Archive for May 6th, 2009

Ellio sacrificed for baby girl

(CNS): Facing a considerable amount of criticism in postings on the CNS website and from various quarters on the campaign trail over his undergraduate education, Ellio Solomon, a candidate in the forth coming general election, has told CNS that the only reason he did not complete his degree was because of the birth of his daughter Shawn Renee (left at four months old) in 2000 who has sever disabilities. Solomon said that no one understands the decisions he had to make as a father, but as far as he was concerned his family came first and there was no other choice.

Solomon’s wife Betsy explained that since Shawn, who was born 1 November, became ill suffering seizures a few months after her birth, the couple have had to make many sacrifices for the sake of their daughter, and her husband’s studies were just one of the difficult choices they made. Speaking about the comments and criticisms that her husband has faced, Betsy said it was very hurtful. “When people make unkind comments about other people’s lives, about things that they cannot understand, it’s very painful,” she said, adding that no one can know what it’s like unless they experience it.

She explained that, as a high achiever and only six months shy of finishing his degree, it was incredibly painful for him, but Ellio was forced to quit because of the specialist medical treatment as well as the care their daughter needed. However, Betsy said that they had grown as a family despite the sacrifices and that they thanked God every day for their beautiful little girl. “Every day we are thankful for our daughter because she has made us fight, and fight hard, to help her and other Caymanians,” she said.

Adding that the family had achieved many things, she said that people don’t see the incredible pain and struggle behind the triumphs but in the end their family was more united and stronger for it. Betsy said that from the time Shawn was four months old until she was 5 years old, the couple and their two other daughters did not see her smile, but today at 8 years old and a student at the Lighthouse School their daughter is a bundle of smiles and the family’s pride and joy.

“Shawn does not walk or talk, she smiles, she gestures, she laughs, she holds on tight and she continues to spread joy in our lives and all that she comes in contact with. She is our inspiration. She is the one who keeps us fighting for all of those who cannot fight for themselves,” Betsy added.

She explained that when Ellio speaks out on any subject people can hear his passion and that he does not need to read from any prepared documents as he speaks truly from the heart.

Reflecting on his circumstances, Solomon said that he would have loved to have completed his bachelor’s degree in Science and Business Adminstration at ICCI, which he was taking when Shawn was born, but there was no question of him not taking responsibility for the special care his baby daughter would need, and as the man of the house, he said, he needed to work. “Of courses I would love to have finished but my family and their needs came first,” he added.

Solomon has demonstrated since the launch of the website Caypolitics in 2001, during his time as a host on Rooster’smorning show Crosstalk and since taking to the hustings for election 2009 as a United Democratic Party Candidate that he feels very strongly about the myriad issues affecting his people and has a strong desire to serve them and advance their cause.

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West Bay’s wind of change

(CNS): Embarking on his third attempt at securing a seat in the Legislative Assembly, Bernie Bush asked the voters of West Bay not for another chance after eight years, but for just one chance to serve them well. Having come close to being elected twice before, Bush is hoping for third time lucky and in a calm presentation on Monday evening in Hell he told local voters that he felt the wind of change blowing through the district. Telling the audience to vote smart and not straight, he said he would set a new standard of service for an MLA in the district.

“Be wise and vote smart not straight. This should not be about green and red as this tribal system is pulling us apart and dividing the country. Tell your friends and family to give Bernie a chance,” he said.

Bush noted that his record of serving his community for almost 30 years demonstrated that he could get things done and that he cared about his people. In a presentation focusing on the needs of the community and the issues he would like to address, Bush avoided insulting or directly criticizing any of his opponents.

He told the audience that the country had historically failed to invest in its ownpeople which was Cayman’s most precious natural resource. Bush lamented the local tendency to undermine one another and for people to put down those who were successful. He said the community needed to be supportive of those who did well. He noted how other communities around the world supported and protected their own, which in turn fuelled their success, and he said it was something Cayman needed to do.

He said education was incredibly important to the country’s future and noted that the early years were the most significant for children and that resources were badly needed for kindergarten education. He said the calls for more after school programmes were unfounded as the programmes were already there, but the problem was getting young people involved, something that he had spent most of his life doing and if elected he wanted to be able to utilise his skills to being more people together and get more young people engaged.

