Activists plan West Bay rally
(CNS): Updated – Saturday's Rally has now been cancelled as a result of a funeral. The various local groups that are opposed to the closure of the West Bay Road and the relocation of Grand Cayman’s landfill to Bodden Town are not giving up on their campaign and are planning a second motorcade followed by a rally in West Bay next Saturday. In an effort to try and stop government signing the deal with the Dart Group, known as the ForCayman Investment Alliance, activists are stepping up the opposition. Following the success of the first motorcade on 17 March, which attracted considerable support, the activists hope there is still a chance to preserve the road, despite the recent preliminary agreement signed between the NRA, government and Dart.
Activists have persistently raised concerns that the alliance is heavily tipped in favour of the developer and that, despite claims to the contrary, the road closure will limit access to the last remaining open and undeveloped stretch of Seven Mile Beach. The plan to open a new landfill site in Bodden Town instead of dealing with the dump at its current location in George Town, as originally proposed by government, has also raised concerns, not just in the district but among the wider public as well.
Governmenthas not yet moved to a final agreement with Dart on the project, but it has signed the deal for the developer to begin the Easterly Tibbetts Highway extension and eventual closure of around 4,000 feet of the West Bay Road, which included a cash donation to the government of $5 million.
The controversial pre-deal was signed before government completed a value for money study, currently being undertaken by KPMG, or before the legal processes regarding the sale of crown has been completed.
Activists hope that in spite of the pre-deal they can still prevent the ultimate closure of the road and the moving of the dump and are calling on the community to join them this coming weekend. The motorcade will begin at the cricket pitch in George Town at 4pm and travel to West Bay. The main rally will then take place at the lot opposite Foster’s Republix at 7pm.
For more details see flyer posted below.
Category: Local News
I would like to see a website set up by the opposers with clear points on why and what exactly they are opposing and what instead they would propose.
I watched the debate on CITN and I got one or two points but they just didn’t seem concrete enough and Jackie answered his questions to which he reverted to closure of the beach is not an option.
My understanding is we will retain beach access , get an extended beach plus a new public beach. We would be losing the ability to drive up directly up to the beach but we would have to park and walk. These are the kinds of details that I felt were lost in the debate. Where exactly was this parking going to be provided, how far away because we are talking about a 4 or 5 star hotel. I can imagine our access will be limited. I currently park and jog along the beach in the evening as a single female security comes to mind.
I could go on but you get the jist we need to ask the right questions and we need a unified articulate voice of reason and opposition.
Maybe if the FCIA was more equitable to the people of the Cayman Islands it would be more widely accepted.
For example, what if DART revised the deal to only move the stretch of road in front of the hotel as well as offered to remediate the George Town landfill at its current location. If the GT landfill was remediated to the point where it was running as a proper "waste management facility", then Caymanians could actually see first hand how such a facility works. Only then should DART/CIG begin to explore the possibility of relocating the "waste managementfacility".
This would show Caymanians exaclty how committed DART is to the long term.
LET ME REFERE TO POST 15 .14 SUBMITTED BY ISLAND AVE WEST BAY ROAD. You are suggesting that they put the dump in east end or north side since these is a lot of waste land in those two districts. East end or north side do not have any waste land. we do have some undevelope land. for you to put such a post here you must be from the HEART of west bay , and is one of those f##ls that is very near to the f$$#SH leader
I heard the CITN news broadcast this evening where a couple people from the public were asked their opinion on the For Cayman Alliance and the closing of the WB road. Not surprised to hear the responses and noted the Caymanian lady was against the road closure but the man, who is from the Country that McKeeva has the most interest (and that is NOT Cayman), was supporting the road closure – Not surprising!
For God's sake, please don't name Jim Bodden as an example of positive change! Yes, you're right, these islands would not be where they are now had it not been for Big Jim. It was he who introduced everything negative we're living now – unplanned development, greed, political corruption, political cronyism, persecution of opponents, unjustified rewarding ofsupporters (hence the inept civil service), entitlementculture, expat-bashing and let's not forget his close relationship with the Cocaine Cowboys. And we named him the first national hero!!!??? Says a lot about us doesn't it!!??
We couldn't see past the $$$ that some of us benefitted from while Jim was literally selling our birthright.
Don't forget that Jim Bodden also bulldozed Fort George, one of our few historical buildings.
