‘Slush’ fund queried by MLA
(CNS): Legislators have begun their careful examination of the government’s proposed spending plans for this fiscal year in Finance Committee. During the first day’s sitting MLAs scrutinized spending in the leader of government business’s various ministries, which at times led to heated exchanges between McKeeva Bush and members of the opposition over Cayman Airways and a new line item of $2.4 million, which was described as after school programmes and sports. What was explained by Bush as “nation building” and money to “help the churches” was identified as a potential “slush fund” for the Premier by Alden McLaughlin.
As members of the committee made various observations and asked questions over the increases in spending in the Ministry of Financial Services, Tourism and Development, as well as the cuts to the departmental budgets, line by line, Bush revealed thereasons for his ministry's spending plans.
In a heated exchange between Bush and Moses Kirkconnell over Cayman Airways and flights to the Sister Islands, Bush said that Kirkconnell did not have a monopoly on caring for Cayman Brac, but Kirkconnell pointed out that he had a right to ask questions and had not come to Finance Committee to be castigated but to gain information. McKeeva later angrily accused members of the opposition of plotting to try and trip him up and of being too facetious as the questioning continued.
As the committee moved towards the end of the LoGB’s appropriations, the former education minister asked the leader of government business about a line item listed under the transfer payments of $2.4 million which was described as “Other, Youth, Sports and Cultural Programme Assistance”. Alden McLaughlin observed that there were already similar line items in both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health’s appropriations for developing youth. McLaughlin said that having such things in duplicate or even triplicate was clearly going to cost more and wondered exactly what the significant sum was for.
In response, the leader of government business said there would be no duplication and this was a new appropriation for the office of the premier and it was incorrectly named as it should be entitled "nation building and leadership" as he said the idea was to give money to local churches to help with youth development and nation building projects. “They can find whatever excuse they want not to support it,” Bush observed of the opposition. “That’s up to them.”
McLaughlin noted that he was not persuaded by the logic of what was being proposed as it did sound like a duplication of other items. Bush, however, said the money would be used for other things as well, such as paying back the contractors who were out of pocket because of the collapse of the Matrix deal, as he said that was the moral thing to do.
“So a more appropriate name for this would be the ‘premier’s slush fund’?” McLaughlin asked.
Bush suggested that if McLaughlin wanted to call churches and young people a slush that was up to him, but Bush said he was trying to make some way with nation building and in his opinion churches have everything to do with that. McLaughlin observed that Bush himself had already stated that the fund would not be solely used for that purpose. The former educationminister said he believed that his record reflected his passion for the development of young people and that the point was whether this $2.4 million was a duplication of money already allocated to other ministries who were responsible for this work and pressed for a proper explanation of what it was for.
Bush angrily accused McLaughlin of throwing dirty water at things and thinking he would “get away with it”. He said he was “fulfilling a campaign promise” and it was about nation building. “You look at his record,” said Bush. “You’ll see dirty expenditure and wasteful expenditure.”
Although a full explanation for the $2.4million was not forthcoming, the line item was eventually passed. Finance Committee also heard, along with the appropriations and transfer payments, an equity investment (or a subsidy) of $9,000,000 would be given to the Cayman Turtle Farm — around 10% of the entire ministry’s budget.
Category: Headline News
The manner in which UDP has conducted their takeover of this country needs to be a separate discussion thread.
They know they have the votes to pass whatever they want, and they have used their power to create slush funds and give themselves unchecked power to rape and pillage our country’s coffers for their own agenda.
CNS, could you please create a platform for this discussion?
CNS: The platform is already there. Go to CNS online Forum and click on "post new forum topic"
October, time for Pirates………
The rape, pillage and plunder of our country is now being done by the new modern-age financial pirates call the government! Now that is the month of October, they have arrived in full & true colors!!
Caymanians, what are you going to do about this situation????????
