Cayman services for sale
(CNS): UPDATE – Leader of Government Business McKeeva Bush stated this morning (Thursday 3 September) that the government was not only in discussions concerning private funding of the two new high schools and the government administration building, but was also looking for proposals from the private sector in the privatisation of or private-public partnerships for certain public sector services, including the sewage system, prisons, cruise ship facilities, cargo port, the airport, roads, and the Turtle Farm. Bush also did not rule out private financing of Cayman Airways.
“We are advancing our discussions that we have already commenced on ‘private financing initiatives’ in respect of the two new high schools andthe new Government Administration Building,” Bush said. “A successful conclusion to these discussions will, at a minimum, remove the need for government itself to fund future capital outlays to complete these projects and result in government receiving cash back in respect of the amounts it has expended on the projects and payment for the value of the Crown lands on which those projects are located.”
Since the “historic meeting” at Ritz there had been various suggestions of ways to enhance country’s revenue base, including property and income tax. However, Bush said that since the UDP had campaigned on no taxation they had decided that this route would change the uniqueness of this islands economic base and they would not support it. He also said there would be no sales tax – value added tax (VAT) as it is known in the UK.
However, to put the country on a sustainable revenue course, the government was starting the process of privatizing or development of public private partnerships of some government functions. Top of the list was the sewage system, with the rights for purchasing party to expand the system throughout country. He said government would also immediately look at establishment public-private development of roadway and highway infrastructure, cruise port developments, the new cargo port, as well as plans to handle the country’s municipal solid waste.
He said these initiatives could inject over $700 million into the local economy and the long term impact could be triple that and would also lead to significant employment. The private financing initiatives of the schools and administration building would be put in place immediately, Bush said, and both ministers were working to that end.
The LoGB claimed that they would result in government getting approximately $120 to 125 million in cash, while removing its liability to complete the buildings out of cash flow and resulting in a long term lease payable over 15 years.
The government would increase revenue through an aggressive divestment strategy of certain government assets but at same having some ownership through partnership with the private entities and therefore the country would retain acceptable levels of returns and improve our position in terms of international scrutiny. “We do not have the luxury of time,” Bush claimed, saying they must act immediately. He said all these projects could not be funded by government’s recurring revenues
Other projects they were looking at included dredging North Sound to enhance mega yacht capacity. He said that presently there had already been much dredging form Morgan’s Harbour up to airport and there was less than mile left to join various basins together. “It is not good enough to sit back and say it is going to destroy the North Sound, and not true by my thinking,” Bush said. “But let’s get some more science into it and see what they say.”
He said there were a number of entities interested in doing those projects. The government would be seeking to finalise all the necessary processes, including laws and the proper regulations, within the coming weeks so that the developers could start the construction phase of these projects immediately.
“So anyone listening that is interested get your interest into the government because I am going to move ahead with the most viable one that offers this country development and offers this country revenue,” Bush announced.
With regards to development initiatives for the Sister Islands, he said there was an application from Brac Development Company for the development at Dennis Point on Crown land, adjacent to the Alexander Hotel in Cayman Brac for the conversion of the Salt Water Pond into a safe harbour marina and infrastructure to support it. “That proposal I hope to put before Cabinet next week and hope to give the go ahead next week,” he said.
There wasalso a proposal for expansion of Dervyn Scott’s landing facility (West End Cemetery Pier) into a proper dock that could handle the smaller cruise ships and facilities, plus a marina facility. The government supports application in principle, Bush said, but that they were following procedure and taking into consideration possible environmental and other implications the project will present. He said they would work to mitigate those, but that government was supporting the projects. “They will go ahead,” he said.
Asked about Cayman Airways, Bush said that was "a horse of a different colour" but that they would take on the right partner. CAL would need "much more thought" than any other proposals, he said.
Category: Headline News
Our island is in serious trouble. The word on the street(marl road) is that They(the Government) can’t make payroll or any other obligations soon. If They can’t find the dollars soon, we all might as well start looking for a new place and way to make a living( this includes everyone including all Caymanians and expats)because the financial sector is already getting ready to pull out.
I Pray for this to be resolved soon.
This is exactly what will happen if our ignorant leader and all others spreading gloom and doom do not stop. The day we see a run on our banks will be the end and it will all be the fault of the ignorant leaders. The leader needs to get rid of all of his expensive advisors because they dont know anything just collecting big pay!! This is not the first time that there has been a cash flow problem in government. It happens quite often during this time of year but this was not aired in public. It has been magnifyed because of the global down turn in the economy and Mac will say anything just to make the PPM look bad regardless of what this does to the Islands. This should tell everyone that he really do not care obout the country as long as he succeeds in slandering the previous administration.
The infrastructure of this Island has been ignored for too long that is the reason PPM had to spend so much. Maybe some of the projects could have been on a smaller scale but then in ten years we would need more space in the schools and has anyone stopped to think what it will cost then? If previous adminstrations (including UDP) had done some of the projects there would not have been so many things needing attention now. I remember when the Master Ground Transportation project was proposed there was an outcry that this will cost too much, if this had been done then it would have been at a fraction of the cost it cost the Island now. As usual it is be dam if you do and be dam if you dont.
I know Cayman will pull out of this!! It will tough going for a while but we will make it.
I also feel that this is all a part of the leaders plan to do all these things that he knows will be detrimental to the Island but he is using the economy as an excuse to do them and then he can blame Kurt and Alden when the Island is destroyed. Mega yachts in the North Sound, who will benefit from this? Not Caymanians thats for sure. Only his rich cronies. The will live aboard their yachts , not in our hotels. All the effulence will be pumped into the sea and finish destroy our clear waters and kill all our fish. They wont care they can afford to buy all the seafood they can consume but us poor Caymanuians will be starving!!
I agree, when things do turn around which they will Mac will be claiming that he is the savior of the country. The only problem is that there are those who are so stupid they will believe him!
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that everybody is so confused and speechless that they don’t know what to say…
To the history dunce at 11:34…….. say what you want to say about the bible, but history clearly shows what happened to those all mighty and powerful nations.Are you saying that Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia and others didn’t exist ? I guess its all an illusion for you…………………….. sorry, but mother England will meet the same fate.You can ignore the bible if you want to but history is right in your face whether you like it or not.And by the way be careful how you use a powerful (word )name such as "Jubba" ,its a proud tradition coming down from Caymanian slaves more than 200 years ago,you do not understand the meaning of the name, for you it’s esoterical…….. be careful, watch your step,get some knowledge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Is Jubba like the Cayman equivalent to Voldermort then? If it is so special a name then I would not use it as a moniker in a website.
i suggest you read the entire 23:07 thread again. maybe you’ll understand it the second time around.
"All I said was by Jubba that was a nice piece of wahoo"
Speak quietly of Somalian rivers.
I don’t think you know that "esoteric" is an adjective, so that calling something "esoterical" is a bit daft. And 12 exclamation marks? Really?