It pisses me off how fool and ignorant my own Caymaian people can be. Protest agaisnt Mckeeva and Dart of Course!! if Mckeeva decides to sell anything more we soon aren't even gonna own the clothes on our back!
The time to get up and open our mouths is now!! Stop sitting down complaning about the situation and get up and do something!! All us caymanians do is talk the talk but cant walk the walk thats why every Nationality that comes here takes advantage of us and walks over us in our Own country!! Because we refuse to educate our selves and stand up for what our parents grand parents great grand parents etc. worked for!!! Stop fighting against one another and start fighting for each other!! What happened to Caymans Love and Unity amoung its people? Its gone!!! And we as caymanians need to stand up together and tell Mckeeva NO!!! Enough is enough!!!!
We need to start picking the sense from the non-sense XXXX
Caymanians if we dont wake up and smell the coffee, the Flowers, the pot of Turtle stew and EVERYYYYYYYTHING that has a scent to it? All hope is lost for our home if we do not come together!!
I for one, am very proud of what Alice Mae Coe and others in West Bay are doing to protect OUR road.
I'm also proud of the Bodden Town group and the One Man, One Vote group.
The old saying is very accurate here – Don't know what you got, till its gone!
More power to those who stand up for what they believe.
Where are the “Smart Caymanians” who should be protesting on the steps of the L.A. for jobs. Is the West Bay Road more important than employment?
I am against the road being closed too,but for heaven sake the world must think you’re all illiterate with 3000 people unemployed 20,000 on work permits and you prefer to save the road instead of jobs for yourselves?
What is wrong with ‘YOU PEOPLE?” Yes “You People.”
Here you the unemployed are fighting to keep a road open for the employed xpats to travel on to go to work; because Caymanians are jobless! how stupid can you all get?
Those spearheading the road closure are retirees!
Those of you young lawyers and young Caymanians who are being refused jobs when are you going to get some courage and some spunk to fight for yourselvesand demand justice? If you have a law degree you should have enough common sense to sue somebody for discriminating against you! Hit them where it hurts, their pocket! I’m sure you learned that in la school didn’t you those of you tort law grads.
If you can’t defend yourselves, who can you defend in a court of law?
Come on show us how much you’re all worth by filing a class action lawsuit against those companies discriminating against you because you are Caymanians, because they fired you because they do’t like your Caymanian face….. and because you are being treated different, that’s called discrimination!
If you can’t show John Public that you have the ambition to file some kind of discrimination law suit against these law firms causing you to suffer then don’t expect me or anyone else to feel sorry for you. I’ve stopped feeling sorry for you. Prove yourselves.
Yes we know that the there are unemployed people on the island, but we are so few and can only fight one battle at at time and at this time the fight to not to close the West Bay Road and not to move the dump to Bodden Town. Now if you would join the force for 'Truly4cayman' you can assist with the protest for unemployment…
Anon 15:14 and 16:21 the alternative the protestors are offering is to let the West Bay Road road remain as is.
The Dart group can proceed with building roads to open up land they already own.
Contrary to your statement, closing a section of the West Bay road will not stop new land from opening up and the country can still benefit from millionsof dollars of investment. Dart has already started building roads on his land because no matter what happens with the FORCAYMAN agreement these roads will benefit his development anyway.
So, Dart can build a new road on his property and open the land for investment and the protestors can keep the entire West Bay Road open. Now that's what I call a win win situation!
Regardless of the sentiments against the proposed rally, no one can argue against the growing rate of engagement of Caymanians in their political affairs.
"Development" and "investment" have enjoyed an unchallenged run over the past few decades but look at the state of the average Caymanian family today compared to just 20 years ago.
If this is "progress" you can keep it.
This is about more than a road closure and a 'dump' and we all know it. Some just pretend and play dumb in order to have something – anything to say.
Unfortunately, tribalism is rearing its ugly head in Cayman, and due to the reality of our 50/50 situation today I predict much friction coming our way – and friction has NEVER been an element of (native) Caymanian culture. (Although I am certain some will spit those same old misplaced lines of rhetoric in our direction.)
The Caymanian way was obviously good enough to create a host environment perfectly suited to accommodate the 'miracle' that has taken place here. However, it is suddenly being rejected, discouraged and mocked as the very people who created it are speaking out against a clear and evident 'threat' to the fabric of their society and very way of life.
