Archive for November 24th, 2010
Mac meets queen at Windsor on UK trip
(CNS): The Cayman Islands premier, along with other leaders of the UK’s overseas territories, was invited to meet Queen Elizabeth II on Tuesday 16 November at Windsor Castle. McKeeva Bush, who was in the UK for the annual Overseas Territories Consultative Council (OTCC), was one of six territory leaders who were formally presented to the queen. According to a release from Cayman’s London office, the premier also enjoyed a more personal exchange with the world’s most famous royal in which he congratulated her on the engagement of her grandson Prince William to Kate Middleton, which was announced on the day of the visit. (Photo – Press Association)
Premier Bush was delighted that after the queen was introduced to all of the leaders, she made a point to return to Bush for a further conversation. He said it was an honour to meet “Her Majesty again” and that she mentioned her trip to the Cayman Islands in 1994, recalling a visit to Evelyn Theresa Powery of West Bay who at the time was age 94.
After Bush offered congratulations on behalf of the people of the Cayman Islands over the royal engagement, the queen sent her best wishes to her subjects in the Cayman Islands.
Bajun’s face tough tax hikes from new minister
(BBC Caribbean): Barbadians have been given one of the toughest national budgets in years. New Finance Minister Chris Sinckler announced tax increases designed to bring more than US$100 million in revenue as the government tries to curb a galloping public deficit and debt. The island’s tourism-dependent economy has struggled to recover from the global economic downturn. Most of the new revenue – $62m – is expected to come from an 18-month increase in the Value Added Tax from 15% to 17.5%. Bus fares have been raised – by 30% – for the first time in almost two decades, while another notable hike is in the excise tax on gasoline by 50%.
Long term climate predictions need to improve
(CNS): Better predictions about the climate change and its likely impact on the regional economy was a key topic of discussion at a recent weather talking shop held in the Cayman Islands. Coordinating Director of the Caribbean Meteorological Organisation (CMO) Tyrone Sutherland explained experts were seeking ways for Caribbean meteorological organizations to provide appropriate and media-friendly climate prediction services to governments and the public. He added that while scientists around the world still debated the effects of climate change on the frequency and intensityof storms, there was regional consensus that climate change and variability had already changed rainfall patterns, increasing flood and drought conditions across the Caribbean.
“Meteorological services must become an integral part of our strategic planning because ignoring the effects of climate change could have dire economic consequences,” he said at the 50th session of the Caribbean Meteorological Council.
WMO’s Secretary-General, Michel Jarraud attended Monday’s official opening to share how the Caribbean can be part of a global framework for climate services. Data gathered by the Mainstreaming Adaptation to Climate Change Project (a UK-funded programme) indicates that surface temperatures in the Arctic have increased by 5Ëš Celsius, causing global sea levels to rise 20 to 30 cm in the 20th century.
Expanding on this, Cayman’s National Weather Service Director General, Fred Sambula revealed that a group of scientists that recently visited as part of a UK Overseas Territories climate change assessment team found surface temperatures in the Caribbean are also rising.
“They further noted that rainfall frequency is declining and patterns changing; this means heavier rainfall over shorter periods of time, causing more flooding,” he said adding that the potential effects of climate change and variability cut across sectors to include areas such as agriculture, health, education, tourism, and construction.
“Warmer temperatures inevitably mean increased energy costs and similarly, a lack of moderate rainfall may affect water resources, and increased flooding may cause more water- and mosquito-borne illnesses, impacting the health sector and requiring additional resources,” Sambula warned.
In the agricultural sector, temperature changes and possible seasonal shifts might lead to changes in planting and harvesting and even crop viability.
Many small island states have economies based on tourism which would not be spared the ravages of climate change,, Sambula said. “Rising sea levels and heavier storm surges may damage beaches, for example, combined with other effects such as coral bleaching. Warmer temperatures may also affect the comfort level of visitors, leading to an expanded demand for investment in this sector.”
He explained that the shift towards climate services represents an effort to assist governments to improve governance through scientific data that will support forward planning and sustainable national development.
“When we look at the potential fallout, meteorologists must move from merely giving short-term weather forecasts, to researching and predicting futureclimate impacts. We must help governments stay ahead of the game,” Sambula stated.
Legislators return to seats
(CNS): Following the recent sitting of the Legislative Assembly at the beginning of the month where government brought no legislative changes at all, the House re-opens again Wednesday with high expectations for a number of new bills as well as amendments. The recent debate that government must pass legislation that enshrines the constitutional requirement of providing 21 days notice for all laws before they are brought to the LA for passage saw government’s legislative plans delayed during the last sitting. Tomorrow however law makers are expected to get back to the business of making and amending legislation the premier is also expected to deliver his government’s strategic policy statement (SPS) on Friday. (Photo Dennie Warren Jr)
The SPS is when government outlines its financial goals and plans for the next financial year and will give the country a better view on how likely government is to have delivered on its goal to eliminate the deficit by 2012/2013 financial year. It also present an opportunity for government to update the people on the current situation with the various propose infrastructure projects which it hopes to deliver before the end of this election term.
Aside from the new law to enshrine the 21 day consultation period for bills government is also expected to bring other legislative changes which failed to make the paper earlier in the meeting. These include changes regarding tax concessions, witness protection, district councils and the controversial dormant accounts bill. There is no sign that either the national conservation law or changes to the traffic law will come in this next sitting.
The Legislative Assembly doors open to the public at 10am.
