Candidates tout party lines
(CNS): The candidates were different, the questions were similar but the answers were beginning to sound like ones regular attendees and listeners to the Chamber’s District Candidate Forums have heard before. With the UDP representatives reading from the party manifesto and the PPM member touting a well-rehearsed party line, the audience for the seventh forum of the series and the second in George Town, heard some very familiar answers.
Burns Connolly, the only independent candidate of the evening who was giving fresh responses to the questions, found himself sandwiched between two of the four UDP candidates for the district, Perlina McGaw-Lumsden and Mike Adam, and on the same platform as the PPM’s fourth elected member for George Town, Alfonso Wright.
However, when asked about the future of Cayman Airways and whether it should be sold, Adam broke free of the UDP manifesto and offered an insightful answer. Admitting he should know a little about the topic, he said it should not be sold but that many of the national flag carrier’s problems were down to the changing political influences with each election.
“It gets a new direction (at each election) and it takes roughly two years to ramp up the new plan…with a lot of funding supporting…We need less influence from the government and it should be run as a business,” he said. “We need to determine what its real niche is, as right now it is being used to be all things to all people.”
He said the costs were too high and the leasing of aircraft and the routes needed to be assessed. But he described it as a lever that the country needed to keep control of, and while it might be a luxury for a small country, it should remain in government hands.
Conolly too offered food for thought when he said that Cayman Airways should not be sold but needed to be budgeted and treated as a necessary national tool. He said it was something that should be funded and it was time to stop trying to think it should be profitable. He also said that the airline needed to be free of political influence and questioned some of the recent decisions.
“I would support taking politics out of the board and have people serve who were familiar with the airline business,” he said, adding that he found it difficult to believe the Washington route was a success and there was a need to look at Latin America.
Wright said that under no circumstance should it be sold as it was essential to the tourism industry. He recalled that countries dependent on foreign airlines were virtually shut down when fuel prices skyrocketed last year. He said privatizing would not make it anymore efficient even though the previous UDP government had considered selling it to Air Jamaica.
McGaw-Lumsden said no to selling it and added that there was a need to find profitable routes, “When we generate more profit we don’t have to have subsidies for this airline…..”
When the panel were asked if environmentalist should be involved in development, the panel all said they should play a significant and important role. Burns said that this was a big area for him and noted there was a desperate need to create a full national development plan for the future and embrace sustainable and green development. He added that development and the environment were not always at diametric opposites. Adam said we need to be careful with our development and not damage any more than we already have, and said he supported the involvement of environmentalists wholeheartedly.
Wright revealed what could be one of the reasons why the PPM government failed to bring the promised National Conservation Bill to the Legislative Assembly this term, as it clearly did not have the support of all of the party members, when he said that there are times when, if we listened to what the environmentalist want, we would have little or no development. However, he did say that they should have a role as they were important in preserving things that are Caymanian. McGaw-Lumsden said government would not have all the answers to everything and she supported the role of environmentalists.
When it came to the question of supporting a lottery, two of the candidates must have either forgotten Conolly’s role as chair of the official committee that examined the issue in 2002 or didn’t know about it. Wright repeated the comments made by Joey Ebanks in North Side on the previous evening saying it was not viable, while McGaw-Lumsden said there was no data or proper analysis of a potential lottery for Cayman and the majority of Caymanians did not support it.
At that point Burns noted that there was in fact a considerable amount of data as a result of the committee’s extensive work and said not only was it viable, as some $1 million a week went through the illegal numbers game, as much 70% of the population supported it. He said there were many options to set up a lottery and the estimations that came out of the research were in order of $40 million going to good causes in the first year. Despite the administration’s rejection of it at the time, it should be considered, he said. Adam said he didn’t support a national lottery because the churches didn’t support it and in his opinion it didn’t expand the economy but merely redistributed existing money.
