Ezzard won’t roll on changes
(CNS): With government expected to bring legislative changes to the rollover policy to the Legislative Assembly before the end of the month, MLA Ezzard Miller has confirmed he will not be supporting them. Calling the proposals a “concrete ceiling for Caymanians”, Miller says he is not swayed by the premier’s pleas for change and he won’t roll on what he sees is a need to protect Caymanians, both in the workforce and from massive increases in status. Miller said reducing the rollover break and exempting so many specific jobs would take the wind out of the sails of professional Caymanians working in finance.
A strong and persistent advocate for protecting jobs for Caymanians as well as limiting status awards, Miller, the independent MLA for North Side, said he did not believe that the country’s financial services sector is suffering as a result of the rollover policy.
“I am not convinced that the problem with the financial industry is based on immigration,” he told CNS. “The problems are global; they are related to the downturn. I would like to see statistics that show exactly how many firms have left or how many Caymanian jobs have been lost because of permit issues. It’s just an excuse. I am not aware of so many permits being turned down that firms have left and I would want to see the empirical evidence.”
Miller said rollover was about limiting the number of people each year that would have the right to residency and then of course status and voting rights. He said the discussions about reducing the gap on rollover have been going on since it was introduced, and he said it was made clear at the time that six months was not enough to justify a legal break in stay. “I believe in the rollover policy, not because it preserves jobs but because if we don’t have it we will lose political control of our country,” Miller warned.
What he sees as a threat to Caymanian advancement to senior posts is the mandating of key status for specific jobs. He said key status should be awarded on a case by case basis on merit, and to shift the burden of proof from the employer to the Work Permit Board will push Caymanians out of the door. Once non-Caymanians have all the top jobs, Miller believes, they will not train or promote Caymanians.
“People tend to promote their own, it’s just how it is,” he added, and noted the introduction of a list of exempted positions from rollover was "a concrete ceiling for Caymanians” and said it would "take the wind out of their sails".
Miller warned that employers need to be encouraged to train Caymanians as he did not believe that the Caymanians working in the profession couldn’t take these senior posts. The North Side representative also said he was not convinced by the drive to bring the fund managers and key players from the financial centres of London and New York and others would work.
“They’re not going to leave New York; that’s where they need to be to do the rounds of cocktail parties and make deals. They won’t come,” he predicted, adding that Cayman should concentrate on the areas of finance it already does well and do it more efficiently for less to attract business and compete.
While Miller acknowledged there would always be a need to bring some people from overseas for certain posts and that the country had benefitted from foreign talent, it should not be at the expense of the country’s own people and that employers should not always think about simply hiring a foreigner; they needed to think about training Caymanians into those vacant positions.
Miller said it was time the Cayman Government provided scholarships for young Caymanians to attend top universities such as Oxford and Harvard to get the right education. “We have to make sure our people get the support, but so long as there is someone from Timbuktu at the top making the decisions they will have no obligation to promote Caymanians and will protect their own."
Miller lamented what he saw as an historic trend to always amend the immigration laws in favour of ex-pats and never in favour of Caymanians as the foreign lobbyists always seem to dictate to government. He said people had to understand those coming from overseas were not here just to do Cayman a favour; they were coming for their own benefit. “Only a fool migrates from where he is better off to where he is worse,” Miller said.
CNS: The penultimate paragraph has been amended following a request from Mr Miller for a correction. Mr Miller says it is the government and not the private companies that should be financing Caymanian students to attend the top universities. CNS apologises to Mr Miller for the mistake.
Category: Headline News
Let them eat turtle.
Year 12 students graduating from John Gray High School and the Cayman Brac High School in 2010 will participate in the annual graduation exercise as usual during the month of June, provided they meet the current graduation criteria, which up until now has only considered effort, behaviour and attendance.
Miller said it was time the Cayman Government provided scholarships for young Caymanians to attend top universities such as Oxford and Harvard to get the right education.
Grades, which are not important here, happen to be Oxford’s and Harvard’s number one criteria for entrance. I hope Mr. Miller emphasizes this to all the children he speaks words of encouragement to.
The way I have coped with the interference of rollover in my business is this. Everytime one good long serving employee is rolled over, I draw up a list of underperforming Caymanians and fire one of them. At least this method means some good comes from a roll over.
That’s it? Spite? Sounds like a case of unfair dismissal each and every time.
Yes unfair dismissal of a hardworking lawabiding expat!!!
If anyone has been unfairly dismissed, Caymanian or expat, then they should seek redress against their employer. Singling out Caymanians for dismissal for petty spite is a clear case of unfair dismissal. The Dept. of Employment Relations should track the correlation between rollover and dismissal of Caymanians. Perhaps what is needed is a larger stick.
Caymanians are often accused of having an entitlement mindset, but it seems to me that what is reflected here is an expat entitlement mindset. I am hardworking and lawabiding therefore I am entitled to stay in perpetuity. We expect expats to be law-abiding and hardworking – that is not a special contribution. You should not be here in the first place if you are not.
Every expat came on the clear and express basis that they should have no legitimate expectation of permit renewals or permanent rights. Suddenly rollover is "unfair" because they have an expectation which is not legitimate.
Very well said. Unfortunately, Caymanians cannot always seek redress. If they complain to immigration they will not get hired anywhere else.
Yes PR man sounds like you are part of the problem u like many of your cohorts will soon find out what you sow so shall you reap.
Could somebody please enlighten the rest of us as to just how many employees have been granted "Key Employees" designation since the "Roll Over Law" has come into effect? Some one may have already asked this question but I am not aware of the answer. It will be interesting to know.
Ezzard what’s all the noise about saving jobs for Caymanians? How many people are you talking about when you speak of Caymanians? I go back to 8 generations, and I am sure you do also. that is my definition of Caymanians. Sometimes when you speak of preserving the jobs for Caymanians, I wonder, really what percentage you are speaking about. Are you referring to those , for example, the two foreign ladies that you marry and qualified them to be Caymanians? And knowing you , it will soon be the third one. Ezzard you are my buddy, but I have to tell you the truth, you have contributed to the influx of non-caymanian qualifying to take jobs Caymanian could hold. what nationality you are going to marry next?
That was a personal attack on Ezzard, why could’nt you just speak on a general level than personally attacking him, I agree with him on keeping the Rollover inwhich is a good idea and they should leave it alone. 7yrs and 1yr to rollover is good and it allows the Caymanian to get a fair piece of their own pie and it would take atleast 5yrs more before Caymanians like you, I guess would come to appreciate how good the Rollover protects the Cayman Islands and it’s people. It’s all about protecting your border and without it we would be doomed and then you would wish the Rollover Policy should not have been removed and please stop atttacking people on a personal level.
