Premier says rollover gap can be cut
(CNS): The premier told the country on Thursday night that he has legal advice from the UK which says the Cayman Islands government can make the rollover as short as it chooses and he will be examining changes to the immigration policy. Speaking to the country during a television address, McKeeva Bush raised the issue of immigration and the need to attract people to the Cayman Islands as well as the need to encourage people to keep their earnings here. He said that Cayman was exporting part of its GDP as a result of the way the country’s immigration policy encouraged foreign workers to send money out of Cayman. He said any country which exported its GDP was doomed to failure.
Bush stated that new initiatives and incentives were needed to encourage people to relocate to Cayman and conduct business on the ground here, a key factor that government had to focus on. He said Cayman was not offering security for staff of potential investors or good service, which had to be addressed.
“These initiatives can be achieved without the necessity of granting Caymanian Status,” he said. “We have legal advice from the UK that says we can make the rollover time as limited as we want to in our legislation.”
Currently the law requires expatriate workers on work permits to leave for a minimum period of twelve months after working for seven years before they can return. The period was originally set at two years but was then reduce to twelve by the previous administration as they said it was the minimum period which could be accepted in law as a genuine break in stay. This would then prevent all permit holders from meeting the threshold to be entitled to begin the process of becoming Caymanian and in turn what was perceived as an imbalance between indigenous Caymanians and foreign status holders.
Bush did not say if he intended to scrap the concept of the seven year rollover policy or, if it remained in place, how short he was willing to make the mandated break in stay but he implied there would be immigration changes. He added that everybody needed to examine how best people could be attracted here while still creating jobs and upward mobility for Caymanians. Bush further revealed the intention to remove work permits for visiting foreign business people who were here for short business trips.
He said he would make a further announcement on the issue of immigration in a few weeks.
Bush also sent a warning to the members of government appointed boards would be changed if they were either incapable or unwilling to carry out government wishes or were not complying with government policy for enhancing economic development.
Following Wednesday night’s public meeting, when the premier berated the bureaucracy of the public service, on Thursday he used the TV platform to criticise the wider members of society who were not supporting his efforts to attract development. He warned that he would be “asking the governor to do something” about people who worked for government who were not supporting him.
“As premier I cannot and will not allow our country to suffer at the hands of a few,” he said. adding that it was time to embrace foreigners and guest workers to Cayman as they were an intrinsic part of the economy. He warned that with as may as 10,000 people gone from the country, if this wasn’t addressed the country would not be able to pay bills, there would be more unemployed, children would not be able to receive an education and government would not be able to pay the civil service wage bill.
Category: Headline News
Could it be that the rollover is being cut to just one month because the Premier’s helper is due for rollover?
Here are th true facts please disregard the syntax of my message. The jobs are leaving because of the high cost of business and being outsourced to Canada or Ireland, India etc. So this rollover is a very minor issue compared to that and it simply means highly qualified expats vs highly qualified expats or low wage workers vs. Caymanians. The marco view is that there is no way to change or increase the population unless you reduce cost of living or put downward wage costs in effect to bring back the jobs.. So unless you are from Asia or India and can afford to restructure your cost of living accordingly to compete with the global market chances are it is a rat race that everyone in high places now Caymanian and expat will loose.. You can see this effect in the USA & UK already with the constant high employment rate. As much as the premier does not like it or does not want to admit the world has changed. We must remain critical mass agreed but how? To me many will fall as a result of what we refer to as speculative risk and the government will default on its obligations maybe not today but soon next 10 years. The only choice we have is making preparations for that day and I would dare say that this is just the start of a long slow decline in the population of Cayman. Luckly, I love Cayman and although I wander far I will always be a Caymanian and although the gold mine may produce less I am not worried. I know people who are so concerned with this happening and some expats who all they worry about is not getting rolled over and facing 2 hour commutes but they don’t understand that they are delaying the pain but as long as they can suck on the breast even for 5 more minutes they will cry murder and make all sorts of comments about the economy getting compressed by their actions(leaving) but that too as I explained is going to happen regardless. We cannot operate with a false sense of real as Mac suggest. We need to swallow the jagged pill take the hit and have government use the last of its funds to train Caymanians (those who have an intimate connection in the heart who will remit funds from abroad to build homes) at a global level so that they can live and work in HK or Asia or Brazil and we need to send them to school in these countries on exchange programmes. A fancy school or port is not going to stimlate anything esp in Cayman as nearly everything is imported including labour. All you will stimulate Mr. Bush is the Q at quik cash or Western Union for a year or so and then it will be gone and a pile of debt awaits. Better off you, issue cheques to all unemployed Caymanian construction workers and send them off the retrain as QS if they have the ability. Here is a good advisor/consultant and best of all he is free and he is Caymanian. But I know this is not part of the plan as this would be contrary to your thinking Mac and most of all contrary to your contributors policy which seeks for the little guy to stay little…..I smile at this moment while others suffer because I see the future in my mind and adjust my investments accordingly. I got at the stock market low in March 2009. On cns there was a discussion of CIMA holding gold on it reserves last year and I agreed to that and I have been purchasing gold since 2008. I recommend getting some CUC shares with that 7% yield and no broker fees and no minmum right now
I know my business has been working on an outsourcing plan. The irony is that by increasing costs of foreign labor, Mac has driven businesses to consider efficiencies which will result in the loss of almost exclusively Caymanian-held positions.
Do you not think maybe it has something to do with the high increase in the cost of Work Permits??????
Mac, I commend you sir! Finally something that makes economic sense for the country! For the record I am Caymanian! I think the current roll-over policy is not only ridiculous but is in fact harmful to our economy. Work permit holders either send their money out of the country or take it with them when we force them to leave negatively impacting our GDP as you said. Further, to think we’re so special that these people would simply pick up their lives, leave employment, move their families elsewhere at great expense, start new jobs, enroll their kids in schools, then pick up and do it all over again to return to Cayman 12 months later, at great expense yet again, to return to a job that no longer exists as this person as been replaced by yet another work permit holder, is delusional.
If we encourage people whom we need to grow our economy, we will all benefit from it. Ex-pat’s will buy property and invest in our country which they currently do not do. This could perhaps even immediately stimulate our economy since these people probably have saved money which they may invest during this economic downturn when it is a buyers market, into real estate etc.
I’m not familiar with international law regarding human rights and right to citizenship if living inside a country for more than 7 years, but if it is possible to avoid this automatic citizenship issue, then we need to either cut the absenteeism time frame to an absolute minimum, 2 weeks if international law will allow, that way the person(s) go on vacation for 2 weeks and return with a new slate. Otherwise, again if we can avoid international law which automatically grants one citizenship, do we not have the right to simply consider applications for Caymanian status on a case by case basis and grant status only to those who have rights as descendants of Caymanian’s?
