Social issues impacting cops

| 02/09/2014

(CNS): Local police are finding themselves increasingly confronted with serious social depravation and mental health problems when they are called out to deal with reports. Officers from the West Bay police station have seen a noticeable increase in the number of people who are in real mental distress and many others who are dealing with unprecedented levels of social deprivation. Police say that the numbers of people living without electricity and water is not just prevalent in West Bay but across the island and serious social problems, from the break-down of the family to high unemployment among young men, is fuelling crime.

The police say that when they are called out to domestic incidents or other reports they increasingly find that the victims and perpetrators who they are dealing with are in dire circumstances. Genuine mental health issues are dominating the reasons for call outs and officers say they are seeing more and more people living without utilities and other basic needs.

During a public meeting last week in West Bay senior police officers recounted some of their experiences and lamented the real issues of family breakdown, babies born in families with no father figures or male role models, people living without power and water and in genuine distress.

Chief Inspector Harlan Powery noted that his officers were dealing more and more with social issues rather than crime, especially mental health, and said he was concerned about the circumstances people from the community were finding themselves in. The West Bay station boss said people he never expected to see this happening to were finding themselves either in dire financial circumstances or suffering from mental illness, and the police were struggling to deal with the myriad social problems.

“We are going to have to deal with this as these are our people,” he told a small gathering of members of the community at a public meeting, who were also expressing their concerns about the breakdown in their district.

The increasing numbers of illegitimate babies, completely absent fathers taking no responsibility, unemployment, a breakdown of the family and a wider community disconnect were all cited as some of the reasons that crime was rising while quality of life in the district was falling. Powery lamented the fact that his officers were arresting younger and younger people for serious crimes, as he pointed to the recent arrest in the district of an 11 year old for burglary.

Concerned that kids are growing up in West Bay and other districts without any moral guidance, Powery pointed out that once the police were dealing with these children it was often too late to turn things around. He said the wider community needed to act earlier and to live up to its Christian values by extended a helping hand to families who needed support and to intervene earlier to prevent kids spiralling into a criminal lifestyle, as he said the state cannot bring up every child.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    In a nutshell, this comes all down to laws not being enforced in order to not step on people's toes and to ensure re-election. This has been happening for the last two decades, and now we are experiencing the results. When there is no financial consequence to the baby breeders, when no traffic laws are enforced, when criminals are caught and released, when immigration laws and planning laws are circumvented daily, when government boards are loaded with conflicted individuals and when elected members and senior CS can't keep their credit card straight, when employers don't have to pay their employees pension, when an entire nation is cuddled and made to believe that everything is the Governments responsibility, what does one believe the outcome will be? Stop the corruption, lay down the law and enforce consequences for those who break it!

  2. Anonyanmous says:

    About 20 young Caymanians are making plans to get CNN, BBC, 60 Minutes and the Wall Street Journal down here to show them the condition of what is going on with them while we boast of the highest standard of living in the Caribbean and being the 5th largest financial center.  One person said they were going to show how their family is living without light and water and how they cannot find a job while non nationals are being employed. A couple of days ago they were in different areas of the island doing videos to post on Youtube to show the world how some people in Cayman really live.  I saw some photos that I thought were taken in some third world ghettos.  It left me wondering if this is really what Cayman is coming to all it was lacking was the zinc fences.  I don't want to see Cayman protrayed in such a negative light because it will surely ruin the financial industry.

    • Walker says:

      If their actions "will surely ruin the financial industry" which it will not, it does not seem smart to bite the hand that feeds the coffers. Where will money for social services come from? How many educated Caymanians will lose their jobs? This has got to be the most ill-conceived plan I have ever heard. Just another example of Caymanians beating up on Caymanians. It is a true shame and appalling you would entertain such divisiveness without taking a stand. Furthermore should Cayman be airing its dirty laundry in public?

      The failures stem from long standing social problems. Broken families, absent fathers, and poor family structure. Drug and alcohol use. No accountability.  An education system that has no standard for graduating students. Be them A* or F you go on.

      Successful Caymanians come from families that instilled a strong work ethic and pride in oneself through their education and work. The ones that have come from a poor situation to be successful, more power to you.

      • Anonymous says:

        "An education system that has no standard for graduating students". You really need to keep up. Since 2011 there have indeed been standards for graduating students. Of course in the UK you don't have the concept of High School graduation so no particular standard is required to leave school there.