Bush also noted that the problem with unaudited government accounts owed much to the introduction of the Public Management and Finance Law, which he said was cumbersome and expensive to implement and had been copied from New Zealand, where they themselves were now reconsidering its implementation. He said there was an idiotic amount of bureaucracy in government and that agencies did not communicate properly.

When it came to the numerous issues concerning the financial services sector, he said he had been talking widely with those working in the industry and said it was clear there was a need for more innovative thinking and new approaches. He said there were also untapped opportunities for Cayman’s economy to diversify.

“Some people tell me the lawyers and accountants have been running things for too long and they cannot think outside the box,” he said. “There are ways for us to come up with new approaches for economic development. Eco tourism or sports tourism are just some. We have talked about this for years and I know it can work, I’ve seen it work.”

He explained that these two areas could have a significant impact on tourism overall and Cayman was well placed to encourage both.  He also agreed with the thoughts of a number of other candidates on the trail that part of Cayman’s problem with regards the decline in the tourism business overall was the lack of Caymanian faces in the business and that somehow this had to be tackled.

Telling everyone he was his own man and not part of the UDP or the PPM, he said his hands were not tied and asked for a chance to serve.

In 2005 Bush polled over 36% of the electorate, the highest percentage of the vote by any independent candidate other than Moses Kirkconnell, who joined the PPM a few days after the election.

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Two polls will be easy to follow says Gomez

(CNS): With only two weeks to go before Cayman goes to the polls not just to elect a government but to vote on the country’s new Constitution, the Supervisor of Elections Kearney Gomez has assured the electorate that with trained election officers on hand to assist and a logical set-up of polling stations, voters will find that “dual polling” will not be a difficult process. After months of preparation for the historic event he said that the process will be smooth and efficient.

“For the first time in history, the Cayman Islands will hold a Referendum on the same day as General Elections and the two separate votes will be conducted at dual polling stations because they are being held under two separate laws – the Elections Law and the Referendum Law – and to avoid any confusion,” Gomez explained.

As people arrive at polling stations, trained Field Officers will meet them and help determine whether they are on the List of Registered Electors and at the correct polling division. Voters will then be directed to the correct polling station, which is determined alphabetically by voters’ surnames.  Gomez said that everyone is encouraged to check in with the Field Officers to avoid delays later.

As voters approach the physical voting station, they will see a yellow line. They should stand behind it until the Presiding Officer calls the next person forward.  “It is the Presiding Officer’s responsibility to keep order and see that voters are not impeded or molested in any way. A Police Officer will be present, in uniform, and the Presiding Officer may call for his or her assistance if considered necessary,” the Supervisor added.

As a voter approaches the Poll Clerk, he will first state his name, address and occupation as it appears on the Register of Electors. A Polling Clerk will confirm the information while another Polling Clerk enters that information into the Poll Book. Voters will then proceed to the Presiding Officer, who will explain the voting process and issue the ballot paper. The voter then takes the ballot into a Voting Booth, marks it, folds it and returns it to the Presiding Officer. The Presiding Officer removes the counterfoil and the Voter deposits the ballot into the ballot box.

The voter then exits the Election area, which is the entrance to the Referendum area where another Field Officer will be stationed here to confirm that the voter is proceeding correctly. The voter will again approach a Polling Clerk, stating name, address and occupation as it appears on the Register of Electors and the information will be entered into a Poll Book. The voter proceeds to the Presiding Officer for the Referendum, who will explain the process and issue the ballot before taking the ballot to a voting booth, to mark it, fold it and return it to the Presiding Officer, who will remove the counterfoil and return the ballot to the voter. Finally the voter will deposit his or her ballot into the ballot box and then exit the polling station.

Although voters are not compelled to take part in both the General Elections and the Referendum, the Election Office said it is urging them to take advantage of the opportunity to cast ballots on this historic occasion. Speaking at the recent polling demonstration set up by the elections office Colford Scott, Deputy Supervisor of Elections said that the office hopes that by passing through both sections people will be encouraged to take part in the full democratic process.

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