This is the best news our economy has had in awhile save the Shetti hospital and DART, both of which are the best thing’s to ever happen to Cayman’s economy. Please make it happen ASAP!
OK this Govt. is responsible for the people leaving by doubling work permit fees, increasing import duty, gas prices, etc. etc. when every other country reduced fees and made money available to help the economy get back on its feet..
Rolling people over was always a stupid idea because if you get someone good, why would you want them to leave for a year. Why wouldn’t you want them to put roots down here and stay. If you can exclude helpers you can exclude others. Isn’t it going to be a human rights issue to exclude one set of people and not the rest. I would rather have a teacher,doctor, lawyer, banker, or whatever who has an interest in this country and has made their home here. Not someone who can only stay for 7 years who obviously is going to be here for whatever they can get, otherwise they wouldn’t be here. They are not going to invest their time and energy for the country’s benefit and why should they when they have no chance to belong?
This govt. has increased the price of everything crippling the rest of us. Its only those who get a salary plus pension plus utilties paid, travel paid, etc. etc. who can live here now. Going to the supermarket is a scary experience for the rest of us because prices increase every week.
Crime is increasing daily. what is being done about this? Police Officers are working longer and longer hours, leaving because they have had enough while the top brass relaxes at Royal Palms every weekend.
Now we are to do away with visas for Jamaicans. No disrespect to Jamaicans but let’s face it, most countries require visiting Jamaicans to have visas because of the crime there. Sorry, I’m just stating facts.
Now we are not allowed to disagree with ANYTHING the Premier wants to do. He’s going to remove all our freedom bit by bit. If you don’t agree with all his policies you will be removed from a board, fired, or dealt with in some other way. Wake up people. This man is a dictator and has to be stopped. He has no regard for our laws, they just get in his way. NO ONE MUST STAND IN HIS WAY.
When is someone going to start the process to change the Govt. Can we afford to put up with another 3 years of this dictatorship because at the end of it we will probably not even have the freedom to vote.
“As premier I cannot and will not allow our country to suffer at the hands of a few,” he said.
Of course he won’t…he’s reserved that pleasure for himself.
Hey MAC,MAC,MAC,MAC!!!
I got some good news for you!!! Raul Castro said he’s getting too old and retiring soon, and he needs a new Dictator for the country, he said hurry up and come, the position is widddeee open for you!!! Sounds good huh?!!! Hurry up and go,you can’t pass up an oppurtunity like that! We’ll be ok, no need to comeback and visit, just send us a post card.
On a serious note Mac, you are seriously barking up a tree with poisonous bark. How dare you threaten the very people who voted you in?How dare you threaten the very people that you need. Without them you are absolutely nothing,and you’re looking more like it everysingle day.Just remember that it’s you ALONE against 53,000+/- people in this country, so watch you’re lines you hear me?Damn bright and out of order…. We know that you’re trying to find money for the country, but so is everybody else around the world.Everybody is in their own state of emergency, stop turning it into a state of desperation!Be patient.
Try to worry about lowering the cost of living, and saving money instead of raising it and maybe, just maybe people will actually stay.The economy is bad everywhere else, but the people are leaving because the cost of living is still a little better and maybe a bit more affordable where they are going.
One thing that might just start turning the tables for our economy is lowering the fuel cost of our CUC bills. I was paying my company’s outrageous bill the other day and the fuel cost is more than the electricity usage. The usage was nearly $7,000 but the fuel cost was $13,500. THAT is dispicable and it’s the same way for residents too.
Lowering the cost of our electricty bills could actually be the key to saving Cayman’s economy. I was told by one of the execs at CUC a few years ago that their systems are capable or has the possibility of burning garbage to be used as alternative energy, which in essence could infact lower the cost of living. Mt. Trashmore is not a tourist attraction,so trust me it can go.Why aren’t you all looking into making this possible? Imagine the amount of money the country and citizens and businesses and the Government could save monthly. The money saved could be used for paying off other bills,putting extra money down on mortgages,car loans,land loans and other liabilities, it could help families save up for their yearly house and car insurance, it could definitely help lower income families save up for their children’s yearly school tuition and lunch fees and help them from seeking financial aide from the government’ social services department which is draining a part of the government purse that could then be used to put toward paying the government loan off faster. Or it could help finish building the schools or help better equip the schools with better learning materials and further invest in all of Cayman’s children and in sports or pay the money owed to the construction companies and contractors building the schools so that you will have one less liablility on the government’s hands to deal with. The money companies and the government saves monthly can also be used to replenish their pension funds and start paying their employees back the money owed to them in pensions and helping them secure their futures as was suppose to happen in the first place and once again be one less liablility owed country wide. This little money saved every month could be the difference between someone or a family going broke on pay day or having a little more to support their family till their next pay day comes.
Yes part of it will have to come from us using more wisely & spending less which will be of further benefit to us, but if you want us to cooperate with you on anything you have to do your part and cooperate too with us.
Maybe you can show us further that you care, and put back the money needlessly budgeted to pay your bills,luxury living back into the government purse and put it to better use for the country.One man doesn’t need so much money to live. You have your own truck, so drive it yourself and stop XXXXX taking officers away from more important things. Real leaders make real personal sacrifices in hard times and you are doing a sad job at it.
In Economic sence, it will be a perfect decision to scrape Roll over. Cayman island need a stable economy and not business with money going out of the country, just because they are losing the expereince and trusted employees. HONORABLE Mr. Bush, it made lot of sense towards the country.
When will expats learn what we expect of them:
– We want them to come and train us, while we make them feel uncomfortable and unwanted.
– We only want them here for a few years then to go and "not let the door hit them on their way out"
-when they do go we want to make sure they leave or spend all their money first, otherwise they might have been using us, instead of them knowing we are their betters by birth right.
-we would prefer if we could take away your pensions before your go, as you won’t need them where you are going and we deserve them more. (we’re working on this one)
– we do not want you to meet up with each other in groups or talk in any other language but our own.
Now GO HOME to where you came from, but tell you friends to come here for a few years so we can milk them too.
If you had MILK you wouldn’t be here
Caymanian to the bone you are not.
You need to go back to school before you make postings on this website, it’s embarassing. Do you know what a sentence is? or the difference between their and there? obviously not. What you have written encapsulates a lot of the problems on this island.
People in glass houses . . . .