And by the way it suppose to fix that 3000 status grant that Macdinejad laid on the shoulders of Cayman and it would take sometime to fix that problem. And I know this can’t happen overnight or in just 5yrs, it can even take up to 15yrs to fix that kind of a problem, but some of it’s protection already have been shown and don’t let all the crime distract you from the changes it is making and sometimes that itself have something to do with the transition phase the Cayman Islands is going through, soon all that would come to rest and we would reap the benefit of the Rollover Policy and on top of that the Bill of Rights coming into effect in 2013 and lets not forget the full dose of the Constitution, these three combine suppose to make the Cayman Islands a better place.
The point the person was making is that "Actions speak louder than words".
We are going to need foreigners as long as our governments continue to ROB our children of a decent education. Indeed, we brag to the world about our standard of living, while we look down on our neighbors’. However, standard of living is not just about per capital income, it includes health and education as well. Although our per capita income is greater than most countries world wide, kids educated in our "backward" neighbors consistently get their children into the best universities world wide.
If we don’t PUSH education, the way we push this rollover we are going to end up worse than our neighbors. Mark my words.
Probably hundreds, at least 7 in my business alone.
I know a chef that got key employee status. Didn’t think they were that hard to come by.
You can count on that. We are behind Ezzard no matter what anyone says
Right now as I see it he is the only hope we have for Cayman.
Nothsiders love him and we out of towners love him too.
cant keep him down.
Hazzard’s margin of victory in any election is so slim, that any "New Caymanian voters" are a threat to him.
He is smart enough to understand that his current base in NS, is solely in the "born and bred". But, that could change quickly, with only a few Naturalizations, Status grants… Who would undoubtedly vote for "other".
Yes Slowpoke Its people like you is why these rules are put in place New Caymanians yes that is our current problem too many of you trying to overwhelm this island and disenfranchise the true Caymanians. Go Weh Bwoy.
What isa "true Caymanian" anyway. Unless you are descended from a turtle or an iguana then your forefathers were expats too.
Everyone knows a true Caymanian when they see one. They are born Caymanians who regard these Islands as home. It helps when you have got 8 generations of ancestors whose bones have rotted in the Cayman soil, but it is not exclusive.
A "true Caymanian" is generally a Jamaican who has lived here longer than the Jamaicans they are so horrible about.
Can you misinterpret my comments more or make any more assumptions about me from one short comment?
All I was saying is that Ezzard (and all others for that matter, from the "small" electoral districts), will be more significantly affected by additional Status/Nat grants. 100 new voters in GT or WB will have minimal effects, whereas 100 new voters in NS, EE, CB/LC could have a huge effect.
That was very easy slow poke your first word set the tone and personallity type.
As a ps to my previous remark I am Oxbridge Educated and I have not many many Caymanians who would have passed muster – I suspect they wouldn’t much have enjoyed it either but thats just my opinion and as someone once said opinions are like backsides – everyone has one.
I don’t think this comment is slur on anyone. It is just a factor of statistics. My guess is that any small town in the UK with a population of 30,000 or so would struggle to produce more than a handful Oxbridge candidates. So why would Cayman be any different?
yeah like the MLAs are all honest with their backhanders, companies with friends and family that benefit from the influence that a helpful MLA on side brings. Corruption is the same world over USA, UK, Cayman – don’t kid yourselves that it isn’t. The hypocrasy is that here they pretend they are different from anywhere else. As for the comment that people recruit their own I believe that remark from Ezzard comes from his own conscience rather than any expat company. Companies only want to recruit those who are properly qualified and will work hard. It is unfortunate but the rollover and general immigration policy here breeds – with some notable exceptions – a feeling of being entitled and thus, as a generalisation, laziness. I accept that there are many hard working well qualified caymanians out there but as an ex-pat who has experience in both government, private enterprise, the probation department, social services and the courts I believe that I have seen a cross section of cayman which is the generalisation as opposed to the minority who are exceptionally wealthy and/ or educated. Essentially a private company will recruit those who do the job best, maximise the profits and cost them the least to employ. If that is a Caymanian they will do so – it has absolutely nothing to do with them being racist and recruiting ex-pats because they have something against Caymanians. Remember it is less expensive, easier, and less disruptive to recruit a caymanian. But why are there so many expats in the white collar area (by expats I suppose I should say western expats because that seems to be the demographic). Is it because they are hard working do the job and are qualified?
His support comes from a very small group of voters who are notorious for being somewhat narrow minded – Norsiders as they are known locally. He calls people "furriners" which is frankly offensive. I have first hand experience and that person openly admitted that Norsiders would adopt a particular truculent attitude to achieve intimidate someone into backing off. Is that the attitude that one would employ if one wanted to have a smooth running efficient and harmonious business?
It is somewhat amusing really see the usual expat vs cayman diatribe which he engenders by his remarks. In England the British working classes have lost their jobs and have to compete with free moving European Union members who do a better job than the lazy layabout chavs – the same rhetoric avounds but probably on the pages of the Daily Mail and inside the halls of the BNP meeting rooms. The problem gets subsumed by the whole Muslim vs West debate which currently rages in England. Nonetheless it continues to work and companies and the economy benefit.
Anyway to get to my point. Venting spleen at the expats is not going to stop young caymanians getting into crime (and believe me the statistics speak for themselves- the majority of offences charged in the courts are by caymanians), nor will it stop companies insisting that they have the best person for the job at the cheapest cost – caymanian or otherwise. Sadly my experience of caymanians (as with many in the professional areas) has been disappointing on the work front. Caymanians wake up, get and education, work hard, stop feeling entitled and doors open – like anywhere in the world. Be careful that this debate doesn’t rage on whilst Rome burns.
You make a number of sound points. However, there is one point to which I must take exception.
"Essentially a private company will recruit those who do the job best, maximise the profits and cost them the least to employ. If that is a Caymanian they will do so – it has absolutely nothing to do with them being racist and recruiting ex-pats because they have something against Caymanians".
The suggestion that expatriate employers are always motivated purely by the narrow cost and benefit considerations you outline is of course naive. People, even expats, are often motivated by their personal agendas and prejudices, or indeed to cater to the prejudices of others.
For example, the work permit system means that the expatriate employee is easier to control. In the past at least it was relatively easy for a Caymanian to move from one job to the next. Partners in firms (when they believe no Caymanian is around) will acknowledge that they need to present clients with the faces they expect to see, notwithstanding that they may not have done the underlying work. The people the clients meet of course arepartners and the Vice-Presidents. Black graduates of Ivy League Universities who work in major U.S. corporations will tell you that as well.
They believe that employing too many professional level Caymanians will give the impression that, from that fact alone, standards have fallen.
Often the person who makes these decisions may be in senior management but is not an owner of the business. Because the law requires preference to be Caymanians for employment, Caymanians are perceived as a threat to the job of the expatriate if he trains them too well and so there is an incentive to ensure that the Caymanian will fall short and not qualify for the promotion. He or she is not given the exposure and the steady diet of high quality work with the necessary support. He or she is sometimes set up to fail to prove a self-fulfilling prophecy – "forget about the locals they are untrainable and can’t cope with this level of work". The expat subordinate of course does not present the same risk.