Personally, I am not swayed by 5 million dollar cash injections – that won't mean eff'-all to me / us come 2, 3, 5, 10 years down the road when we look back and realize that this was only the peak of a very steep and slippery downward slide. Nor am I impressed with proposed 'boardwalks' or future parks as neither will feed my grandchildren or act as a form of defense against the disenfranchised 'ghetto' Cayman youth of the future as they crouch in the bushes awaiting their next mugging victim.
This scenario has played out in every single western metropolis and all of them are fighting tooth and nail to reverse its effects – but we seem intent on walking right down that road. Is that smart?
Where is the encouragement from our 'leaders' regarding the absolute necessity for us to diversify our attitudes, respect and remuneration toward a wider spectrum of career choices?
Where are the plans for an identifiable and substantial tradeschool / institution?
Why are we celebrating the ground-breaking of criminal / reform centers but not even considering the implementation of juxtaposed infrastructure?
What are we doing to show our young Caymanian people that they are acutally worth a damn and they have a place awaiting them in all sectors of our society?
Why are we hell-bound on ripping out the heart and very existence of our once flourishing and MAJORITY middle class? (Do we fully appreciate how rare of a reality that was?)
I am well aware that there are many in our midst today that do not give a damn about any of the above however, the negative effects that are sure to increase / come if we continue to ignore them will touch upon the lives of every single individual intending to call this tiny island-nation 'home'.
I wish us all well and I encourage all of my fellow Caymanians to continue doing whatever feels natural in your heart. We have always been a passive people, and with hindsight have identified eras in our history that proven to be to our disadvantage. We are wiser today than yesterday.
Let us not be afraid to be passionate this time around and follow our instincts. We are not evil, mean or wicked people. Our nature is to expect the best out of people and reward integrity where we see fit. If integrity is not forthcoming then let us not be afraid to call a spade a spade – regardless of the creed, color, or nationality of the source.
Lastly, I am tired of the same old story when it comes to our 'leadership'. I look forward to 2013 and hope to see fresh ideas, new perspectives and broader minds on the campaign trail.
– Whodatis
Although I am not against this particular project — and even think it may be good for the island in the long term — I do agree with you generally. As an expatriate hoping to be naturalized soon, I freely admit that I am still on the island some fifteen years after first landing here because I have enjoyed the lifestyle and the people. However, the years since Ivan have changed things — a lot. Suddenly the island feels less like Cayman and more like…everywhere else. The infrastructure has changed, and so have the people. Perhaps not irreparably, but the change has begun.
You are right — we have a distinct advantage, should we choose to see it. We can see the mistakes made in other countries and choose to do something different. Dart is going to develop this piece of land. That much is on the cards. Perhaps what we should be doing is using our influence positively, to ensure that whatever development does take place looks — and feels — like the island we want our children (all of our children) to enjoy.
I really enjoyed your post and agree with most of what you have said.
At the end of the day Cayman will be the 'home' common to individuals from all walks of life.
An onus is on all of us to ensure that Cayman becomes as great as possible, and in my opinion, that requires drawing inspiration and heeding warnings from every possible source.
Political party affiliation, place of birth or level of income is irrelevant to this issue. Unfortunately, there is a lot tribalism going on within our society and tribalism has been the downfall of many a civilization.
I wish you all the best with your naturalization and hope you hang around for at least another 15 years.
Anyone resident on this island with a little common sense knows moving this road will be vast improvement. It will help spur further development and put millions into the local economy for years to come. It’s really not a difficult concept to grasp.
Instead of running yet again another story about some car rally that no one cares about, how about highlighting the multitude of benefits this project will bring to the island?
Improvement or not it is not relevant. This is about the power of essentially one man giving away crown land and value for money, value for Caymanians in the interest of the country. The deal must be subject to scrutiny and transparency as we are such a small island it is a very sginificant change. People have the right to protest and you have the right to support it, so let them protest.
Anyone who has been here for over two decades will KNOW that this road was always planned. The previous local owners of the land had this gazetted. WHY do you think the Governor's Harbour Entrance set back and Yacht Club are located where they are?!? This is not a new plan, but leave it up to our uninformed population to think this is a new and evil greedy plan. (It is not.) It hasbeen on the books for years before Dart started his plans and it will be a welcomed road. Just ask your grandparents!!!