If I was to weigh up prospect of once of the world’s biggest economies and aproto-micro-state with no real long term economic future, then I am going with Mother England.
"All I said was by Jubba that was a nice piece of wahoo"
Now nobody,should reply to anybody, until I blow this whistle. Even if, they do mention the name Jubba!
priceless! lol
Is Jubba the ancient Ethiopian god of entitlement, whose followers believe that one day they will be able to demand a job they are not particularly good at in preference to someone who can do it well and if they do not want to work they can expect everyone else to fund their children for them?
We have all seen Return of the Jedi. We know who Jabba is.
Let’s keep things in focus here. The good ship Cayman is suffering from a cash-crunch. Having no operating cash is like having an engine with no oil. Things will stop working and we will have a breakdown if we don’t get some oil in it very soon. Our ship may not be moving as itonce did but it doesn’t automatically mean it will now sink.
Firstly, we should remember that budget shortfalls, while unwelcome, are not unusual situations for governments the world over. We know that Cayman’s issue is not unique and there are options available to resolve the current crisis which preclude the need for direct taxation. It is welcoming to note that the LOGB has now issued a statement in this vein while making theUK
Yes, we are currently experiencing a budget and economic crisis. This cannot be denied. However, this is not unique to Cayman. The current recession is very serious indeed and has toppled some of the world’s largest institutions and shaken some of the world’s most robust economies. Cayman, as an integral part of the world economy, is not immune. Let us look beyond our shores to the current situation in the richest state in theUSA , California Iceland US
Secondly, we should not forget that the Cayman government has historically been relatively disciplined in its expenditure and has a reasonable record of budget management. However, this has changed over the past decade or so and the situation has now reached a state of crisis. It is high time to revert to a disciplined approach despite the public’s ever increasing demands for services and the commitments that are sometimes made on our behalf by our overlords.
We can only move as fast as our wallets allow us to. Serious expectation setting sessions need to be held to realign service offerings with the reality of the income of the public coffers. Cayman’s indirect taxation system can work if our leaders act in ways that reduce freebies and avoid costly infrastructure projects that we just cannot afford to sustain. The current depth of the water that we are in illustrates that without prudent fiscal management, and no serious steps to reconfigure the flows into the public coffers, we end up where we face serious shortfalls. We simply cannot sustain the spending spree of the past few years.
In short, the budget crisis exists because of overzealous spending coinciding with an economic downturn that was not forecasted or budgeted for. Some economic theories promote governments injecting capital into the economy to help reduce the effect of downturns. Unfortunately, the Cayman government is impotent in this regard due to the cash shortfall. In economic downturns we all must personally evaluate our economic situation and our government now needs to do the same. Simply put, the Cayman government is now living paycheque to paycheque and must find ways to a) cut costs/reduce expenditures and b) increase revenues.
Here are a few general themes that can be considered when looking at cost /expenditure reduction:
1) Sell and/or lease non-strategic assets.
2) Downsize or consolidate rentalspace.
3) Renegotiate service contracts, loans, leases etc.
4) Increase insurance deductibles on assets.
5) Halt non-essential expenditure. No excuses. I mean halt.
6) Exit non-essential business/service lines (divest, suspend or terminate).
7) Prioritise payment of bills to creditors.
8) Collect on bills due from debtors.
9) Direct more spending inward to the Cayman economy instead of sending funds overseas where possible.
10) Reduce hours, benefits, salaries and staff if possible.
Although these may not be popular, tough decisions need to be made to balance the country’s budget. Things are critical and tough decisions need to be made.
We should also consider that there are other ways to raise funds other than borrowing from banks. There are other things that we can do which do not require theUK
11) Private sector partnerships for owning and/or operating assets and services.
12) Issuedebt instruments such as bonds, debentures, treasury bills etc.
13) Co-marketing with business partners.
To paraphrase the narrator at Pedro St. James, the old way of running things just isn’t working anymore. It’s time for new approaches other than the same old duty and fee increases because these actions do not tackle inefficiencies and do nothing to combat excessive and wasteful spending. Government must now embark on a unified and new approach to fix this issue. This may involve giving up control of or suspending some programmes temporarily.
As Caymanians, we have always prided ourselves on self-sufficiency and resilience. However, this works best when we work together. This means all people of theCayman Islands and all the politicians. Let’s move past the blame game and put some real solutions in place so that we can overcome this problem.
The engine may be sputtering and it’s time for a tune-up or even a rebuild but our ship has not sunk. Let’s get some oil and keep the ship moving. The good ship Cayman survived Ivan and it can definitely get through this.
These initiatives which Mr. Bush is proposing may have been prompted by the current budget shortfall, but I think they certainly are worth pursuing for the country’s long-term financial benefit. Historically, governments have proven to be inept managers of business enterprises such airlines and ports. Ports throughout the U.S. are largely the responsibility of private companies. The difficulties of governments that run businesses are well-known. Government run enterprises face little market discipline. There is neither a fear of bankruptcy, nor are there incentives for efficiency and growth. There are also conflict of interest issues that come into play – regulatory function versus ownership function.
"Let’s keep tings in focus"……
Very good letter….well thought out…..well written…..I mean no disrespect…..from the point of view from someone who has lived in Cayman for 34 yrs theseare all very good points….but…..these points have been debated for……3 maybe 4 decades….so why will things change now. They won”t……
Time for major change or IMHO we will have a 10-15-10 year Bahama, JA down cycle.
…this is a bit off-topic, although I was against a pension ‘whatever’ I find it very interesting that there is no mention of it by our beloved Pirate Mac….do these ideas come and go so fast.
Where are these partnerships going to come from when most of them are losing lots of money?
I look forward to what sustainable revenue streams are presented to the UK so we can get our ‘bail-out’ cash.
This country is in a very interesting position and I feel it talks before it thinks too much.
arrrrrhhhhh.
Not a long term solution, but it could help with short term cash flow? In private business, if times are tough we put things on sale – offer discounts. Perhaps for short term (immediate) cash flow problems, offer a discount to those that can afford to pre-pay a year or 2 – be it work permit fees, garbage fees, company registration, T&B licences or any other recurring annual Gov’t fees.
Offer a 20% discount to pre-pay a year or 2 in advance and those with cash available may step up to the table and put some much needed cash into the coffers now.
Your short term solution to help the cash flow would deepen the budget deficit next year since everyone will have prepaid at a discount.
It is not just a cash flow problem. It is that kind of thinking that led to the hare·brained idea of suspending pension payments.
Ooh la la, The Ritz.
Really? The government holds a press conference in the midst of financial crisis to discuss deficit, cut backs, and privatization of govt. entities at the Ritz- Carlton, pretty fancy.
But let me guess, it was within the budget.
Fancy but also free. Stop stirring up when you are obviously out of touch with current news.