1. Full stop after "website".
2. New sentence for "it’s embarrassing".
3. It is "embarrassing". How embarrassing.
4. Capitals at the start of sentences please – see "or" and "obviously" .
5. When you typed "their" and "there" you should have put these punctuation marks around them. It was a shame when you were pontificating about someone else’s poor punctuation.
I have not even started on style comments, but your writing style is plain ugly.
I would fail this post in an English language exam at grade 8. So get down off your high horse. It’s embarrassing.
"Bush also sent a warning to the members of government appointed boards would be changed if they were either incapable or unwilling to carry out government wishes or were not complying with government policy for enhancing economic development.
Following Wednesday night’s public meeting, when the premier berated the bureaucracy of the public service, on Thursday he used the TV platform to criticise the wider members of society who were not supporting his efforts to attract development. He warned that he would be “asking the governor to do something” about people who worked for government who were not supporting him."
dic·ta·tor
[dik-tey-ter, dik-tey-ter]
noun
How about we spin it this way –
"Caymanians also sent a warning to the members of government who would be changed if they were either incapable or unwilling to carry out the people’s wishes or were not complying with the people’s policy for enhancing economic development that would protect them and their country.
They warned that they would be “asking the governor to do something” about people who worked as government MLA’s who were not listening to them."
1. a person exercising absolute power, esp. a ruler who has absolute, unrestricted control in a government.
Don’t be ignorant. You have NO Idea what a dictator is. And I’m NOT defending Mac. Your attitude is insulting to those who have in fact suffered under real dictatorships. But then again, to people like yourself, the sufferings of non-Caymanians don’t really matter. Can you say human rights?
Are you serious???? Do you have to comment just to oppose? I was not commenting on the article numnutz…but on the two comments he made which I found PERFECTLY illustrate the mentality of a dictator. How can it be insulting to you if I feel that the person running a country conducts himself in a manner likened to historical leaders who were considered dictators??? "You’re stupid". There, now I’ve truly insulted you. Feel better?
Have you ever said, ‘I’m so tired I can’t even walk" … is that an insult to people who ACTUALLY cannot walk??? uhhhhh, NO it’s not! It’s a comment. It’s the way you feel about something.
Can you say Freedom of Speech?!
If you were referring to yourself, then I am sorry you were forced to endure life under a dictator – and all of the above aside, I really mean it. My heart bleeds for people under oppression. I am happy for you that you can live here in better conditions. But that does not mean that what is happening in Cayman cannot get MUCH worse if this man is allowed to continue exercising his political muscle to his own advantage and without limits. Exercised muscles get stronger. Dictators did not always march in and take over with brute force…they started out meek and mild with a little here and a little there.
And for the record – I am not a born Caymanian. I am an ex-pat. But my personal situation does not blind me from seeing this man for the dictator that he is becoming.
I sat on a successful board for 16 years, had the best attendance and got fired by macman immediately he came to power. I worked very hard and read about my demise in the Government Gazette. What a way to go.
yeah, Chuckie did the same thing to me too..it’s not just this government that does it.
Samuel as usual, most of the bloggers here don’t mean well for Caymanians, but themselves. We all know the high fees and duties on Caymanians is causing this country to sink – only Caymanians and business owners can relate with you here
Mr. Bush we need more people on this island like how we need our cuc bills and every other bills to be lowerd. First in foremost we need people that will come and invest in this country by making more jobs available not to come and make a better life for there self and there family and never once say i’m going to give back to the community somehow becasue when there 7 years is up guess what they can pick there self up and there family and go back to there country and have a hell of a saving to go to but us as caymanians have no where to go and cant even save a dim in our own country so think strong about change this roll over policy may be if some more will leave caymanian mite have a chance of getting a job becasue they are few and in between.
Judging by your spelling and grammar, it is no wonder you want all foreigners to leave. It is probably the only way you could ever get a job that involved anything more than pushing a broom.
Did it ever cross your mind that this person could be an expatriate Caymanian? See what I tell you. Think before you talk.
Yessss!!! A light at the end of the tunnel!! We have been here for six years now, through thick and thin. Our wages have dropped a thousand fold and full time hours are not to be counted on. The economy is tough but if we work together, we can get through this. We have made Cayman our home and it is where we feel we belong. We have skills to share with young Caymanians to help them toward a better future. We have so many close Caymanian friends, born locally as well as status holders. It has been extremely difficult to read about so much hatred and resentment of each other in the press. Many times I have been tempted to believe that the rhetoric was coming from the majority. In reality it is the minority. There is genuine goodness and ability to listen to the voice of reason in most of the people here. We never gave up hope that a righteous solution would come through. Thank God for this encouraging news!!!
OMG I cannot believe what I am hearing hear….come on Big Mac you can do better than that, I mean lesser time for rollover…give me a break! I think the time given now is working quite well for the expats…and if not they should have known when coming to another man’s country that it would be a short period and not expect to live here for ever…This is a small country and we need expats yes, to work and then go home when their time is UP. What you need to be focussing on is your own people, you know the ones who actually voted you in….start by finding jobs for those that are jobless and making our education system better for our kids, who will be the future leaders of this Island. Seriously Mac you need to stop making excuses and stop trying to demolish what the previous Government has already put in place…Focus on things that are current and need immediate changes like your Government for instance…..there is just so much more you could be doing that would be considered productive instead you spend half your time bickering about nonsense….I am so sorry to this day that I ever gave you my vote and as a first time voter, God knows I am ever deterd from ever voting again in my life ….this whole UDP/PPM party Politrics has left a terrible taste in my mouth and my heart still feels the pain……Our kids have nothing to look forward to, we will be over run soon by expats and we will become the expats if you continue to have your way with our Islands. I say God helps us all…..Can you see you will NEVER be able to please everyone, but you should start by making your own people happy in a place that is their home.
This is the most selfish rant I’ve ever seen. For one, how can you be deterred from voting if you’re dissatisfied with the powers that be? That should be your primary INCENTIVE to vote. Secondly, the immigration policies are not in place to make expats happy. Caymanians just got great news in that there will soon be "Caymanian Only" jobs by matter of law, not just by matter of preference within companies. You’re taking all the wrong action by lamenting away about expats, meanwhile claiming that party politics has driven you to say you’ll never vote again. Absolutely absurd.
This is the most selfish rant I’ve ever seen. For one, how can you be deterred from voting if you’re dissatisfied with the powers that be? That should be your primary INCENTIVE to vote. Secondly, the immigration policies are not in place to make expats happy. Caymanians just got great news in that there will soon be "Caymanian Only" jobs by matter of law, not just by matter of preference within companies. You’re taking all the wrong action by lamenting away about expats, meanwhile claiming that party politics has driven you to say you’ll never vote again. Absolutely absurd.