All four candidates were guilty on occasion of the politicians favourite game which was evading the question posed but answering the one they wished had been asked and both Adam and McGaw-Lumsden read frequently from the UDP manifesto to answer questions repeating almost verbatim many of the answers given by other UDP candidates in the forums so far. Nevertheless, the four candidates covered a wide range of issues, from traffic congestion and crime to Cayman’s relationship with the UK and the economy, as well as the problems facing George Town. The need to renovate George Town Primary and the dump were cited as top priorities, as were crime and unemployment.
Category: Election 2009
There is no other choice for George Town (and the Country) but PPM!! Da resta dem are a waste of time! And as for Elio ‘ripping Kurt apart’…..you gotta be joking! U must be living on that same planet Mark & John John on….
Yes, I love Jonathan Piercy – Go Jon – you know I am behind you in more ways that one!
Elio we are looking forward to you ripping Kurt apart tomorrow night.
"McGaw-Lumsden read frequently from the UDP manifesto to answer questions repeating almost verbatim many of the answers given by other UDP candidates in the forums so far"…..These two candidates can’t get my vote on May 20. Anybody who can’t think on their own feet can’t represent me!
Don’t stop the progress??? You must mean don’t stop the spending!
Vote Straight and make a mistake.
We made that mistake already so why should we be so fool to make it again? Why Why Why??
You PPM clowns must think everybody’s an idot like the rest of your blind followers.
The only real choice in GT is the PPM– ARE YOU FOR REAL????
They are just People Preaching Madness. We don’t need that. We need them to Provide Proper Management. They have only proven that this is beyond their grasp so time to move on.
I am always amused by the suggestion that the UDP are great managers.
You mean like Boatswain’s Beach which the Auditor General found was a gross waste of public funds? Or like the deal with Cayman General Insurance where he found we did not get value for money? Or the Affordable Housing Initiative in which there were "substantial reasons to suspect corruption"?
Both UDP and Independents are accusing the PPM of spending money, yet they are all making promises to the people about what they are going to do if they are elected. UDP and Independent supporters need to ask them how they are going to PAY for all that their promises. Ask them and let us know. Are they going to operate and move the country forward without spending money?
"You should have listened to rooster this morning, Good Job Jonathon you did great this morning go UDP you picked a good one"
I didnt listen to rooster but based on what I heard Johnathan say at Chamber of Commerce forum, they must have gotten someone toreplace him on air cause him nuh hav No sense!! All him can do is read, him follow instructions good!! Good Parrot!!
Pearlina – no good parrot! Lawd shi emotional eehh?
Ellio – wannabe parrot trainer. But hell an’ powda house wid him an’ Big Mac in de same camp. Question – who is de leada, leada, leada, who is de leada?? You betta watch dis one cause him power hungry bad. Him wanna win at all cost. He woulda throw his grandmother under the bus to get elected.
I listened to the forum and Jonathon spoke well, I will have to agree Burns was the best in all 2 forums, I am a UDP Supporter all the way I had doubts about the UDP Candidates for GT Town but I will be encouraging the GT Voters to Vote for Jonathon for he is a young Caymanian who has Cayman at heart we as Caymanian need to stop hating and speak of people as we see them. AND THATS THE GOOD AND NOT THE BAD AT ALL TIMES
I really feel sorry for the people of George Town if any of these Jokers are their choices on May 20.
They alredy had two representatives who did nothing in 4 years so why should they elect more incompetent people?
Alphonso and Lucille each earned over $400,000 in salary over the past 4 years and nothing that they have brought to the house has been implemented. Hmmm…I wonder what kind of progress they can claim?
The only real choice in GT is the PPM. Vote straight PPM! Don’t stop the progress!
Why is it that all of the new UDP candidates are starting to sound like parrots? like performing animals they all seem to have that uncanny ability to only do and say what they have been taught by their trainer the night before. Their caribben political handler/advisor will really have to work hard for their money this time around, cause these new UDP guys are really DENSE!
JP is all talk and no action.