        • Walker says:

          If your time scale for these social problems look back only 4 years I summarise you cannont provide much value to this conversation nor help the greater problem.

          • Anonymous says:

            Smartass, the quote said that Cayman "has" no standards for graduation. Present tense. That did not require me to me look back more than 4 years.

    • Anonymous says:

      And you think these journalists will be allowed in?  Cayman is on a par with China when it comes to these things.

    • Anonymous says:

      And what will that accomplish for them exactly? More fodder for them to pillory Cayman?

    • Anonymous says:

      I doubt the  international media would bother. The financial industry doesn't care, and the rest of the world isn't even interested.

    • anonymous says:

      At last. Once the world has seen a few interviews of some of Cayman' s unemployable, the necessity to bring in expats will be understood.

      You may want to include the percentage of the population who have a criminal record, currently incarcerated or have mental health issues. Again, this will let the world see that there is a need for imported workers.

      Good job and it is reassuring to see that there is a new breed of young Canadians coming through who are not scared of telling the truth or controlled by the dinosaurs.

      • Anonymous says:

        When the world finds out the nationalities that are being anti-caymanian that will be the most embarrassing. So since you claim they will understand why imported labour is needed, they will also know who your bigot rump is too.

      • Anonymous says:

        How dear you be a guest in our Islands and have the audacity to speak of up and coming Canadians as if it were the holy grail. There are a lot of up and coming young Cayman Nationals who are employable and surpass the so called “undesirables”. The only “undesirables” are people like you. We are not opposed to guest workers but we are opposed to guest workers (or whatever you are) like you who come to our Islands and feel you have the right to criticize the very country who has afforded you a living far beyond what you had in your own Country. Go back to where you came from, we do not need people like you here.

        • Anonymous says:

          This is an issue because the CI Government bends over backwards to foreign investment and allows for immigration to help boost hotel and developer profit.  This cuts out the youth who do not have university degrees from the market.  The imigrants are paid as little as 5 dollars an hour which is not a livable wage for the youth today.  The Government needs to grow a spine and start creating laws to help protect the people who elect and pay them.  If the hotel cannot be profitable while paying a living wage, then the hotel has a bad business model.  

    • Anonymous says:

      And plaming non nationals for the  problems also does not show Cayman in a good light.

    • Anonymous says:

      I suppose if narrow minded ignorant individuals want to blame poverty on foreign labor then fine, but their caveman economics would persuade anyone other than fellow cavemen, who simply won't care.

  3. PPM Distress Signal says:

    WHat Time IS IT Peeeoples ???? PPM TIME!!! Broke territory Crime murdering  us poverty swallowing us whole PPM minions and desparados running government right into the ground. Poor Cayman from worse to worsa?

  4. Anonymous says:

    A "completely absent father" is only possible if we don't have enforced laws to ensure they aren't "completely absent", from a willingness of the mother to pursue the absent father, a court system that holds them accountable, and a police force supported by the judiciary that is able to enforce those laws. Oh, and politicians able to see the problems and make sure all the pieces of the puzzle line up, prodding, poking and generally agitating until they do line up.

    Finally a society willing to stand up for what is right, not just what is easiest. Then you can tackle problems in schools, doing anything else is like trying to build a house on quicksand.

  5. Anonymous says:

    With all the inbreeding that has gone on here for hundreds of years I’m not surprised. Import foreign devils and let’s get some new blood in the system…

  6. Anonymous says:

    Check these poor persons- I bet most of them are on social services? How can they afford electricity and water on $550.00 per month….Yet we have to picjk up the 100 million tab to keep them going?

    • Anonymous says:

      Stop depending on Children and Family Services hand outs.  Stop encouraging their children to have babies they cannot and will not be able to raise properly.  Find the useless fathers and take them to court.  Government is not a sperm donor, so let the fathers take care of their off springs. Too many looking and expecting handouts and not hand ups.   

      Change the law, which has caused this problem.  Parents cannot chastise their children.   The children call the police on their parents, if they try to chastise or reprimand them.   

  7. Anonyanmous says:

    If the government don't wake up and stop the politics and stupidity this country is going to become one big hot mess.  I hope the leaders watch video this and see what politics did to a once beautiful area, it has turned it into a hell hole ghetto. Unemployment will become the destruction of the Caymanian way of life.  

