George South-East, saying many are simply used "now and then for a dance.''  Hood believes more could be done with the buildings.

He said: "There are community centres that are in the constituency but there is no development there.  The elderly people in the community, who have skills, are dying with their skills, without anyone asking them to come in and to work with some young people.''

A multipurpose centre in Marian, Hood said, is a "beautiful building – but that's all it is because we have nothing new taking place there.  There could have been a computer lab there.''

Hood is trying to unseat Deputy Prime Minister Gregory Bowen as the Member of Parliament for St. George South-East.  Like Prime Minister Keith Mitchell, Bowen has had a battery of lawyers fighting to stop legal proceedings initiated against him in the United States by private individuals.  Many believe that Hood is very likely to topple Bowen at next month's polls.

"I just want to thank the people of the South-East for their support,'' Hood said.  "I want to invite those who are not supportive at this point to come on board.  Our party, the NDC, is a party of inclusion.  It's not a party of victimization.  There is not, and there will never be, none of that.''

Hood said he and his fellow NDC candidates, including leader Tillman Thomas whom he described as a "very honest and upright man,'' will run an election campaign that focuses on issues such as jobs and the rebuilding the agricultural sector.

"We are focusing on the needs of poor persons in our country,'' Hood emphasized.  "We are calling all of St. George South-East to let's join together and let's build this country together.  Let's make sure that our children have something that they can look forward to.  Let's preserve this country for them.''