Mr. Burns Conolly – you are trying to fool the people….you say you ‘..made a promise to not mention the 6 letters of the political parties and have stuck to that..’ What hogwash…you constantly make negative remarks about the ‘current Government’ – do you honestly think that by not referring to them as the ‘PPM’ you are sticking to your promise? If this is how you stick to your promises to the people of the Cayman Islands…i.e. by trying to fool them….you are not to be trusted. Sorry…no vote from me!
You know what the problem is with the UDP supporters? All they can talk and think about is Westbay, like that district is the most important or only district on the Islands. What about the rest of the Islands and its people! That just shows how selfish, ignorant and narrow-minded all of you UDP supporters are. Just thinking about the next year, and getting all flustered and excited if McKeeva gives you about 5 minutes of his attention. UDP makes you feel all important for about a day or so until they got out of you want they want and then they drop you like a hot cake!
Indpendents all the way! This party systems is ruining the islands. Can’t believe that intelligent, resourceful and open minded people like Bo Miller are not elected.
In my opinion Bo Miller is only faking independent. Prior to election 2005. Mr. Bush (UDP LEADER) gave Mr. Miller thousands of dollars to help develop tourism in North Side, most North SIders don’t know how the money was spent, check to see how many votes he got from NorthSiders in 2005. Guess that’s why he is running in GT, because he recognizes that North Siders know the real Bo Miller. Don’t be fooled GT voters.
West Bay is in dire need of new representation.
I made a promise in this campaign to only deal with the issues and have stuck to that. I made a promise to not mention the 6 letters of the political parties and have stuck to that as well.
I have however decided to respond to the postings below that try to link me with one party, obviously made by one particular party supporter, to get over the nonsense that some think is important in an election.
My company the Burns Conolly Group indeed had a contract with the Port Authority to Project Manage the Royal Watler Terminal–everyone should know that by now- my 700 page submission to the PAC could not and has not been rebutted. I was also one of only two candidates that declared contracts with this Government. Those contracts are actually worthalmost 10 times the value of the Royal Watler Contract, as is public knowledge. They are also ongoing…that is, it clearly is in my personal interest to have them continue and the current government remain.
I clearly am not running because of lack of support of my company by this Government.
I choose to run because I have seen the divisiveness of the Party System as is very obvious in nearly every post on this forum. I have seen the parties go back and forth, amassing public debt, undoing past government’s work, spending money in ways that is not effective and most importantly ignoring the Caymanian people.
The result is that Caymanians are suffering and we need to elect persons that are educated and have the professional and business experience to deal with the complex issues at this time. If everyone could think like this on May 20th, the country would be better off and the people will be better off on May 21st.
For the record, I will work with any and ALL of the other 14 elected members if I am elected, to move the country forward….and, no I do not support either party, which is why I am running as an independent.
Now let us get back to the real issues folks…do not be a pawn for someone who will ignore you for the next 4 years….figure it out for yourself.
If you are a George Town voter, I ask that you vote #2 on elections day and vote in a true independent.
McKeeva is not power hungry.
He is as honest as the day is long.
He comes from a poor family that slept on the floor and had a leaky roof.
Let me tell you, everything he got he can show you how he EARNED it!
That is right!
McKeeva cares about Caymanians
Mama bring me another one of them beers!
To: Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 04/26/2009 – 18:48.
That’s pretty funny! LOL.
How quick some forget about the proven track record of our previous gov. ministers. I can’t beleive somebody said McKeeva should be cloned. Funny how bribery can blind people and make them forget. I am sure he did many good things for the voters in West Bay but have you ever heard of a guy called Pablo Escobar? He too gave significantly (hundreds of millions of dollars) to his local community by way of churches, schools, food, housing, etc. He did this by being one of the words largest narcotic traffickers in history and ran what is still regarded as one of the most ruthless cartels. So in exchenge for his "generosity" to his community he received thier love (or fear) and support which provide him with security and safety. You see, they really didn’t care that he was committing serious crimes because the money he received from those crimes, funded thier community. His community had no regard for the impact he was having on the rest of the world as long as they were looked after. That is not what we need in our small community as it will only fuel the fire that is dividing our people.