Of course there are expats who will simply prefer to employ others of the same nationality or race. After all they may be far from their home and culture and probably if I were in their position I would prefer to have someone from my country as well. It is sometimes easier than having to overcome cultural barriers. Discrimination does not have to be mean-spirited.
There is absolutely no question about it, prejudice and discrimination against Caymanians does exist in the workplace. I see no point in denying what we must all be aware of. Conversely we must not deny that there are Caymanians who do not progress because of bad work attitudes, poor education and a misguided sense of entitlement. It is dishonest to try to paint the picture entirely white or, alternatively, black.
GO THERE EZZARD TELL THEM LIKE IT IS you are so right when you say that they promote thier own . anybody that do not believe that just take a look at what is happening in the police force. let them talk all they want about but do let them stop you from skeeking up for us ,we need some more like you. yes he might be from a small district but he is a GRASS ROOT CAYMANIAN. he might not had thousands of votes ,but he had the majority in northsid the udp is in power ,but they did not get the majority of the votes. ezzard continue to stand for grass roots caymanian,and they will stand by you. The premier is always making some foolish statements. i hope he will (THINK) if he can before he speaks . stop making the foriegn doller blind your eyes
There Ezzard. One of your voters speaks. Mark their words well and skeek up for them. I only hope you understood them because that was scary.
ezzard should be rolled over… a year in another country might change his narrow minded view of the world
I’m not sure how hw would get on. "I’m a Caymonian" doesn’t open doors in the real world.
We behind you 1000% Ezzard they can post all they want they come ya by plane us by Pain. You don’t like here,Leave nobody is holding you here against your will head on back to your lovely smog, rat infested and poluted environments you ungrateful bunch of pirates.
the old ‘if you don’t like it, get out!’ line..always brought up by caymanians when they have lost an argument…….. you would almost feel sorry for them…
‘…you would almost feel sorry for them…’ Well, take it from me, we don’t feel sorry for the likes of you…..wanting so bad to had born ya! ha!
Is this the typical mindset of his voters? Then it’s no wonder he’s stumbled on a formula:
Rant on about expats at every opportunity in the guise of "protecting" downtrodden Caymanians. Regardless of whether it’s good for the island, does anyone any good, or even true. But it doesn’t matter, that’s how he gets his votes. Being a mouthpiece for every vengeful fanatic with an ax to grind. Somehow these people think they have a right to put down every citizen of the island who’s grandmother wasn’t born here. Everyone lives here. Most try to contibute in some way. Except for Ezzard Miller and his supporters they would rather bitch and complain.
Did someone say this guy makes $122,000 a year? For what?? Listen all you folks who need to vent your spleen…..he gets paid for it. One hundred and twelve grand is a bundle of money for complaining! The joke’s on you. You don’t get paid anything for acting foolish while Ezzard takes it to the bank. Next time try and vote for someone who has something positive to add.
I have never seen so many rats, litter, dumped garbage and general disregard for the native envitoment as I have seen in Cayman except in two other places in the world…New Dehli and Jakarta…so do not claim to be living in an unpolluted enviroment, or don’t you know about Mount Trashmore?
The rollover was designed to eliminate those that might become a future burden to Caymanian society. It was never designed to be a method for gifting the financial sector to the people; though there are many that delight in the fantasy that it would.
There’s a few…..no, never mind.
A British backbench MP is paid 65,000 pounds, the equivalent of CI$84,000.
The average number of voters per constituency? = 74,000
Ezzard is paid CI$112,000.
Number of voters in his constiuency? 500
Oh, yes, so hard being a Caymanian isn’t it Ezzard?
Yes British MP are paid less. Is that why more than half of them were found to be less than honest??
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/7159476/MPs-Expenses-A-damning-indictment-of-brazen-dishonesty-and-greed.html
That is all to do with accountability rather than honesty. British MP’s have to file tax returns and account for their "expenses".
Our elected politicians can claim $3,000 for month as "office" expenses on top of their already inflated salaries and never have to account for where one single penny of the money goes.
I don’t suppose you have ever heard a politician say that they should be made to give account of the $3,000 they collect each month?
Most of the posters are missing the point totally. If we could turn the clock back to what David Ritch said (and got crucified for!) about five years ago one will see the bigger picture. Cayman cannot afford to give out PR and status willy nilly, especially to those without qualifications (hence those on a lower pay scale) or we will become a welfare state. The purpose of the roll-over was to protect against this, Those people that McKeeva is trying to exempt from rollover will unlikely become a drain on Cayman for bleedin’ obviousreasons that I won’t go into.
Ezzard is just against this because he knows vocal Caymanians with an ax to grind will rah-ra -rah and hail him but the silent MAJORITY of us won’t and don’t.
If professionals, and I refer to others and not just those in the financial industry, are shooed out of here after seven years, we will suffer and it’s no use shutting the gate once the horse has bolted. Do it now McKeeva. For once I agree with you. I never thought I’d say that!
I know for sure that the Jamaicans that ran around behind Big Mac & the UDP during the election campaign because they were promised this & that are cussing like crazy now. The UDP are not keeping their many promises because they cannot, & in fact I do not believe they planned to. But after these proposed changes to the rollover that benefits the rich & not the poor, the Jamaican UDP followers are mad. All I have to say to those Jamaican UDP supporters & all other UDP supporters is: THAT WHAT YOU GET! I do not feel sorry for any of you. If you can’t learn you must feel! THAT WHAT YOU GET!
I wonder if it was the same Jamaicans behind Ezzard’s campaign?
Harvard and Oxford are a bit ambitious to say the least. But there are many smart young Caymanians, so I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss and group them all into the same pot with the texters/facebookers/chatters who abuse company time with no regard for work ethic.
Most people don’t realize that meeting the admission academic requirements alone will still most likely have the door slammed in your face as on an annual basis, over 90% of applicants are rejected (in the case of Harvard). Application portfolios these days must really stand out prior to that prospect even being considered.
Another thing to realize is American kids with the prospects of going Ivy League are already being groomed for this by their parents prior to even entering high school. So most other hopefuls are just out of luck.
A university education doesn’t have to be Ivy League to be a quality product, it’s all about whether it’s the right fit for the individual. Remember, academics is but a small portion of the experience so there’s far more tobe considered.
Bottom line, Mr. Miller’s expectations in this regard are in the clouds. I cannot name one Caymanian Harvard graduate but I know many who are intelligent and possess a strong work ethic nonetheless.
Just find a well recognized institution that fits your needs as there are many excellent institutions that aren’t Ivy League. In fact, I asssume most visitors to this site are not American and may not know how these universities obtained the Ivy League designation so one shouldn’t limit their considerations to those few based on the elitist recommendations of others.
Can tell by the ‘thumbs down’ and various comments on this posting that once again Caymanians are outnumbered – this time with responding to postings on CNS. Oh well, as in everywhere we go these days! Sure is a lot of you (non-Caymanians) out there with lotsa time on your hands….no doubt, Company time! Go Ezzard Go!!