Anon 09:35, take a look at the thumbs down to your comment in comparrison to the thumbs up & you will see how badly we are outnumbered by expats in our own country…..AMAZING & SHOCKING.
You posted a comment that is PRO-CAYMANIAN & you receive far more thumbs down than you get thumbs up supporting your comment. Isn’t that extremely scary? This is Cayman & yet your pro-Cayman comment is unpopular. That could not happen in any other country, & Cayman people wonder why we are in such a mess. We live in Cayman, yet this is not Cayman anymore, THAT IS SAD, VERY VERY SAD! Which other country could that S–T happen? NONE!
It is ok for expats to come here & live & work, but take us for what we are. Do not try & change us to be like your country that you have just run away from. This is Cayman sofor God’s sake leave it as Cayman, give us a break. Come & live amongst us, but let us remain as Cayman, not a mini version of your country. We cannot go to your country & change it into Cayman, so do not expect to do that here.
The Caymanians all want the Government to find them a job. Stop letting expats come to "another man’s country" and find us some jobs.
How is it that so many expats can find a job in Cayman, but Caymanians cannot? There is only one possible answer.
I was invited to this island to fill a position in a local company which was unable to find a local candidate who was qualified. What does that have to do with Government or roll over?
We areall entitled to explore opportunities around the world based on our education and experience. You can always tell a comment posted by Caymanians because they are the ones blaming the Government for their career deficiencies, crime etc, etc. Poor parenting creates criminals, lack of education limits career opportunities. I know for a fact that there are many well educated, hard working locals who have excellent jobs in companies here that are not Cayman based. A Caymanian teen today should be looking to take advantage of the Government subsidizing their education and set their sights on one of the big banks, law firms or other lucrative careers. Cayman has everything in place for its young people to carve out a fulfilling and prosperous future. It’s not an expat’s fault if they don’t seize the opportunity.
B.S.
NO MORE STATUS GRANT TO GIVE BIG MAC MORE VOTES TO GET ELECTED.
NO NO NO
he has to go!
Chuckie, Alden, Arden, Kurt, make sure that he does not grant any more status and watch his policy changes carefully. if it is really going to hurt Caymanians then bring it to the people and we will rally together and STOP BIG MAC!
We are not afraid of his scare tactics!
Chuckie,
Come on if you want us to respect you and vote for you in 2013 Speak up and tell us what your view is on these recent moves of the Premier.
Ezzard,, Aldlen, Kurt, speak up. HOld a rally and tell the people what is facing them. Or strt a petition and get this man out of office. He is pretending and trying to dupe the people into believing he is saving the economy. if the economy is a problem then
WHY IS IT THAT HE MADE "MR. RYAN GET AWAY WITH $450,000 DOLLARS OF OUR MONEY !" Kicking us in the face?
THAT COULD BE USED TO PAY BILLS AND PAY CIVIIL SERVANTS?
XXXXX
Now in turn he is threatening to fire civil servants if they do not comply with the wishes of Big Mac and his elite rich friends Dart and Ryan? That’s really what this is all about! He could not answer the questions in the meeting because the answer is in:-
DART’S ANNOUNCEMENT TO RELOCATE TO THE BAHAMAS!
These Developers are getting the message that we will not tolerate Big Mac using us as pawns to give them what they want.
Dart is a businessman and he does not forsee Big Mac Getting re-elected that’s why he is relocating to the Bahamas? It’s possible!
XXXXXX
DO NOT TOLERATE ANY OF MCKEEVA BUSH’S THREATS, HE IS NOT WORKING FOR YOU HE IS WORKING FOR THE RICH AND FAMOUS AND NO ONE ELSE!
Mr. Roy Bodden is right and his book tells the truth about the kind of government we have elected Take heed. It is a disgrace what we have come to.
Aftering reading comments for years now I wish I could wave a magic wand and all of the following would come about
There would be no Expats or anyone that has no blood other than "true" Caymanian blood in them. That means those of you with a parent or grandparent from another country too. Better think about your spouse. Marriage does not make you a true Caymanian.
So then all of the "blue collar" workers would leave. So goodbye to the helpers that help with the elderly and childrens. No more house keepers, cooks and yard workers.
Now we have a ton of jobs that either True Caymanian could apply for or those who have these people working for them could now do the job themsleves.
Moving on to the teachers, nurses and jobs that required a degree. Again how many Caymanians do we have that have this level of education? Lets pray they do not all have to leave at once or we are in big trouble.
Now business owners. How many Caymanians have the money to start a business?? If so then why do we have so many Expats who have a business? How many of these do employ Caymanians. If they have to leave and close the doors how many Caymanians will be unemployed. How many Caymanians will start the same business?
Government jobs. Hard facts to state. How many Caymanians do we have holding positions that do not have the level of education to hold such jobs. I mean like those that struggle to even read or write to some level. I know of no other country that has so many people employed with such a limited education. Scary to know that some of these people have such great powers and high salaries.
Money and investments. You need tolook hard at where some of your well known Caymanians have homes businesses and investments at. Yep the USA ask yourselves why.
So remove anyone who is not a true Caymanian, close all the businesses that are not owned by such and remember that all money not belonging to a true Caymanian will also leave these islands. So now you have your islands back and where will you be. Right back where you started many years ago. Good thing or a Bad thing? Like I always say be careful what you wish for!
@ Anon 08:43, your comments are very sarcastic & typical of your type! You go on like it is only Caymanians that are upset with being outnumbered in their OWN country. This is not just a "Cayman problem." Oh no, this happens all over the world. In fact, if you look at two of the most prominent countries, the UK & the US, you will see they have the very same immigration problems where locals are upset because expats are beginning to outnumber them. In the UK the locals are up in arms protesting that the muslims are now beginning to take over their country instead of staying in their own countries & destroying them (their countries). And the American people, multi-cultural as they are, are now in fear of expats because they are becoming too numerous & changing America. The American people are protesting daily because the illegal aliens (mostly latinos from mexico) are having far too much influence on the politics of the country, mostly because of the greedy & power hungry liberal democrats, who are willing to sell their country to expats & illegals to remain in power. Does this remind you of anyone XXXX? Take a close look at our next door neighbor also. When the foreign man with his wealth & power started to take control of Jamaica, the Jamaican politicans & people made sure to chase them all out of the country (remember those famous words by Jamaica’s then PM? "If you do not like it here, there are 5 flights a day, & you can take any one of them out"). So please, Anon 08:43, do not make this out to be a Cayman problem only, this happens in your country too, & if things were so great in your country, wherever that is, you would not be here.
