[LSNN] Sandy Shores Residents on Politics and the Upcoming Elections

[LSNN]

 

Sandy Shores Residents on Politics and the Upcoming Elections

Matt Schiff

Disclaimer: This article is written by a contributor to Los Santos News and may not reflect the opinions of Los Santos News staff. 

 

Too many policy wonks and political pundits are willing to tell themselves what people from small rural communities like Sandy Shores must want without even bothering to ask them first. After all, they say, people from places like this don’t know much, and what little they do know is wrong. And everything else is reactionary small-town racism, usually packaged up in a nutty conspiracy theory or several. 

I am keen to push back against this thinking, not least because I’m from Sandy Shores – and I don’t want the smug Los Santos socialites I sometimes rub shoulders with to learn of my hometown and edge away warily as if I were some mutant lunatic from The Hills Have Eyes on a city break.  

So, this week, I headed back home to ask some local residents about current affairs and what matters to them, and to try and get a sense of where the mood is in Sandy Shores right now.

Richard, 30, unemployed

I met Richard in the parking lot of what he says is “probably” his favorite drinking spot in Sandy Shores.

Richard has “never ever voted before” but may do in the upcoming elections. He wants to get involved in a neighbourhood watch – and his vote would depend on a party helping to set one up.

“I don’t trust the cops around here. A lot of them are corrupt and don’t help you,” Richard states matter-of-factly. “That is why it could be helpful to have the watch.”

As somebody newly released from Twin Towers Jail, he says his encounters with police have rarely been positive. “[The police] should be wearing body cameras and that seems obvious. Some of them are good people, but they still need to wear them to help us to be sure,” Richard later tells me confidently.

He is also frustrated that his criminal record may limit his access to a concealed carry weapons permit.

Marie, 27, employee at a local used car dealership

I met Marie outside her car dealership on a quiet stretch of road in northern Sandy Shores. Like many businesses in the town, it’s modest and understated.

Marie has voted previously and will likely vote again in the future – although she is undecided on who.

“Crime and the problems it brings here. That’s always an issue,” Marie told me.

But unlike many tough-on-crime voters, Marie isn’t confident that promises of more deputies in Sandy Shores would solve the issue: “People come here and make life difficult for us locals. Its already difficult as is.”

She claims that criminals from Los Santos are moving beyond their usual territories to prey on people out in Sandy Shores. Marie describes armed robbers from the city targeting locals and then fleeing the town before law enforcement can respond.

“Many people around here would love to be able to carry large rifles and all that. But I'd still not feel as safe. I’d say the problem needs to be solved in the city itself. Its them outsiders that make the trouble here.” Marie says the impact these crimes have on local businesses is a big worry for her and others.

Marie does not have any strong views on social issues like LGBT rights but feels that, “As long as they’re Americans, they should get the rights as any American has.” This view was fairly typical among the people I spoke to, with almost all describing aspects of the economy and criminal justice as much bigger priorities.

Also like many others I spoke to in Sandy Shores, Marie does not feel that politicians show their faces in the town enough (if at all) – and without them showing up it’s difficult to believe they care. Marie says that party activity at the local level is what matters to her, and that national goings-on won’t affect the way she votes in local elections.

Buck, 50, part-time trucker

Buck was sat out on his porch when I met with him to talk politics. The view from his street, of an enormous Mount Chiliad looming in the distance, is the reason he doesn’t want to move.

“I don’t think politicians do much for Los Santos and I think they do even less for here. At this point, I’d vote for whoever showed up out here,” Buck says.

Buck, who has previously voted both Republican and Democrat, said he would have to wait and see before deciding how to vote next time.

His ideal candidate would be a local who knew the area and could get the city to invest in small businesses, especially those involved in sports and outdoor walks, instead of large conglomerates who don’t look after their workers or have any stake in the town. “I want local people calling the shots here. That is how it should be.”

Travis, 28, unemployed

Travis was ambling towards Marie’s car dealership when he agreed to chat with me.

Travis says there is a real need for more community programs in Sandy Shores. They’ve helped him previously to battle a drug misuse problem and put his life back on track. “The government has done a bit for me, but they could do more.” He has previously voted Democrat and says he will vote for whichever party promises to restart community programs in the area. 

Asked about whether politicians care about Sandy Shores, Travis’ reply was swift: “No, they don’t care. Look around you – it’s bad.” Travis motions to the boarded-up properties and strewn about trash which characterise a not unsubstantial section of Sandy Shores.

While he has received little involvement from social and health workers, he says the police have been ever-present in his life: “They’re always messing with me, like when I’m sleeping… I think they stole my other shoes.”


The views above were echoed by many of the people I spoke to, who share an overwhelming cynicism about the willingness of politicians to look out for Sandy Shores. The dereliction and chronic under-investment in parts of the town is hard to ignore, and this remains a source of frustration and anger for local residents.

Conversely, some other parts of Sandy Shores have endured to enjoy good business – plenty of which comes from city tourists looking for a change of scenery. For residents in these areas, overly bureaucratic business licensing procedures and the threat of violent crime are repeatedly cited as their main issues.

With so much uncertainty leading up to this year’s elections, a lot could be decided by the ability of politicians to convincingly address the profound disillusionment in places like Sandy Shores. Many locals here clearly have a keen understanding of the issues that affect their town – an understanding which defies stereotypes about their ignorance.  We will find out how successfully politicians can answer these issues over the coming weeks and months. 

 

lsnn.gta.world

 

[Daquan Kingston]

Username: SS_Skanderbeg1912
Comment: I'm sure that the democratic party and their shelter to those disgusting lesbians will greatly benefit Sandy Shores.... NOT. Vote for the Republican Party so you can wield a pistol, and put a bullet between the eyes of these horrible mutations. #republican #rightwing

[Ketamine Kowboy]

11 minutes ago, Daquan Kingston said:

Username: SS_Skanderbeg1912
Comment: I'm sure that the democratic party and their shelter to those disgusting lesbians will greatly benefit Sandy Shores.... NOT. Vote for the Republican Party so you can wield a pistol, and put a bullet between the eyes of these horrible mutations. #republican #rightwing

Username: VV1389

Comment: Amin, finally someone who understands politics. Fuck the left-wing.