Democratic process eroding
(CNS): The government is closing down debate, not just in the legislative chamber but in the wider community, the opposition benches have said following the continued suspension of the usual twenty-one day discussion period on new legislation. Since taking office almost every new bill or amendment the UDP administration has tabled has come from Cabinet to the Legislative Assembly for vote in a matter of days rather than weeks, closing down the time politicians normally take to research proposed legislation as well as discuss it with their constituents. Arden McLean told CNS on Wednesday that this was a serious encroachment on the rights of the people to at least have their say on new laws. (Photo by Dennie Warren Jr)
The opposition member for East End explained that all of the opposition PPM members and the independent member had voted against the government’s attempts to rush legislation through this week without public consultation, but as government has the majority vote there is nothing the opposition benches can do but register their complaint with negative votes.
“The premier is circumventing the twenty-one day period, which would normally allow for public input, for us to talk to constituents and do research about the proposals so we can properly debate government’s plans,” said the PPM member for East End.
“We can’t stop it as the majority rules. We can row about it as much as we want but we can’t do anything other than register all out objections,” he added, explaining why the five PPM members and the Ezzard Miller, the independent member for North Side, had all voted against government’s move last week to once again suspend the Standing Orders of the House to circumvent the three week consultation period on the final draft of laws.
On Friday, Leader of the Opposition Kurt Tibbetts raised his concerns about the suspension of Standing Orders following the ‘no’ vote registered by the non-government members over three bills – the dormant accounts law, the amendment to the animals law and the substantial review of the planning law. “The vote was against the reading and not the content of the bills,” Tibbetts said, pointing out that the changes to the development and planning legislation were extensive and the opposition needed more time to examine the content and conduct some research.
It was revealed that the laws had been only been made available to the opposition late on Wednesday 7 July, just two days before the government was bringing them to the parliament to be passed. “We know government has to get on with the business but this really is too late to provide the opportunity for real scrutiny,” the opposition leader noted.
Alden McLaughlin also raised his concerns, as the debate continued on Monday, that democracy was being undermined and that there was a serious absence of consultation with the laws that were coming to the House. He noted that the amendments to the planning law and regulations should have been circulated more widely in the community for consideration and comment before giving them legislative effect.
“I don’t know why these laws need to be so rushed,” McLaughlin wondered aloud. “It seems that with every bill government is dispensing with proper procedures and not giving adequate notice.”
He acknowledged that government had to get on with its agenda but said the premier should refrain from rushing through every bill and denying the democratic process.
He also noted that there was no debate coming from other members of the UDP administration once the premier laid a bill before the House, McLaughlin said, adding that "the government benches sat mute” until the opposition had finished and the premier closed the debate.
The normal parliamentary process with legislation allows government to bring a law to the LA, place it before the House — and by implication the public — allowing the opposition and the wider community to examine the bill and then make any objections or suggestions known over a 21 day period.
Government is under no obligation to listen, but the three week wait allows for its proposals to be digested and understood within the community before they are passed it to law. Moreover, it allows for real organised opposition to take place and be squarely placed before government, or alternatively for the community to widely endorse government plans.
Although suspension of Standing Orders to remove that 21 day period is not unusual when legislation needs to be rushed in order to tackle immediate difficulties or threats to the economy, the country or the people, it is not usual procedure for all legislative changes.
McLean told CNS that the ability of a government to suspend the Standing Orders is there to help them deal with immediate problems but it is not usual or necessary for a government to suspend the order for every piece of legislation that comes before parliament. “Government is routinely suspending that order,” he added. “Removing the right for the people to have their say is a serious encroachment on democracy.”
The East End representative criticised the current administration for its lack of consultation with the wider public on important issues. He said that there had been no discussion as far as he was aware in the wider public about the planning amendments. McLean criticised the government in general for not circulating information and for no longer holding press briefings.
He said the opposition were receiving very little information about government plans until they were faced with the bills in the LA and then in a matter of days these were being passed into law with little or no input from the country at large.
