Anti OMOV campaign – who’s footing the bill?

| 10/07/2012

I was very interested to see an ad against the one man, one vote (OMOV) campaign on TV this weekend – even more interested to see the tag line at the end which read: “Paid for by the Office of the Premier”. As this didn’t say “Paid for personally by the Premier”, I would imagine it’s safe to assume that this ad campaign is funded by government, which of course is funded indirectly by us.

I have a problem with this. Specifically, using “our” money (of which we’re all painfully aware there is a shortage) to fund a campaign under the guise of “informing the public” and then taking the easy way out … Why knock on doors or have volunteers set up stalls in the public domain when you can use the public purse to pop an ad on TV, therefore solving the dilemma of reaching maximum people with minimum effort!

Personally it shows the lack of respect for the public that has been evident throughout the current premier’s term of office. That said, it really does go a long way to show the difference between those campaigning for OMOV and the dedication and commitment those people have had and continue to demonstrate.

Yes, they have an agenda (to educate and therefore encourage the majority to vote for OMOV).  But – if you have not had the chance to meet any of those campaigning for our vote for OMOV, I encourage you to get in touch – they are running an honest and educated campaign funded solely by themselves and their supporters, and despite not having the government coffers to dip in to, have managed to raise considerable funds in order to get the maximum information out to the maximum number of people with considerable effort on their part and that of the numerous volunteers they have enlisted over the course of the past few months.

OMOV may not be the be all and end all but the campaign has been transparent, and although supported by many political figures, is also supported by many with no political aspirations but who have finally had enough and realize that writing to the papers and talking endlessly about what terrible times we’re in is not enough.

I applaud the energy of those who have given up their weekends to educate and those who’ve been raising funds behind the scenes and all those who quite simply just want to find a way to a better tomorrow.

I shall see you at the polls on 18th July!

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  1. Anonymous says:

    I feel like I want to riot ! I am just getting so madd I want to display my frustrations….I got a few people I want to bash over the head that are taking this country for their personal who**.  

     

    Do you all feel mee!!!!

  2. anonymous says:

    I saw the UDP TV ad with Charles "Killer" Whittaker in the ad he as much as admits he loves inequality.  He states he likes having more than one person represent him.  To me this implies he also likes the fact that some of his fellow countrymen have less representation than he does.
    So much for equality or equity.

    This supports the need to vote yes on the 18th to OMOV. 

  3. Knot S Smart says:

    Who is footing the bill for the UDP to campaign against its own referendum?

    At present they are punishing the people by forcing us to pay for what is obviously their own political campaign.

    We need a Commission of Inquiry to explore this issue to decide whether it is a misuse of public funds and to assign the costs to the UDP party to repay…

  4. Common Sense says:

    "Conflict of Interest" is not a phrasewhich appears in the Caymanian Politican's Official Phrase Book

  5. Anonymous says:

    Well done, Tara! I agree with your point. However, there is one question you posed that begs a closer look:

    You wrote that "(The Premiere's ad campaign) shows the lack of respect for the public that has been evident throughout the current premier’s term of office.

    My question is what the hell has the public done to demand and earn any respect from any elected officials, much less this maroon? The people of the Cayman Islands are proving to be merely whiners – apathetic and just plain stupid and lazy when it comes to holding our government accountable for their folly.  In light of the current sorry state of affairs in these islands, I call the public idiots for voting this government into office and even bigger idiots for allowing the debacle to continue.

    A great many Caymanians claim to love their country so damn much but most of them sit complacently by and watch it to go to hell in a hand basket at the hands of an uneducated, egotistical and power greedy despot. That's "love"? Poppycock! Bullcrap! Some love! The love many people express is mere lip service as evidenced by the fact that it seems we plan to allow this horrific foolery to continue until (at least) the next elections. It is a-freaking-mazing what a bunch of bloody lemmings we have turned into. Mac jumps off a cliff and the people follow; they whine but follow nonetheless. Bunch of whiney cowards!

    Due to our poor choices of leadership and our lack of any call to accountability as to how they govern, we have come from glorying and boasting about being "the richest country in the Caribbean" to begging the UK to allow us to borrow money to meet payroll. Pathetic! In any country with a concerned and pro-active citizenry, the marches and protests and strikes and demands for a new government would be non-stop, 24/7 events until the government was forced to resign and new elections called. The most we can come up with is feeble whining. Nauseating!  

    The precedent we are setting for future leaders is that you can do whatever you want in your term in office: for four years you can run the country into the ground, do whatever meets your fancy. While the poor man suffers you can give your cronies and already  wealthy developers give-away concessions and even commit to let them keep tax revenue, and still keep your office until next election. What the hell is wrong with the people roun' yah? Are we all idiots? Are we all cowards? We cannot afford to wait until next election, we must send a message to future governments that bad governance will not be tolerated. We must see that this be nipped in the bud! NOW!

     

    Who is with me on this?

  6. squid says:

    Single-member constituencies with a “one man, one vote” 
electoral system would be divisive for Cayman. The introductionof the new voting system, would be reckless and would plunge Cayman into torrents of community division, much more than what we see today or have ever known.  