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT1N2FTyGvk

    • Anonymous says:

      With say about 5% of the police officers being local, the rest from other parts of the world, what makes you think they give a #uck about us?

      They are here to COLLECT…..

      $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

       
      • Anonymous says:

        If your own people cared, there would be more than 5% local cops. People here don't really care. 

      • Anonymous says:

        Ah good old racism rears its ugly head again!

      • Anonymous says:

        Because they're paid so well and didn't get their pay reduced by a further 3.2% – yes they must be here for the money! Are you serious! The salary for a regular cop does not go far – trust me!

      • Fred the Piemaker says:

        Because RCIPS is besieged with Caymanians who want to be police officers but the foreigners have taken all the slots?  Last recruitment round they couldnt fill all the places on offer and even had to give one of the applicants status so they could claim that the intake was all Caymanian. Like other jobs with antisocial hours and hard unpleasant work, we PREFER to get foreigners to do them.  

      • Anonymous says:

        So get up and do something about it.  "They" are here to collect a wage just loke you and me.  

    • Anonymous says:

      Its not just unemployment, but racism that is so endemic in your society not to mention the  entitlement culture

  8. MEM says:

    Gosh, every crime is being blamed on mental illness! But if we check the backgrounds of all the "mentally ill criminals" it will be the same socially unstable story.  Obviously it'll take more than prescription pills to cure someone with these issues; these people didn't just become that way and a young boy doesn't just grow into a young man that does crime. There are always signs of potential problems even from their primary school days but no one to pay any attention.

  9. Anonymous says:

    Unfortunately, the number of babies born into families with no male role model are not constrained socio-economically to ghettos.  There are deadbeat and absentee alcoholic fathers at all income levels.  

    • Anonymous says:

      Agreed. But pray tell , why is there no application of the maintenance law? Why are the obligations of being a father never enforced?

    • Anonymous says:

      We also have an epidemic of lots of silly girls who have babies for every man they go out with.  The men don't want the girl or the baby.  The kids grow up with no one, or maybe a grandmother gets stuck with them, if hte child is lucky enough to have anyone at all who cares about them.  The girls are trying to trap the men into giving them money to support the kids, by intentionally getting pregnant without the man's knowledge or agreement,  but many of the young dads can't support themselves let alone anyone else.  

      • Anonymous says:

        That's what condoms are for.  It takes two to have a baby.  Then there is vasectomies if a man feels that strongly about not havig a child.

  10. Anonymous says:

    Cayman has failed – look at what happens when one circumvents the laws. A slap on the wrists for companies who for years have stolen from their employees and not paid pension. Why get planning permission to add on to your house? It is easier just to do it and then pay a small fine later on. Why bother to pay employees mandatory overtime. Nobody will be there to enforce it. This Island has long lost its compass thanks to the leaders of the last 20 years who were more concerned with remaining in office rather than ensuring that the laws and regulations are upheld. This is the outcome when you cuddle an entire nation in favor of votes!

    • Anonymous says:

      Agreed. And it's coddled. 

    • Hear, Hear! says:

      Hear, hear!  The moral compass has turned SOUTH.  You cannot fake ethics and I's rather go back tot eh administrative days of te Custos than suffer these political posturing fools one more day!  C4C? PPM? UDP? change?  Ha!, the only "change" is change in their pockets$$.

      Ask the NWDA how many white collar placements they have done. = None!

      Until we actually enforce our laws and get people back to work (and off the permits) we will fail. Immigration and Staffing Boards are full  of cronies and favors and no one ever sees the qualified local applications.  Sad, but true.  good people WANT to work, but our own politics hire and control their overseas puppets with NO succession planning or hope for our University graduates.

      Worse offender is our own Govt departments that only hire from overseas when qualified hard working locals apply.  It is madness and until Alden lifts up the covers and looks at the FOIs, he will also be inthe dark.  Look for yourself Alden or ask for people to come forward!!

      Sad to say we are our own worse enemy.  If we only followed our own laws and rules we would not have this problem, but from politicians to our own people….bend the law and look the other way?  shameful.

      You cannot fake ethics. 

  11. Jacob says:

    The solution is simple- make it a PRIVILEGE to have children.