It was indeed the plan to have a SECOND rd. but the SMB/West Road closure was NEVER on the table. When was THAT Gazetted? When were we told? After the ink dried XXXXXX.
This political misrepresentation of facts really upset me about The Panel as well; I thought Mark was more straightforward than that! Please stop trying to make it sound like the extension of the bypass rd. is the issue when it is clearly not and has never been the case.
Will 15000 votes ever compete with a billionaire’s political buy in power? How is this democracy?
Everbody loves DARTLAND!
The new road is not the issue. Losing rights of way to the beach and the easy access to that beach is the issue.
You may not care about losing several rights to access the beach but a lot of people do. The Dart group are always "highlighting the multitude of benefits this project will bring to the island". I guess the only way to make people like you understand is to put a flyer on every car parked between the two "proposed" public beaches stating the fact that YOU WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO DRIVE ALONG HERE, PARK HERE OR ACCESS THE BEACH AT THESE POINTS. Maybe you will get the point then.
Have you ever gone to ForCayman.com and looked at the plan for yourself? It doesn’t restrict access to the beach at all. It calls for enhancing the existing public beach (which could use it) and adding another public beach at the north end. Each of these beaches is connected by a bike path/walkway so you can safely travel along the entire stretch instead of trying to cross two lanes of 40mph traffic. While I appreciate that you may like to drive your car onto the beach wherever you like, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to give up that option in return for safety and another public beach now does it? And if you chose to take the 10 minute walk between each beach you may even enjoy the exercise. It’s clear that you don’t appreciate the additional jobs that another hotel creates and in turn the spin off to the restaurants, taxi drivers, watersports operators etc. but since you like driving your car so much take some comfort in how much better the traffic will flow on two roads out of WB instead of just one right now. Go take a walk on the beach tonight and think about it.
"your access to the beach" is actually "trespassing that is not prosecuted".
Dart owns all that land now. You can only legally access the area below the high water mark. He is actually free to fence off his property at anytime just like how you can fence off your house.
You are protesting for a "right" you don't currently have! Don't let folks work you up about something you don't have–Granny sold that land a long time ago to some foreigner. At least a Caymanian (Dart) could finally afford to buy it back.
Dart….. a Caymanian,lol, he is an American who jumped ship because TAX's were a bother to his bottom line! We are but a convenience to his ambitions that he will take full advantage of. Cheers though, to the future of un-employment, un-balanced markets and pretty roads heading nowhere for the Caymanian.
Educate unna selves or dog gah eat unna suppah soon
Dead wrong. Gazetted access to beach should be preserved for the people, not sold away by this Government.
I am curious to know what alternative plans the protestors are proposing.
1) The dump. It seems like a perfect case of "not in my backyard". Of course, no one wants a dump in their backyard but also no one wants to reduce, reuse or recyle either it seems. If not in Bodden Town then where? It's one thing to protest but quite another to offer alternative solutions.
2) West Bay Road. I love my drive to and from work every day along that stretch of road. I will miss it when it's gone. However, what is the exact reason everyone wants to "preserve" a road? This is an honest question. I've not been able to figure out just why the protesters are against the development.
15:14 The questions you have asked, I would like to hear the protesters answer. Of course you will never get a straightanswer, because there is none. This is political motivated, bur I am really glad that it has begun, because it will give people the time to see that it is nothing short of a political upheval. What is the alternative. Give me a very good reason why this group is trying to save a road. Tell the people of Cayman. Same time while you are at it please tell the people where can we put the dump. I would say the best place is Northside or East End, because those two district have a lot of wasted land and no people, so why cannot the dock go there.
Ok now you have the floor and the mike, so talk.
Third world people do not want to live in a developed country. Having to work for a living is too hard to contemplate. Trying to keep up with the educated, adding and subtracting bills and paycheck, takeing responsibility for your self and family. The premeir dosn't have too. There. Someone finally answered the big question.