Where were your father and mother from? What about your grand daddy and mommy? Where were your great grandparents from? You done know where your ancestors are from.- nobody got 100% true blood. Your ancestors might not appreciate what you are saying? Or are you denying your own heritage?
If all the expats left there would be few kids in school and few patients at the hospitals because there are few Caymanians so there would be no need for so many teachers, medical staff,nor large schools costing millions of dollars.
Don’t forget the millions of dollars Social Services spends on expats and status holders (true Caymanians can’t qualify for assistance it seems or they want to take your little house but the status holders have nothing for them to take so they get all for nothing). This has turned out exactly as one Caymanian member of Immigration Board said it would: "They will become a social burden" and oh, how true!
We know it’s gotta be better in the Cayman Islands or they would not be staying & kicking up a fuss when they gotta go.
Guess what – I don’t care about your thumbs down because you will never know what it is to be a real Caymanian! You are what & where you left behind; you’re here for the taking – a true honest hardworking Caymanian is here for the long haul and he cares for his Island
1. Introduce rollover
2. Realise population was too low? (more than likely as a result of 1.)
3. After sending many many people to their respective countries, places they dont call home – Cayman was there home. Forcing people who have lived here longer than I’ve been alive to leave. Turnaround and want people to relocate here? What for?
I wish people would really THINK things out.
Kettle meet pot
Why not just amend the LAW regarding residency and naturalization ? Make that you must own real estate property or have been here over 10 years and have a vested interest in seeing these Islands move forward.
Isn’t that in place already?
Jonathan, maybe the Governor will stop the dictator before he does to us what Missick did to the Turks and Caicos Islands. I knew this would happen when I watched this man become the first premier of the Cayman Islands and saw Missick (the already deposed premier of TCI )in the audience. Governor Taylor needs to step in now and stop this man before it is too late. There are some educated men in this island, who would have accepted the premiership of the country and settled down to work with the people to create a better world for our people, the one we have is a loud-mouth blowhard, who thinks he knows it all and drops names like it is going to impress the island as to how far he has come. May God Have Mercy on Caymanians.
I’ve never heard anyone refer to Mac as smart… first time for everything i guess.
Who put the roll over in place? Who spent $150 million on 2 schools? Before they point fingers look at who put us were we are at now?
Answer to 1. is the UDP. The UDP passed the Immigration Law, 2003 that introduced rollover. Answer to 2. is the PPM. They are jointly responsible as are previous governments.
“As premier I cannot and will not allow our country to suffer at the hands of a few,” he said.
I can name a "few"….Bush, O’Connor-Connelly, Anglin, Adam, Scottland,…
Mickey Mouse old buddy there are still a few more names you forgot to mention……….Tibbetts,Mclaughlin,Mclean,Eden and Kirkconnell.
Now do you believe they are both alike?
You didn’t just go there. Are you insane?!
"The premier told the country, on Thursday night, that he has legal advice from the UK which says the Cayman Islands government can make the rollover as short as it chooses"
Assuming the Premier is accurately reporting the advice he has received then that is very dangerous advice. Six months is the break period recognized internationally and even that may not consitute a break under certain circumstances.
Where is he getting this advice?
Mr. Bush,
Would you please give it a break now…some of us have a brain, so for all of us with kids growing up in Cayman…should I just tell them now they don’t have a future….or should I wait for you to make the speech?…I sometimes wonder If you are doing this on purpose, XXXXXXX….sad oh so very sad…andyou UDP’ers I hope you can sleep well at night.
"Some of us have a brain". I couldn’t have said it better myself. (Irony.) The truth is, if Mac doesn’t do these things to turn the economy around none of our kids will have a future here. We will go back to where we started and our men will become expats in other countries, or on their ships. Or have you forgotten?
Finally, something of a positive nature…was it Mac who first presented the Rollover ? If so, he should be held accountable for its miserable failure. I mean, if you came to this Island, knowing you would have to leave in 7 years, would you buy a house here or look at a long term investment – of course not. People have left here and that is one of the main reasons. That, and of course the ridiculous cost of permits. Mac said the other day that he would look at reducing fees once the debt was cut but by that time it will be too late. He should invite Margaret Thatcher to pay a visit and get us out of this mess.
I’ve said it before on here and I’ll say it again, there has ALWAYS been a ‘rollover’!!! They just didn’t call it that.
When I arrived in ’91, I was aware that your permit would only be approved for under 5 years. Just long enough before you were allowed to apply for status.
Then it went to 7, then to 10.
That is how it has ALWAYS BEEN! I was aware, I knew, I was prepared.
However, if it had been inforced more often I would have been devastated had I been affected. Now that it is being inforced and named, we have lost so many good people that truly cared. Many of my friends are gone and replaced with the expats that Caymanians complain about.
Da wa ya get!
Be careful what you wish for!
Immigration has always been a knotty issue. When I first arrived in the Cayman Islands (almost no airconditioned cars or homes), permits were issued and renewed on an annual basis. However, the overwhelming practice and the implicit compact between the foreigner and the community at large was that the permit would be renewed ad infinitum, provided you integrated into and contributed to the community and did not step outside the bounds of the community’s values (these were not necessarily the values of the community from whence you came) Very few foreigners broke that compact. Nor did the community. And in due course, albeit often painfully slowly, permanent residence and/or Caymanian status followed (sometimes in those early days the right to vote happily arrived before status). Caymanian status, in particular, came to be viewed as an honour that had to be earned in the broadest sense of the word. And I write as someone who was turned down for status, and then granted it twice in one year!
Over the years, the system became more and more restricted and frustrations developed. Also, there were abuses on both sides. But rather than fix the flaws in the system in a holistic (and fair) manner, short term concessions were made; like the mass grants of Caymanian status that may have temporarily lanced the frustrations of some foreign residents (some not so long term), but the process was distasteful to many Caymanians and non-Caymanians alike, who felt that the honour of Caymanian status had been devalued.
Right now, there appears sadly to be little of the old compact left. The current economic malaise might just be the moment for all sides to resurrect the compact. This will require the rhetoric to be dialed back by both sides. But the message to the community has to be, if you want renewed economic and wealth expansion, then we must encourage and welcome new businesses and individuals (of the right kind) to come to these Islands, allow them to stay and not begrudge them their success, provided they meet their side of the compact.
I came here not too long before Mr Ridley. This is the most accurate description of "the way things used to operate" I have seen hitherto. I think he is also correct in lamenting the loss of what he calls "the old compact"and in his call, in his last paragraph, to resurrect that compact. I fear, however, we may be too late. Certainly an abundance of the posts from "both sides" on CNS would suggest we are way too late. I hope I am wrong.