Render to Caesar that which is for Caesar! MacKeeva, I beg you, please admit the TRUTH as to what the Churches money are for? Did Julianna put you up to this? Can we have a complete breakdown as to which churches the KYD 2.5mio is going to and for what use?. Please also tell the people of this Country, what will the other alloted funds for the churches be used for? Do you think God is in favour of these funds and their potential uses, when you are robbing the people of this country of their birthright and everything else? Are you secretely bringing Socialism to this country? Why are you NOT operating with full transperacy as per your campaign? Please McKeeva, stop being an idiot as our leader and admit what YOUR REAL hidden agenda is. Stop supressing the other UDP members and let us hear their voices. Why are you the ONLY one talking for that team? Are they all under threat by you? Do you know the opposition has a right to question every bit of your actions and they also have the right to be given a truthful answer? Do you know that????? You should! Because you also gave then HELL, when you were the opposition, or do you have a memory lapse?
Ha, ha don’t say I never told you soooooooooooo. LOL
17:58 – I don’t think Ezzard will change, he is doing really good and I like how he put Mark Scottland in his place. Mark don’t even have a clue how the Hospital is running.
Look at the joker.
You better believe he don’t know what he doing was listening to Finance committee and Ezzard asked why was the budget for districts health clinics cut by 33% and he could not answer that question…what a shame he passed the question on to Mrs Yearwood
what a bunch
Hahahahaahha we all know Mark is cluessless. He should never have been that position. He simply simply does not have a clue what he is doing. It looks so bad on the Cayman Islands !
Mark and John, john better don’t come by my door about voting for una, because I know you were one of the "eyes" who voted for this and many out projects which will put us further in the hole.
Anyway, you all are already secure in this life.
Don’t get side tracked by the churches argument. I think the church plays a very valuable role in our society but when wedon’t have the money to give them we don’t have it-plain and simple. N.B. they are provided for separately in the budget anyhow!
But this goes way beyond that!! This money is not about the churches. He is using the churches as an excuse. He didn’t even deny this was slush money. Mac will do whatever he wants with this money. This money will go unaccounted for. This money will be used to encourage a society where people thrive on hand-outs. This will be used to secure votes.
If we have $2.5 to use so frivolously, why not use it to pay down some on the schools or at least some other project where we can see where it is being spent?
Come on Cayman! Are you all starting to see that either we are not as broke as he claimed? that he doesn’t have the political will to reduce unnecessary expenditure to avoid direct taxation? or that he will sell our country out to help us pay for the Government-dependent society he’s creating?
You are absolutely correct 17:19
The question is, ‘What do you we do to stop this?’
Cayman is at a crossroads and Mac is taking us down the wrong path.
So correct 17:19 – and dont forget the $5.5M he’s come up with to employ the unemployed for several months doing what civil servants are already being paid to do!
Is it not a fact that most of our local churches repatriate most of the money the recieve to Jamaica and elsewhere and that monies spent locally is usually borrowed from our Banks.??????
Are’nt most of our Ministers from foreign lands and remit their portion as well.
You can bet anything the Government hands them will go away as well.
Is the Government going to hold them accountable for how they spend the money???
No surprise to me!
Govt. allows the churches imports tax free, then gives them money that tax payers pay. Many of these tax payers also go to church to pay them more tax (to pay for salvation). This is all a corrupt scam! with the churches happy, poiticians able to count on the church vote and the voters oblivious (for the most part) all paid for by the voters who both the church and politicians try thier best to keep ignorant and unaware.
Is it still any wonder why the Church and Politicians are so against this country’s people having Civil/Human Rights?
They don’t want you the people to have any REAL say…
People, PLEASE stand up!
"Money to “help the churches"? Are you serious? I swear before Jesus and three other white men that this country is going insane. We are in a financial crisis and the government wants to give money to churches??!!!
You cannot be serious. They don’t have enough already? If they need more money, let them pray for it or let them squeeze more from the poor gullible patrons who have fallen for their racket.
