Mike finds extra Christmas cash for those in need
(CNS): The minister for community affairs has dug deep in to his ministry this Christmas to find extra money to pay veterans, seamen and other clients of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) who are in need. Mike Adam said he will be giving out more than CI$200,000 in Christmas bonus payments this year. Despite the ongoing financial constraints, each of the recipients will receive $100, which is equal to the payments that were made at Christmas time last year. Meanwhile, Adam also told CNS that the money that needed in order for the DCFS to help more families has been calculated and is expected to be available to his ministry early in the New Year.
Adam explained that the Christmas payment was a small one-off bonus to assist those already receiving support from the DCFS.
“The majority of this group is older persons who are dependant on others for their care. This is the government’s effort to supplement the funds that we provide monthly to the elderly, as well as that which they receive from family and other sources,” the minister explained.
He said the ministry’s greatest wish was that they could have given more to each person. “But we are simply unable to at this time,” Adam said, adding that the $200,000 already represents a significant dip into the ministry’s budget. “We hope it can assist our seamen, veterans and the less fortunate in our community in some way this season.”
While this cash is earmarked for existing DCFS clients, Adam said that extra funding needed to meet the growing demand from more new families falling into difficulty as a result of the economic crisis had now been calculated.
He said that the request for extra cash, which would have to be found from somewhere else in the government budget, would be before Cabinet at the next meeting in the New Year, and once it was approved by his colleagues, he was hopeful the money would be accessible to those in need by February.
The need for more cash for the DCFS was raised in the Legislative Assembly by Alden McLaughlin last month when he tabled a private members motion for government to distribute funds to assist those in need. At the time, Adam made a commitment to tackle the increased demand for support which the department was struggling to meet. “I am acutely aware of the needs of the vulnerable, especially children and the elderly,” the minster said as he confirmed that he would find the money.
Category: Local News
If you want extra money for christmas then I would suggest that they stop wasting money on bloated vehicles like the one for miss julie.
14:28, I follow you, and I agree. But to John Public I would like to say that we should not fight against giving the youth a chance to prove them selves right, even if they have done wrong. Because what is going to happen is that one day those same young people will rob and kill you or influence your children into doing the same. We have to give them jobs and monitor them. Its better than not doing so and being fear for our lives every time we lay ourheads down.
Mike,
I have a suggestion as to where you can find the extra cash to help these needy families, please ask our Premier if he would mind flying coach class instead of first, and sleeping at the Courtyard Marriot versus whatever exquisite one he may be booking, eating at a drive through instead of 5-star restaurant and taking a normal cab instead of chauffer service.
There is nothing wrong with an individual enjoying the fruits of their labour, but when the country they are in charge of is falling under in every which way, we expect that person to pull up their pants and tighten their belt and get down to the nitty gritty of what is required to set sail once again!!!
When someone starts a business they do not flaunt their profits when there isn’t any, it is when the business is flourishing that employees receive bonuses and perks, I think if the Premier actually studied for the Masters he has he would know more in relation to running a Government.
I suggest that people stop picking on the premier and leave him out of this after all we should be thankful that we have a CAYMANIAN as premier we complain about expats taking the leading jobs and yet when a caymanian is prevailedge to hold an outstanding job it is their own caymanian that put them down this too need to stop if we want to have a better place to live because it’s not the expats putting us down it’s our very own caymanian.
my question to you, and this is serious so think about it, is: why do you feel thankful that you have a Caymanian premier? Why is it more important to you or anyone that the premier is Caymanian rather than honest, dedicated to the Islands, and effective?
Funny, this comment sounds like it was written by the Premier, without the help of his many counsels lol….
i hope all recipients are means tested….i’m sure there are plenty of folks sitting on valuable property/assets while at the same time recieving handouts……
Whilst these elderly may have a roof over their head, they may have nothing else and they sure can’t eat their house. This is why it is so important for employers and employees to now be contributing to a pension plan so that furture generations may be able to sustain themselves without the government’s assistance. You would be surprised to know that the very ones that complain about the assistance these elderly are getting now are probably rogue employers who are not contributing to their current employee’s pension plans.
but don’t we have the current gov trying to raid the pension account at every opportunity?… pension holidays, allowing pensions to be cashed in to buy property…etc
luckily the people are not as stupid as the politicians advocating this nonsense….
a lot of them have much more than ‘just a roof over their heads’……..
Mr Adams. clearly this shows where your heart is. I think this is a wonderful guesture assisting the needy. Caymanians over 60 years of age, with no job, and no pension is really having it hard, and I hope the premier and Mr Adams see that their food vouchers are increased next year,because 75.00 a week is not enough.
It is wonderful to help the elderly and needy. What about checking the departments monthly give-away listand see how many drug addicts are collecting taxpayers money. It is unfair to the public, who have to pay their dues and it is passed to addicts, who, even when they are in jail are receiving their monthly allowance.
Now 20:24 I have to agree with you on this. Yes, these young drug sellers and users are able to work but refuse to. I really think the CFS need to really consider handing out to these people.
Those seniors that have worked hard and built Cayman are the ones which should be helped tremendiously. Anyone who does not want to see a senior citizen being taken care of is plain selfish. Shame on the thumbs down.
I just want to point out that its easy for people to say that drug dealers / sellers can easily work if they want to, but keep in mind that especially these days we have so many of our young people following the wrong examples and getting themselves into trouble and messing up their police records that not all employers will give them a second chance and hire them to do a honest days work. Sometimes society scorns young individuals who make mistakes in early life which makes it almost impossible for them to make it anywhere in their adult life. I am familiar with many young people, qualified or not; mature and responsible and it it hard enough for them to get a job today much less someone who has a record for smoking weed and stealing. Just imagine all those young persons recently charged for robery. “Becasue they thought it would be fun.” What do you think will happen to some of them in 5 years time, if they are not given a chance? Maybe they too be will on the corners selling drugs, robbing or worse. I am not saying that there is no chance for these persons but we as a society must learn to embrace your young people and not put them down all the time, try to offer a few kind words of encouragement. Who knows who that person could turn out to be.
I agree partcially with some of your comment, "They have made mistakes at a young and have messed their POLICE Records up" and that employers wont give them a chance, however some do get that much derserved chance and because they actually have to do real work, can’t cut it because they are just to accustomed to the "easy life" slinging dope, how come they are so "pop a show" with their name brand clothing/shoes, large gold chains/rings/bracelets, pimped out rides and will actually go into DCFS and collect a Govt food vouchers, with the illegal funds they make due very well with things that they don’t need but can sponge off Govt for food/rent/utilites, etc! Why not use their ill gotten gains to better themselves in some sort of way? Hell they already know that they have screwed up their lives by getting into the drug trade, they are out the working crackheads for drugs to build homes, clean their homes/yards/even they cars, Hey turn it into a legitmite business and pay they crackheads money instead of drugs, then your/their Police Records are of no real issue is it?
is this positive enough?
I also agree with you on this, the crackheads, need no assistance spending hours day n night looking for their crack, but cant take the same very energy to spend round the clock looking for real work, instead of prostuting and stealing, and the lil girls who go out and make themselves woman before time let them feel the real world too, maybe this would be the best contriceptive for them and they too won’t be a drain on the DCFS. Cold Hard Truth.
Give my hard earned taxpayer money to my elders only, I have no problem covering their exspenses, the tolled the way for me to have a better future so let me re-pay them how i can.