wow I hope that this was being sarcastic (but just in case) I am 2000% sure that that third world countries "work” a lot harder for a living than most of those living in first world countries, but you are right they don’t want to spend their lives in fields in hot sun selling cash crops that well ,let’s face it, doesn’t actually make them that much cash. Now first- worlders, who on a day by day basis are figuring out how to "legally" steal from third world countries and some of their own countrymen who don’t have finance degrees and can’t figure that even though a bank gives you a mortgage you cannot afford that they are NOT being “nice” (the bank is going get all of your money right until you forfeit and then they’ll get your house too). Wolves in expensive wool suits. Admit that not all third-worlders are stupid and lazy and I will admit that not all finance/ banking /hedge fund/real estate people and their pesky legal teams (can we agree that ALL lawyers are inherently evil and love getting paid a lot to do very little) are nasty little crooks(well maybe I will LOL)
We want to perserve the access to the view of this very pristine and beautiful part of 7 Mile Beach which is to the Local/Native Caymanians priceless, the road is not what the protest is over, this strech of beach land is the last of it's kind.
Did you see the plans?
Is the beach being devloped or is the area behind the beach being made better for the use pof the local people?
I agree, with the rest of Seven Mile Beach obstructed by condominiums and hotels, it's a relief that we can still see the ocean.
Like someone said, some things are priceless.
This stretch of Beach land has been sold to Dart. The Government is not giving them beach land, they already own the beach and have permission to develop on it.
Government is giving away the land the roadis on. That is not owned by Dart at this time but it soon will when mac gives it to his monied friends..
If that is your true concern you should know that the Dart Realty ownes the seaside already and HAS planning permission for 4 or 5 homes on it already. The Tiki bar is only temporary. Further down the road there is planning permission for a condo building that Arch & Godfrey started building some years ago.
In other words we don't own the beach land and it CAN be developed as is, blocking any glimpse you have through the cocoplum trees at 40 mph. It is just better and certainly safer to develop it without tourist trying to cross that road. If you remember one was already killed there crossing from the old Holiday Inn. Bridges don't work as is obvious every day at Hyatt and Ritz where people simply run across the road under the bridge!
The FCIA proposal does not distrub the public beach, in fact it makes it deeper adding several acres to it. Plus there is a new public beach given on the west side of the roadclosure which is not there now.
I think you have been severely misled about this issue if that is your concern.
You forgot to add that the "new" public beach is really a combination of all of our rights of way over that stretch of beach. We will not be allowed to access the beach along that section of beach now. We lose multiple rights of way to the beach. NO ONE should be able to give them away on our behalf.
The only native Caymanian is the blue iguana.
Then buy it back and don't sell it again.
O wait. Bush has all your money. And HE tells you what HE wants and not the other way around. Like it or not you are now takeing responsibility for your past actions.
We also want to preserve our right to access this stretch of beach.
Its really very simple. Sesveral of the leaders of the protest have plans on running for the LA in the next election. Cayman deserves the leaders we get.
I think they're just tired of the Govt. acting without representing the people.
"The Govt" being Mac and Mac alone.
Simlpe, it is being proposed by Mac Bush and friends.
"Preserving the road" is important mainly because it preserves everyones right to access the beach along this stretch of road. You never hear Dart saying that they are taking these away and combining them so that we will only be allowed to access the beach at one point instead of several.
I don't see it as progress. I see it as BIG BUCKS being passed around.
Big bucks being passed around IS progress…it lets us eat and be happy…where do you live???
DON"T GIVE UP and DON'T GIVE IN.
Somebody better start listening soon as I'm aware that some in the International community is watching the outcome of this very closely.
We, the Caymanian people, have been quiet for far too long. We have never stood up as one Voice to fight the injustices that I'm sure we all face on our little rock. We will be quiet no more. We will speak up, together and unite against the wrongs. If we don't stand up for and ensure the rights of our future generations then we're as usless as the UDP.
Even though the preliminary agreement has been signed we still have a chance and we will not give up until we have been heard and acknowledged. Our children deserve the best that we can offer them, which includes access to our beaches and public road. Or do you prefer that our future generations will only be able to view the Ocean through pictures and stories of what used to be?
I understand the need for progress but at what price. Dart has done some great things for Cayman but we have to realise this is not one of them. If he is supposedly for the betterment of the Cayman Islands then why praytell, after seeing the opposition against this, does he not go a different route in terms of re-developing the hotel?? I'll tell you why, he thinks that like McKeeva we can all be bought and he realizes that the only way to maximize profit by 200% is to buy and close the road!! DO you think he would be able to do this anywhere else? Not likely, hence he brought the bullshit here for us idiots to take in and we fell for it!