Category: Headline News
So I wonder why PPM did not put a requirement in the new constitution that at least 3 month public consulatation period is needed before any bills are presemted to the LA. In fact, the citizens of the contry should be given the right to challenge the constitutionality of the bills in the supreme courts with ability to appeal its decisions in the Privy Council. Also, certain laws should be required to be approved by a referandum. We need an amendment to the constitution now !!!!
I use to be one of those that complained with the premiers IMO excessive travel….well seeing what he does when he is here…I’d rather him travel… then again he might be speeding stuff up to hurry and get back to his ‘travel"… lose lose I guess.
What’s a no confidence vote and how do you make it happen?
Well you were so greedy for power that you limited the vote to a fraction of the population and the right to stand to a fraction of that fraction. Now you are reaping what you have sown.
Enjoy.
More pressure needs to be put on the Government backbench croonies because they are sitting idly by in the shadows allowing McKeeva free rein to destroy this Country! It is only because of them that McKeeva can do what he is doing; they sit back and give him the power by voting in favour of his crap ideas! They are not being held responsible for their actions by the people, instead all focus is on McKeeva and that’s the way they like it – why else you think they would be so damned quiet? They figuring if they slink about in the shadows quietly, just casting their votes as needed but keeping real real quiet no one will notice them! No one will hold them accountable for the crap shit being thrown at us on a regular basis! It is time people recognized this and haul their asses over the fire! Don’t let them get away with this….and I mean ALL of them! Rolston, CG, Julie, Capt Eugene, Mike, Mark, John John and Elio! And really we should not stop there; the other croonies hanging on the outside should also be held accountable – the likes of Sherri Ann Cowan, Canover Watson, Michael Alberga, David Guildfoyle, and all those other so called ‘sensible Caymanians’ that hang in the shadows supporting this madness should also be thrown into the same pot! My two cents worth! I’m fed up!
Who Capt. Eugene is?
But hold on ya arecckly Anon 1733 ya a call me name you drawing a real bad card now. This is what ya call good governance Bwoy!The time for action has past now is the time for senseless bickering. The PPM and UDP are a bunch of tired old men who’s preoccupation with possessions more than anything else prevents them from living and running the government properly and honestly. The height of popularity and patriotism are still the beaten road to power and tyranny.No worries man the UK is here to protect us all. All need to bigup the GOV what a splendid Job he is doing eh?
The back bench is quiet hmm.
For evil to prevail good men or women only need do nothing.
When you and your buddy came to my house asking for my vote.I had no idea you would do nothing.
Used to see them all the time before the election. Now can’t see hide nor hair of them.
Are you deaf or what Kut & AL "don " have now been admitted to the ColonialBar of perfect standards in life or Old Boys Eyesight and My Boy Exempt you think they were MIA in Power with the PPM Check them out now Sadly these have been awarded to some not all who have inflicted severe hardships on our little society and its people at the behest of the Crown and are now been given a Job well done medal for their efforts. If anyone doubt this statement take a good look at all the past and current political and social recipients. some should have been jailed for the unlawful and immoral acts they committed in their quest for economic and political power. Mr Roy Bodden’s new book gives a small but and indepth glimpse into history and the decisions that effect us all today on this island. i seriously doubt him nor Gilbert Mclean will ever get for their contribution to "Good Governance". My point clearly stated.
Perhaps someone could nominate Dick Arch and Norman Bodden for Knighthood. These two prominent, well respected men in this island boldly went on the UDP platform in Kirk’s Supermarket’s parking lot and robustly endorsed Mike Adam and the UDP Party. Many people were fooled that night and followed them. Now look at what we have for a Government. They should hang their heads in shame. Mike hasn’t said or done anything to speak of since he was elected, heck he was even attending church the weeks prior to election! If this is how he ran CAL then its understandable why he’s no longer there. We were led to believe that some sort of injustice had been done to him. Obviously not. And Elio, where are you now Mr. Vocal? Mark and Dwayne John John do you even live in this coutry anymore? Don’t see or hear you. I thougt that at least you four would participate in the running of the country and not just be puppets. Never expected anything except exactly what we’re getting from the four WB reps and Juliana. Mike, Elio, Mark and Dwayne have sorely disappointed. So please some of you who were led astray by Norman Bodden and Dick Arch please ask your premier to bless them with knighthood. I wasn’t fooled by them so I cant do it.