    • Anonymous also says:

      OMOV will not be any more divisive than the current system and I don't see armies massing at the West Bay, Georgetown border. What is divisive is the fear instilling method that the UDP is taking and supporting with the Peoples money.)  Holding  "Meetings" which sound more like a shouting contest  running down and belittling those those who disagree with them.  Sprouting negative poetry etc. 

      This is typical Mac tactics "if you can't make a logical adult case to support your case be loud and boisterous, and run them down!"  The people should have a chance to guietly ask questions and get answers to those question in a quiet reasonable way.  But the truth is Mac does not have good answers and he is like a beast backed into a corner blindly fighting for his life.  He knows OMOV is the right thing to do, but he knows it is not in his best interest. It is obvious whose interest he is giving priority to.

  7. DISGUSTED says:

    THE UDP SHOULD BE MADE TO PAY BACK EVERY PENNY THEY HAVE USED TO  CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS.

  8. Caymanian.... says:

    You should have seen the UDP meeting they held in West Bay. I couldn't believe how people who attened could be so ignorant and drink up everything they were saying. That the OMOV would cause districts to war against each other, and that they shouldn't let them take away their 4 votes. West Bayers can be so naive. I honestly believe in they had a chance they would vote them back in

    • Anonymous says:

      When you have people believeing the crap that comes out his mouth it goes to show the intelligence of his constituents, all moronic  corrupted fools.

      Christians my ass.

  9. Anonymous says:

    I was on the fence before I rode by the rally. Now… I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that will vote… FOR OMOV!! If BigMacandCheese doesn't want it then it must be good for the country.

  10. Anonymous says:

    I will be away on the 18th, but I have voted YES via Postal Ballot.

    And yes, I brought along 3 others who will also be away that day, that are voting YES via postal ballot.

    • Anonymous says:

      Good for you -a person committed enough to go to the trouble to vote by postal ballot no matter what your vote. In a few countries there are laws which require registered voters to go to the polls and are fined if they do not without a very good reason. I wish we had a law like that.

  11. Len Layman says:

    It was interesting to see  the UDP meeting in West Bay last evening.  Has anyone noticed that they stand on a podium an yell through a sound system about the evils of OMOV playing on the peoples emotions, not reason. 

    When the supporters have meetings they sit down and have open, give and take, back and forth, discussions with those present.

    This is exactly why you should vote Yes.  OMOV will encourage your representatives to talk with you not at you as they currently do.

    • I agree says:

       

      I attended this meeting and it was a sad and pathetic display but was also Big Mac at his best. At times he was so incensed and angry I thought he was getting ready to leap off the stage and attack people. The hatred and venom he sprayed at the (small) crowd was pathetic and typical Mackeeva.  He referred to the merchant class taking over and wanting poor people to wash their clothes, and blamed the PPM and MR Ezzard for this, he also used his usual old time Cayman slang to explain how OMOV was going to destroy the islands without using any specific detailed arguments, scientific research etc. In fact I heard Cline Glidden use the example that if you get 200 Criminals in a Single Member Constituency you will have a SMC controlled by crime and that they will elect a criminal to run that particular SMC. Well MR Glidden if you have 200 organized criminals in one SMC Id say you have an issue that not even OMOV can fix. 200 criminals in one West Bay SMC tell me that the UDP has not done its job in their home district!

      The entire meeting was an embarrassment, I heard Roulston Anglin tell the crod that they should have patience even though they have not heard from the UDP in a while because they have been busy working behind the  scenes creating opportunities for them, and even though they have not delivered jobs for everyone who needed them they were “working on it”. Who does he think he is fooling? The only thing he has done is give the Dart Corporation concessions, land and now Government revenues. This is the same thing they want to do with CHEC. The UDP is playing serious politics, playing on poor people’s emotions, and giving the country away to foreigners.  They have done nothing for the people and we continue to follow them like sheep. I really hope and pray that Caymanians wake up soon we are on the brink of extinction at the hands of our own Government!!!

      • Anonymous says:

        Its called garrison politics and it is already rife in the current system, PPM vs UDP. Just equate it the JLP vs PNP in Jamaica and you see why Mac is so "buddeh-buddeh" with them over there.

  12. Knot S Smart says:

    The only message that can be derived from this 'OMOV Educational Campaign' – is that it proves that we need to remove the present Govt as quickly as possible.

    And if the Premier is really using public funds to pay for these advertisements that are so blatantly biased towards the UDP's OMOV position, then I can think of  two ways to describe to describe it:

    Misuse of public funds.

    and

    Misuse of public funds…

    • The Truth is Out There says:

      Would that be police investigation #4 or #5?  I've lost count

  13. Verticalpig says:

    Cayman already got one man one vote. One man votes, Bush, and then you do as he wants.

  14. Anonymous says:

    There has to be a question of impropriety if a Government uses public funds to fund a campaign against its own referendum.   This should be funded solely by UDP.   Maybe the Auditor General should look into what funds were actually used.  

    • duncang says:

      While I totally agree with the comment above (and think it should form part of Investigation #?) i think this is indicative of the fact that our present government could care less who objects or investigates — they are teflon-coated, you know, so it doesn't matter.