And for clarity, I am not comparing McKeeva’s actions to those of Escobar but was trying to prove a point.
Why must the elections office be responsible but not the candidates? The elections office went above and beyond what they are required to do.
Declaring interests on that form and under the elections law is different from declasing government contracts per the constitution.
Please don’s confuse the 2. The end one is what Mark Scotland has not done – since it’s in the constitution as opposed to the Elections Law it’s a much more serious matter.
Burns Conolly is NOT independent…he is linked with UDP, has mindset of the UDP i.e. for self, not Country, and even has same friends as the UDP, i.e. DART and other well known ‘inward investment’ sources….he is just smart enough to figure out that publicly admitting he is on side of UDP would mean definite failure for him…so he tries to hide that lil fact. He is not one to be trusted! As for the Forum…was first time hearing Pearlina speak..however she immediately confimed my suspicions – LIGHT as a feather! I was actually embarassed for her….come on Cayman!! We gotta do better than this! Pearlina and Mike were generally lost…not even their closing remarks could come from the top of their heads/from their hearts….instead read word for word prepared UDP 2 min blurb…an why is Pearlina so angry?? WOW!!
JP has no chance in hell of getting elected. I hope he did not burn his bridges at Bank of Butterfield and can go back to his job there and a so called financial expert.
While Elio and Kurt are ripping each other, Bo will shine. Think Independent!
Burns Conolly demonstrated that he has the tenacity, knowledge and background to put this country in a new 21st century stance. He clearly dominated Thursday night forum and showed an honest and collaborated plane. Guess he’s a chip off the “old block”! (His daddy was the late Mr. Warren Conolly – who did not need “PARTY” politics to get things done around here!!!!)
A recent article in the Cayman Net News (Wednesday April 22, 2009) Mr. Conolly said with Cuba opening its doors to the World and Cayman being only a few miles away can tap into it resources to build upon that position as an international financial centre and build with the “New Cuba” and benefit from its forth coming development, as we are a perfect base for other countries that want to develop Cuba. This is clearly one of the best thinking I have seen thus far from any candidate. I often sit and wonder what other options the Cayman Islands have to keep afloat for its people. He clearly has my support on May 20th.
I find it very hard to accept/believe that Mr. Conolly is truly an independent candidate. I seem to recall that Mr Conolly was very involved with Mr. Bush and the UDP party in many projects during 2001 -2005, in particular the Royal Watler Dock, wasn’t that under the UDP? I think he is only running because it was under the PPM Govt that his integrity was called into question with regard to this particular project. While he is an inteligent man I don’t believe that he is being totally honest in calling himself an independent candidate.
Ellio can talk about others but doesn’t have any ideas for himself.
He will find not being in control on his talk show and getting the last word very much different from a debate.
I haven’t heard any ideas from him.
Jon P? Are you joking? if he thought for himself he would not have join UDP. Nice way to follow Ellio I say.
The arrogance of the PPM supporters – they seem to think that they hold the blueprint to intelligence. If someone choses anyother party except theirs they say that you can’t think for yourself. Well, it would seem as if they would want the public to beleive what they (the PPM) are saying in order for them to do the thinking for everyone else. Hail Hitler! And you say Mr. Bush is bossy – go figure.
You should have listened to rooster this morning, Good Job Jonathon you did great this morning go UDP you picked a good one
ROBOTS?
Please you guys talkin about robots? Look no further than the PPM and their supporters.
It is so sad that the PPM supporters are so brain washed they believe anything they are told. Here are the latest untruths they are parroting in true PPM fashion:
They had to build all these big new schools to accomodate the children from the status grants! ha ha ha. Gov. statistics show that the number of new students has only increased be 1000 over a ten year period and the number actually went DOWN in 2003. And when this is pointed out they say it takes time for them to get here. Four and a half years to get from Honduras or Jamaica? I dont think they’re coming.What foools. They cant even think for themselves!