Aaaaaaaarrrrrrgggggghhhhhhhhhh
I feel your pain. But, please, seek help. And bear in mind the words of a bumper-sticker I once saw, and have ever since kicked myself for not having bought : "Since I gave up all hope, I’ve started to feel a lot better".
Fellow Caymanians – it is happening before your very eyes. You are losing your rights as citizens, slowly at first, now faster than ever! You are in the middle of a political coup and don’t even realize it. Democracy is gasping its last breath, and soon Cayman will be another dictatorship. You should hope they don’t change the voting rules and make it impossible to make changesat the voting booth by casting your vote. But then, West Bayers will continue to send their chosen saviour to the forefront, so things don’t look so good for Democracy,do they? Watch the voting process; therein lies the key. It is too late to pray; after all, your Premier is a "Godly" man. Good luck my beloved Isle.
Maybe you could read the article again and it will come to you, since the title "Democratic process eroding" did not seem to help.
You are focused on the fact that there may be some agreement with the "content" of the Bill when everyone else is decrying the "process" that is being abused.
After the democratic process is completely eroded, you will probably be one of those wondering where it went.
How can the process be eroded when there is provision in the law for the government to discard the standing orders for the 21 day period to look over changes to laws. If the content of the amendments are not a problem, then I do not see why waiting 21 days will change anything.
For all the amendments and laws that have been passed in this country how many times have the standing orders been discarded insofar as the reading of the laws are concerned prior to passing? I am sure there have been many occassions.
If Her Majesty’s loyal opposition has no problem with the content, then how is it eroding the democratic process? It is not as if they do it with every piece of legislation, is it?
"Although suspension of Standing Orders to remove that 21 day period is not unusual when legislation needs to be rushed in order to tackle immediate difficulties or threats to the economy, the country or the people, it is not usual procedure for all legislative changes." (Quoted from the 4th paragraph from the bottom of this article)
The economy IS urgently in need of "immediate" action to tackle all kinds of threats and difficulties – is it not????? Do we really have the luxury of time to…. oh let’s say…..overthrow the current Government and then deal with all the worldwide turmoil that would cause????? Or, do we really have the luxury of money and time to stall everything and then deal with it all in three years????
If the Government of the day believes so strongly that there is a need to rush things through right now – perhaps (and just humor me for a moment here) PERHAPS….. there is a teeny, tiny possibility that they are aware of some things that we are not aware of – and perhaps, we don’t really want to know! Perhaps they have good reason to believe that if they don’t get these things done NOW the country will immediately fall into ruin????Perhaps there is a good reason they have been voted in – even though it is far from apparent at the moment. Perhapsssssss when you voted UDP, you were right to trust your instincts. Time will tell.
Instead of wasting time by undermining every attempt they make to move forward, we should be praying for them like crazy. How about trusting that with the help of prayer, God will guide the current Government into making the right decisions. The fact is, right now, they are the ones who are in a position to do so.
"Democratic process eroding" equals DICTATORSHIP!
Helloooooooooooooooo!
Is this a surprise? We are being ruled by a dictator, that is why the "democratic process is eroding."
Well if the democratic process is eroding it is because the opposition is allowing it to erode. We hired you to keep watch over everything the elected government is doing.