Nuttin come ‘free’ from the Ritz…..they might not have charged a fee for that particilar conference but believe you me, the Government (aka the Country) is paying!
There are two things that we need to skywrite as the same misconceptions are coming up again and again….
THE MEETING HELD AT THE RITZ WAS FREE
THE GOVERNMENT WAS NOT ASKING THE UK FOR A LOAN – PERMISSION IS NEEDED FROM THE UK FOR ADDITIONAL BORROWINGS DUE TO THE CURRENT FINANCIAL STATE.
Thank you. I’m sure I’m not the only one banging my head against the wall every time i read about how the UK won’t lend us money and how the government are spending money at the Ritz.
I would however like an explanation about where expats get free food from, i’m still baffled by that statement.
Yes, we held it at the Ritz, so what? unlike the PPM who managed to isolate many of the key players in this community, Mckeeva actually gotthe hall booked for free…..so take that
There is no such thing as a free lunch.
Haven’t you heard that expression? In return, McKeeva has already booked the Ritz Ballroom for his Inaugural Ball. With no competitive bids to host that event, Ritz is now guaranteed to get back everything they "gave" that day and more.
There is nowhere else other than the Ritz.. do you suggest Ball-goers head to the Westin with Mold-masks? The place reeks of rot. For better or worse, the Ritz is the only game in town for a ball or celebration. If it were called the "2 dollar Motel" nobody would be complaining. Shame about the Ritzy name but thats the way it goes.
Nowhere other than The Ritz…..
…for Ball-goers like yourself. I guess we have to laugh to keep from crying. Suppliers not getting paid, Scholarships cut for lack of funds, Civil Service salaries and pension payments in doubt for lack of funds, hungry kids in our schools because they can’t afford a "two dollar" lunch, but Premier Designate will find the funds to host a wealth of "friends" at the Ritz where sandwiches only come in "forty dollar" wrappers.
Canceling "The Ball" would be a magnanimous gesture by our Maximum Leader, but hardly likely as long as he has loyal supporters such as yourself whose response to kids not having sandwiches is "then let them eat cake!".
The free space at the Ritz was a small token of Mr. Ryans appreciation for the millions in duty concessions Mac gave him after IVAN. All of which they recovered from Insurance.
It may not be backward-looking, it may be forward-looking to ensure that any new revenue measures will not adversely affect the Ritz. We have history to go by.
"but did you know history thru the bible shows that all great Nations must and will fall" : As a history text the Bible gets 1/10 – the Earth is not 6,000 years old, a man did not live for 900 of those years, and it is unlikely that bronze age man built a tower which crashed through the firmament (especially since there is no such thing as the firmament in the first place).
Fool
Thank you for your cutting analysis, maybe you should get a job with the Guardian.
McKeeva don’t get yourself caught up with the likes of Frank Guelo and sell off the only profitable entities in Government even if you did give him Cayman Status.
Oh and by the way, if I find out that you did indeed give him Caymanian Status you will never again get my support as you have up until now.
McKeeva, "if you lie with dogs you will get fleas"
Now let Government do some real cost savings –
Stop the introduction of the "new" Constitution – it is harmful and we cannot afford it now!
WOW, I have never seen so many mouths open so wide, several new politicos were counting on being able to get their hands into the Jelly Bean Jar, and soon.
We do not need three (3) additional Ministers creating the attendant new empires of Civil Servants, the new 2010 SUV’s with their leather interior, office space, new departments of Government, more time blabbing in the LA, the cadre of advisors advising how to increase spending, the hanger ons looking to make the fast buck, the pet projects to show how important they are, stop we need more efficient law compliant governance.
I am still waiting on the costing for all of the new boards, commissions, Ministers, ministries, etc. that the "new" Constitution will introduce.
Caymanians all of this is going to result in us having less money to live on because one way or another, as Government increases in size we are all obligated to work more to pay the increased taxes.
Wake up Caymanians. Do what has now been acknowledged in TCI, the lack of checks and balances on unbridled power has been identified in the “new” TCI Constitution, Government departments in the UK are now demanding a rewrite of the TCI “new” Constitution.
Stop the "new" Cayman Islands Constitution now, save tens of millions of dollars, rewrite it when the economy improves to create a truly participatory democratic constitution in which the people are supreme, the Parliament is subject to the wishes of the people and the Constitution is approved by the vast majority of a fully informed electorate!
Our LOGB is no different in his way of thinking than anyone else.
When times get tough, sell some assets.
Thats why we acquired them in the first place.
Our old folks always taught us to putsomething aside for rainy days.
To anonymous @ 23.07……… England is nothing but a big bully, look how far the Falklands is from the UK, Argentina have all rights to claim these islands, if Argentina claimed some island near the British coast can one imagine what would have happen to that fairly peaceful South American nation? As a 15 year old youngster back in 1982 i remember feeling upset in my mind after some misguided Caymanians raised money for these known plunderers.The Cayman Islands is nothing but a tiny piece of real estate in the western Caribbean and Big Bad Mama can find 1000 ways to destroy us , as a matter of fact she has started already,Caymanians don’t need to worry about moma sending super mordern subs and warships to destroy our dear islands,all mama needs is a pen and peice of paper and thats it,goodbye Cayman!!!!! Poster @ 23.07 you can brag all you want about what England did to Argentina, but did you know history thru the bible shows that all great Nations must and will fall !!!!!!! FYI England’s time will come,and it’s not too far away……it’s inevitable, think about that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You have obviously have not been to the Falklands, because if you had you would see how British they are, and always have been.
Don’t write of what you know nothing about…it shows your true intelligence!
(one exclamation mark is sufficient)
It is such a shame he fell in with a bad crowd and was lead astray. He is kind of hot.. . . (or was that a previous thread)
Great work Mac, keep it up. I hate to think how the PPM would have managed these problems, if they were still in power!!!! Despute what people say, Mac has Cayman at heart and is doing what needs to be done to sort this mess out.
So then is it really true that he named his wallet "Cayman"?
So what? My wallet is named Peru. It is written right on it.
No that is the name of his bank account
Probably better than Mac is managing them. He is all over the place. Seems like he is a mad panic.
I read with interest some of the comments below. What I have to say is this, the individuals making most of the negative comments about Mac need to give him some better solutions to the problems we are facing, since his ideas and the path he is taking, (according to them), will ruin our country.
To "I read with interest". I agree with 100%. Our country is in deep trouble. To the nay sayers……just complaining will not solve the issues. It is time for strong leaders to take quick action. I agree with Mac on privitization. If no concrete new income streams can be formed then I urge the LOGB and the cabinet to look at long term property tax.
In my view neither Mac nor his highly paid "advisors" are up to the task, but I agree with Mac’s revised view that new taxes are not the answer. The privatisation of services that do not need to be performed by government is a good idea, but cutting expenditure, whether through shutting down loss making operations or cutting the civil service has to be high on the list of things that should be done.