I agree with you Tim, but times have changed, and not for the better. In the "good old days" people like Capt. Charles would go into his government office, issue instructions to civil servants on what he wanted done, and then spent the rest of the day working at Kirks knowing full well that the career civil servants were working on it, and what was good for country was also good for his business.
Today, the job of MLA is the best paying job most of our MLAs could ever dream of having. Unfortunately, things have changed from what is good for country to what is in it for "me" at a very personal level. This leaves any new "investors" with the feeling that they could risk losing it all if they back the wrong horse.
Back in the days when you first arrived you still had to be "nice" to the right people, but as far as I know there was no need to feather their nest to get anything done. It hasn’t reached the level of overt corruption that exists in Jamaica, Turks, and a few other Caribbean islands, but its enough to make most Caymanians sick to their stomach.
One of my mother’s favourite jokes was about a politician who was born poor and honest, but he somehow managed to overcome both obstacles.
"Today, the job of MLA is the best paying job most of our MLAs could ever dream of having".
This, alas, has been true for many years:: Garston (bus driver); Craddock (bus driver); Dalmain (singer/boxing coach) Haig (teacher for a short while then husband of insurance saleswoman) Roy (teacher for a very short time, car salesman); Gilbert (teacher for even shorter time than Roy, then administrator in Glass House for short time, manager of condos for a nano second,seller of coconut water at blow holes), Ezzard (pharmacist for government? owner of Millers Pharmacy (failed); employee of Deloitte (for a short while!); Elio (massively pissed off because – get this – another born Caymanian became Head of Computer Services when the foreigner David Archbold was sent to make a huge salary at the ECT or whatever it’s called), floundered around looking for somthing to do then.EUREKA!.
Where did Julie come from? Anthony? Mark looked like he was headed for oblivion when he left PWD but thank God for politics. Lucille "retired" while working for Mac as a civil servant then was raised from the dead by the PPM.
Waiting in the wings are Oswell (retired by a Governor) and Walling Whittaker (I don’t want to comment).
And the Honourable Speaker: Last full time employment was with the Norwester magazine 30 years ago.
"Haig (teacher for a short while then husband of insurance saleswoman)".
Haig was himself was Cayman’s first full-time, and very successful, insurance agent, having gained many awards for sales.
"Roy (teacher for a very short time, car salesman)".
Roy was a teacher from 1967 until 1975, having served as the principal of EE primary from 1970-1975. He then went to Canada to advance his education with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees and returned to teaching (at CIHS) in 1978 for a brief period. He then became the Manager at Horizon Autos.
"Mark looked like he was headed for oblivion when he left PWD but thank God for politics".
Mark was never headed for oblivion but was the managing director of Advanced Road Construction and Paving Ltd, a successful company.
It just goes to show that you make anyone look ridiculous if you are economical with the truth.
Spot on Tim.
The problem now lies with this: To fix it we need to return to the old compact, and can do so, but not if those who broke it (sometimes to the significant and permanent detriment of others) are allowed to continue in their ways.
I have seen, first hand, the outright and dishonest destruction of Caymanians livelihoods by persons breaking the old compact. Those Caymanians, and their children, now despise the individual persons that did that to them. That anger is all consuming – and is now starting to spread to be directed at persons who did nothing wrong themselves. This needs to be nipped in the bud, but the bud might be quite powerful, and a lot of political will is needed (and enforcement of our laws). Without any nipping the pressure will continue to build. The imposition of balance, if we cannot be trusted to do it ourselves, must happen now.
Before O’Really gets upset, I stress that these sentiments apply equally to every Caymanian who has wronged an expatriate. Whether you committed a fraud on immigration to deprive a Caymanian of a career, or on the pension authorities to deprive an expatriate of any prospect of a comfortable retirement, the answer is still Northward. The question is, why do the authorities do nothing?
No one was demanding Caymanian status on the grounds of human rights in those days, Tim. Also, it is clear that the majority of our expats have no desire whatsover to integrate or not step outside the bounds of the community’s values. Quite to the contrary, it is evident on this forum that many take great delight in doing exactly the opposite and denigrating Caymanian values. Eliminate those factors and you will there is very little if any support for rollover.
The rollover can be cut, but is it really necessary to cut it now! I think we should just leave it how it is until more Caymanians get employed and have the opportunity to easily start their own businesses where they can hire and contribute to the market. It amazes me that we are focusing so much on Immigration policy to improve the market, when we have so much high fees that makes it so hard for a local to start his/her own business or maintain one! How will the market grow, jobs be created, and healthy competittion if government keeps interfering.
Who are these unemployed Caymanians who already have the money to invest to start new businesses?
McKeeva Bush finally saw the light of day. There are expats who do have the money and who are looking for a business friendly environment in which to invest.
Under the current rollover policy, such an expat cannot count on building a business in Cayman and having stability in a workforce over a period of years which is necessary for a business to grow and develop. Such an expat then chooses to invest elsewhere and Cayman loses out on any ancillary jobs and resultant effect of the spending in the local economy.
Money will still flow out of the country at the same levels for as long the 60% ownership rule applies. It is the single biggest hurdle to local capital investment.
Absolutely right! Why would I, a foreigner, start a business in Cayman with my money and my expertise when the price of admission right out of the gate is to gift majority control and ownership to a Caymanian? I’ll keep my companies (and therefore my money) where I can own and control them myself, thanks just the same.
I personally considered a number of investment opportunities in Cayman, but the fact that I can’t own a business directly there is a complete and absolute barrier to my money entering the Cayman business environment.
I’ll be your Caymanian partner! Look around, there are a LOT of nice people with status who would actually put in 60% of the capital to partner with you. 40% share for 40% investment, that’s not bad.
Hell, you can even charge management fees and be an employee on a bonus scheme… all in addition to your 40% dividend. I think you will find it can all work out very well for you.
You either have no concept of what the law really says, or are being intentionally misleading to stir the pot. If it is the former, I suggest you call Dax Basdeo or a lawyer who deals with these things on a regular basis and get some clarification. If the latter, please refrain from trying to undermine the economy further. Some of us actually like it here.
"GIFT majority control and ownership to a Caymanian".
That is not the idea of the LCCL at all. If no Caymanian is interested and has the resources to invest in your business venture and be the owner of 60% of that business then you may obtain an LCCL licence. No one is required to "gift" anything to Caymanians. Many non-Caymanians have LCCL licences and own businesses here.
And you could’nt see this when you brought in the roll over??? for a smart man you are quite stupid at times…
This is nothing but a POLITICAL STUNT for Big Mac to have his way.
Who’s going to benefit from anything he claims the UK approved? XXXXX
His cries are for the Developers, BUT THERE IS NO MENTION OF MOURNING FOR THE PEOPLE THAT HE HAS TURNED HIS BACK ON.