Our government should NOT be giving money to churches. Shouldn’t we privatize the God business in the name of efficiency and financial prudence?
XXXXXX
Hey, give me some money! I can promise you life in the clouds when you die too! Give me money!
sincerely,
Glen Beck
Dear Lord help us! We are broke yet Mac can now find $5.5million to pay out to the ‘unemployed’. Sorry but I smell ‘handouts’…again! We are broke yet Mac can find $2.4million to pay out to the Churches for their ‘after school programmes’. Sorry but I smell ‘handouts’…yet again! After all, the near million ‘handed’ out under the guise of ‘loans’ via the Development Bank disappeared within weeks – Mac has to continue to find ways to provide more and more ‘handouts’ to impress the blinded flock following behind him! What is it going to take to stop this man?!
The churches should implement the program they had in East End a few years ago. Parents pay $10 a week for their kids to go their after school for help with their homework and for "babysitting" services. They were served a very light snack and the parents knew where their kids were when they got out of school. Worked okay up here. Alternate volunteers from the church and HS students to help. I don’t see why government should have to fund after school programs. It helps the parents to know their kids are taken care of and they don’t have to come home to help with homework etc.
Please someone wake me up from this crazy dream. I am dreaming that I was in a weird country where the government decided to save the economy by taxing the #$%$ out of the main businesses and using it to pay for church to build a nation. I must be smoking some real bad #$##.
"right after he denied his own existence"
or even confirmed it?
After all of the fussing in this thread, I am leaning towards a big fat payroll tax for EVERYBODY and then we can be like all the other countries in the world and we can whine about taxes like everyoneelse.
The churches get plenty of money from the government now, why the devil do we have to give them more? Because Big Mac is a Christian? I see no one managed to stop him from getting away with it. Who is going to?
Turtle farm, Cayman airways,Civilservice, etc, etc. So you all really have not gotten it yet. Think for yourselves for a moment. Just who is benefiting from these goverment entities? Yes yes yes the Cayman people are paying a huge amount each month for the privlage of feeding who and of course their children and their childrens children.Think! Who??? Now how did they get in the position of sitting back and scooping it all up? Now before you get all mad heres the thing…You let them. You are still letting them and you always will let them. Best thing you can do is get back in line and hope there is something left over for you. And of course you can complain. And cry. And blame some one else. And watch your heritage go down the drain.
Or …….you can do something….but even your leaders know that you won’t.
Is there not a HERO amongst you?????
Oh my it is so sad to see how the Macjinedad (did I get it right) manipualtes us Caymanians, he uses his bullyish attitude and what I call scare tactics to push and scare the illitrate and Navie bunch of Caymanians that has put him and his Party in control, (DO NOT GET ME WRONG PPM DID NOT DO MUCH EITHER and derserved their termination of services) it is time for the PPM to start a fight for these Islands as their are no other political parties currently out their.
Macjinedad is going to sell us have us screwed and the leave us in the cold, folks whatever the PPM spent at least we can see where it went roads and schools (I must admit it was very costly).
That is why Macjinedad wanedt the loan to give money to the Turtle Farm, the first thing they should do there is reduce the entry cost for toruist make more tourist be able to afford to visit and then create more of a theme park for the locals with rides and slides etc… (sort of like Busch Gardens or Six Flags) all incorporated around the Turtles and Marine life.
The next thing they should do GET RID of all the excess weight they have in Government Departments, starting with those people they call Financial Officers if they where any good they would have better control of Departmental Finances, then give control of Human Resources to one body of Government like how it was before.
Cayman Airways sell 40% to a private company or Individual for a period time with an option to by back, Send the Airline to other caribbean destinations and Latin American Countries.
The increase in Immigration fees is a good start.
Alden, Arden, Moses and sometimes Kurt give them Hell. Anthony it time for your to start speak up, Ezzard I can not tell you nothing because I do not trust you and will not know when you will change to Macjinedad’s side, so all I can say keep up the war with you and the Governor. Chuckie not because you not in give them hell too.