     

    Those who have children that they cannot support financially/ psycholigically should not be allowed to have more. Yes, I am talking about castration for both males and females. 

     

    Also, you should have to have a certain IQ in order to reproduce. 

     

    This means that there will be alot less children running around on the streets at all hours of the night, with there parents nowhere to be found.  It is very simple and effective. I guarantee it will solve more socioeconomic problems than anything else our great leaders have thought of!

    • Anonymous says:

      Jacob, I like it, in fact I LOVE it! (the idea)

      But with human rights in play???? They will call it discriminatory. Will never happen.

      • Anonymous says:

        I guess you're assuming that your own testicles won't be removed?

        • Jacob says:

          Yes, I do believe that I would be allowed to hold onto my family jewels…Especially taking into consideration that I already have a child whom I take full responsibility for, provide for and spend time with. I also realize that I am fortunate to have this privilege, which is why I put my child's needs before my own. 

          I will try to say this without sounding conceited, but the fact is that not everybody has the same attitude that I do… Young people these days think it is alright to have 4 children for 4 different men, and then leave them for grandma to care for (and the tax payers of Cayman). Because of this, criminals run rampant!

          As for human rights, I believe it is the right of those who do good for themselves and others to not have to put up with this immense amount of crime, ignorance and aggresiveness. It is not fair for those who contribute to society to have to fear being robbed at gunpoint or stabbed, all because Shaniqua and Bubba from bodden town didn't care about their children.   

          If you can't support yourself and your children, you should not be allowed to have more.

          You should also not be allowed to vote… Think about it- Who do we want making decisions? Those who live a successful life, or those do nothing and mooch off the Government?

          The USA would be in a far better position right now if they implemented a law like that… Lets not follow suit!!

           

      • Anonymous says:

        The parents who allow them to bring unwanted problems into their homes are to be blamed for the number of children that children are having.  One is a mistake, but two or more is a recurring decimal.  Stop the horse before he bolts threw the gate.  How can a child who doesn't have a job  take care of a baby.  A baby is an expensive venture.  Think about it.

    • Anonymous says:

      Maybe with your iq, you would be the one not allowed to reproduce?

    • Anonymous says:

      Maybe with your iq, you would be the one not allowed to reproduce?

    • Anonymous says:

      China has the right idea!

    • Anonymous says:

      Stop reading Mein Kampf, fella. 

    • Anonymous says:

      Some criminals have high IQs, and some good people don't.

    • Anonymous says:

      I believe you mean sterilization as opposed to castration.  If insurance companies and social services would pay for voluntary sterilization we indeed would see some improvement.

      Add to that the concept of workfare not welfare which is what social service is at the moment whereas workfare gives incentives to people to do work while getting short term supplemental help so they can help themselves as opposed to just giving them everything so we train them to be lazy and we may begin to follow a correcting path.

    • Anonymous says:

      Chinese laws!!! One child per Household.

  12. Anonymous says:

    Perhaps 6.29 ("Your country and its people") and the Einsteins who agreed might care to explain why it is that so many citizens from developed countries (like Canada and Western Europe *) want to live here?

    Oh, and you come across as rather angry. Perhaps you didn't get PR? Or maybe you're just plain old jealous. I know, it musy be galling having to pay income tax, capital gains tax, estate (death tax). The list goes on……. and on, it's just tax, tax, tax! Hey, maybe that's why smart folks want to live here? Just a thought, sportsfan.

    *Didn't include the U.S. as, among other reasons, with one third of its population without health care coverage (other than the emergency room at the point of death) it hardly fits the classification by any stretch of the imagination, does it? Be honest, now.

    • Anonymous says:

      Considering the numbers of people living in developed countries such as Canada & Western Europe, very, very few of them want to love here.

    • Anonymous says:

      Compared to the number of people trying to immigrate to other countries, the number of people  from "developed countries (like Canada and Western Europe)" wanting to live here is very small. A single city such as Toronto has far more immigrants per year than the entire population of Cayman. There is mentality here that everyone in the world wants to live here and the gov't must stop it. Watch what that mentality brings for Cayman over the next few years.    

    • Anonymous says:

      We dont generally.  There needs to be something more than sea and sand to attract people for thr long haul.  Why would we stay where we are not wanted unless you are from a poor country.

