The Tribune

By DANA SMITH dsmith@tribunemedia.net DNA candidate for Long Island Mario Cartwright claims the constituency has long been neglected and now the list of problems "goes on and on". According to Mr Cartwright, a Long Island native, issues like unemployment, inadequate infrastructure, "archaic" schools and an airport in disrepair, have been frustrating the community for some time. The FNM has given Long Islanders "very little to nothing" over the last five years, he said, adding that the constituents view both the FNM and PLP with suspicion. "They appear to be in collaboration," he said. Speaking of PLP nominee Alex Storr and the FNM's Loretta Butler-Turner, Mr Cartwright said: "As far as my opponents go, they really have no zest or interest in Long Island. If any one of them win, they will disappear until the next election." Mr Cartwright said he felt the "most logical choice to bring about change" in Long Island was to offer himself as a candidate, and he is confident the DNA will win. "I was born and raised in Long Island. I am of the people of Long Island, I am for the people for Long Island, and I will back the ambitions of Long Island," he said. "I'm very confident I will win by a comfortable margin. I think I can do very well." As the former president of the Long Island Chamber of Commerce, Mr Cartwright said he has "significant ties" on the island and believes he can offer Long Islanders "excellent representation". "I'm a businessman here, I live here and I'm accessible to them," Mr Cartwright said. "I can represent them very well in parliament." He made the decision to accept the DNA nomination around mid-December and prior to Christmas, he visited the homes of nearly 600 Long Islanders. "I must say, for the most part, I was warmly received and was embraced by the people. I got the feeling that people are ready for change," he said. "I think they need someone who can make genuine steps to improve the economic stakes of Long Island. The FNM have been here for 15 of the last 25 years and we got very little to nothing in return." The "greatest issue" plaguing Long Island is unemployment, caused by the slow economy, Mr Cartwright said. He hopes to solve this is by upgrading Deadman's Cay Airport into an international facility and port of entry. Mr Cartwright explained that islands such as Exuma, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama and Abaco have strong economies because each has an international airport. Tourists want convenience, he said - "they do not like layovers and connections". Once tourists and investors can more easily arrive in Long Island, he hopes hotels and other business will not be far behind. "We are proud people," Mr Cartwright said. "We want to work, but we need jobs and the government has denied us adequate infrastructure." Better regulation of commercial fishing and a more modern high school are other key issues for the candidate.