Kurt, Alden, Arden, Ezzard, what are you all good for. YOu mean to tell me the lawyer Alden and you three are not capable of drafting an amendment or some kind of document to obstruct, reverse or hold up, what the dictator is doing to hurt the country by eroding the planning laws? What about voters signatures on a petition? I am convinced that all of you are a sorry bunch of selfish, self seeking, idiots. We hired you to do the job but all of you are too damn lazy to stand up against this dictator. Did he threaten you all or what?
UDP and PPM MUST GO IN 2013
INDEPENDENTS GET READY
If we could rely on God to always point the Government in the right direction, then there wouldn’t really be any point in having a Legislative Assembly, elections or democracy at all, would there?
Suddenly I understand why McKeeva goes to church.
You say the economy is urgently in need of "immediate" action and we do not have the luxury of time to…
Did it escape your attention that the Premier was elected SIXTEEN months ago?
After all the time spent on money-wasting, globe-trotting, vacations to attend sports events, interviewing housekeepers, selecting Christmas lights etc. etc. you don’t think that he could have spared another two weeks for the people’s business in the LA?
14 months, not 16.
My bad, but the LA was dissolved 16 months ago and their "plans" were already in place for what they would do as soon as they were elected.
Check their manefesto from the UDP website which has not been updated since the elections. This is not confined just to the UDP; have you heard from any of the others who wanted to "friend" you on Facebook since the campaign ended?
"Perhaps there is a good reason they have been voted in – even though it is far from apparent at the moment." (Quoted from the third paragraph in the comment by The Other".
There is no "good reason" why the UDP was voted in. At least that I can see. I might also add that the reason that a political party is voted into office should always be apparent!!! The party in power is supposed to lead the country and their consituents to prosperity as best they can. This is not the case with this party. This party…..well actually a party would consist of more than one person whereas our leadership is one person. Anyway our leader has done nothing but lead this country and his consituents down a path of increasingly deepening social and economical repression.
I am sure that there will be times when suspension of the Standing Orders will be necessary, but I do not see these recent circumstances to be examples.
The Preimier is gradually removing the democratic participation of the people and now the minority elected members and I hope that the Governor will step in soon and stop him.
Why am I getting a thumbs down? The opposition states unequivocally that the content of the various amendment are not the problem. The law provides for government to suspend the standing orders in relation to the passage of legislation. The people have been clamouring for changes to be made to various laws to convict criminals and to get on with the business of the country. Why is it then a problem when the government is doing what we want it to do?
People, read between the lines. As a matter of fact, go back and see how many times the previous administration suspended the standing orders in order to pass amendments to legislation. Perhaps CNS could provide that information at the same time that it presents one side of the argument.
As far as I am aware governments the world over do this. The United States, the greatest democracy in the world gives the President the right of veto. That means that if Congress or the Senate does not pass legislation and the President believes that it is good for the US then he can veto Congress and the Senate. Bush did it when he decided
TennisAce, you obviously don’t understand the American political process. First, it is the Senate and the House of Representatives, not the Senate and Congress. Congress is the Senate and House combined. Then you stated:
"That means that if Congress or the Senate does not pass legislation and the President believes that it is good for the US then he can veto Congress and the Senate."
How can the President veto something that has not passed? The House (not Congress) and the Senate must both pass a bill before it can go to the President for his signature or veto. If the President vetos a bill, it kills the bill; however, the Senate and House may override the President’s veto if they have enough votes. The President cannot enact legislation, onlythe House and Senate can do this.
Furthermore, I fail to see what this has to do with the suspension of standing orders in the passing of legislation?
You cannot compare Cayman’s single legislative body system to the USA’s system. Before a bill even gets to the President for signing or veto it must be agreed on by 2 legislative bodies: the Congress and the Senate.
This is a system of checks and balances. Cayman is lacks this and that is why your comparison is invalid.
People find this infuriating because the opposition is powerless to bring some sort of balance, even by way of debate, due to MacDinejad’s actions.
Just another day in Absurdistan.