Do not be blinded. Use your common sense. Obviously someone has to as our MLA's aren't worth the air they breathe. We have a right to speak out against this and we will. If you choose not to then so be it but please do not try to discourage the people with backbone from putting them to very good use.
When will these people accept that they do not have a majority on this issue. If these objectors believed they had a majority they would follow the 1 man – 1 vote petition for a referendum. This is a democracy and the objectors are not a majority. If these objectors stop this project then the tail is wagging the dog.
I wish these fools would just sit down and shut up about this road issue! When has McKeewa ever listened or cared about public opinion SMDH!
If the people of the Cayman Islands want to keep there good standard of living, they must accept that it implies CHANGES. Look at our history; think about what did our national heroe, Hon. James Manoah Bodden. If a few had protested in the 70's against the opening of the Owens Roberts International Airport because it would have disturbed there tranquility, would this island be where it is now?
This "good standard of living" that your desperate to hold on to is an illusion, the average Caymanian will not be able to afford Dart product/ services.We will find in time that inflation will grow as un-educated Caymanians become outliers in their own Country. Cayman is being designed as the elites playground, a tax haven ran by foolish politicans makes for easy pickings to the sly and ruthless "business man". It's so sad, Caymanians sucking from the tit of Dart with such despearation, expecting a private organisation to really care. Do any of you know him, work by his side, have you researched him and his organizations reputation? How can we sell ourselves and country so cheap,one little hangout that most of us are not welcomed to and we loose our senses. Why do you imagine Dart is gobbling up every company he can buy? Where does that leave a Caymanian that has ambitions to one day run his own company? We are even found fighting our own(Bodden Towners) as they fight to keep a dump out of their backyards, can't you see if the dump wasn't in his way that he wouldn't give a s%^t and with that being the case shouldn't we stand by our own. Dart does not do anything for free people! The parks and other free stuff are to mask you from what's really happening, Politics 101, give the people a little while you take alot. The dollar is the bottom line, profits and greed work hand in hand! We have a gem in this Island and can do better, much better
The average caymanian needs to appreciate the need to get a good education. The world does not owe you a living, even on your island.
I completely agree with respect to education however challenge our Govt to save a piece of the pie for later generations, don't you think thats a fair request?
"Caymanians sucking from the tit of Dart with such desperation". So true. So dependent on this entity for their very sustenance. Their lord and savior. How did they use to live and survive before Dart, I wonder? Sad, truly pathetic. Poor things. So many Caymanians, including those who actually work for that corporation, only to willing to sell out their own country by defending the indefensible deal – FCAI – talking as if Cayman wouldn't be able to survive without Dart's investments here. They remind me of cult followers, can't think for themselves. Yep, reminds me of a movie "The Illusionist" . So many can't see reality for what it is, because their view has been distorted / misled / distracted by the Great Illusionist. also, another moniker comes to mind "The Pied Piper. Remember all those rats eagerly following the Pied Piper, remember where they ended up? Bedazzled by the music, they were too blind to see what was going to become of them. Blinded by the free parks and Camana Bay (where most of them, i.e. the ordinary man, can't afford to shop and eat or even live), that they can't see how they are selling out themselves, their children and their grandchildren's future.
That is a very silly comparison.
Here's a simple solution. Let Dart buy the Ritz and leave West Bay Road the way it is. If he can't afford it maybe the receiver could give him a mortgage. If not there is always the Hyatt..
For something that hasn't been signed there is an awful lot of work that's already been done on thenew road(s). As a general rule don't you need to get planning before clearing land and filling it, or has planning already been granted? Genuine question if anyone can answer?
Private land so he can do what he wants. If he makes it a public pass, then…
Your point?
The West Bay Road is not private land, it is being GIVEN to Dart.
It doesn't really matter that it's 'private land', you can't do what you want just because you own it, you have to go through planning – from their website.
"Almost all development on Grand Cayman requires planning permission, including excavation, land clearing, advertising signs, pools, cabanas, sheds, houses, apartments, commercial buildings, and many more."
So has he got planning permission or not?
"Dozens and dozens" ???????
Does that mean perhaps 24-36 people in cars protesting and clogging up the roads of Cayman really speak for the masses? NO THEY DON"T.
It's just Dart bashing – plain and simple and it has to stop!!!!
It's about time this country started to wake up and realize that the world is passing the Cayman Islands by.