They cant win so they are going to disqualify UDP candidates? Remember before Nomination Day they were saying UDP candidates were not properly elected by their party so they wouldnt be able to run? That didnt work. Now they are saying that because something was gazetted 4 days late they are going to disqualify them? Why dont they stop trying to get good candidates out of the race on technicalities and actually defend their record?????Oh yes they cant! And what did they forget to do?
They forgot to sign tax treaties that got us almost blacklisted. They forgot to file Government accounts so no one knows where the 2 billion they spent went . They forgot to check if the helicopter could do the job it was purchased to do. They forgot to heed the reports on poverty, on crime, on anything. Oh yes and the best Chuckie forgot that he hadnt gone to the Governor before he went to Desmond Seales! If it wasnt so bad for our country you would have to laugh.
Remember Cayman PPM will now try any desperate move to get anyone out of the race who might win. It is therefore more important than ever that you vote straight! Vote straight or these incompetents will be in for another 4 years to finish the destruction they started.
The children of ststus grant recipients are not yet all in Government schools in part because they themselves are only legally Caymanian and therefore eligible to attend if they were born to a status recipient after they already had status. Children which pre-dated the grant to a parent are still in the process of acquiring it and if the law is being properly followed that process may take a few years.
Children under 18 got status automatically when one of the parents did. Provided they spent the five years preceding their 18th birthday in the country, they didn’t need to apply to have it formalised at 18, only if they had lived out of country (education reasons not included).
Elio will be appearing with Dr. Frank, Bo and Kurt on Tuesday.
Oh yes Ellio will be appearing at the Forum he was invited to appear at on Tuesday and we cant wait to see him rip Kurt apart on his record.
Breaking News!!!!!!!!
The Governor with the advised of the attorney general will be releasing an special gazzette to allow Mark and John John to summit there contracts with government ……..Take That PPM(Poor People Mistake) Supporters…Don’t stop the progress…uhg!!!! what progress ;0)
If I remember correctly, and I stand to be corrected: there was an incident many years ago when one of the PPM candidates at the time did not disclose their interest in a money transfer business– and guess what? nothing happened. Their party did not ask for that person to step down. So, the moral of this story is: treat people fairly even though they may not be on your team/party. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
The elections office must be made responsible, in the future, of ensuring that this very important event is properly covered, from requirments for potential candidates to better educating the electorate on absentee ballots, mobile voting, and general information related to our elections. So many people still have questions when it comes to this. After all, most of them do receive a handsome salary and with that comes great accountability.
"In response to the person who submitted the comment entitled "If I remember correctly" you should know that there is a difference between declaring your business interests and declaring your interests in Government contracts. There is a clear and fundamental difference!
What is clear isthat people do not understand the distinction between the Constitution and the Elections Law. They are NOT one in the same. The Consitution is the basis for which all democratic societies are run, your Blueprint if you will … Legislation is put in place i.e the Elections law to supplement the constitution. Legislation can not be put into force if it contradicts or conflicts with the Constitution!
Many people could do with taking Constitutional Law course offered to first year students at The Cayman Islands Law School to understand the importance of constitution!
Where was Elio?
The UDP candidates are sooo robotic.Can’t they think for themselves or do they have to toe the line and be dictated to by Big Mac.Look what happened when Mark and John John didn’t think for themselves (failureto gazette Govt contracts) This reminds me of the bro. Jonesy story.When he tell them jump dey jumpin’.When he tell them run dey runnin’.When he tell them think dey thinkin’.And when he tell them drink dey drink it and dead.BT we need people who can think for themselves and not be robots or puppets.
Jonathan Piercy thinks for himself. His past record proves it and his upcoming record will demonstrate the same.