Sorry but no, you are incorrect. It has recently been changed to “MacMissick”.
You not sure "when" Ezzard will "change" to Macjinedad’s side? Sorry to tell you, but Ezzard has been UDP from the day of the coup, he told us all so, & he has never changed from then. He is so far up Macjinedad that it will never change! I believe he even held a position in the UDP. Do not make him fool you with that "independent" crap, itain’t so!
To the Honourable Leader of Government Business, Ministers, Members of the L.A. – please please stop name calling, blaming, arguing and making people ashamed of you and concentrate on leading this country out of the mess it is in. Please consider the plight of all of the people living in the Cayman Islands but especially your own people and do something about unemployment and crime. You need to sit down with the heads of all of the financial and professional bodies of this country and members of the opposition to try to come up with solutions to stimulate growth.
Please remember that if you continue to put the burden on employers with the increase in work permit fees, 10% tax on rents, some (many of whom will be small business owners who are Caymanian) will go out of business, others will decide that they have had enough of trying to deal with Immigration and paying through the nose for Govt. to continue to waste our money and go elsewhere.
Start enforcing the clause in the work permit renewal letters which states that a Caymanian must be identified within 6 months to be trained as a sucessor to the work permit holder. I am a status holder and I love this country but I am appalled at the way this Govt. is behaving. I feel for all those who are unemployed and cannot put food on their tables and the families who have lost loved ones due to the increase in murders. Please focus on doing something for them.
Stop blaming the previous government. Yes, they made mistakes but you should remember that they had your mess to clean up 4 years ago. Start doing what you are paid to do by the people of this country – run it properly with decency, honesty and integrity. Treat your own people fairly and stop squabbling like children. AND CUT DOWN ON GOVT. SPENDING. I am not saying that I want civil servants to be unemployed but the private sector is cutting down whereever it has to and Govt. should be leading by example. You all earn large salaries and should be the first to take a cut because most of you have your own businesses and are not entirely dependent on your salary like the rest of us.
You represent everyone wehther or not they voted for you and you SHOULD have their best interests at heart and not your own.
Finally and most importantly please remember that one day, you will stand before GOD and you will be accountable to him for your actions.
no site of saving money when big mac gets another West Bayer in with Pirates Week and increases their budget by over $125,000….come on get real.
get rid of this donkey festival and privatise it….
what’s next a million dollar facelift for ‘Hell’…
this place is turning into a joke that everyone is laughing at.
AMEN i couldn’t have said it better myself, after listening to the LA report last night i am absolutley DISGRACED to hear how the leader of govt. business is speaking to his collegues, especially when a relevant question is being asked of him. The increase in budgets to accomodate churches and other sorts are ridiculous.as long as i have lived on this rock not one govt. minister has yet decided that they deserve to be "high rolling" in expensive vehicles and escorted by the police. but yet, BIG MAC surely feels that he needs to. to me that is UTTER DISRESPECT to us as a people who put him there and yet there are still so many starving children and families who cannot better do. especially for the fact that ALL EXPATS are being put before they islands own people. Every where you look there is more and more unemployment within our people and social services CANNOT HELP. i have nothing against foreigners being here and trying to better themselves but WHAT ABOUT THE CAYMANIANS? the money that these employers are spending on WORK PERMIT FEES and PLANE TICKETS and HOUSING ALLOWANCES etc could be saved if they were willing to hire and train caymanians. all you hear is that caymanians are lazy but how can they do anything if NO ONE GIVES US A CHANCE.
The recent activities of the criminal element in this country do necessitate some security for those in Government. Anyone who refuses it does so at their own risk, and it would be foolish to do so just to look ‘humble’.
Excuse me, I was caught off guard and confused for a moment. When you said "recent activities of the criminal element", I, like most other people, naturally assumed you were talking about the budget appropriations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_tax
In a heated debate #2 … I absolutely agree with the comments of 9:43.