  13. Anonymous says:

    If these people can't even afford to keep the lights on or supply the basic needs to live here, they should be sent back to thier own countries. Good hard working Caymanians should not have to suffer for this or live in the midst of this.

    • Anonymous says:

      Check CFS and you will see and know how many are getting assistance .  The Caymanian has to beg and plead for help, while the newcomers get more than what they want.  It is time for them to flush the system and get new faces in that place.

      • Anonymous says:

        Its because the newcomers wok hard and take responsibility for themselves that they are successful.  While the Cayman would rather beg and plead for help instead of going to work.

        • Anonyanmous says:

          Got one thing to say to you prior to your arrival and taking away Caymanian jobs. We went to work everyday, we did not beg, sell on the street, prostitute ourselves politically or otherwise, the island was clean and crime free. Reverse to the 1960s, 70s and 80s and let Caymanians know then what they know now and see if you and others like yourself would be able to set foot here. I know one thing for sure we would be able to find employment and not be the unemployedin our country the island would still be clean and crime free and best of all you would not be here sucking the life out of these islands like a leech. So go digest that poster 10:15 and another thing if Caymanians would rather beg and plead for help they are asking their government not yours maybe you should go home so that Caymanians can find employment after all that is why you are here if you had it so good in your own country and could find employment back in your country you would still be there and not here.

  14. Anonymous says:

    To all the doom-mongers on this thread, remind me why income equality has anything to do with mental health? 

  15. Outside the Box Thinking says:

    I'd suggest irreversible castration of all Caymanian/Jamaican males who have reached the age of puberty and do not have straight As on their school report cards.  This will solve a number of problems, irresponsible parenting among them, as well as the Education budgetary problems; I can assure you, that you would no longer need $100 million dollar schools to bribe children to attend.  Coconut trees will suffice for shade.  Truancy matters would also be resolved.

    • Anonymous says:

      Don't know what box you are thinking outside of but you need a reality check friend. You got your $hit TWISTED!

      Your colonialistic mentallity is NOT needed in this country, SHAME on you!

      • Outside the Box Thinking says:

        My "colonial" mentality?  Hmmh, not really sure exactly with which points you take issue, so please explain…  As for my suggestion, don't see what the problem is.  The fact of the matter is that you have a huge problem on your hands (far too many irresponsible men having too many kids with far too many irresponsible/gullible women).  Havingsaid that, I find it kind of funny that you actually took my post that seriously – hint, I was pretty much kidding around.

      • Anonymous says:

        Does the phrase "tongue-in-cheek" mean anything to you? 

    • Anonymous says:

      Sounds like you need to be locked in a box. Permanently.

    • Anonymous says:

      'Heil Hitler' to you too. As long as you are going to be fascist why limit it to Jamaican and Caymanian males who don't get excellent grades? There are plenty of substandard caucasians.

      • Outside the Box Thinking says:

        Yes, you're right, the problem in the Cayman Islands is a result of far too many Canadian, British, Australian, South African expats impregnating multiple young Caymanian women and then failing to provide any sort of guidance and support to their offspring. 

    • Anonymous says:

      09:58.Just because you were not wanted as a child ,does not mean that you should wish the same for others.

    • Anonymous says:

      How about they do the same in whichever country you are from?  Maybe you would be one of the fifrst to get th snip!

  16. Anonymous says:

    Mental illness is the third most prevalent chronic disease in Cayman.

    • Anonyanmous says:

      Ganja smoking is the most prevalent chronic disease in Cayman and just one notch above the drug importers and sellers, this is indeed becoming one mad country, in need of a real mad house because 90% of the population will soon have to be there.

    • Anonymous says:

      After obesity and entitlement?

  17. Anonymous says:

    "officers say they are seeing more and more people living without utilities and other basic needs." Thank you PPM!!!!

    • Anonymous says:

      They have become too use to handouts.  Let them get off of their lazy asses and work.   By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread.

    • Anonymous says:

      Thank Obama 

    • Anonymous says:

      The entire Cayman ruling class (both political and economic) is responsible, not just the PPM.