He plans to import millions more. This will weigh down our infra structure with a hefty tax bill, building more roads, more schools and medical services not to mention social services. OH yes, BIG MAC PLANS TO FIX US UP AND WIPE US ALL OUT!
Alll for the almighty dollar. This farce about JOBS RESERVED FOR CAYMANIANS ONLY is nothing but a LICENSE TO IMPORT THE WHOLE WORLD AND TAKE ALL THE JOBS! XXXXX There’s always somthing behind everything this bunch does that is NOT IN FAVOR OF THE CAYMANIANIAN PEOPLE !
I’m really curious, what jobs exactly are reserved for Caymanians?
The Corporate CEO’s the General Managers, the Middle managers and Supervisors, the Human Resource Managers should be Caymanian indeed. What about the Receptionists, the Corporate Secretaries,accountants.
OR SINCE WE’RE BEING CRUSHED INTO THE GROUND LIKE SLAVES WITH NO VOICE:
Is the UDP reserving the:
Sh*t Cleaning jobs
Housekeeping
Garbage Disposal
Messenger Boy and girl
What actually is reserved for the Caymanians I’m curious.
EZZARD SPEAK UP PLEASE TELL US. THE TRUTH
Big Mac knows he’s on shaky ground and he is laying the ground work to grant more Cayman Status so he can win in 2013.
We don’t mind the threats. Because the buck stops with ‘GOD AND GOD ALONE!
Now this Dart redirecting his fortune to the Bahamas is what has him all rowled up! Daddy is going away with the COOKIE JAR!
He has to now romance Ryan because Dart is spreading his wings! Why is it that this man can only serve the Millionaire Masters and not the people that elected him? he is willing to fire civil servants so that Ryan can have his way and get away with the half a million dollars he owes us tax payers?
This man is a dictator and don’t let him scare you. His elected days are numbered and he knows it! had he been serving the people and not the rich and elite he would not be playing this tune.
Watch him closely from hereon. Alden and Kurt if you do not step up to the plate and censure this man’s actions you to will be in hot water with us! AND WE WILL CALL YOU BOTH OUT! Because you have not done enough to defend the people and protect us from this DICKTATOR! as a matter of fact you have done ‘NOTHING"
EZZARD WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU IN REGARD TO THESE RECENT MOVES.
WE NEED TO HEAR THE TRUTH SO EZZARD MAKE YOUR SPEECH OR WRITE TO US. XXXX
SPEAK EZZARD
"Is the UDP reserving the: Sh*t Cleaning jobs…"
What are you best qualified for and why aren’t you doing it? Neither Mac nor anyone else can qualify you for a job you aren’t presently able to do. If you are qualified for a job and a foreigner gets it anyway, then that’s a failure of the work permit system, not a problem with the fact that skilled jobs need skilled workers.
"Why is it that this man can only serve the Millionaire Masters and not the people that elected him?"
Bringing in the businesses and money to give you a job, have a functioning civil service and pay the governmnet’s bills so as to keep Cayman from becoming a third-world territory is serving the people that elected him. Why you can’t see that says something about your prior education.
"WE’RE BEING CRUSHED INTO THE GROUND LIKE SLAVES WITH NO VOICE."
I hear your anger, but I don’t see your reason or rationality. This is merely inflamatory and is pointless. You have the ability to determine your own destiny through hard work and determination. Go do something besides fostering hatred for the people trying to contribute and betterthe Island.
Dont say a word yet Mr Ezzard, just keep watching and remember wha ganny say det every ting good fe eat nuh god fe talk. Its tempest in the teapot
Makes you wonder why the government did not research this before they disrupted so many lives and expelled so many people who had made contributions to the community for years.
It looks as though I struck a nerve with this comment. Why is it that it seems that no one speaking on behalf of the people of these Islands in government seems to have any common sense?
Notwithstanding that these Boards are established by statute to manage the affairs of the Statutory Authority or Government Owned Company. If you won’t let me do what I want to do, if you won’t let me get my hand in the cookie jar, I’m going to scrap you and put someone else there that will remove the lid for me and let me run things myself.
Everyday we slip one step further down the slippery slope. I’m glad he says he’s going to the Governor, that’s the best one to fix him as I know Duncan is a no nonsense kind of guy and will see right through the Premier.
It’s a good thing we have strong objective people on Boards like Water Authority, CINICO, NRA, CIMA, Airports Authority and the like. Look what is going to happen when these people are replaced with the "yes" men and women of the UDP.
Err. in many cases they have already been replaced by the yes-men and women of the UDP.
Lack of joined up thinking here?
After passing legislation to protect Caymanians from outside competition in the jobs market the premier now admits that the islands are having difficulty attracting ex-pats.
One of the reasons for this might be that the proverbial ‘goal posts’ are continually being moved. In an already unstable world economy the last thing people want is to make a substantial committment to an overseas employer only to find that their employment is subject to the whims of politicians and civil servants.
If Cayman wants to reverse the current exodus of ex-pats the leadership needs to offer guarantees that the work permit rules will be frozen for a specific period, giving the prospective employee job security. At the same time they need to standardise the way (and I apologise in advance is this has already happened since my departure) the immigration department treat work permit applications.
Even before I lived on Grand Cayman stories of what amounted to random harrassment of work permit applicants, including demands for extra paperwork, unnecessary medical tests and delays in processing, were rife. When I actually came on island it became clear that there were no specific standards for processing work permits and while I never had any problems others were subjected to months of uncertainty.
Just as bad has been the inconsistent application of the rollover rules. That forced a number of long-term residents to relocate and they also took millions of dollars in business with them.
Even before I lived on Grand Cayman stories of what amounted to random harrassment of work permit applicants, including demands for extra paperwork, unnecessary medical tests and delays in processing, were rife. When I actually came on island it became clear that there were no specific standards for processing work permits and while I never had any problems others were subjected to months of uncertainty.
Nothing changed there John. I came here from England having had all my medicals, permit and paperwork approved beforehand. I gave up my job, my home, everything to come here, given that I could potentially be here for the next 7 years. When I arrived at the airport the female customs officer glanced at my immigration paperwork regarding my permit, eyed me suspiciously, and then stamped my passport for 7 days, prohibiting me from work and insisting I got my blood tests done again. My medicals had been carried out by a very reputable hospital in London and I have no idea why they would have need to doubt the results. Again upon renewal, despite submitting blood tests as required, my grant was approved but subject to me having blood tests again. So I am wondering… are they trying to imply something? What is a person to think about this?