The concerned contributor’s comparison is not at all INVALID. Indeed he or she raised a very good point. Our newly enacted constitution is being tested and within a few months to a year has confirmed that we do need checks and balances as the current system is far too dictatorial. And since we don’t have a balanced system in place then its time not to just create more districts or useless highly paid, non-productive legislators. You see the tyranny we are all experiencing now is not totally the fault of the Premier, the UDP or the PPM, it is that the Cayman Islands Political body has matured and is now very seriously screaming out for a House and a Senate. This new addition to the House will provide the checks and balance needed to ease most if not all of our pain, and don’t allow anyone to tell you anything different. Here’s the proof..
Please read the following provided from the About.com guide:-
Why do we have two chambers in Congress?
Dear Tennis Ace:
I hope your serve is better than your grasp of world politics.
If your posting here is an indication of your knowledge of politics, please do the country a favour and keep your political opinions to yourself. Misinformation uttered by people like you is partly the reason our country is in such a horrible mess.
You are very sadly misinformed as to the operation of US presidential veto power. It would be wise to check your facts and get them correct before expressing them publicly.
Veto (from Latin meaning "I forbid") power does not allow an American president to push through legislation which Congress refuses to pass. To the contrary, it allows him to forbid, or refuse to sign as law, legislation which was passed by Congress but with which he disagrees. The presidential veto can be overridden by Congress by a 2/3 majority vote.
What is going on here bears no resemblance to a U.S. presidential veto, but bears much in common with banana republic power-grabbing. Such dangerous political monkeying cannot happen in a truly democratic country such as the USA, but it happens all too often in third-world countries with poorly conceived constitutions and whose voting populace contains too great a number of ignorant and ill-informed individuals such as yourself.
Moreover, just because previous administrations suspended standing orders in order to pass amendments to legislation does not mean it is in the best interests of democracy to do so.
Rather than give you another Thumbs Down, here is how I score your performance: So far you are 0-6, 0-6. Game, set, match! Out in the first round.
You are incorrect — horribly incorrect!
The Senate and House can pass legislation that the President can veto. The President cannot simply go make willy nilly laws.
In fact, the USA also has a third body called the Supreme Court that can over-rule the 3 parties mentioned above.
This is called "Checks and Balances" so that we don’t have a dictator.
Many, many months ago, I wrote on CNS and said that there was an agenda for martial law in the Cayman Islands. Needless to say, my comment was dismissed as some kind of far out conspiracy theory. Wake TF up Cayman.
Soon the police will have much more power as a result of civil unrest…..as a result of bad (planned) governance.
We need to stop this. Hell itself is marching against us. McKeeva you have a lot to answer for.
We should plan to be outside the governor’s house a week from Sunday. No violence, just a peaceful protest to remove our unrighteous leadership.
We should aim for 11.00 am because we can save you churchgoers some offering money and then we can go to the beach that God gave us.
Are you in or out?
The Fed determined that the ‘Great Deleveraging’ might take as long as three or four more years, and bring with it more of the same; high joblessness, high risk of deflation, and continuing low interest rates. The Fed is seen as allowing for the possibility of a worsening in the outlook for the US economy and deliberating what to do if such conditions arise (especially now that it is essentially out of stimulus ammo). Thus, as far as the ‘extended period’ language goes, it seems quite likely to couple those words with ‘economic weakness’ as it describes the state of affairs in the US going forward.
It looks like another 3 to 4 years before the US economy begins to recover and with the average US household 25% poorer than 3 years ago it might be a longtime before Cayman sees a positive impact from the US economy, hopefully by then we will be doing more international business and less dependant on the winds of the US economy for our economic survival.
In order to survive we need to be very proactive about attracting growth and creating stimulus. We are a small pinprick island nation on the map of a very competitive world and we need to attract a diversity of affluent foreign customers and more expatriate professionals to deal with them if we are to grow and remain prosperous.
What do we have to offer them, why should they invest or move here?
