Stanley 'Bagga' Grindley, a sheep and cattle farmer of Mountainside, St. Elizabeth, tending his sheep in the field. The agricultural sector, which has suffered from droughts and hurricanes in recent years, is one of the pressing matters for the next Member of Parliament to address. - Noel Thompson/Freelance Photographer

Garwin Davis, Gleaner Writer

Maxine Dixon is a businesswoman. Raymond Thompson is a farmer. While they travel in distinctively different circles, they have quite a bit in common.

Both are People's National Party (PNP) supporters. Both were part of the Donald Buchanan revolution that saw the outgoing Member of Parliament notch four consecutive victories between 1989 and 2002, to become the longest-serving MP in the history of St. Elizabeth South West.

But 'Danny Buck' has lost significant political capital, and pundits are wondering, will the 'Buck' stop here?

Dixon and Thompson say they are angry enough about everything - from job losses to general neglect of the constituency - to do the unthinkable: Give the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate their vote in the next general election.

"I am fed up with this Government," says Dixon, a mother of four, as she pays a vendor in the Black River Market, while responding to questions posed by The Gleaner during a three-day visit to the constituency two weeks ago. "I have been voting PNP in every election since 1976. Even in 1980 when the entire country switched to the JLP, I voted for Mr. Buchanan. I am telling you, though, that for the first time in my life I will be voting for the JLP."

Enough is enough

Thompson, who raises cattle in Mountainside district, several miles outside of Black River, said he had to lay off a couple of his farmhands recently, unable to meet his weekly payroll.

"I could not in good faith give this Government my vote," he said, while playfully patting one of his prized bulls on the head.

"If a man continues to beat you every day with a bat, at some point you are going to say enough is enough and fight back," argued Thompson.

"I am from a strong PNP family," he continued. "I am sure (that) not even Norman Manley has stronger ties to the party than my father, who was a diehard. I, however, will be giving the JLP my vote in the next election, to show this Government that they can no longer walk all over people."

The frustrations of Dixon and Thompson seem to resonate among many PNP supporters throughout the constituency. And that sentiment could reverberate nationally.

Godfrey Taylor, owner of an auto body repair store, also in Mountainside, gives the reminder, "Wherever this constituency goes, the country follows."

And he may well have a point! Indeed, in every election since 1962, St. Elizabeth South West has gone to the party that ends up forming the government.

"Donald Buchanan has hurt the PNP's chances in this constituency. You can tell him I said that," Taylor said, while acknowledging the concurring nods from a nearby group of men inside a service station.

"From 1975 until today, there are no regular phone lines in Knoxwood, Barbary Hall, Stone Field, Pondside and several other areas," reported Taylor. "If it weren't for cellphones I don't know how we would manage. He knew there was no way he could win again, so he did the smart thing and opted not to seek re-election."

Don't blame danny

But does such talk signal a changing of the guard at long last in St. Elizabeth South West?

Not so fast, explained Pauline Walters, a PNP supporter and day-care worker from the parish's shrimp capital, Middle Quarters.

"The complaints you are hearing are things people have been saying since 1993, and if my memory serves me right, Mr. Buchanan is still the MP," she said, while finishing her last morsel of pizza at the Jack Sprat restaurant in Treasure Beach.

"But let's be fair. A lot of what Mr. Buchanan is being blamed for are things that he had no control over. It was not his fault that we had a severe drought; it was not his fault that we have had three major hurricanes, which resulted in our roads being severely damaged.

"It is a fact that things are hard, some of the roads are awfully bad and more could be done to assist our farmers. I also know that, ultimately, it is the MP that bears responsibility. However, in our desire to criticise, we must also be fair, and give credit whenever it is due."

George Chambers, businessman and resident of the mostly upscale Parottee district, located just outside of Black River, agreed. "It is not fair to say Mr. Buchanan's tenure has been totally disastrous," he said.

"He has done a lot in the area of education, donating some $250,000 to help build a computer lab at one of our high schools. We must not forget, too, that the south coast is now ripe for major tourism develop-ment, something Mr. Buchanan has been championing for years."

But for George Nembhard, an animal feed store owner in Claremont Park, there's one question he would love to put to Buchanan and his supporters. "If things are so rosy, why does it feel so bad?" he asked. "Who feels it knows it, and it's the worst I have seen it in my over 30 years in business."