Welcome to the McKeeva Bush regime Cayman Islands, the dictator-ship has arrived.
Jonathan I can’t believe you have any thumbs down!
Did anyone else but the 2 of us read this portion, "
[dik-tey-ter, dik-tey-ter]
–
noun
1. a person exercising absolute power, esp. a ruler who has absolute, unrestricted control in a government without hereditary succession.
No thanks, I’ll take the rollover. And I won’t let the plane door hit me in the ass.
Good Pauly, ‘cos we prefer to extend our warmth, hospitality and welcome to persons who want to be here, and like us.
Okay, let’s see.Let’s make the minimum period 6 months… no, wait, let’s change it to 3 months…. hold on, okay, how about a week. Oh, what the heck, just make it one day. Let’s just not say that WE WERE WRONG!
Good – yes we were wrong. We should allow every underpaid domestic worker and laborer here to stay long enough to become Caymanian and then import all their children and relatives so they can become Caymanian too, and enjoy all that nice free medical care, and education, and employment opportunities, and government housing. It’s OK, all of us already here can just pay more in taxes to look after them.
Or, do you admit that rollover has a place, and that its application is what may need some adjusting.
And there it is, the great Caymanian mythology, that all expats will become Caymanian and have the same advantages that they currently enjoy, and the further implication that this is at the root of Cayman’s current economic crisis. I’ll refrain from rebutting this myth because it has no basis in reality and from my experience even the majority of Caymanians do not actually believe it. Instead, I would suggest that you read today’s editorial in the Caymanian Compass ("Mixed Messages" http://www.compasscayman.com/caycompass/2010/09/17/Editorial-for-September-17–Mixed-messages/) which gives a reasoned summary of the problem, and clearly reinforces the argument that the rollover should be scrapped (for the good of all Caymanians and expats).
And I suggest you attend Social services, and the government affordable housing projects, and the hospital to ask for the list of persons receiving free medical assistance, groceries, housing, etc. and the department of education to see who needs assistance with book fees, and the banks to see who are defaulting on their mortgages, and the George Town lock up to see who is being arrested, and it each case limit your query to Caymanians and Permanent Residents only.
Then, of those Caymanians and Permanent residents, ask what proportion became Caymanian or Permanent Residents in the last 7 years. Compare that ratio to the numbers of Caymanians and Permanent Residents overall. See if a disproportionate number of newer arrivals are burdening the system. The answer to that will tell you which one of us is right.
I am confident of the answer.
Wow, now the prejudices are really coming out. You have made all of these judgements with no basis in fact, and your justification is "I am confident of the answer". So please tell me, have you conducted all of the research that you propose I do? If yes, then please enlighten us with the real facts. If not, then you have no real evidence to make such inflammatory and prejudicial statements. But given your comments thus far, I am confident that your claims are most likely based on your own biases, or those that have been handed down to you or passed on by others who would prefer to blame all of Cayman’s problems on "the others". The facts support my argument in that the economy has gone in the tank since the rollever policy was implemented, and even the Cayman Compass, often a staunch supporter of Government policy, is admitting this in their recent editorial.
I have worked closely with the agencies concerned and do understand there to be an unfortunate correlation. Newer arrivals are indeed a disproportionate strain on a growing but increasingly inadequate government support system. Part of this is due to the fact that established Caymanians have a wider family support network, a family home to live in, or land to sell, before leaning on Government for support. Established Caymanians also tend to have pensions and the like, and have not spent years of their income stream sending spare money abroad.
Similarly, in part perhaps due to socio-economic factors, a disproportionate number of newer arrivals are often engaged in what can most charitably be called "anti social" activity.
Oh, and the economy and population continued to grow at very impressive rates after the introduction of the policy. The eso has published the stats on that. What is happening now has less to do with rollover and more to do a mix of the global economy and Caymanians growing tired of their treatment in their own land.
Your description of those "newer arrivals" who do not have "a wider family support network, a family home to live in, or land to sell" sounds suspiciously like those at the lowest socio-economic level (e.g., Jamaicans, Fillipinos, etc.) who fill the jobs that Caymanians do not wish to have. And although it may be true that a disproportionately larger number of these people rely on government services, it may also be true that they are disproportionately abused by their employers, denied pensions, denied a decent minimum wage and treated as chattel.
With regards to your comment that what is happening now has less to do with rollover, I would refer to another recent comment in the Compass which states that "Labour force surveys completed by the government’s Economics and Statistics Office show that the drop in expatriate employment here over the past two years has not led to more jobs for locals – quite the opposite." And to further state that Caymanians are tired of their treatment in their own landis simply ludicrous. Caymanians enjoy more advantages than any other modern westernized nationals in terms of preferred employment rights, subsidized education, government grant and business ownership opportunities and many others. These are the reasons that Status is such a valued commodity! So please inform me, just who is it that is treating you so badly?
"Caymanians enjoy more advantages than any other modern westernized nationals in terms of preferred employment rights".
Sure. On paper. The reality is starkly different. Caymanians are often victims of discrimination in the workplace. The immigration system is in need of reform as it is routinely abused or circumvented by some employers, and Immigration does not have the resources to police it effectively.
"With regards to your comment that what is happening now has less to do with rollover, I would refer to another recent comment in the Compass which states that "Labour force surveys completed by the government’s Economics and Statistics Office show that the drop in expatriate employment here over the past two years has not led to more jobs for locals – quite the opposite".
This obviously does not disprove the point that rollover did not cause our financial distress. The drop in expatriate employment is directly caused by the global economic recession.
The Caymanian Compass is nowadays a supporter of the UDP Govt.
"The facts support my argument in that the economy has gone in the tank since the rollever policy was implemented".
Correlation does not equal causation.More relevant is the fact the economy has gone into the tank since there is a (1) a global recession, and (2) international initiatives from Washington and Brussels hell-bent on destroying our financial sector.
Lets give out about 1000 status to individuals that have truly over the last 7 – 10 years improved the Cayman Islands. For example government employees who have worked in the best interest of this country where Chief Officers can personally vouch for the individuals and where solid evidence can be shown that these persons have contributed to the development of these Islands. Similar criteria can be used for individuals who work in the private sector. What this does is that it helps promote our country as a place where your efforts are genuinely considered and appreciated.
Oh how generous, and patronizing too! Oh honey look, they’re going to give us status!
How about they apply according to law, first for PR, and then for status, and if they deserve it they will get it.
Because of how this bit is exercised in Cayman:
"..and if they deserve it they will get it."
Because most of the people deciding on who is "deserving" or not, don’t seem to understand the meaning of impartiality.
Nope! our schools are already overcrowded with poverty stricken status holders!