While it might not eliminate the entire deficit, the country could save a lot of wasted money and avoid further disasters if Mac had the sense to fire the cronies hired as "advisors" and "consultants". They might have helped with your campaign Mac and maybe fat contracts were what was promised to them, but by this point in time even you should have figured out that they are incompetent and that the country simply cannot afford them.
From reading these posts there is a lot of anit-UK sentiment expressed here. On the one hand the UK is the evil mother country intent on destroying our beautiful lands, yet on the other hand we run up to the UK Goverment like Oliver Twist begging for more money.
This Jekyll and Hyde mentality solves nothing and neither do inflammatory postings. The time has come to stop blaming others.
If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem…..
Perhaps if you educated yourself on the issue and did not rely on the Guardian article as news you would realize that Cayman did not "run up to the UK Goverment like Oliver Twist begging for more money". Since Cayman no longer meets three key principles of responsible financial management under its Public Management and Finance Law it is required to obtain the express permission of the UK Govt. to borrow additional funds. This is all that was being asked of the UK. Cayman had already arranged that financing, all we needed was UK approval.
Our experience post-Hurricane Ivan taught us that the UK will not provide financial assistance even if we are in dire need through no fault of our own. Some of the anti-UK sentiment is derived from that fact. So you have it exactly backwards. "Jekyll and Hyde" comments are therefore completely inappropriate.
There is a great deal of evidence that the UK would like to see our demise as an offshore financial centre primarily because we are competitors to the City of London and because they mistakenly believe that all of the tax dollars will then just flow back to them.
Incidentally, an ill-informed post with offensive imagery is inflammatory.
What’s wrong with a bit of healthy competition even if it’s from the UK? If our financial industry is as strong as we proclaim we really have nothing to worry about.
The core issue here is why does the Government have no money and what changes must be made to ensure it doesn’t happen again in the future?
We are all for healthy competition. We’ll beat them, hands down. That is the problem. The issue is when the collude with other rich and powerful nations to use unfair tactics and cripple us.
Govt. does not have money because people expect govt. to provide all the services and infrastructure of a high tax country and not be taxed. We must either expect less or pay more.
Sorry you want to be part of uk when you want money eg money after Ivan for reconstruction etc but want self-governance and to tell the Brits here on work permits – incidentally less than 2000 of the 23000 according the nation office of statistics – to p**s off home. No wonder expats here don’t become part of the community when you treat them like this. No wonder they seem to have the mentality of saving their money spending nothing on the island and then going back to civilisation (as they call it). You cannot have it both ways. Either be independent, give up the right to a British Passport, be like the jamaicans needing a visa every time they go into the US or UK or europe and go the way that you go or accept that protectionism and xenophobia may actually be very damaging to the community and economy and get on with being mature adults and live together as a community – for a christian country it seems that people do not act very christian (love thy neighbour, do as you would be done by etc etc)
Don’t talk rubbish. So-called independent countries like Grenada did receive financial help from Britain while she neglected her own dependent territory for whom she has a responsibility. Accepting finanial assistance does not mean that you are "a part of the UK".
Anyone who has lived here for 20+ years will tell you that Caymanians were warm and hospitable people. The issue is how Caymanians have been treated in our own country and that has turned many persons bitter. Cayman is simply seen as a place to exploit. You are confusing cause and effect. The first expats here were of a different breed altogether. Now we get ignorant, condescending a**es like you.
Dearest CNS, I feel as though you have inadevertently entered an additional word, "services", in your headline.
Is this guy really serious? If Caymanians allow the above plans to be put in place unabated then we will prove that we are even more foolish than many foreign nationals accuse us of being.
Before the UDP pundits get going at attacking me, let me make it abundantly clear that I am not a PPM supporter nor do I have any admiration for that atministration and their inablility to manage this country, however, I also have no trust in the new UDP administration and am very cognisant of the fact that some of the main players, including the LoGB, helped to build the huge debt that this country is now burdened with when the UDP was previously in power. It is clear that neither of these so called parties have the ability to run this country.
That said, I urge everyone posting on here to read the above article very carefully, digest what is being said and understand the direction that we are being taken in.
Unplanned development has played a major role in the mess that has been created here and from which we are all now suffering. Do not lose sight of this simple fact. Allowing the magnitude of unabated development that appears to be advocated by the LoGB will further destroy these Islands. Thousands of more people will be allowed to take up residence in this country, which incidentally will place further strain on an already crumbling infrastructure, and more Caymanians will become displaced. Is this the price we wish to play.
What this government should be doing is a careful assessment of the government’s finances, line by line, and eliminating the waste. Yes, hold the Financial Secretary accountable, make the non-performing, overpaid CFO’s in government get off their lazy butts (burn the midnight oil without extra pay – they have already been paid to do this job) and present the true financial reports to show us exactly where we are financially. Without that happening anything else we may seek to do will come to naught.
This situation and the solutions advocated by the LoGB seriously concern me. For the sake of clarity I am quoting below from the news story on this site:
"The government would increase revenue through an aggressive divestment strategy of certain government assets but at same having some ownership through partnership with the private entities and therefore the country would retain acceptable levels of returns and improve our position in terms of international scrutiny. “We do not have the luxury of time,” Bush claimed, saying they must act immediately. He said all these projects could not be funded by government’s recurring revenues
Other projects they were looking at included dredging North Sound to enhance mega yacht capacity. He said that presently there had already been much dredging form Morgan’s Harbour up to airport and there was less than mile left to join various basins together. “It is not good enough to sit back and say it is going to destroy the North Sound, and not true by my thinking,” Bush said. “But let’s get some more science into it and see what they say.”
He said there were a number of entities interested in doing those projects. The government would be seeking to finalise all the necessary processes, including laws and the proper regulations, within the coming weeks so that the developers could start the construction phase of these projects immediately.
“So anyone listening that is interested get your interest into the government because I am going to move ahead with the most viable one.
Unbelievable. Where in the story do we read of the LoGB thinking it necessry to consult with the Caymanian people to determine if this is a direction we are comfortable with?
“We do not have the luxury of time,” Bush claimed, saying they must act immediately.
So, we must rush ahead without proper public consultation. And, who will these investors be? Or, is it likely to be one main investor or conglomerate owning us? I hope that someone(s) with good sense is looking at the dangers in this proposal.
“So anyone listening that is interested get your interest into the government because I am going to move ahead with the most viable one.
Key words … "I am going to move ahead with the most viable one. … ". Not we but I. Has the goverment lost all its sense and become a one man circus prostituting these Islands to the highest bidder?
Rolston, CG, Ezzard, Ellio, and yes, the rest of the back benchers, where are you people in all of this? We the people obviously voted for you guys and we need to hear your views. Is this really the kind of ignorance that you support and the government that you are a part of?
We the Caymanian people (remember us?) need your clarification please.