For the sake of future generations let's embrase change – encourage investment – and all benefit from a prosperous growing economy.
Yes, things will change. But life is all about change. We have to adapt and make the best of any given situation.
Let's get this road moved. The dump eliminated and start afresh with new hope and new vigor!
I hope and pray the world DOES pass us by. We have limited resources that are being sold for little gain. What will you tell your grandchildren years from now …… "we thought we needed the money more than the land, so we pissed it away"??
We have something unique and precious in these islands. Yes, we need INTELLIGENT development with a thoughtful eye toward preservation of the most hallowed — our natural beauty.
I feel as though we have been livin' large for several years. We need to simplify and we need to become a sustainable economy. If we MUST continually keep building more and more to survive, then our model is in error. put another way, if a person wanted to vacation in traffic and a frenetic jumble, it would be cheaper to stay in Miami. Please don't let that happen to us. I feel it's almost too late.
A rally?? Really??!…find something else to do please. Solve the crime issue, provide jobs for us, educate and mentor a young child, donate your time to some charity or foundation………anything but just do something constructive, please. This clearly is not.
Are you Caymanian? Sounds like you are pretty well off, better than most of us, to be able to have lunch at Camana Bay – more power to you. However, the rest of us are not so fortunate and see this Bush -Dart "Alliance" as another bad thing for Cayman and its future.
I say Bush-Dart Alliance because it is not a FOR CAYMAN alliance as too many people in Cayman are AGAINST the deal.
Have yo uhad lunch at Camana Bay or are you just bashing it for the sake of it (something I think more likey).
I'm not well off but I don't see a lunch meal in a nice restruant for $15-20 excessive? If so then a awful lot of the restruants on this island are excessive!
There is no restaurant in Camana Bay where you can buy lunch fro $15 – $20, so I don't know which Camana Bay you are referring to, there must be one in an alternative universe that is actually cheaper than the one we have here and maybe you are mixing up the 2 realities. And by the way, neither the coffee shop, the ice cream parlour nor the cinema food counters, count as restaurants.
The only thing you'd think was good for Caymanian people, would be constant handouts…
motorcade losers….. too lazy to protest properly…
"Following the success of the first motorcade on 17 March which attracted considerable support" – no it did not. The report of that protest said "literally dozens and dozens". That is a tiny amount of support. Most of us like the plans and think they are going to be a good thing for Cayman. Everything Dart has touched is a completely different class of operation to everything else here alongside the Ritz. I will go to Camana Bay for nice lunch again to protest the protest.
No one cares about your protest Patricia X. In fact if you are for it it must be a bad thing for Caymanians and Cayman.
Comment of the week right there!
And today is Monday … lol!
Couldn't have said it better myself!
🙂
We know your views about women, caveman. Your condescending and demeaing posts whenever there is a photograph of an attractive woman on CNS are as shocking as they are sad. I think your emotional inadequacy in that department is probably a big driver to the massive chip on your shoulder which we all see from your posts on CNS.
Lol!
Wow … you really have it in for me don't you?!
The way you bypassed everyone else and dug right in to my post – which was not even in direct response to yours – is so very telling … and funny.
Try to stick to the issue at hand Pattie – aw'rite luvvy'.
Frustrated much?
(Yeah – I went there.)
🙂
She dosn't have much substance beyond Camana Bay restaurants……..
Who needs substance when you look fabulous?
O sweet girl, you have just positioned yourself as the dunce. What a pity.
Anybody that has to blow his/her own trumpet and declare himself / herself as fabulous, is either very conceited, or overcompensating for some inadequacy, or trying to convince us that something that is delusional is true true, when in fact the delusion might be opposite to reality. Leave it to others to declare your fabulousness – people generally seldom see themselves as others see them – so what youthink is fabulous, might not necessarily be fabulous to us.
Whodatis, is it possible that perhaps, just maybe, she secretly likes you and these "digs" at you are a mask for something else, ever thought of that? Like the boys in school who pull a girls hair when they really "dig" the girl, you know what I mean? Only this time it is in reverse? LOL ! Maybe you should meet her for that "nice lunch" she plans to have soon at Camana Bay and share your viewpoints with her, you never know, you might be able to teach her something important, like what people are really trying to do, namely, fight for their rights to have a say in what their own Government is doing to their future?
I do believe you may be on to something Poster … that's the only way it all makes sense.