  18. Anonymous says:

    And you all are just realising this WOW n WOW!! I said to many employers years ago before I left my beautiful home! I called employers to get these young people jobs I called the Employment offices to see if there is anything they could do only to hear out of the 100 applications for that years graduates only 2!!! Yes…2 responses !!! I applied for many young men after having them work with me to check work etiquette and continued to encourage them to keep looking work. And NO responses, NONE!! These young men continued to feel valueless and easily slipped into the life that was "greener" and easier int "their" view. I don't believe in handouts and spoon feeding these young people and believe it or not many of them don't want that either – some just wanted to feel worthy and to know they will get somewhere with hard work and dedication and NOT to be takin advantage of. Parents are missing, Role models are missing, teachers are tired and now fearful of the parent or the child retaliation so what does one expect?!! Well welcome to reality people especially those in power or sitting in your Ivory Towers and hanging with your "Circle" of white collar friends. This is your Country now and if you are not part of the solution you ARE the problem now your looking over your shoulder!!! Kids NEED one on one , someone physically there for then to talk to, to share concerns, to confide in not a New School rule or Law implementation. I wish I could have stayed in my little country which I loved sooooo much butit was very obvious the direction it was going along with the Ridiculous cost of Living!!! Wake up Cayman, start more youth programs, volunteers this that want better for their kids and our country AND ESPECIALLY these business men if you cared enough about the country that have enriched you in more ways than one…get out there and lend a hand whether it's to offer someone to pay a small utility bill in hopes that this is a gateway to reaching out to a young person of that home and just mentoring them to continue to keep looking for jobs. Yes this is far fetched but reality or remain anonymous it's up to you! But do something fast or you will see just how fed up people are…

  19. Anonyanmous says:

    All results of the importation of cheap labour, third world policies and politics but worst of all the ill fated status grants of 2003.  Yogi Bear said you ain't seen nothing yet!

    • Anonymous says:

      Seems strange to blame all the family break down and unfettered fornication on the status grants. Agenda much?

      • Anonymous says:

        OK. Some of them didn't need status to do that because they come from a place where "unfettered fornication" and baby muddas and faddas are the norm.

      • Anonymous says:

        You plainly understand nothing of what Caymanians are or have traditionally represented or the dire economic and social consequences of the almost certainly illegal cabinet status grants. 

    • Anonymous says:

      more like poor education, overpaid and underworked government and a complete misconception of what the churches are actually doing for the community! I bet they don't go without electricity and water, yet the community and government keep throwing money at them…anyone in need should just move into any one of the lovely new buildings they have!

      • Anonymous says:

        Churches years gone barely survived, nowadays the new religions and new name churches are a business.  The preachers are driving top of the line cars and wearing name brand clothes.  That's as far as religion goes.  Living high and extravagant, what they coukdnt do in their own countries.

    • Anonymous says:

      To 7:37     You summed it up plain and simple.

    • Anonymous says:

      Yogi Berra.

  20. Anonymous says:

    More evidence as to why more gated communities with meaningful security are desperately needed.

    • Anonymous says:

      Run awaaaay!

    • Anonymous says:

      that's your solution? lock yourself away and pretend there's no problem?!

    • Anonymous says:

      Your answer to poverty is for the elite to hide behind gates and pretend it's not happening ? You must be one heck of a humanitarian. I'll bet you attend lots of charity galas with that big heart of yours.  Glad we have people like you. So helpful. 

    • Anonymous says:

      Stop importing poverty and criminals and the Cayman Islands would be a better place.  Years ago, every district knew the bad boys.  Now, it has grown out of proportion and the combination is difficult to solve.  Too many importees.

       

       

       

       

  21. Anonymous says:

    Harlan, you are absolutely right!

  22. Anonymous says:

    The Catholic Church should help with the utilities

  23. Anonymous says:

    This is bad, folks.  We all pay the price for this extreme income inequality.  First, fix the schools. Create a culture of strict discipline, self-respect and pride.  Next, fix the mental health system… hire more counselors, psychiatrists and psychologists to do in-house counseling.  Having a large population living without power/water means this is a 3rd world country… it's real and needs to be fixed ASAP.