Caymanians please read, listen, understand and step up. Forget the party politics and unitewith one voice. Demand proper accountability with new checks and balances.
I rest my case.
CNS, thank you for allowing me the space to post my thoughts on this issue, and more importantly for your very able reporting.
How true. How true.
The LoGB (oops, forgive me, Premiere Designate) has a reputation as someone willing to sell any part of the Cayman Islands to the highest bidder (or maybe it’s just the bidder willing to XXXXXX).
And where ARE the Ministers? Why is it only Mr. Bush who is speaking out on issues? I notice that even in the press briefings the Ministers are not allowed to speak on the very subjects they are (allegedly) responsible for.
Is Mr. Bush for Cayman? or only for Mr. Bush?
"And where ARE the Ministers? Why is it only Mr. Bush who is speaking out on issues?" Goodness me, have you not worked out that they are too stupid to be able to speak in public on any of this stuff?
"They are too stupid to be able to speak in public on any of this stuff?"
If these folks are so very stupid, why elect them to run the country? And now that they are elected – if they are too stupid to speak on their ministries, what does that say about their ability to RUN their ministries?
Agree with you almost 100% (sorry…but I happen to be fond of the PPM). But that aside, you are totally correct that the road this man (LOGB) is taking us down is a very dangerous one! For the life of me I cannot understand how anyone with any love for this Country can honestly believe that this road is even paved with good intentions (well, maybe, but good intentions for a few individuals only, not for Country). I’m still holding out hope for Rolston and some of the other intelligent UDP members to step up to the plate and just say NO to this madness.
Words of wisdom, thank you. We are in danger of jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. The wholesale dumping of all of our public capital development projects into quickly formed private agreements has the very real likelihood of creating consequences that we will find very unpleasant in the future.
Every business manages its balance sheet as well as its income statement, but chopping the capital projects out of the balance sheet and replacing them with long-term leaseback liabilities increases fixed operating expenses. This will still restrict governments borrowing ability and require more revenue. So the pressure to raise income will remain,
At some point in this process the contractual cost of our new private sector agreements will be converted from long-term government expense obligations into consumption based pay-as-you usage fees. At which point the government, having transferred its obligation off of its income statement to the populous, will have cleaned up its books and be free to borrow money again.
Everything that Caymanians then use will have a usage fee attached to it. Drive from George Town to East End or North Side and pay a toll fee, – each way -. Meanwhile Caymanians will still be paying large taxes to government via the duties and fees that are currently in place. Effectively our taxes will have increased significantly without either our awareness or our authorization. In this scenario there is no need for a reduction in government spending or any attempt to manage its finances prudently. Since government “needs” will always grow the average and poor Caymanian who spends most of his paycheck on his day-to-day bills will actually pay more tax here then in many other highly taxed countries.
Moving public services into the private sector is a very good idea but it should be part of a methodical carefully planned long-term strategy that focuses on cost reduction, real benefits and the development needs of the community.
It is a hugh risk to privatize. These are questions, one must ask:
What are you privitazing? Are you privatizing what is a valuable economic asset or service for the Caymanian people?
Who are you privatizing to? Are you privatizing to foreignors, to Dart, or even to members of the UDP interest?
Can the government service be monopolise like CUC where it will be able to control its own pricing, increase expenses for Caymanians?
What government regulations will be in place to protect Caymanian workers from wrongful abuse and exploitation?
These questions may sound far-fetched
Peace
You are right that we have to be careful about privatization although it may sound like a solution to our budgetary difficulties.
Any monopoly that is privatised will need at least light-handed regulation which would add to costs.
We also have to think about the national security aspect. a privatized airline may be affected by such things as airline pilots strikes in the US. It will not make heroic efforts to evacuate as many persons as possible off the Islands in the event of a major disaster. This is perhaps the strongest argument for retaining Cayman Airways under govt. control. Remember that private enterprise operates where there is a profit. It will not, for example, cut air fares in order to boost tourism to Cayman. It will cut staff, salaries and routes to produce profitability. Just imagine what would have happened to us had Cayman Airways been sold to Air Jamaica (which no longer flies to Cayman, Miami) as I understand was the plan under the previous UDP Govt.
However, I should point out that CUC is not able to control its own pricing. Rates are regulated by rate cap and adjustment mechanism and as a whole CUC is regulated by the ERA. Interestingly, one of the objections raised against CUC is that it is 54% owned by a single foreign entity.
“So anyone listening that is interested get your interest into the government because I am going to move ahead with the most viable one that offers this country development and offers this country revenue,” Bush announced.
In otherwords, we are prostituting our country to the highest bidder.
Now let Government do some real cost savings –
Stop the introduction of the "new" Constitution – it is harmful and we cannot afford it now!
WOW, I have never seen so many mouths open so wide, several new politicos were counting on being able to get their hands into the Jelly Bean Jar, and soon.
We do not need three (3) additional Ministers creating the attendant new empires of Civil Servants, the new 2010 SUV’s with their leather interior, office space, new departments of Government, more time blabbing in the LA, the cadre of advisors advising how to increase spending, the hanger ons looking to make the fast buck, the pet projects to show how important they are, stop – we need more efficient law compliant governance.
I am still waiting on the costing for all of the new boards, commissions, Ministers, ministries, etc. that the "new" Constitution will introduce.
Caymanians all of this is going to result in us having less money to live on because one way or another, as Government increases in size we are all obligated to work more to pay the increased taxes.
Wake up Caymanians. Do what has now been acknowledged in TCI, the lack of checks and balances on unbridled power has been identified in the “new” TCI Constitution of which the C I Constition is a very similar model, Government departments in the UK are now demanding that the FCO rewrite of the TCI “new” Constitution to introduce some participatory democracy in those islands.
Stop the "new" Cayman Islands Constitution now, save tens of millions of dollars, rewrite it when the economy improves to create a truly participatory democratic constitution in which the people are supreme, the Parliament is subject to the wishes of the people and the Constitution is approved by the vast majority of a fully informed electorate!
William H. Adam
Well done sir. How about 18 MLAs in the LA. What these 3 MLAs going to do??? Now I can understand why you were opposed to this new constitution. Before anything else, they should get the government accounts finalised and audited. Until such time we do not know what is the current financial situation. Any policy decisions made without proper accounts will be ill advised.
Billy my friend, I could not have said it better and could not agree with you more!
"Stop the "new" Cayman Islands Constitution now, save tens of millions of dollars, rewrite it whenthe economy improves to create a truly participatory democratic constitution in which the people are supreme, the Parliament is subject to the wishes of the people and the Constitution is approved by the vast majority of a fully informed electorate!"
If we continue down this road and the new Constitution is implemented at this time it is likely to be the kiss of death to the Cayman Islands as we have known them. Wake up people and see the obvious.
Thank God I was not one of the misguided souls who voted for it.