I applaud Mr. Kirkconnell and Mr. McLaughlin for not allowing Mac to bully them.
It is pathetic to see what this government has come to. Mac and the UDP are orchestrating a government by intimidation.
Let us all pray that the Good Lord gives Mr. Kirkconnell and Mr. McLaughlin the strength to continue to show leadership and integrity as they stand up for the people of this country and question the irratic behavior of the wild man we’ve elected as LoGB!
What i find so funny is that Caymanians talk and talk and talk but never actually do anything about it. You know that Mac has set up a slush fund for himself, you talk about how bad it is, and what a disgrace it is, and how history is repeating itself, and then you let it go – you pass it into law! Why does no one do anything about this. Its almost as if the Caymanians like to be taken advantage of, to be made a foul out of.
And just looking else where on this site you see it over and over again – Ellio for instance – 135 people have written in to say what a disgrace it is and how unflattering it is to the MLA’s etc and yet no one, NOT ONE SINGLE PERSON, has done anything about it? just talk!
It beggers belief – Why do Caymanians allow themselves to be bent over the barrel and not do a single thing in protest? There are so many good Caymanians out there, can not one of them stand up and say NO. This can’t go on?
So true, sad, but true. Unfortunately, this nation now has a lack of faith in taking action. See what happened to Lyndon Martin…? A good reason to just talk anonymously about things, after all, we like to talk.
But a good reason is still no excuse. We need to take action, starting with myself. If everyone moved and took a stand, what they go do, lock us all up?
2 better than 1 and couple hundred better than some, but 1 is way better than none!
I see the calls on CNS for Caymanians to stand up and say no. Someone please educate me as to what exactly that means? Do you want us to march on the LA. Do you want us to stand on the front steps until the Government promises to behave itself. Do you want us to tell them we are not leavign until there is a vote of no confidence in the LA to remove the LOGB. What exactly do you want us to do??????? Stop just talking about how Caymanians are just talking and tell us something solid that we can use.
If talk could solve problems, this island would have none.
"$1 million per month subsidy of the Turtle Farm"
You are so right! I can’t beleive this, and to think someone would ever question Mac (God forbid!).
I beleive that Alden has a few degrees, and Mac doesn’t, so I would trust Alden to be able to read between the lines of what Mac is trying to get away with.
There will be people that question Alden’s spending on schools (I do too), but that doesn’t make him an idiot at all (only human and maybe trying to do too much at one time) but he should be listened to.
The Turtle Farm is located within the constituency of the LOGB.
It provides employment to supporters of the UDP and that commodity that is so vital to vote getting at election time.
The LOGB would be crazy to shut down or sell such an important source of support for him and his Party.
Close the turtle farm down or severly cut it back to breakeven! Government has proven they are like every other government in the world they can’t run a profitable business.
When government thinks more of turtles than its citizens there is something really wrong with nearly one million per month in a subsidy. If somebody would do a cost analysis of closing the turle farm and lose of tourists my guess is the people of Cayman would save probably 8.0 million per year.
Until the Cayman government can make the hard choices of cutting programs, reducing bloated governement payrolls and eliminating programs they are only kicking the can down the road for future tax increases.
If Alden was as careful with the $$, when he was writing the checks, perhaps things would be a little easier for us now. Apppeciate his overdue "concern".
The mindset ( notice I did not give any names ) That created this mess is now going to do their best to solve it. This will end badly for the people of Cayman but not the people responsible as they are now once again just thinking of their own financial futures at the expense of the people. I also expect many of those with their hand in the pot to yell the loudest and as usual those who have filled the pot to remain silent.
The answer is simple Alden. $1M of the money is for 3 WEST BAY churches. Wesleyan (Mac’s church), Rev. Stanwyck Myles church and the West Bay Seventh Day Adventist church.
You wanna bet that these churches will silently support the introduction of Mac’s casinos.