A foreign investor or client can choose to invest anywhere today. Professionalism and a narrow pallet of profitable investment opportunities are the only attraction that we can offer.
With all the work that it takes to attract new professionals and investment why do we continuously undermine the effort with a culture of expat bashing and restrictive immigration practices? No wonder people get fed up with Cayman and leave, or never come here in the first place. It like advertising a sale and then telling the customer that we really don’t like them so pay and leave.
The Premier might be ramroding incentives, new projects and changes through the house and as a citizen I feel out of control, I don’t like the style, but the cumulative effect of these changes will help improve our economy in spite of a stagnant US. Very likely we need a steady stream of these projects not less. Could they be improved with more debate? Possibly but the real proof is in the execution.
I felt very much the same way about the last government, they took charge and also pushed desperately needed and long neglected capital projects though that will benefit us for years to come. Perhaps with earnings coming in the door their concern was more infrastructure focused and their style a little different but they were also addressing real needs and I thank them for that.
Cayman has lost more from all the previous years of neglect and stagnant economic development than it is losing by the pushiness of our current or previous government. Fortunately we are moving forward.
I for one would like to see the day when Cayman is well enough developed to withstand the next Ivan, has good high roads, a real drainage system, great schools and a population respected for its intellect, professionalism and success. A new picture of a Cayman? Yes but if we can’t go back then we had better lead the way forward.
My father use to say: “Dictatorship is the most efficient form of government but with a democracy you at least with you get to through the SOBs out every 4 years.” Maybe we have a little of both and that moves us forward. In fits and starts but without prosperity we will never have independence. Now lets get to work.
News flash- The U.S. is already in recovery whilst the island has gone third world. The ramroding method doesn’t seem to work out well for anybody except Mac and his cronies. By what funky yardstick is Cayman moving forward; hedge funds? Anything else; anything at all?
No matter how bad it gets in the U.S. I would rather stay here than live on your little island.
Isn’t the Speaker of the House supposed to ensure that procedures are followed?
Yes, but politicians are allowed to suspend standing orders. So it’s a lawful procedure to do so.
Congrats again to those that can vote – you picked one heck of a group of leaders for your Country (heavy sarcasm)!
Why aren’t there any more UDP flags on cars.
The Democratic Process eroding? wait til you and I have absolutly no say whatsoever aboutanything that happens in our country, that is what we are headed for that is what Mckeeva wants and that is what he will get, why hasn’t Govt Taylor stepped in here and put his foot down, I believe England and McKeeva have plans for this lil dot in the caribbean and it not a very good plan ether. Turn us into a third world countries where Crime and poverty is all that we will know, because the rich & wealthy will only live on Seven Mile Beach and in any McKeeva/DARTand/or MICHEAL RYAN developments eventually, we the Cayman people have to call on the Govoenor to call for a no confidence vote on McKeeva & his party, and the PPM they to can not be trusted as they to have shown little concern for what is happening the country they to have be removed from office now, we can not wait for 2013 or we will greatly reget prograstinating this decision as our well being and opinions will no longer matter we will be under communist rule within no time.
I agree with everything you say except the following:
"…and the PPM they to can not be trusted as they to have shown little concern for what is happening the country".