All you guys are hypocrites. You know why? You say that casinos are going to be a bad investment due to the island but when there is a public forum/poll on Cayman Compass or Cayman Net News most of you vote for it. I personally think that Bush has a great idea. In fact, he should implement this procedure twice as fast! Don’t be fools Caymanians(such as I). Let us make the best decision that will affect our country in the greatest way possible. Public-Private partnerships are a good deal because they help the country get the money needed and we get better facilities, roads, services, etc.
Also, don’t blame expats for ruining the islands. They get our jobs because they have the ability and the degree to perform. Let’s face it! WE ARE LAZY! What we need to do is find the best way possible for us to improve ourselves.
Live at Peace and God be with us all(Cayman, the Christian Nation)
"They get our jobs because they have the ability and the degree to perform. Let’s face it! WE ARE LAZY"
To the poster above my reply to you is "speak for yourself", not for the rest of us hard working Caymanians who have worked hard to obtain good qualifications at a high cost in foreign countries and who have returned to our Islands expecting to take our rightful place, only to discover that we are being sidelined by foreigners, many of whom are lesser qualified and/or experienced than we are. but who are being protected within the established foreign empires run by their own.
I do, however, agree with the following statement contained in your post, "…. don’t blame expats for ruining the islands.". Quite, I do not blame the expats but rather I blame the ignorance of some of my own people such as that displayed in your post.
I agree with you on some instances… but those are only some..I’m a hard working caymanian myself. And i’d love it if expats and Caymanians would be able to live together in peace. Were the only country who has enough common sense to stops crises. I respect your views.
The polls are not scientific and are acknowledged to be for entertainment purposes. For all we know mostly expats are voting. Don’t get carried away.
Many expats are here because of their abilities. Some are not.
Speak for yourself about "Lazy".
A lot of the time,expats (truthfully) don’t care about the islands. So why would they go on Cayman Compass or Cayman Net News everyday to vote for something happening in a country that is not their own? I agree with you that not all Caymanians are lazy(I for one am not lazy), but a lot of others are. What I’m saying is we have to work together to improve the country. The reduction of expats won’t improve the country(in fact most of the country is built on what expats have done).Small Example: look at Camana Bay Do you think that we would’ve had a nice movie facility fit for all if not for Dart(think honestly, how long was the Marquee there? like 26 years?). Another thing is the expats who own these things aren’t the ones excluding Caymanians from the properties.
Sure they make money off of it. But everything is expensive because we are a country that imports. I also don’t believe that expats want to make Cayman into another USA. They love the beaches here and want to keep our culture as safe as possible.
I do agree with part of your comment(the polls are for entertainment) but they also do represent what people want.
Isn’t it somewhat ironic that the Alexander Hotel lists on it’s website that it has an outdoor bar overlooking Cayman Brac’s only saltwater pond and nature reserve and yet the owner of that hotel is the same person who now proposes to destroy it!!
That’s the Brac for you!
I have a proposal which has the potential to a generate huge revenue stream for the Cayman Islands. Yes it is a proposal for a new tax, however I doubt my suggestion would meet with any significant objections from most reasonable folks.
Taxing an abundant and renewable commodity (ARC) and only when such an ARC is actually utilised can be very lucrative. No?
A new ARC tax would place place a reasonable levy on bull***t and hot air! Judging by the sheer volume of BS I see contained in some of the responses and seeing the abundance of hot air (HA) being released about certain matters, a BS&HA/ARC Tax if properly implemented should eliminate the entire public debt in a very short time.
B.S. meters would be placed on every computer keyboard in the country, those of Guardian journalists and the word processor used by the Overseas Territory minister. Portable hot air volumetric measuring systems (HAVMS) would be used at each public meeting, with a permanent, industrial strength extra high volume capable HAVMS installed in the Legislative chambers.
At the current rate of BS&HA/ARC discharge, I forsee a surplus in government coffers before month’s end.
Would someone kindly put this in the form of a proposal and forward to the UK government? It might be our only hope.
Put this one in place and Mac going be personally bankrupt in a very short time…..rest of UDP members not far behind either!
Whatever you have been drinking you need to stop it.
"We are their competitors" Does anyone really believe this rubbish? Cayman only operates as a major player in the financial services industry because it is a British territory. If Britain wanted to close down Cayman it could do it in a week with an Order in Council.
Cayman cannot fight the world. In the grand scheme of things it is a small insect whichis at risk of being squashed if it makes too much noise.
Small insect with a big sting.
Try to squash Big Mac and you will see thats easier said than done.
British Bullying tactics dont scare us one bit.
puleeeeze. don’t get all too grandiose on yourself. you are one tiny little subdivision in miami. that’s it. ask the argentinians what happened to them when they got a bit too big for their own britches (Falkland Islands). they were immediately deflated of all their hot air – courtesy of the brits. wise thing to do is to keep your comments (ie. small insect with a big sting) to yourself before you make yourself look all foolish.
The Brits were able to squash the Argentinians because we the Caymanian people helped pay for it.
You are not suggesting that if we stand up for our rights that they will just send their warships and bomb us off the map. If you are, then I think you are just bragging like a typical british bully.
no, i’m not suggesting that the brits willor should send their warships to bomb you off the map. however, what i am suggesting is that you should not overestimate your self-worth and underestimate the brits’ resolve. if push came to shove, the brits will win if that is what they choose. i certainly admire the "little" guy standing up to the "big" guy, but pick your battles wisely.
unlike the Caymanian bully who uses threats and intimidation to expats that he knows people and will get their work permit revoked etc. British Bully = Caymanian Bully. they are all the same – just bullies – got nothing to do with nationality. (except in Cayman of course where everything yes everything is attributable to nationality in some way)
I don’t understand why so many people are cheering this announcement. It’s going to cost more in the end; we’re just deferring government expenditure over the long run and by-passing "immediate borrowing" so we don’t need approval from the FCO. Are we sure we want to be beholden to a select group of private individuals? But I suppose 15 years down the line when the bills are finally accounted for, our short-term memories won’t care about the choices McKeeva made today and why the "boat" is sinking even faster than we say it is now. I’m sure we will find some other hot-button issues to make electoral choices on while ignoring previous red-flags…
Brother / Sister I could not agree with you more. The UDP proposals are just creating debt for grandchildren.
REDUCE SPENDING – to key to solving the problem.
It is amazing how the herd mentally has set in with hundreds seeking every possible source to increase government revenue or announce new government taxes, hardly anyone is talking about reducing government spending.
I appreciate your support for my words, and I do agree that government spending should be reduced. I don’t know that it will be a silver bullet, but it can go a long way toward creating a more sustainable economic and social environment for us all. I do think that we need to change our revenue policies as well though. I’m a very firm believer that Cayman can continue to do well without any income or capital gains taxation, but I would feel more secure if our government revenue weren’t so volatile. Look what happens when tourism falls and the housing market slows. Government, which has just recently made some large, long-term infrastructure expenditures, has lost a significant amount of the revenue they were expecting to receive when the projects were initiated. I would really like to see some more long-term planning when it comes to how government brings in money, so that even during these rough times there will be some consistent amount that will at least cover ordinary expenditures, and during more prosperous times will help to facilitate infrastructural and service improvements.
