Yesterday afternoon, a single mother and her six children - the youngest just one year old - were kicked out of the house they've called home for three years and when we got there yesterday all of their possessions were in the yard. And while people get evicted everyday - it's news tonight because Yvette Dobson says she lost her house because of a political sign.
The story is that Dobson says, and Pickstock Area Representative Godfrey Smith, confirmed that he agreed to assist her with the rent for her home at number 18 Mayflower Street. He says he was paying the rent right up until when she started working for his political opponent in Pickstock Wilfred "Sedi" Elrington. But Dobson did more than work for Sedi Elrington - she put up a giant UDP sign on her home. So she has a sign to show but no rent money to pay.
It's a story that speaks to the institutionalized political patronage which serves as a form of social welfare but that's intellectualizing it, what it really means is that a mother and her kids were put out on the streets. And that's where we picked it up yesterday afternoon when her landlord evicted her. She told Keith Swift what happened next.
Yvette Dobson, Evicted
"Well I was here giving my kids food and what not and police come
with Mr. Usher and tell me that how they bring a warrant for me to evict me out of the house. I asked them why they will evict me out of the house because it is Mr. Usher who made me come back into the house because I had already moved out my things already and he made me come in to the house. And he said he doesn't want to hear nothing. He just wants me out of the house and about 6 boys in PUP shirts came and took out my things."
Keith Swift.
Why do you think it is political?
Yvette Dobson,
"Because of the sign. From the sign gaan up because everything was
going smooth. Everything was going smooth but then again they can't get vex with me. Mr. Elrington give me a job. I have seven pickney to maintain. Nobody didn't give me a job."
Keith Swift,
What are you going to do?
Yvette Dobson,
"Well right now I don't even know what to do. I am telling you straight I don't know what to do because...I don't even know how to move. My pickney just come from school and they don't even know what is going on. I am getting mad now. I am getting mad because I told you I had Godfrey back to the fullest but he abstract me and my seven pickney and I can never got anyone's back like that."
This morning's event was aired live on just about every media outlet available.