How can you say that when this article is primarily based on what the PPM has brought to the attention of the public? As the Opposition they have been quite consistent in sounding alarm bells about the govt’s efforts to remove any real accountability and transparency whether it is the budget being rushed through so that it could not be properly scrutinized and debated, short notice for Bills, the attack on the Auditor General, the threat to freedom of the press, the proposed tampering with FOI, Planning regulations to be passed by Cabinet and not the L.A. etc etc. etc
Please let me explain exactly what i mean about the PPM, they are the opposition? Yes!, they are outnumbered in the LA? correct! They should have called for a no confidence vote a long time ago, and now in form the public what needs to be done to have McKeeva removed , as the Caymanian people are asking for his removal, they can put out a petition for the Voting public to sign for the removal of this XXX MAN, but no try to slug it out in the LA where nothing will happen because it is frutile because as they have stated they can’t even respond to the ruling party!!! They know what can and can’t be done in this situation, hold a press breifing and go on the radio so that they can inform the public of what the peoples options are to have him removed before he changes any other lawss that would forbid him from being removed all together…. please dont be nieve with this, this is whatt got us here in the first place thinking that one party would have looked after the REAL problems that the other was ignoring, they are at each other throats in the publics eyes and behind closed doors they are bosum buddies we all know this, right now they all stand to lose in the next election so one party will continue to ride the others downfall with the voters, Mckeeva knows Caymanians are done with his sorry XXX and his party so he is relying on the yardies to keep him on the throne, while PPM will now try to gather the Voting Caymanians to sway back to them for 2013 and the cycle will continue…so BOTH PARTIES UDP & PPM need to go and no other PARTIES should ever again be elected into GOVT.. It doesnt work here all the party system has done is torn this country apart, Caymanians were unified until we were devided with the parties, now it has come down to the Expats vs Caymanians and we ARE LOSING ALL THE WAY AROUND…..
There is nothing wrong with calling for a "NO CONFIDENCE VOTE" in the entire government. UDP and PPM
Elections are held on this basis when the people are totally disatisfied with the leadership performance. It can be don.
Do you have the guts to do it.
Who has the petition started with signatures?
How many signatures needed?
Will you make bIg Mac fool you again and abort the attempt or will you have the balls to finish whatever you start?
Conversely and yet similarly I’ve been following the saga of Mel Gibson this week. Seems it was documented by some unknown source that he did some bad, bad things and somehow it was leaked to the media. And now Mel Gibson’s career is over.
This erosion of democracy can be directly linked to the weakness of the the elected UDP members. What is the power that the premier has over this people?? Does he have pictures?/ They have certainly lost sight of the the fact that their loyalty should be to the people who elected them not the self appointed Dictator from West Bay.
As a citizen of this country, I am insulted by the lack of regard this government has for the people. I am truly scared for the future of this land if it is not stopped.
Elected DUP members I have a question for you: How do you sleep at night?
That’s what you get in a Dictatorship – no proper democratic process
In the beginning was the Plan.
And then came the Assumptions.
And the Assumptions were without form.
And darkness was upon the face of the Workers.
And they spoke among themselves, saying, "It is a crock of sh@t, and it stinketh."
And the workers went unto their Supervisors and said, "It is a pail of dung, and none may abide the odour thereof."
And the Supervisors went unto their Managers, saying, "It is a container of excrement, and it is very strong, such that none may abide by it."
And the Managers went unto their Directors, saying, "It is a vessel of fertiliser, and none may abide its strength."
And theDirectors spoke amongst themselves, saying one to another, "It contains that which aids plant growth, and it is very strong."
And the Directors then went onto the Vice Presidents, saying unto them, "It promotes growth and is very powerful."
And the Vice Presidents went unto the President, saying unto him, "This new plan will actively promote the growth and vigour of the company; with powerful effects."
And the President looked upon the Plan, and saw that it was good.
And the Plan became Policy.
This is How Sh@t Happens.
“Removing the right for the people to have their say is a serious encroachment on democracy.”
That is how dictatorships begin…by eroding away small rights…little by little until there are no rights left and by the time everyone becomes aware that they have no more rights, it is too late to do anything..
People, the time for action is NOW..the "Premiere" is making moves to remove any and ALL opposition to anything that HE wants…never mind that nothing that he is doing will be of any benefit to the "little man"…
HE, Mr. Taylor, YOU need to wake up, clear your throat and SPEAK OUT against this…this man has a majority who will sit and nod and DO NOTHING against him…YOU are the ONLY person who can stop this MADNESS…please do what you were tasked to do by the UK and ensure GOOD GOVERNANCE…We the People are depending on you…
The Cayman Government has itself been degraded by the very people that run it. There is no debate that the Government is now ONLY about getting money from the people to feed its OWN people. Until something drastic happens ( like the people of Cayman going on strike) it will continue on its course of "take what you can, give nothing back". Until there is nothing left.