Your not outnumbered, just out smarted. Not surprised you aren’t in the lots of company time on your hands group. Go Ezzard! Keep it up. You make expats look good!
There you go again Joe.Seems like you cant miss a chance to put us down.Too bad you cant get back home or you would have left long ago. You are really full of bananas or something
outnumbered, but who got da votes
How can you be so sure the thumbs down does not come from Caymanians too?
to Anon 14:00……DUH!!! What you expect? Of course Caymanians are outnumbered, & if you just realize that then you are slow! What else would you expect after the 3000 status grants in 2003 & the continued giving away of PR by the present government? Of course we are outnumbered!
So the PPM didn’t give out residency? Perhaps 1,000 ? I’m in no way defending the UDP, and certainly not the way the 3,000 was handed out, but please be fair. If England told Kurt to give out 3,000 status, what would he have done?
Please stop repeating the bare-faced lie that the UK told McKeeva Bush that he had to give away 3,000 status grants.
Consider these:
1. McKeeva Bush has always presented himself as the champion of these Islands against outside threats – a fighter. This was the man who, around the same time, stood against the UK imposing the EU Tax Harmonization Directive against us. If there had been such an unpalatable demand we can be sure that we would have heard about it and that he would have resisted it. It would have been debated in the legislative assembly if for no other reason than to let the electorate know that they were being forced to do something against the interests of Caymanians by the UK Govt.
2. Whilst the UK may certainly have expressed concerns and demanded that we had to redress the situation where there had been an 11 year moratorium on status grants, it clearly would not have demanded that Cabinet make such grants in such a legally questionable manner, or that there be an immediate grant of that massive number. Without the moratorium some 132 persons would have been granted Caymanian status. By what strange matrix was this supposed to equate to 3,000 status grants? The UK is concerned about the good governance of these Islands and there was nothing about the status grants which was consistent with good governance.
3. Any UK demand would have made on a human rights basis that the persons had been residing in the Islands for at least 10 years ought to be considered for a grant. No such rule was applied. Grants were on the basis of personal connections and secret lists and this would not have solved any human rights concerns but instead created new ones. Persons who were not even resident in the Islands, or had been resident for a short period of time, received grants while others who had been here for more than 15 years did not.
Do you really take the rest of us for fools?!
I do not know what give out of residency by the PPM you are talking about. People applied for residency and it was considered by the Board under the provisions of the Immigration Law – you know the way grants of Caymanian status and permanent residency ought to be done.
It is amazing how someone who managed to obtain a position in office with about 25 votes can provide such insite into the workings of the Cayman Islands. If you had your way Ezzard there would be no ex-pats and therefore no roll over to worry about. I wonder what the working Caymanian population would do then? You cannot roll back the clock, you have to adapt and move forward, if you don’t this country will stagnate and the companies that made it such a wealthy "in" place to live will leave. Oh wait, all the ex-pats will leave then anyway…………. but seriously………
……… The kids need to be educated properly. They need to realise that hard work is the only way to succeed. As 08.10 says, get your foot in the door and work your way up. Study hard, go to school, go to University and sacrifice a part of your life for the future. Working 6 months here, 6 months there, using every possible sick day and excuse for not coming to work, then complaining you don’t have enough cash for your next set of Civic rims doesn’t cut it. Any well qualified, ambitious Caymanian will thrive in this country, as the opportunities are certainly here. The vast majority of ex-pats have worked hard to get to where they are and have taken a big leap of faith by moving to another country to live and work. Finish your schools, teach the children well and encourage them to seek higher education. The rewards will come but it has to start at the bottom.
Why can’t our politians think outside the box? I’m Caymanian and I think the roll-over policy is rediculus. Why? Yes Caymanians need to be employed and we should have much much stricter policies when granting permits for sure. We issue permits to non-Caymanians who rape, rob, and murder our own. Look at what is going on with crime on our country which never existed 35 years ago when there were only Caymanians on island. However, what are we accomplishing with the roll-over? Replacing good people if they have conducted themselves properly with potentially bad people, stifling our economy by encouraging ex-pats to either save their money to take with them when they leave or send their money home rather than investing it in our island which is what most want. Look how we could stimulate our economy if we were building and selling more homes rather than the money disappearing from our economy. So, what is the answer? Roll-over and replace these people with others who will do the same? No! Change the law in regards to permanent residency with right to work if we want to keep others from acquiring it so there is no automatic qualification and continue to issue permits bringing in income to the island. If ex-pats have a sense of security that their work permit will be renewed for as long as they would like to stay here, our economy would experience a boom, but we need to be sure we police very closely those whom we issue permits to! Then us Caymanians and the ex-pat workers we require for our infrastructure would have security and our economy and Caymanians woudl benefit from it! A win/win proposition!
lots of opertunity here for caymanians and many have been very successful .ie 6000 have jobs in government because of growth in the country by forigin investments. if we were to adoupt the Ezzard’s econommic path we wont have to wait for an earthquake to receive forigin aid. Regards
Wow, the rollover policy doesn’t make sense because it is driving away the majority of the people that make this country as rich as it is, whose reputations and hard work give Cayman credibility. Who do you think built your roads? created what is now known as Seven Mile Beach where tourists spend money? who do you think created the bars and restaurants that bring in revenue? all the financial institutions were brought on this island by expats, expats that are now Caymanians or papar Caymanian as they are clearly distinguished as by natives. Don’t spit on the hand that feeds you, be grateful for a change, if expats didn’t come here this country would be poor and primitive and if they leave you won’t have jobs. Many Caymanians do need to learn they not entitled to riches, they have to earn it and if they have luxuries whilst they stay home and complain they need to appreciate its not them that earned it.
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Ezzard represents the smallest district I have ever heard of, wait perhaps Little Cayman is smaller I will accept correction gracefully. Rooster is pushing Ezzard’s agenda big time by having him on the radio every week which is bizarre because he represents several hundred people and is a party of one and yet gets more on air time than any other politician.
Every Tuesday you can hear him rant his usual neo-nationalism and independence which must be in line with Rooster management’s agenda.
Basically he has no real impact on the government and this story is more of the same for Ezzard. His latest rant about the doctor over in Haiti who misspoke and should be fired, is an example of his most recent rant. Micro manage the country Ezzard, but solve North side problems first please.
He even has picked this doctor’s replacement. What a talent.
Ezzard’s "smallest" district just happens to have the lowest crime rate in Grand Cayman ,so maybe theres some advantage to beind small.
Oh Jesus, fuzzy! Of course it does! Hardly anyone lives there-and actually there’s far more crime than there should be in such a small community.
Have another drink.
254 North Siders committed a mass crime against democracy and decency by voting in a small minded nationalist like Ezzard.
Well there aren’t many businesses to steal from. The only gas station in the district was robbed though – that’s a 100% record.