  24. Anonymous says:

    This is not self-inflicted social problems, these are government inflicted problems these people are having.  It is incumbent on the Government to provided for the country's people, who pay taxes, import duty, 100 other fees to support the infrastructure of the country so its people can reap the good. Instead Government is giving our rights away on a silver platter to third world countries who pay their citizens to go abroad, earn income to send back to enrich their economies  and that is why our country and its people are becoming equal to third world citizens. The melt down is here! Too much blending of non-contributing individuals is taking place in our country.  It is a fact that one country pays every person who goes abroad to be employed $1,000.00 US$ as a displacement allowance.  What they do in turn is send home all their earnings to their families and the government does not get burdened by providing social services to their citizens, the result? A more vibrant economy.  A similar thing happened to us which built our economy, our seamen went to sea and earned, doing jobs other nationalities would not do and could not do.  We have to stop giving away our virtue and every good thing we have to the global economy and keep it to enhance our own. Wake up financial analysists and GDP analysts, I am not so certified but I can add and subtract that's all one needs to be able to do to evaluate our social problems.

    • Anonymous says:

      Your country and its people are and have always been "third world".  Look at "your" high living and very corrupt government.  Look at your barely functional schools. Look at your overcrowded and non functional prison.   Look at your trash mountain growth and never ending fires. All expats contribute or they can't come or stay here.  All tourist pay a high price to come here.  All off island businesses pay a high price to do business here.  That is your income.  All of them do not get any benefit for all their taxes but to be able to continue staying for 8 years then get kicked off. Read the papers and you will see there is NO MORE PR!Hence the sending money back to where they will have to go to call it home.  Caymanians contribute very little to their own economy and  in turn they suck up all the "social services, nation building funds, healthcare funds, pension double dipping funds,etc. etc.  The financial services and analysts have done the home work and understand that they will have to get what they can from Cayman and move on when the Cayman islands Government fails completely.  This is the facts.

      • Anonyanmous says:

        To 6:29

        Please take all that you have and don't let the door knob……… and another thing take all that you know that "have done the home work and understand that they will have to get what they can from Cayman and move on when the Cayman islands Government fails completely." Again I say to you and them don't let the door knob hit… go before CIG fails completely.  This is one person what will sell what I have if need be to give you and all yours a one way ticket out. This is the facts.  

      • Anonymous says:

        Using the criteria you kicked off with I thought you were describing the U.S.A. , truly a Third World country on so many levels. A couple of examples : Want to die of an illness because you're poor to afford an operation? Move to the U.S. Want to get executed in a clothing store's back room along with 6 others? Live in Chicago. The list goes on. Please, get real. Your post is way over the top and you know it. (And, duh, funny how many people want to live in Cayman!)

      • Anonymous says:

        Sorry, meant "too poor". Oh, I forgot, additionally,  to mention the U.S. "social services" run on the basis of little more than charities (like something out of a Dickens novel) and the abject poverty to be found in most U.S. inner cities with their signature horrendous crime levels and broken down schools. Let's not forget the level of official corruption – seems not a year goes by without some elected official (usually a governor or mayor) getting blown out of the water for trying to use his position to get rich (Chicago, again) or even fund his coke addiction for which he's eventually put in the slammer (wasn't he the one in DC who got re-elected following his time inside?) Call 911? Better hope some well-fed dude with his eye of a follow up act to "Tricky Dicky" in the White House hasn't decided to take revenge on the electorate and shut down traffic on the route between your pad and the hospital. The USA – every Third World inhabitants "dream" country. Cayman has so much to learn from it – along with Canada, Western Europe and the rest of the developed world.

        • The REAL Truth says:

          Trying to make Cayman look better by bashing one of the best countries in the world is truly pathetic.  And your only hope.

          • Anonymous says:

            Well instead of bashing other countries, let try to be like other countries as suggested by "The REAL Truth." So to be like the best countries the world has even known, we should apply income taxes the same way. Apply taxes to food, clothes, and other material the same way. Here is the layout, please take it with grain of salt!

            Natives Caymanian pay no income taxes – equivalent to Native-Americans
            Non-Caymanian pay income taxes  – equivalent to the rest of Americans

            Income taxes should be collected from non-Caymanians using the same percentage of their originating countries – example 37% for most residents of the “best country in the world.” I could provide more details including your benefits, but I think you[The REAL Truth] already know that “real truth” and don’t need to be reminded.

            Remove the Rollover Policy and after 12 years of paying your income taxes we will be allowed to APPLY to become a Permanent Resident.

            There one step closer to become LIKE the best country the world has even seen. Happy!

      • Anon says:

        Bravo! Well said!