Tsk, tks, tsk … maybe poor Pattie is just socially awkward – we need to help her find her way, lol.
🙂
Hey Patricia X ! I am a woman, and I completely agree with Whodatis. No one cares what you think, as it is blatantly obvious to us that you care absolutely nothing about Caymanians who wish to preserve their country from being raped by greedy politicians and their developer friends, and you care absolutely DIDDLYSQUAT about those trying to ensure that their country gets equal value in return on land deals that are struck which clearly benefit one entity over the other ! Even a blind woman, especially one that has a heart, could see that ! Enjoy your nice lunch at Camana Bay, we hope you have a nice time chewing and digesting it while we work on preserving our rights. I am a woman, and I approve this message !
Yeah, PX – tek daaat!!
(Thanks for the support 'Anonymous'.)
Success is a relative term. Just think of thenumber of times that McKeeva has stated that he is starting to see the success of his frequent overseas travels.
Just wait until you are stuck in traffic for hours at a time because we go back to one road instead of two for part of West Bay Road. You will be at Camana Bay for a lot longer than you bargained for. Remember last year when the bypass was closed for a day. The traffic to and from SMB was horrendous – all day.
Maybe when she is caught stuck in traffic on the 1 remaining road or the next storm comes through and she has no alternative route, she can pay the police helicopter to transport her. Good lord, save us from people with minds like Patricia X whose nice lunch at Camana Bay means more to them than preserve the rights of Caymanians who wish to have their road remain undisturbed and free from the clutches of wealthy developers who care about nothing else except THEIR bottom lines. Yep, save us from those people whose god is their belly and material things mean more to them.
Speak for yourself Patricia X. Most of us see this thing for what it is, politicians helping their rich friends at the expense of the country i.e. giving away crown land for SQUAT LITTLE in return. Go have your nice lunch, the rest of us will do what needs to be done to save this country from the likes of you and your kind.
When she says "most of us think it is a good idea", she simply means, herself and her rich friends, not Caymanians. Speak for yourself. And by the way, we don't care what you think.
Ok, enough already! It's a done deal. You've done your part in opposing it but now it's time to accept that it will happen and the time for protesting is over. Have you not seen the equipment working on the new road? It can't be stopped now and any further protesting is pointless. Your voices have been heard, but now it's time to get on with life. I didn't support it either, but looking at the big picture I believe that it will benefit Cayman and my children and future grandchildren are not going to be worse off because of it. LET'S MOVE ON!!!
Narrow-minded.
It disappoints me that my fellow Caymanian's can be so lazy. So just because the bully is still beating his chest we should tuck our tails and hide. NO!
It doens't matter that they continue to work. Until the day they rip up that road we should continue to fight. Dart is good for Cayman? Is that why you now pay $4.50 for a $1 bottle of water at the ONLY movie theatre on island or why I am told a lot of the little mom and pop restaurants are finding it more difficult to purchase supplies from the distributorships owned by them. It is also said that several of the retail and restaurant operations in Camana Bay are now partly owned by Dart because the volume of sales have not provided the anticipated income and the terms of the leases have a stranglehold on them. We have no Anti-Trust laws that I know of here so this entity has taken over like a cancer and we are too gullible to understand what is happening to us.
Go ahead and wish for this to benefit your future grandchildren. If you are lucky you won't be here to have to explain your supidity.
You pay $4.50 for a $1 bottle of water in EVERY cinema worldwide.
BTW, you dont need to buy it that water. Just drink lots before the movie!
We are paying CI$, they are paying US$. That is the big difference.
You are absolutely right. The first shocker I got with the $4.00 bottle of water was at a locally owned waterfront restaurant during the parade of lights on harbour drive – and that would have been several years ago!
boo -hoo…. get used to competition!….'the mom and pop' shops have been ripping people off for years!
People just hat to see someone have more than them, don't blame the person that brought Cayman, blame the people how sold it..
DEAD WRONG. BLAME BOTH OF THEM. We suffer because of their greed, and because we are too complacent to do anything about it. So blame us too !. Blame all around for allowing it to happen in the first place.
The green eyed monster in full effect..
Oviously you support it.
I don't oppose all of Dart's projects, I don't oppose the new road. What I DO oppose is Mac giving away Crown land, the West Bay Road and OUR rights of way to that stretch of beach.