I would love to see government run more efficiently. The real silver lining of the current financial crisis is that measures of frugality are being instilled into at least some of the civil service. Hopefully those lessons will stick when the times improve, and the result will be a better run organisation. Personally, I don’t want to see a reduction in services provided by government. I think it fills a niche that is, on the whole, more beneficial to our society than if certain areas were privatized to reduce government size. But if government can learn to use its resources more effectively, we can see an increase in services without an increase in expenditures. (Or in this case, we see a reduction in expenditure without a loss of service quality/quantity.)
I think the most prudent, and responsible way out of this crisis is to instill an attitude of moderation and caution in how we raise and spend money. These public-private financial initiatives lauded by the current LOGB reminds me of a teenager with a credit card and no supervision. Eventually the bill will come, but since it’s not today, it seems easier to buy, buy, buy. Let’s rather create a longer-term plan, which will show the FCO that we aren’t hedging on the return of strong financial market and tourist activity in thenext few years to offset the debt we need to incur right now. A long-term plan doesn’t mean we need the taxes everyone is railing against. We just need to show we have a vision that will allow us to repay our debts and have a consistent revenue source over the next 5-10 years. I’d rather borrow from a bank directly than pay essentially double interest on the same amount from a private investment initiative (or worse, cede significant control of a public good to a single private interest).
Here’s my prudent financial plan:
1) Reduce government spending by focusing on stream-lining our bureaucracy and cutting superfluous extras. Instill an attitude of effeciency and give incentives for meeting services benchmarks below estimated budgets.
2) Raise landing fees from $10 to $25. It’s a barely noticeable hike, and while currently cruise prices and some airline prices are falling, it won’t change a tourist’s decision to come here or not. It will, however, bring in an appreciable increase in revenue.
3) Sell Boatswains Beach, most likely at a loss. A one-time loss at this point is much better than losing money every year to this. It’s fine that it failed as an idea, so long as we don’t continue to make the same mistake in thinking it’s going to become profitable. Keep the turtle farm, but keep it simple (as it used to be, but maybe a little cleaner). The rest of the land can be put to better use by whomever is willing to pay a fair price for it.
4) Finish off constructing the new high schools. We might as well beneft from their completion and get it out of the way rather than drag the affair on and on. However, until we see a recovery in the global and local economy, have any other infrastructural projects limited to smaller endeavours (roads, maintenance of current infrastructure, etc.). Even without a grand docking facility, we will still service enough cruise ships. Once our revenue flow is looking healthier, then we can consider a handful of larger initiatives.
5) This is probably going to be the most contentious of my ideas, but let’s create an annual fee and call it "community contribution." Specifically this fee will pay for the budgets of garbage collection (so that fee will be added into the new "community contribution), policing, firefighting, water, and sewage treatment. We all need these services, and what better way to hold these services accountable than to know exactly how much of your wallet is going directly to these uses. I know none of us want to pay more to the government, but I for one would like to see these essential services independent of the fickleness of our current revenue scheme. I would envision the "community contribution" most likely being a fixed amount for simplicity reasons, though I would prefer it being proportionately tied to ability to pay so as not to be so regressive.
I have a few other points, but this is getting a bit long and I am hoping to hear some responses to it. It’s a rough sketch of the major points I see being a good step forward from the situation we are currently in, and I would be happy to work out more details as the conversation evolves.
Mr. Bush has taken some brave decisions which are only for the best. Good work Mr. Bush!
And yes CNS is the ONLY new service in Cayman who can get their finger out and actually report on local events a timely manner. I don’t look anywhere else any more.
YES !!! I hear ya Mr Bush, Stand Tall. Let them know what time it is.
Don’t rejoice so quickly!…
Public/Private Partnerships (PPP) and Private Financing Initiatives (PFI) are fraught with dangers, starting with the debt being off-balance sheet: off-balance sheet debts, such as SIV’s would have ruined the US banking system, it it wasn’t for the trillions of Dollars contributed by the taxpayers to save the banks.
Also, when there is no longer any public accounting, there is no transparency and our $780 million of debt could mushroom and spin out of control virtually undetected: remember the horrendous cost of the Turtle Farm that still loses about $8 million a year after costing some $60 million to build and Pedro Castle, another useless white elephant.
http://www.unison.org.uk/pfi/caseagainst.asp
PPP and PFI always cost more than normal financing, as the governement often is doing business with friends and associates who will be treated very well, you can be certain of that…
The cruiseships only need ONE dock, as a higher extension of the low lying and dangerous newly built dock, to allow 2 Oasis type ships to unload large numbers of passengers: the other ships are small enough top continue tendering: cost $50 to $60 million.
The cargo port could continue as is for many more years, as it’s still very much under used.
The channel in the North Sound to bring in luxury yachts is a perk for the Ritz Carlton: it will bring scant additional revenue to the islands and cause damage to the fragile ecosystem in the North Sound.
This is likely why the venue at the Ritz Carlton for the recent meeting organised by Mr. Bush was free of charge…
So, think hard before you jump on the bandwagon!…
Privitization has been discussed for at least 15 years. The CIG financial crisis is real and needs to be addressed proactively and aggressively. The time for debate is gone. I commend the LOGB……follow this through…..smaller Government…healthy Cayman Islands.
All the best Cayman
Lachlan MacTavish
Funny how all you PPM supporters forget all the shenanigans that occurred in the past administration. Kurt and his bunch should be charged criminally for their negligence and maladministration. Instead they are making their huge salaries. It burns me that they have the nerve to now criticize Mr. Bush for trying to get us out of this mess.
JOKE JOKE!!!
What "shenanigans"? As for criminal charges for negligence and maladministration, as a UDP supporter that should not come out of your mouth.
You wait to the T&C investigation touches Cayman.
While you talk about the Ritz meeting room, you better have the follow up meeting soon because Crabby told us that McKeeva has promised Mikey that the room can soon be converted for the first Cayman Islands Casino…Guess who is rolling the first dice??
You are spot on about PFI, it benefits only the investor.
Again, CNS is the first to report the news. I don’t know how they churn out this up-to-the-minute news as fast as they do. Good going CNS! We all can’t wait to hit your site to get news as it happens and not have to sit around for newspapers to print it or Weststar to finally get around to giving us a thumbnail description of local happenings. Cayman, please do as a few others have done and donate to this site — we use it — we love it — we need to support it.
YES YES CNS is doing a great service to this country. We all should support it.
Me and a couple of the boys have clubbed together and raised $1.45 (CI) maybe we can buy the airport?