Plus there are lot’s of illegal turtle kills by the spear fishers in the area but no-one reports this crime.
Why haven’t you reported illegal turtle kills ,or are you too busy enjoying that illegal turtle steak.
Effectively there was no such thing as permanent residence in the current law since the rollover period falls short of the requirement of 8 years in order to apply for residency. It’s is a mere illusion sadly to say for those who sacrificed several years of their working lives to these islands only to find out at the end of the line they cannot apply for permanent residence. The best thing for the goverment would be to do away with permanent residency all together instead of misleading the expatriate community in the beginning.It is absolutely wrong and more wrong when its impact British citizens.Why waste time and resources staffing a unit without accomplishing a useful economic role.
I also agree with those who make reference to the British expatriate community here on the island. And wondered why they are treated like foreigners in there own back yard. It is the British taxpayers that has to bail these islands out in times of a crisis. It is the British citizen that would have to shed blood for the people of these islands in times of war. It is the British citizen here that need to take up the cause and lobby Parlaiment so that they can obtain equal rights and not be treated like foreigners here in ther own backyard requiring work permits. If you look at other countries who have dependencies like the US I can assure you they do not need work permit to work in the US Virgin Islands. So why are British citizens treated in such way and these islanders who are Caymanians have the right of abode in the UK.
Thank you, thank you , thank you. That’s what I want to know too.
The ignorance of posters on this site has just been proved. I would love to see a British Citizen try to work in the US (or even the British) Virin Islands. You need a work permit in both. In the former, it is called a Green Card, is hellish (and takes years) to get, and renders you liable to US taxation FOREVER, no matter where you live. The BVI has the same system as Cayman, including for UK nationals.
Regarding Residece locally, you are just plain wrong, there are tjhousands that have it, and continue to be granted it, because if you really are critical to your employer, and apply, you can stay!
Stick that in your collective pipes.
Congratulations Ezzard !!!!’YOU ARE THE MAN!"
Where are the other elected sissys that will not stand up for us?
Where are they? getting slapped around by Big Mac?
EZZARD WE WANT YOU FOR PREMIER IN 2012
MCKEEVA HAS GOT TO GO!
NORTHSIDERS IF YOU DON’T BRING EZZARD BACK IN 2012 ME PERSONALLY WILL COME TO NORTHSIDE AND WHIP EVERYONE OF YOU! HE’S THE MAN!!
EZZARD WE LOVE YOU.
EZZARD WE’RE REQUESTING THAT YOU START TO WORK ON STRENGTHENING YOUR INDEPENDENT PARTY FOR 2012 WE WANT 15 MORE LIKE YOU. SO PUT YOUR SYSTEMS IN PLACE AND LETS KICK THE UDP TO THE CURB AND LETS ‘BAR’ THE PPM FROM RE-ELECTION.
THE INDEPENDANT PARTY IS THE WAY TO GO FOR CAYMANIANS
ITS OUR ONLY HOPE for the future of Caymanians!! BIG MAC IS THE HOPE OF X-PATS ! What kind of elected official is he anyway?
EVERY GRASS ROOTS CAYMANIAN NEED TO GET BEHIND EZZARD THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT EZZARD MILLER IS FOR HIS PEOPLE.
KUDOS TO MR. EZZARD MILLER
WE WANT EZZARD MILLER FOR PREMIER !!
All you idiots critizing him are just x-pats that want to take control. and other dumb Caymanians that like to get lied to and kicked around by Mackeeva Bush.
Ezzard we love you, get your party together for 2012 Independents must win, the UDP is a cross, and the PPM is the same.
Come on Independents, lets get this show on the road !!!
hmmm, prime candidate to represent Caymanians in the work force, I can confidently say I wouldn’t want to hire you
hey Anon 11:55 you are so "fool fool" because it is people like you that gave Mckeeva Bush power today. So please do not criticize others, because if you had voted "against" the UDP then obviously the UDP would not be in power. To vote for Ezz-Ezz was to vote for the UDP (do not let that independent tag fool you). A vote for any but the PPM was a vote for the UDP, so please do not criticize anyone but yourself! Thanks sweetie!
CNS
How come some comments I can rate – And others (I never touched) I am block from rating?
And why with the first comment, do you provide the thumb-rating option? I think you should begin providing that option with the first 10 comments posted. That way you can get somewhat an accurate poll of people’s opinion. I say this because the first commenter always gets the most rating – why? Because he/she is the first. So instead of starting the rating with the first commenter, start the rating with the first’ 10
CNS: If anyone is having problems with the thumb voting, can you email me here please.
If your viewing CNS from work then it’s likely someone in your office already voted
I your at home then it’s probably your wife, partner or housemate
I dont get how the rollover "limits" residency applications. To me it effectively blocks them. How can you apply for residency when the applicable period is longer than the rollover period therefore making it impossible to apply for residency? I just don’t get it…or is it me reading the law wrong?
And why, as a British Territory, do the Brits get no allowances (treated the same as any other country) on the rollover regime? It’s not like there’s millions of them trying to get here. As I understand it, they represent a very small proportion of existing residency grants over years gone by.
Please enlighten me… without resorting to ex-pat bashing!
1. Rollover does not apply to govt. employees and their spouses.
2. Key employees in the private sector are not rolled over after 7 years but are permitted to stay for the period required to qualify for permanent residency.
3. private sector employees may be permitted to stay for a longer period if their spouse also employed in the private sector is still within the 7 year period and not yet subject to rollover. This may be sufficient to permit that spouse to qualify to apply for permanent residency.
I am not aware of any disparity in the proportion of permanent residency being granted to British citizens.
Re special rights for Brits, for decades I had no special rights as a British Dependent Territories Citizen in the UK. In fact, notwithstanding that I held a British Passport, I remember being removed from the line at Heathrow saying British Passports (subsequently changed to UK Passports) and placed in a queue with nationalities who had no connection whatsoever with the UK.
Actually, its because of the Brits that we had to put in the rollover. (That and people who couldn’t read fine print, but thats another rant.) The problem was that it was felt that under British/European laws/norms if a person was in one country for a good while they should automatically get citizenship in that country. The compunding issue was that when Biritsh Citizenship was recently (re)extended to the overseas territories it was done so without recipricocity. i.e., we could go to England to live, they couldn’t come here to live. This was out of fear that the more numerous English & even more numerous Europeans would sawmp the smaller territories. (The fear was that the eventual view in Brussels would eb that once you’re an EU citizen, its as if you’re a citizen of every country in the EU, including Britain, including its territories in the Caribbean.) The soluton was the roll-over: you could stay for a while but not long enough that it would be felt that you should get citizenship; the 1-year break was long enough to count as a ‘real break’ in your stay, in terms of applying for citizenship. Hence the roll-over having to particularly apply to Britons as they were perceived as being the thinnest edge of the wedge of unrestricted immigration.
Whether or not you agree with this depends on if you think that people in Britain and then Europe would like to be able to live and work in Cayman, if they could. And your underlying views on job protection for nationals (not just an issue in Cayman).