How can I best put it? DICTATOR
Arden, Kurt, Alden, Ezzard please do not let this surprise you. The other UDP members are being jailed by McKeeva, so they cannot speak up or they will be reprimanded or disbanded from the UDP run house. They are told to agree not to disagree, they are being manulipated by one man and the majority vote. One man runs that show and that one man is Cayman’s dictator, McKeeva Bush. Who in turn is being dictated by the Rich and his love for their money$$$. XXXXX You decent guys, the opposition should not even attend the LA meetings anymore, since your voice cannot be heard or you are not even acknowledged, He wont even sit down in a discussion with you guys, to hear your views, your plans, your objections, your ideas etc etc, then go back to your districts and gather evidence, ideas, make your connections and compile or formulate your sustainable plans to the Governor directly, as Mckeeva think you guys are NOT worthy to be in the house, anyway. He has spread PPM hatred and has thrown democracy out the window and the FCO needs to be alerted to the fact. There has to be someone overseeing what he is doing and it don’t look like its the Governor. Do something guys by escalating the matter to the FCO.
WHAT HAPPEN TO THE SPEAKER i thought that she was there to make sure that order and procedures are complied with. now can some one explain why she do not stop this rubbish if she can. or she is just there to make the goverment do as they wish. come on miss mary (MADAM SPEAKER)DO not let this man make you assist in the distruction of demoracy
In this regard the speaker is powerless.
Parliament regulates its own policies and procedures. If it is moved and accepted by the majority then it is "just".
Thats the Westminster system.
So this is the "better way forward," eh? Better than what, exactly?
2013 can’t come soon enough. Maybe we cant convince West Bay to get rid of Big Mac, but we can get rid of the rest of the goonies who are just sitting and collecting a pay check…..then Mr. Mac can sit on the side line and just watch…..
You are correct. I’m from West Bay and unfortunately we have too many brain-washed voters who will vote for McKeeva until they die. However, the re-establishment of the UDP to power was done by the majority from WB, GT and BT, so it is not the WB people that are solely at fault for this disfunctional party in power.
One day the pendulum of power will swing back to the PPM, and hopefully they will not pickup where they left off…reckless spending which caused people to vote for the UDP.
2013 might be too late…
2013 WILL BE TOO LATE!!! THE TIME IS NOW 2010
So basically the only problem the opposition has is the fact that the usual 21 day period, which under law the Government can suspend, is the only problem that they have and not the content of the legislation.
If that is the problem, then we have no problem. As Mr. McLaughlin/McLean concede, Government has to get on with its business and clearly none of these amendments are really detrimental seeing as the opposition says they are in agreement with the content.
You are missing the point. (1) This has become the MO of the govt. even where there is no apparent need for a rush. Obviously, rules are made for a reason and deviations should be exceptional; (2) While no objection appears closer study and public scrutiny may reveal issues. Further, as the article indicates, this is just part of a larger problem of curtailing accountability and transparency. If you don’t see a problem with that then you have been drinking the Kool Aid.
There cant be too much more changes to be made, or lets hope so as God knows that this Country cant take anymore. Three years seems so far away, perhaps the next Government wont be able to reverse most of these changes.Oh I forgot to ask about those Trailer homes, was there any decisions made for them as we are now in the hurricane season? What kind of fee did the Government put on them, as they are just as unsightly as any of the Paloma damages, not to mention dangerous.
Public consultation and debate are key components in a democracy. Agreed?
Is this really a surprise. More power and more control. Basically we have the minority of voters electing our power politicians with the other winning party members and the opposition as lame ducks with no say or ability to control decision making. 7MB height limits, new planning regs, fee and duty increases, borrowing more and more, this is just the beginning IMHO.