I agree that Jonathan Piercy can think for himself. I hear him for the first time on the fourm…what a brain!!. This is the of caliber of persons we need to elect to public office.
I, for one, am pleased to be voting UDP. All those stories that we are hearing about Mac are being made up by malicious and bedgrudgeful people who are either a supporter of the PPM or the Party of Independents. For all those running in West Bay: where were you in 2004 when people were so desperately in need? I don’t recall seeing any of you out and about in the community trying to assist anyone. In fact, many of you were not even residing in the district. A few of you might have recently moved back in light of the 2009 elections, but that is all about you trying to deceive the people to vote for you. Now, all of a sudden you expect decent people to vote for you? When would you ever lend a helping hand if you woud not lend one in 2004? You use the excuse of not helping by trying to explain it away by saying people do need not hand outs; well that’s true, but what specifically have you done to help a poor resident in West recently?
West Bay Party of Independents, what have you done recently to help the mother who does not have food for her children, or the father who does not have a job and does not have any money to pay for the light bill or water bill? Do you think these people want to hear about how you can’t help them because it would be a hand out? Stop making excuses and do something, anything, for those who seek you out and putting their pride on hold, ask you for help. You criticize Mr.Bush, but my only regret is that we don’t have more caring people like him to go around.
Say what you want, but McKeeva Bush should be cloned. He is one of the greatest politician s these islands haveever seen. If we had more people like him we would not be where we are today: with some 2000 Caymanians out of jobs and a Government that is doing nothing to help; with a missing helicopter that can’t fly between here and Cayman Brac; with three unfinished schools that could accomodate the entire Guernsey school age population; people who spend our hard earned money with no respect or accountability and the list goes on.
For those of you who so dislike Mr. Bush, I say, take a moment to find out more about his good deeds, his love for these islands, and you too might vote UDP. Stop spouting hatred for the sake of politics. Recognize the man for the good he has done.
Please Caymanians….. Wake up and smell the Coffee here. We know that all of the Polished Politicians and Rulers of the Cayman Islands time has ENDED and now we must move on.
There is No More needs for the "Present members of UDP nor PPM in the Government, that is such that should be given another chance to make our life in Cayman Islands even more miserable and discomforting with all the bad running of Government.
How do we hold confidence in a Government that can only find the time to point at the same things that affect themselves and yet they use it to redicule the other side ?
Why do we have a Government that has been "MISLED", "CONNED", "Dishonest", "Bad Decision Making", "Irresponsible/Responsible for missing funds of 1.8 Billion Dollars", Helicopter(s) costing in the area of approximately 3 million Dollars that has not yet and will not arrive, The Sayeed Fiasco, The Matrix Fiasco, The Alexander Henderson Fiasco and the list goes on and on…
Why do we "Return" these types of Candidates to their previous RULINGS as a Government, to allow us to be victimized and dominated against as they previously did?
Well again…. It was stated by the "HONORABLE ?????" (Again, I ask you to consult the Dictionary in terms of the word and then check the Characters of these people to verify that they are, "Honorable" ????) McKeeva Bush stated that they are "Power Grabbers", and should not be allowed to run the Government in the Cayman Islands.
Please Caymanians….. Wake up and smell the Coffee here. Dont return the Present Government to their Posts of "Rulership"
Only For Caymanians
"The Honourable McKeeva Bush stated that they are "Power Grabbers", and should not be allowed to run the Government in the Cayman Islands".
Well, that’s it then for he is an "honourable" man and what he says must be so. He himself is clearly not interested in power. Case closed. He has not misled you by putting forward a draft Constitution for constitutional advancement and provision for a Chief Minister, but condemning the PPM Govt. draft with similar provisions as "power grabbing"
What are you on – acid?
The poor performance of these debators reflects the failure of the parties. At least now people are able to see how these so called teams are failing. Despite being so sophisticated and having all sorts of monetary resources available to them they are a complete disappointment already.