      • Anonymous says:

        Why don’t you leave now then, ur a leech like the rest!

      • Anonymous says:

               06:29. Isn't it really sad that conditions in your own country are so bad ,that you had to seek work in a "Third World country". Either you are lying and Cayman is not a "Third World Country",or you come from someplace worse than this Third World Country (a Fourth World Country perhaps).

        • noname says:

          Isn't it sad that you have to make up a story about me (who you don't know) to make yourself feel better?  I am not here seeking work.  I don't need to.  And I don't need to lie or make up things.  Why do you?

      • Anonyanmous says:

        yeh, yeh, yeh, poster 6:29 why are you still here in this third world $&%# hole?  Oh I know the answer, this 3rd world CI is the best third world, first world place that you've ever been to.  Just because we did not see fit to confer our 3rd world PR on you we have somehow become the 3rd world of your world. Any way there is a story about the fox and the grapes learn the morals at it applies to you.

  25. Anonymous says:

    None of the people that were being talked about at the meeting as being problem parents etc were there at the meeting, of course, they were out getting laid, stoned, thieving, whoring and so on. That's the same problem the school PTAs have.

  26. Anonymous says:

    I have been a teacher for 30 years and this has been going on for that long and maybe longer.That is why Caymanian kids are not doing well in school-their home lives are dreadful.

    • AnnaMouse says:

      Caymankind at its finest!

      • Anonyanmous says:

        Caymankind is what we had prior to 2003. There are very few Caymankind left it is being replaced by camanakin now.  The few Caymankind left behind are being depleted like the turtle, conch, lobster, whelks, crabs and Aguoti population.  We are going to change the name to Camanakin.

  27. Anonymous says:

    "…live up to its Christian values…"

     

    Sad. A very sad state of affairs. 

     

    Solution? Get rid of the churches, they are failing in their pastoral duties.

     

    Replace the churches with secular solutions that are based on evidence.

     

    Age appropriate explicit sex education and easy access to birth control come to mind as a first step to social healing.

    • Anonymousand says:

      Soo- give up the little hope+faith we are living on? Really!

      • Anonymous says:

        In a word, yes.  Widely available, and free, sex education and birth control will do a lot more to help the various social problems than praying to the imaginary man in the sky and popping out another illegimate boy or girl with minimal hope for the future.

      • Walker says:

        Better to confront reality and face the truth then put your "hope and faith" in God's hands. God does not control your life our micromanage your affairs. He gave you a brain and guidance to take control of your own life, community, and country. You determine your fate.

        • Anonymous says:

          The young girls prefer to catch a man, produce a child, and be taken care of by CFS, while being encouraged by parents to go out and get more.

          CFS should cease to function.w. This is what has caused such low esteem in most of our young people.

  28. Anonymous says:

    Mr Powery is right and unfortunately it is only going to get worse. There are several different issues. People with mental problems is one. The unemployable due to not being able to read and write is another.  The working poor another. The largest group is the working poor whose only hope is to drop dead on the job because will never be able to afford to retire. Pensions are a joke, nohealth insurance if they dont work. They cant  make a living wage because they have to compete with work permit holders who keep wages down. If employers dont step up and take some responsibility for the welfare of their employees  all these people will end up  on social services. Any ideas Mr Moxam?    

  29. Charles says:

    Well I have to work three jobs to keep my electricity on. The place is too damn expensive to live especially if you caymanian. We don't get rent or allowances paid for.

     

    • Anonymous says:

      AC is a luxury not a necessity.  Get a fan and drop one of your jobs to let someone else have one.

      • Anonymous says:

        To be fair to the OP, he/she made no reference to using electricity for AC, just generally keeping electricity turned on.  Nice try though.

    • Anonymous says:

      Well neither do expat civil servants here hence the difficulty in attracting particular teachers.

  30. Gyptian says:

    These are some serious times.

  31. Anonymous says:

    they should try working at northward prison. every other person in there has a mantal issue of some sort. shame on cayman govt not providing basic mental institution burying heads in the sand doesnt work guys

    • Anonymous says:

      This is not aCayman problem, it is true in all countries.

       

      Throwing mentally ill people into jail is just plain wrong.

       

      Unfortunately, governments around the world are not taking steps to correct the problem even though it makes both moral and economic sense.