Just for the record ALL Caymanians are BRITISH. I just love it!
God Save The Queen!
Technically, but try arriving in the UK with a Cayman Islands Passport and I think you will find the position a little more complicated. Worse, try working in the UK with only a Cayman Islands Passport and you are liable to find yourself under arrest. Of course, the Caymanian can apply for a British Passport, and once they have one, can enter and work freely in the UK. And guess what! A British Citizen can (upon qualification) apply for and obtain the Right to be Caymanian and then enter and work freely in the Cayman Islands.
Now isn’t that amazing?
Stop stirring!
Technically? In the technical sense that Caymanians can work in the UK as a Brit, can study in the UK at subsidised rates like a Brit, can get free health care as a Brit and can vote in elections like a Brit.
Whereas a Brit coming to Cayman cannot get the same (or any) rights and the Immigration Law makes it almost impossible for them to "qualify" in order to apply for and obtain the Right to be Caymanian and then enter and work freely in the Cayman Islands, as the previous poster suggested.
That’s funny, there are at least 10 Brits I KNOW who have become Caymanian in the last couple of years.
Not actually true. Caymanians who apply for and get British Passports and who then become resident in the UK can get and do those things. A Caymanian who arrives at Heathrow with his Caymanian passport cannot do any of them. They are not even allowed in the "Britsh" line. Stick that in your pipe…
Absolutely amazing. Now tell me pray, as you seem to know so much, how do I go about getting this "qualification"? I want in and you’re making it sound so easy. Please do tell me how to go about it.
One option is to arrive, work hard on a work permit, integrate yourself into the community, show your worth so your employer gets key employee for you (easier if you are a professional, many of whom happen to be British), buy a home, apply for PR, after 1 year apply for Naturalisation, and then apply for the Right to be Caymanian.
Secondoption is to work for Government and skip past the key employee threshold (many expats inGovernment service are British).
Third option is to marry a Caymanian, a permanent resident, an expat who is (or is likely to be) a Key employee, or a government employee.
Fourth option is to chose your real estate agent well.
The third and fourth options don’t even require you to live here.
20,000 people have done it before you, you must be really dumb to assume you cannot do it too.
Now, you should consider what a Cayman Islands passport holder has to do to work in the UK.
1. Get a Jamaican visa to go to Jamaica.
2. Line up all day, be interviewed at the British High Commission, and pay a large fee (in Jamaican dollars, pounds or US dollars not accepted) .
3. Fly back to Cayman.
4. Obtain the forms (if you have have passed stage 1)
5. Submit to complete criminal background check.
6. Submit the application and wait months for the result
7. Be denied because you will be depriving a frenchman of a job in the UK.
CNS: Rubbish. As a Cayman Islands passport holder you can apply for a British passport. You do not need to go to Jamaica. You can apply by registered mail and if you are a BOTC you will get it, as per the British Overseas Territories Act 2002. Since you are applying for citizenship and not a work permit, it makes no difference how many Frenchmen want a job in the UK. Along with the passport comes the right to live in the UK for as long as you like, free primary and secondary education, free healthcare, the right to work at any job at any time in the UK, etc, just like anyone born in Britain. You are right that the process might take a couple of months.
CNS – you ought to retract your response. The commentator was right. They were careful to be referring to a Cayman Islands Passport Holder trying to work in the UK with a Cayman Islands passport. You are correct that they can apply for a British Passport (overseas) if they want one. The trouble is that some Caymanians with Cayman islands Passports do not want a British Passport. So, ask yourself again, what would happen if a BOTC citizen from the Cayman Islands tried to work in the UK with only a Cayman Islands Passport. The answer is, they need a work permit and, because they are not EU citizens will have to be extremely specialised to get one. Any business in the UK employing a non EU National (including a Caymanian without a British Passport) has to verify they are not excluding an EU National from employment.
Also, you will find people born in Britain are not necessarily British.
Thank you at least for the acknowledgement that it takes around a couple of months. A qualified Briton (or any other nationality) can get a work permit here in as little as 48 hours (guaranteed) on paying a CI$100 expedited processing fee.
A Briton with a British passport does not have to travel to a third country on a visa, unlike the equivalent for a Caymanian, to get a work permit here.
And you make no comment on the first half of the post which, apart from the sarcastic option 4, is entirely correct.
What the poster did not mention and which is entirely correct is that large numbers of Caymanians cannot get Cayman Islands Passports because they do not meet the requirements for BOTC Naturalisation. Without that they cannot possibly get a full British Passport, even if they want to. So please cut the crap about Caymanians having an automatic right to live and work in the UK.
I know it is bizarre but it is true. Check with the Governor’s office if you do not believe me.
CNS: If a Cayman Islands passport holder wants to go to live and work in Britain but does not want a British passport (you can hold both) then he/she is just making life more difficult for themselves. The option is there and a British passport is guaranteed. There is no need for a work permit. This is the only point I was commenting on.
CNS – Then what do you say about the literally hundreds of Caymanians who cannot get Caymanian passports because the British will not give them one, so they cannot get a British Passport even though they are Caymanian.
And in any event, you are saying a Caymanian has to apply for and get another nationality/citizenship, or status just to live and work in the UK. That it not quite the same as "all Caymanians can live and work in the UK" – which in any event is simply not true.
CNS: The original post and both of my responses have clearly been about Cayman Islands passport holders. You are quoting something I did not say. The point you are making here is about something entirely different and you are welcome to start a topic in the CNS public forum about who is / is not entitled to a Caymanian passport and who decided this.
CNS – the original post was about what would happen if a Caymanian with a Cayman Islands Passport tried to get a work permit with that passport. A subtle difference, but an important one in the minds of many Caymanians, and a distinction that would help expatriates to understand some of the subtleties.
The point also is that contrary to the widely misunderstood position, not all Caymanians are British, and not all Caymanians can even visit Britain, some need a visa to go there.
CNS – FYI you cannot apply for a UK work permit by registered mail without first attending a British High Commission/Consulate in person.
It is surprising how someone can pontificate with such authority and get it so wrong. The EU citizenship issue never impacted upon rollover for the obvious issue that Cayman is not within the EU and the freedoms associated with EU membership do not extend to it.
Rather the issue was other non-EU international convention obligations of the UK which did extend to Cayman which sought to prescribe norms for the rights of residents ito citizenship.
stoooopid expat
: )
Ezzard, Kudos to you!!!. You seem to be the only sensible man in government.. Please continue to stand up for what is right for us Caymanians..Now please think about initiating a referandum to oust the dictator..
"Only sensible man in Government"? I think it should have been stated: "One of only SIX sensible men in Government"!
You don’t hear any of the FIVE PPM backbenchers going along with this "fool fool" idea of McKeeva and I am sure they would back a "referendum to oust the dictator", as would 99.3% of CAYMANIANS!
There is a referendum on leadership every 4 years,. — it’s called a General Election.
