When he was in Amherst last week to make a series of eco-funding announcements Premier Darrell Dexter took the time to remind people in this neck of the woods that he has nothing against Cumberland County.
During his first visit to Cumberland North since his New Democrats stormed to victory a year ago, the premier announced money for Amherst's LED streetlighting project and for a Warren company that's using innovation to harness the sun's rays and turn it into a source for heating water.
As welcome as these announcements are, and as important as they are toward reducing Nova Scotia's carbon footprint, the past year hasn't exactly been a good one for his party's popularity in an area of the province that has traditionally voted Conservative since the beginning of electoral time.
Judging by what has transpired since January, it may be the end of time before people consider voting NDP again, although you can't really fault the party's MLA Brian Skabar who has been forced to explain and defend his governemnt's policies when it comes to raising the HST by two per cent and for its inaction on leveling the playing field with New Brunswick on gas prices.
It has to be reassuring that the premier and Finance Minister Graham Steele remain willing to work with Cumberland County retailers to find solutions to the cross-border shopping issue when it would be very easy to sacrifice this riding all for the greater good of the province.
However, as much as Dexter and Steele appear sincere in creating a local working group to look for answers, people in this part of the province can't help but feel alienated, especially when they start paying an extra two per cent on goods and services they purchase at local stores after July 1.
And as gas prices - not to mention those of milk and cigarettes - continue to differ with nearby Sackville, New Brunswick, everyone is also waiting for the other shoe to drop when Justice Minister Ross Landry announces where the region's new jail will be built.
In a situation of what have you done for me lately, Dexter and company still have a lot to do before people here forgive and forget.