Who ever said that money can’t buy you salvation !!!! Amen 🙂
Shame on those who come bearing a message and practising the opposite !!!!!!!!!!
The remainder of the money ($1.4M) is of course Mac’s slush fund for God knows whose benefit other than his.
Damn we’re so broke that Mac can only afford $2.4M for his slush fund. We gotta tax our people more so Mac can get the money that he is so addicted to.
Do you all realise how expensive those slot machines and tables can be ????
Give a man a break now !!!!!
I know a place where I can buy all the slot chairs cheap. Used but in good condition.
You find the machines and I find the chairs.
Are you ready to put your money where your mouth is.
Bush always putting his hands in Cayman’s cookie jar. Mr. Bush read your bible, "The love of money is the root of all evil," (I Tim. 6: 10).
Hopefully there is another line item in the budget for the brown paper bags in which the "nation building" money is to be passed out to cronies and those who have contributed to Party coffers. A separate line item for brown paper bags would provide much more transparency than simply buying the bags with the "nation building" money.
Ah – another example of Bush’s dictatorship style. How dare anyone ask any questions or present any challgenges. Don’t you get it! We are all brainless individuals to him who should happily comply to his rulings, so that he has a cushy life (as well as his darling family and friends) and he can feel important. So please people, would you stop carying for your country, your children and your future and just roll over and play dead! I think otherwise the poor man could have a heart attack and how could we go on in life without him being around……..
Alden needs to sit his tired A$@# down and give Mckeeva a break. What the PPM needs to explain to the people of this country, is where did the money go when they were in power. All the projects the PPM have managed to start was done in a hurry to look good for the election. They had four years and not single project has been completed and they have the nerve to question with Mr. Bush is doing.
Shame, Shame on Alden, Kurt, Arden, Clifford, and Mr. Eden for putting the good people of this country in such a mess.
PPM needs to eliminated all together.
God Bless the Cayman Islands.
Excuse me?? Where you living girl? Obviously in a dream world…..wake up please!
Hey Alice in Wonderland (8:25) take your headout of your A**. We know you are one of the UDP cult and you were probably brainwashed by your leader but no project he has ever touched was successful. He is a disaster as a leader. So i am not sure what nonesense you are talking about the PPM. At least you can see where they spent the money. On the other hand your leader seems to be getting richer while the country sinks.
I think the SHAME is on you for not having the intelligence to THINK, ANALYSE and do the SIMPLE MATH.
Do you have any clue about the financial crisis that the WHOLE WORLD is now experiencing???
IsCAYMAN ISLANDS
Just WHERE or HOW does this country make its money, besides the fees from Work Permits????
Do you have any idea where the REVENUE (i.e. CASH) for theseIslands are generated???
Are you aware of the TWO main INDUSTRIES of theCayman Islands ????
Do we manufacture and export our own products???
IF YOU KNEW THE ANSWERS TO THE FEW SIMPLE QUESTIONS, YOU WOULD THEN HAVE A DIFFERENT THOUGHT PROCESS, A MORE EDUCATED AND INTELLIGENT RESPONSE THAN WHAT YOU HAVE POSTED.
I URGE you to become PROACTIVE and EDUCATED for the sake of you, your family, your country’s citizens and for the future preservation of theseIslands . I also URGE you to develop a personal characteristic of INTERGITY that would allow you to GIVE CREDIT WHERE ITS DUE, regardless of which party is in control of the LA.
This sounds like Elio or one of the other udp ex-runners that didn’t get it.
You all can cry about the money that ppm spent. I agree that ppm overspent, but Atleast you knew where the majority of the money went.
The UDP has been spending money under the sheets for years and it will continue…..
Mercedez 8:25.
Ummmm yeah… What planet did you say you were from again?!?!?
you need to sort out yourself first you said that PPM need to tell the ppl where the money went and then you say that the projects ppm started?
what are you really trying to say???
Yes, one-party state! Eliminate the dissidents! We are above question! Heil Mac!