And Ezzard is only bothered about his 260 votes, not the future of Cayman. I wonder if there is an elected politician on planet earth who is paid so much for so few votes? I doubt it.
Certainly Ezzard has to loook after his constituents ,after all he was elected to serve them and protect their interests.
Amen.
I really could not have said it better myself.
It’s never been about us against them but more about helping us become the leaders of our own country. The onus has not been strong enough on companies to bring forth their Caymanian employees to make them better and bring them to leadership post. That’s one aspect.
Another aspect is Caymanians needs to be more agressive and break through the barriers placed in front of them. Don’t allow yourself to be less than you can be. Always look to improve yourself. Never allow yourself to become complacent or ever to think that "I am here". You are never "there" you have to believe you can always be better, smarter, stronger, wiser than you are now.
What we can not have is Caymanians expecting things to fall in their laps. This is not about that. This is about rewarding hardworking Caymanians striving to be the best they can be with education, training and ultimately the positions they are entitled to based on their skills, education, experience and performance.
It’s important to have people like Mr Miller who get it but it’s equally important to have Caymanians who deserve him fighting the fight.
Ezzard Baby, to get into Oxford or Harvard you must qualify.
I know that any local company would jump at the chance of hiring a Caymanian with Ivey league education. The problem is that you can’t get in the door without the smarts.
If you really want to help Caymanians look in your own back yard.
A good start would be to finish the new high schools. Maybe then the kids will attend and maybe the teachers can actually teach.
Not true – there are Caymanians with Ivy league educations who may get hired, but then get sidelined in their careers.
Not true – there are [ insert nationality here ] with Ivy League educations who may get hired, but then get sidelined in their careers.
You pays yer money and you takes yer chances, there are no guarantees.
Frank, agreed, but the Caymanian takes their chances with the deck heavily stacked in their favor if they make the grade. That is what the immigration law is all about. If an employer stacks the deck in favour of a qualified expatriate over a Caymanian, we have a problem. That happens, and that is why Ezzard’s position is gaining popularity amongst voters..
After rereading my post I realise it may be unclear. I agree that it is a problem for qualified Caymanians to get shut out of opportunities. My [ insert nationality here ] was an attempt to say that every island nation or territory in the caribbean is complaining of the same things we are and all one need do is replace the nationality in the brackets. Cayman is not unique in this department. Every island has a problem with education, crime, expats, jobs, immigration, tourism, natural resources, you name it. If you read the blogs from other islands they are startling in similarity. Ezzard’s position is gaining popularity because he has identified someone else to blame and voters lap it up like Kool-Aid.
Getting back to opportunities, skilled labor is going to migrate to the best opportunities, and the best opportunities may not be in the land of their birth. Where does that leave qualified Caymanians? In a hell of a fight if you ask me. Will protectionist immigration policies work? Ask the Arawaks after the Caribs came calling.
Ask either the Caribs or the Araweks after the Spaniards came
Immigration nah stop dem either!
Are you suggesting that we have to resort to eating expats to attempt to control our destiny?
Re Arawaks and Caribs, are you saying that Caymanians are peaceful and docile while expats are aggressive and cannabalistic?
No, I just wanted to use a regionally relevant example. Comparisons may be made all over the globe all throughout written history.
Utter tosh 9:58! Name two-and remember what Ivy League means. Barry University and University of Miami don’t hack it.
University of Virginia and Cornell are two examples I know of.
UVA is not Ivy League!
Cornell is, UVa is not (damn fine school though, wahoowa).
my cousin went to Brown, shes caymanian.
Yep, that’s ivy league. The post at 10:39, btw, meant "name two Caymanians who went to ivy league who are sidelined"
Then your cousin put that Brown education to good use how exactly? By moving permanently to the USA and working there with her US Passport in hand? How great that is for Cayman.
Did she learn how to use capitals and to place apostrophes in contractions?
Why only consider Ivy League (which is limited to the USA). Why not consider top instituitions in other countries like the UK. What about top Canadian schools?
I know several Caymanians that have attended top schools like:
Cambridge
London School of Economics
Durham University
Bristol University
McGill University
Queens University
Attended, or attended like? Which high schools did they go to? I only ask because if there is a proven path, we should be promoting it.
You appear to haveaccidentally included Durham on the list. Durham is a specialist institutions for the rehabilitation of Oxbridge rejects with chronic chips on their shoulder.
yeah I agree, any Caymanian with an Ivy League education should be top dog at any company even if they never do any work, show up late and leave early.
After all they are a Caymanian with an Ivy League education and thus should never be sidelined in their careers
Outragous
I have Oxbridge and Ivy League degrees. From experience I can tell you they help get you into a job, but it is what you do in the workplace that matters after that.
The middle ground between Mr. Miller and the LOGB lies in education. It has benn lying there for 3 decades. Well paid educators and administrators, good cur, safe school environment, no pass alongs, great scholarship program and no parental/political interference. If this was started twenty years ago we wouldn’t be having this discussion over and over.
ezzard the man from the economic powerhouse of Northside…….zzzzz
stick to your nationalistic rants on rooster every morning…. you offer nothing for the future of cayman
Did you mean North Side?
He comes across as having xenophobia. What is all this talk about "People tend to promote their own, its jut how it is,”…who are these "people" because there is such a wide range of nationalities in this island that surely he must be referring to all ex-pats only promoting ex-pats (i.e.: and not saying a Canadian will only promote another Canadian). Either way I’ve never heard such nonsense – firms don’t care who you are or where you are from…they want the best person for the job!!
As for the comment "Its time these firms sent our people to Oxford and Harvard and to work overseas to gain the training, expertise and experience,”… I’m sorry put should these young Caymanian’s not get themselves this education and experience?! In almost every other developed country you have to prove your worth – you have to fight for the spot at university (and yes fight "non-locals" too!) and you have to fight for that first break into your chosen career. then you have to fight to earn that spot to do a placement abroad. It’s not handed to you. Why should it be handed to a Caymanian – prove your worth like every other person must do.
As for employers sending "our people" to Oxford and Harvard…this is again another prime example of the Caymanian delusions of grandeur. Not to put a dampener on things Mr. Miller but honestly how many people from a population this small will actually be accepted into such highly regarded educational establishments?? I am sure there is the odd bright school granduate out there who could be accepted but generally most of them will not be. And that is a fact in all countries not just Cayman…there are only so many in a population that can "be at the top" in terms of education. Similarly there are only so many in a population that can be in the finace industry (it does take some brains and skill you know!)…you wouldn’t go to the states or canada or the uk and expect all the young people there to be in finance jobs would you?! Why expect that for young Caymanians…get those not able to do the education and skills for finance into other jobs…trades (plumbers, electricians), hospitality, etc….but of course those are the jobs that you all look down your noses at…."not good enough for MY son/daughter"…there lies you problem Cayman!
Cayman must be like that mythical midwestern town where all the school children are above average.