"A lot of anti-UK sentiment here but my guess it that they will be bailing you out before long."
They never have and never will. We are their competitors.
The rest of your post is rubbish. The protectionist policies may oft be imperfect in practice, but meet a legitimate objective, nonetheless.
A lot of anti-UK sentiment here but my guess it that they will be bailing you out before long.
The Cayman business model is dead, it cannot work any more because when the times were good the greedy caymanians wasted all the money on nightclubbing and paying for their teenage kids with kids and buying blackberrys and 4×4 vehicles and other extravagances and didn’t save money for a rainy day. Now when the economy has collapsed they think they can save themselves by simply cutting down work permits or trying to penalise expats for sending money to their families.
Obviously they are biting the hand that feeds them and when the investors pack up and leave and take their business with them. The local people will be left with nothing. but still they’ll blame somebody else for their problems…probably the turtles next time for being green.
When the government shows up to Downing Street with cap in hand, hopefully the english will show them where to shove it.
The only alternative is to be a bit more welcoming to investors, get rid of all the anti-expat rules and regulations, let companies employ the best staff regardless of nationality and get some external consultants in to sort out the civil service and cut some of that fat off it.
The reason why there is so much anti-Uk sentiment here is because of people like you. the last time I checked there are very few countries in this world that have a favorable sentiment to the English, your colonialistic attitudes has antagonized countries for decades.
PS. don’t count on us showing up at downing street…….
…and cut fat from your brain…
Anti-UK sentiment ? Yeah I guess it is unfounded…The parent country starving her child…isn’t that negligently illegal?
Thanks Mom!
Are you an expat heading for roll-over or just another jealous one of Caymanians who made it and live well?????
No offence but you sound just like the Guardian.
You lost to Mac again so you are bashing him for going against your wishes.
Dont hold your breath until we end up at Downing Street with cap in hand.
Caymanians are above that.
During the Falklands war we sent money to Downing Street to help pay for the war. Not our Government, but the Caymanian people by contributions.
It seems you have a lot of anti-Caymanian sentiment. What on earth does the supposedly "greedy" Caymanians wasting their money on nightclubbing have to do with the government deficit? At least try to get a basic grasp of the issues before you write.
Trust me, we won’t be showing up at Downing Street begging for anything. We learned that we cannot rely on the UK for any financial assistance back in 2004. And there won’t be any need to despite your ill-wishes for us. Clearly, you relish the opportunity to ventilate your resentments. You are the enemy within.
Foreign consultants. Oh yes, we need more of those. Overpaid and useless foreign consultants are part of the reason govt. is cash-strapped today.
The UK is much stricter in its dealing with work permits for non European Nationals than Cayman is. Will they be lossening their anti expat rules and procedures? Or will they wait until there are more than twice as many expats as British people in the UK before doing so?
The sole point of the post above is the following:
"The only alternative is to be a bit more welcoming to investors, get rid of all the anti-expat rules and regulations, let companies employ the best staff regardless of nationality". Point taken.
In other words my dear Caymanians that poster is advocating that we open the flood gates even wider, let greed take full control from every corner, let foreigners rule supreme while Caymanians continue to be supressed and our lives destroyed on every level.
What Caymanians should be doing (especially the LoGB and the rest of the Government) is fully acquainting ourselves with the history of the Bahamian people, the journey they took and where they are today. And, no, I am not Bahamian, just a well read Caymanian.
I hope Caymanians see how Mac is warming unna up to the idea of casinos and gambling, among others.
Typical political scare-and-bully tactics: to get people to agree – put forward something so unpalatable that they will agree the second alternative: which is actually the one you were secretly going for.
but privatisation is good: except I suspect the UDP will have lined up all its cronies and gotten everything in place to ensure they and their buddies profit nicely from it privately (=privatisation).
Good decisions McKeeva Bush, now when do we get our casinos and lottery tickets?
Thanks Mac,
Also, explore china as an option for a loan (no more begging the UK).
-Islandboz
I want to be one of the first to congratulate you Mr. LOGB.
Kick their British butts and let them know that we will survive this crisis come what may.
We will fix our problems on our own because they never contribute anything to our welfare any how. They are like leeches waiting to bleed us dry, but we will swat them before we let that happen.
Great work Mr. Bush, We are proud of you.
Congratulate??!! Great work??!! Where are you living??!! The British are only running with the damn information that Mac is feeding the entire world! He is the one running his XXXX mouth with any foolishness he can think up just to try to blaspheme the PPM and then having to come back out publicly and take it all back!! Sorry but speak for yourself when you want to suggest being proud of this man…do not include ‘we’ please!!
"WE" Means me. I and myself and I dont give a hoot whether you like what I say or not.
You are obviously out of the Turtle Meat line now and have a big chip carrying on your shoulder so anything anyone says favourable about Big Mac will be a problem for you. "Cant stand the truth eh???????
Buy yourself a dictionary! And you are obviously on the "hand out, take all you can get, it’s all about me forget Country" train…..give me turtle mean any day! PS while you looking up the meaning of ‘me’ check out ‘truth’….it sure don’t resemble anything related to UDP or McKeeva!
You are obviously better at distortion of the facts than I am, so I will declare you the winner of this tracing match.
Mr. Bush is only proving what we already knew: he is a loose cannon. His mindless followers will rejoice at whatever he says or does, particularly if they think that it is damaging to the PPM whether or not it is also damaging to the country.
Well I am glad to hear that there will be no property or income tax- especially to those who don’t deserve it and cannot afford it. Thank you MAC. I also read that article in The Guardian, and could not believe it! Wow UK, and you really think that they ‘would like to help’ Cayman? Please. I hope that they know that Cayman, may not be a huge country, but we are strong and I’m hoping for the best. We all need to pray- remember after Ivan? Who would ever think that we’d be up and functioning the way we are/were?
God Bless.
Mr. LOGB, I think the Guardian took their cue from you. In your zeal to paint the PPM as having destroyed the country’s finances by reckless spending you yourself have been not been prudent with your comments. The Guardian picked up on your suggestion that the govt. would not have been able to meet payroll. You have been saying for months before the election that the country is "broke". Perhaps the Guardian understood that as saying that we are "bankrupt". While I understand that you are priming the people to make the moves you intend, please put country ahead of politics, sir.
Good move about the property taxes though. But then again you are a real estate broker.
AMEN, AMEN, AMEN!!
I feel the govt should tax expats. they make a lot more than caymanian and live a lot cheaper than we do. they can double up in rental and eat free food.
The should be made to eat each other and not Caymanian babies like they do now. At the very least, they should be stopped from eating true-born ones.
Free food is available in Cayman only during election time. I had curry goat with white rice in West Bay at a UDP meeting. Taste goooooooood. A caymanian told me sometimes they give away grocery bags if you have a vote.
You are nuts.
Free food? Where do we sign up?
Good.
Property and/or Income Tax would = death to Cayman