  15. John says:

    Hey sis, you used the word demonstrate, you don’t know what demonstrate really means, I.e obvious and no offense meant on saying this. Due to the fact that we don’t educate our children in de schools or otherwise as to how our political process functions or how it should we have this distance it seems we are experiencing from this type of historical event. We live in a so called Democracy, but we don’t educate, one side wins one side loses and in between politicos and those who believe in these so called democratic principles pontificate. The latter who are they, you and others , you may have had a chance to go abroad and get an education, or you are self taught or well read and you believe that because of that the public must listen to the proponents of OMOV while they should not be faced with the opposite view.but you and others eschew this as thedemocracy you want in this country, is that what you tell your family and friends. I believe that if it is the thought process it surely needs to be revised, for if we say that we have a true democracy, all sides of the equation must, I repeat must be considered. To argue that the present government should not pay is very much off kilter in a so called true democracy,however, the point about ia and the truth of the matter is we must not and should not try to ram down these principles throats your personal belief and ground swell it because it is the mode or flavor of the day to do so. We must educate and though we are quick to jump up and say equality for all, jboth sides of the issue must be aired and democracy played out as you want it I suppose truly upheld. Let it not be said that we didn’t give true democracy a chance even if it has to be paid for.

    In closing July 18th will not see a true democratic process being upheld with the perceived thought that the two sides of the issue must not be discussed even if it is paid by the people .

    • Anonymous says:

      Dear John,

      I have understood your long and repetitive stream of consciousness to say “The people need to hear both sides of the argument in order to decide”. It’s a shame we had to wade through so much drivel in order to get to it.

      Here’s my succinct rebuttal; There is nothing wrong with the UDP’s putting its point of view, but they should not be using the public purse to fund the effort.

      If the purpose of a publicly funded advert is to educate, then it ought to put both sides of the argument in neutral language, and refrain from stating which side of the argument the Government of the day prefer.

      • Tara Hopwood says:

        Thank you!  You have put it far better than I was able – so just to support what you've said and to to reiterate the message I was hoping to convey………

        I am absolutely all for education (for all sides) just not supportive of a biased education that we (indirectly or directly) have to pay for.

        • Jonas Dwyer says:

          Mostly good comments with a few exceptions. Can someone point me to the Law that prohibits usage of public funds bynGovernment as is being done with OMOV. Seems to me thar
          T we are speaking emotionally here but with no legal fortitude. If there any blog gearing Lawyers perhaps you van point people to the law and penalties. If they don’t exist the we are dealing with a morality issue rather than legalities.

      • John says:

        Dear 06:54, tell me something who is paying for the campaign for OMOV, not the other "people"? six one and 1/2 dozen of the other.  Its got to be paid for. at the end of the day what matters is how prople feel and vote.  If Tara feels a way of what I said I indicated initially no offense meant to her.  To the rest who opposed or disagree with my comments, that is Democracy at work.

        God Bess the Cayman Isands

         

         

        • Anonymous says:

          The OMOV supporters are paying for it. The UDP are not using their money, they are using OUR money without our consent and that is WRONG!

    • Wow... says:

      Reading this comment hurt my head, though from what I gather you missed the point of the Viewpoint.

       

      Tara doesn't seem to be against everyone knowing the pros and cons of each side of the argument, just against the public purse funding one side of the argument.  

    • Demonstrate says:

      Having read the article, I think she does know what "demonstrate" means. No offence.

    • Anonymous says:

      The sad thing about this is that we have so many like- minded Johns.  The really do not understand the written word.  Tara there are still some of us out here who can comprehend.  Many of us feel the same way you do, i.e. The The Premier and the UDP should be spending their own funds to run their ads against OMOV.  I too will go to the poles on Referendum Day and vote YES!!

      • John says:

        Hey 10:47 you need glasses I did not oppose OMOV I simply spoke about paying for it.  Get it., I guess not.

      • Anonymous says:

        I will be voting YES too. Even if you do not think that the current system is not democratic because some people have more votes than others, come out and vote YES next Wednesday if you don't agree with the UDP spending large amounts of money WE don't have to campaign against it's own referendum. 

    • Anonymous says:

      Anon 22:14

      Thank you for trying to explain to Tara and the rest of these anti democracy people that the ruling party must be given their democracy rights also.

      I would like to add to this. Did they thought they would roll over and play dead…what a big surprise. You start a war you must fight your battle.

      And let me tell you a secrete, all government involvements, must be paid from the public's purse..so stop pretending that you all  didn't know this.

      It appears to me, you already lost the battle!

      • Anonymous says:

        So asking for democracy is a declaration of war? Wow. Doesn't say much for the UDP. 

    • jsftbhaedrg says:

      John, you have got to be one of the stupidest comentators that CNS has everhad. You and Mac need to go look up a word called contradiction in the dictionary and by dictionary i am not referring to the one from West Bay.

      Tara very well written.

  16. Anonymous also says:

    Certainly not paid for my Dart.  He gets special privileges including not paying his fair share.

  17. Anonymous says:

    Thank you Tara. Another excellent comment.

    I will be voting for OMOV.