No its not;but certainly we are all not below average.
Sadly, Ezzard has a good point on this. The system should work for everyone but depends on businesses working together with Caymanians, and Caymanians dropping senses of entitlement. (Caymanians are entitled to first choice in jobs though – just like Europeans in Europe, Canadians in Canada, Jamaicans in Jamaica etc…) . Unfortunately some employers want to have their cake and eat it too. Too often a Key employee application is granted on the basis "X" is progressing well in their career and being trained. Miraculously, sometimes weeks later, X is made redundant. The Caymanians (including those with real potential) get used and discarded. They trusted the system and then sit back and watch the authorities do NOTHING even when it is proved that expatriates have lied to or misled Immigration and their Caymanian employees.
Not everyone does this, but it is prevalent, and it is a problem.
If only the laws were enforced the greatly preferred balance which used to exist could continue for everyone’s benefit. Unless that occurs, Ezzard and his supporters will have "right" on their side – and eventually that will overcome, perhaps with terrible consequences for our economy.
Business should be given a carrot, but it can only work if it comes with a very big stick.
Ezzard does not understand economics. At all. The Cayman economy is not a zero sum game. People use this jurisdiction because of the high end financial services on offer largely driven by the high end of the relevant professions. These people bring in work or hopefully maintain it (see XL and Seagate fleeing the territory). These high end workers lead to the employment of many more high end workers.
How many Caymanians are up to Oxford or Harvard standards? As a matter of raw statistics about 1 a year. And that is assuming equal education.
What experience does Ezzard have of financial services, or of Oxbridge or Ivy League entrance requirements? He is the worst type of nationalist. It sounds good on radio but just does not make sense.
And how many high-end workers did Seagate employ in Cayman?
You hurt your argument, as much as Ezzard hurts his, by confusing the facts.
Not at all. Offshore business comes to Cayman because of the high end service professionals. We all know that Seagate does not emply anyone here, but they did help to employ lawyers and auditors, who in turn employ many other people. My analysis is entirely consistent.
How many lawyers and associates were supported by Seagate & XL simply maintaining their domicile in Cayman.
Well, how many?
Seagate was registered here but AFAIK the ‘work’ was conducted elsewhere. How many lawyers and associates were, not even supported but occasionally given a few billable hours, by their registration? Numbers please.
(Please note I’m not happy to see Seagate leave but, as others have pointed out, the ‘badness’ of this is more as an example fo problems to come than in actuall direcct effect.)
“Its time these firms sent our people to Oxford and Harvard and to work overseas to gain the training, expertise and experience,”
Why don’t we first require our people to actually have to achieve an academic standard before we give them a high school diploma?
We teach our children that they don’t have to work to advance in high school, and then tell them that they don’t have to work to advance in the workplace becuase of the roll over, or that it is the companie’s responsibility to train them.
Time to switch things around and tell our children and our people that the opportunities are out there for those who want to go get them.
thank you so much for being one of the first people to post something worthwhile. i know first hand that students (especially public school) do not do any work because they know they’ll get their diploma at the end of three years. before any one attempts to bash my statement i would like to say that i attended public school in cayman for over 6 years and have lived in cayman my entire life. while i am not caymanianby birth, generations of my family are, and i consider these islands my home. we need to teach our youth that to gain something from these islands they must put in effort, and that they are not entitled to a job just because they are caymanian. after all what could is a job if you do not or cannot do the work.
"adding that Cayman should concentrate on the areas of finance it already does well and do it more efficiently for less to attract business and compete." That is what the new proposals aim to do. We are driving away existing business and clients with the current system.
Mr. Miller is mostly correct. The most recent movers from Cayman have not cited lack of work permits, rollover or lack of security of tenure as the reason. Some of them have moved to jurisdictions such as the Bermuda which has even tighter rollover and the Bahamas with even tighter immigration restrictions. Instead, they are citing such things as the proposed changes in U.S. tax laws which will impact them if they remain in Cayman but not if they are in a country with a double traxation treaty witht the U.S. e.g. Ireland, Switzerland. The other reasons given are increases in the cost of doing business in Cayman. Well the govt. has signficantly added to that cost by increases in work permit fees and the tax on leases. You do havefirms like Fortis who said that Immigration was the problem but like Mr. Miller I find that very dubious. That decision would have been made regardless of any immigration issues. I have no doubt that we will find that these immigration policy changes will not create any great influx of jobs for Caymanians.
Of course the firms can only send our people to Oxford and Harvard if they are qualified to go. We have some of the raw talent but our education system needs to improve if we are going to reach those levels.
He’s a real dinosaur in today’s world but at least he is consistent in his views and not afraid of articulating them. He’s been saying the same thing for 25 years.
Here we go again…when will the people of the Cayman Islands get a backbone and standup to the blatant selling out of their future generations birth right. I applaud Mr. Miller being a man by not supporting this change. If people think we have social woes now….just wait until 3-4 years after this is changed. The lobbyist in the finacial industry are setting a precident by saying if we can’t have it our way we are leaving (which I don’t belive they are doing). Wait until the other industies follow suit by getting their lobbyist to start complaing to Macjinahad.
Yes by all means grow a backbone and then wait.
Who is this guy anyway? He only got about 8 votes so who cares what he thinks. It’s the equivalent of the KKK having an ‘official’ voice on immigration practices in the USA.
Professionals coming from overseas have usually been to good schools and worked hard at university and to get their professional qualifications, then they have worked hard and climbed the ladder at these companies to get to the senior positions they are in now. It has taken years of graft and doing the lower grade jobs in order to get promoted. Most have paid for their study themselves and worked $hitty jobs to get them through college. They don’t expect their employers to send them to Harvard or Oxford, especially if they have the wrong attitude.
Unfortunately Caymanians are unwilling to take this approach. They will not go overseas to study or gain work experience, they refuse to start lower level jobs, just to get their foot in the door at these companies. Of the few that will be prepared to start at the bottom, most of them cannot be bothered to put in the effort, instead they spend their workdays on facebook or emailing/calling./texting their buddies.Then they go sick a couple of times a week. Every few months they pack it in and go and work somewhere else. When this is the work ethic it is no wonder the companies prefer professionals from overseas.
I think you need to speak for yourself with regards to your last paragraph because there are alot of us Caymanians who have gone overseas to study (and returned wtih high honours I may add) or to gain work experience. We returned and had to start at the bottom of the ladder and work our butts off in order to get compensated for all our hard work. Yet you have expats coming here claiming to have all these degrees and qualifications (which nobody checks to see whether it is legit or not and for your information you can buy a degree online) and have to be trained by us qualified and experienced Caymanians… by the sounds of it you need to go back to school and earn your degree then maybe you can post something with sense. So before you start to throw down our highly qualified and experienced Caymanians speak for yourself and yourself alone!!
Mr Ezzard you got my support on this. Thanks for not being an extension cord yes man. Standup for your people, they were the ones who put you in office. You are doing ga good job.