You people have really lost it.
Lord have mercy upon us.
"Nation Building" – Right – everyone knows that as soon as Mac invokes the church that he is up to something. The only nations built on kickbacks and under the table payments are banana republics. Every MLA who voted for this ought to be too embarrassed to ever appear in public again. Disgusting.
Jesus wept, are they still investing taxpayers cash in the turtle farm! What a waste of money. Surely they don’t see any future benefits from that place?
Raping small businesses and expats on one side and frittering the cash away on the other. Will you idiots stop voting for these freakshows and get somebody competent in before the ruin your country more than you already have!
Theres not really much of a choice when it comes to voting – it’s a choice between the poison or the knife.
$1 million per month subsidy of the Turtle Farm. Clearly Mac values turtles more than he does the Cayman people who are going broke trying pay the new taxes he is imposing. The total cost of this disaster must now be close to $100 million including the interest and subsidies. Shut it down or sell it off within the next 30 days. We cannot afford this.
The Turtle Farm would get more vistors if it wasn’t so expensive. I can go to Sea World in Florida for 70US and it has so much more to offer. I think the Turtle Farm is a nice place but not for the amount they are charging. It’s better to get 10 people at a lesser price then 1 at a higher!!!
I am glad that the extra money on work permits which is likely to cripple my business appears to being used to fund churches. Do I get a credit when it comes to tithing?
Very droll but missing the point. The money is not funding churches but programmes run by churches to help people.
Churches are businesses, with employees. They should be charged licence fees, import duties, work permit fees, etc like everyone else.
Time to stop pussy footing around. If you need the votes that badly then just reduce their fees closer to election time.
Don’t be daft, they’re not businesses. Businesses are designed to run at a profit for the financial benefit of the owners. Churches are designed to run at no profit or at a small loss in order to help people. If someone is making a profit using Cayman as a base then Cayman is entitled to a share – that’s completely irrelevant in the case of churches.
You and I both know that is bull$hit. Maybe years ago churches were run as for the right reasons, but now they are run as commercial enterprises. The lord would become a Muslim if he knew the extent of corruption and racketeering in his name happening in churches around the world and definately in Cayman.
The churches, schools run by churches are all turning over nice profits in Cayman and should pay their way.
"The lord would become a Muslim if he knew the extent of corruption and racketeering in his name…"
The sheer scale of ignorance required to make a statement like that renders future debate pointless. Are Christians perfect? Of course not. Are some people who claim to be Christian corrupt? Absolutely. But claiming churches are profiting only proves one thing – you’ve never been part of a real one. And as for the Lord becoming a Muslim – well maybe he would…right after he denied his own existence.
You’re getting quite defensive father anon, so I guess you’ve got your fingers in a few pies not to mention the collection plate. Stop fiddling with little boys and using the trust that people put in you for some good for a change. Stop meddling and interfering in politics and the affairs of the country where the majority of people no longer believe in god because of the disgraceful attitude of the churches and ministers on the island.
Thank God I’m not a Caymanian. You guys are all screwed! And NO there is not a Hero among us. Not one that could take on the Goverment! God help the honest Caymanian because no one else can.
Has anyone seen kinda cars and SUVs these church pastors driving around. Most of them have big SUVs, BMWs or Benz. Where do they find money for these. Some of them have huge land holdings around the country. It is sad to see that the religon being abused left right and center while crimes sky rocketing in these lovely islands.
Countries which offer tax and other concessions to churches and other charitable organisations always face a problem. Most people and entities which claim to be churches are actually involved in charitable and educational activities. However, there are individuals and groups that abuse the exemptions relating to immigration and tax laws afforded to legitimate charitable organisations. When anyone can wash up on our shores and claim to be a preacher we have a problem. I suspect that we do have a problemand it is an expensive problem to monitor, particularly with people having a right to choose their own religion.
Are Jedi Knights subject to the increase in fees?