UK imposes new permanent immigration quota
(Miami Herald): Britain will impose a tough annual limit on the number of non-Europeans allowed to work in the UK and slash visas for overseas students as it seeks to dramatically reduce immigration, the government said Tuesday.Home Secretary Theresa May told the House of Commons that the number of non-EU nationals permitted to work in the U.K. from April 2011 will be capped at about 22,000 – a reduction of about one-fifth from 2009. But thousands of people who are allowed to work in Britain on intracompany transfers aren’t included in those figures – or under the new quota.
Daily aspirin dose ‘for everyone over 45’
(Daily Telegraph): Evidence is building that the benefits for many healthy middle-aged and older people “far outweigh” the side effects, according to the academics. In particular, individuals at higher risk from the country’s two biggest killers would be helped by taking the painkiller as a preventive medicine, they added. The experts were speaking at the Royal Society of Medicine a month after research from Oxford University published in The Lancet showed that taking 75mg of aspirin daily for five years reduces the risk of getting bowel cancer by a quarter, and deaths from the disease by a third. A 75mg dose is a quarter of the standard over-the-counter pill.
What’s in a name?
Iconic names should not be replaced. They serve to remind us of our history and heritage, keep us rooted and, hey, if you are into the numbers, it’s also usually a very smart business decision. Well known brand names like Tortuga Club, Blue Horizon, Galleon Beach, Pedro Castle, Rum Point, Seaview, Cayman Turtle Farm, Matilda Corner, Caribbean Club, Welly’s Cool Spot, Smiths Barcadere, Miss Lassies, and Pageant Beach, just to name a few, are deeply ingrained in our collective memory.
We really must stop the total destruction of everything we have here, including the names of our long established and cherished places.
There seems to be some painful recognition of the value of these names as of late after costly mistakes, for example with the Turtle Farm being changed back after its ill fated time as Boatswains Beach. Other shrewd developers have maintained the name links even if the property has been redeveloped and bears little resemblance to the original, such as Morritt’s Tortuga Club, Seaview, and Caribbean Club.
With the Westin Casuarina Hotel now in financing problems, let’s hope that when they do get back on their feet, the owners, whoever they might be, reinstate the property as the (blank) Galleon Beach Hotel. There are just too many memories of these places to let the names be lost forever. As for the developer of the so called Watercolors (whoopee), please reconsider going back to something of the original name – say Beach Club 10 (for new height). It will serve you well … and there is no charge for my consultancy fee.
Hopefully, places like the Buccaneers Inn and Pageant Beach will one day also be re-born.
Electric cars no-go but 3 wheelers roll on out
(CNS): Although government has still not changed the law to allow any of the diverse range of modern electric cars on Cayman’s roads, electric three wheelers, with considerably less safety features, are legal. A recent advertisement on a local website for a 3 wheel Zap has served to highlight the anomaly in the country’s road laws. The Zap has been approved by the Cayman Islands government because it is classified as a tricycle or motorcycle. However, electric cars with all their wheels as well as green credentials, which are in some cases almost indistinguishable from regular vehicles, are still a no-go. (Photos: Left a Fisker HT is not allowed on Cayman’s roads while the Zap shown below is)
The Zebra Sedan which is currently being advertised on Ecay-online has a top speed of 40 mph and no airbags, which is why it cannot be sold in the US or Canada, but it is legal here and can be 
driven on all of the country’s roads.
Despite the fact that a number of dealers and drivers in Cayman have been lobbying for years to get government to sanction four wheel electric cars on Cayman’s roads, which are increasingly difficult to differentiate between theregular gas guzzling cars that currently clog Cayman’s highways, the government has still not passed the necessary laws.
John Felder of Cayman Automotive, who has been campaigning for more than four years, has virtually abandoned his plans to sell the latest electric vehicles in Cayman and turned his attention to Bermuda and Jamaica, where legislation was approved last year to allow the use of electric cars on their roads. Felder had been poised to establish the first charging stations for electric the vehicles here. However, he recently told CNS that, given the lack of political will to start the green revolution on Cayman’s roads, he was concentrating on selling electric vehicles where green cars were being taking seriously.
Although he is not giving up on Cayman’s law makers eventually doing the right thing, he said Bermuda was poised to become the model for the Caribbean when it comes to electric vehicles — which could have been Cayman.
Government told CNS in July that it was ready to bring the necessary legislation to the Legislative Assembly in September but it recently revealed that it would now be sometime in 2011 before the traffic law would be amended.
Although people often associate electric vehicles simply with Neighbourhood Electric Vehicles, which look like golf carts, the reality is that electric cars have a come a long way. There are new classifications of electric vehicles with a top speed of over 40mph and many have airbags, A/C, and meet NIHTSA crash test safety standards. The new Fisker HT, which will be available in Cayman next year (even if it can’t drive on the roads) looks a lot more like a racing car than a golf cart and can go from 0-60mph in less than 6 seconds. With no gas, no oil and no pollution, it is truly part of the green revolution which, so far, Cayman is failing to embrace.
Count extended for refusers
(CNS): Although the country’s census workers hadmanaged to reach 90 percent of the population of the Cayman Islands by the time the 2010 national count officially ended yesterday, the ESO has decided to extend the census for two more weeks. As a result of a number of people who have refused to answer and a few who have been away, workers will be revisiting several households. Census Manager Elizabeth Talbert told CNS that the ESO has never before filed charges against anyone for non-compliance, and would prefer not to have to do so. She said she hoped the remaining two weeks would give the people chance to reconsider and comply with the law.
“We are willing to send a different enumerator to them if their refusal is based on the personality of the enumerator that was assigned to their area, or we could arrange to have them fill in the form themselves and submit it directly to the ESO if their concern is confidentiality,” Talbert said hoping to encourage the last remaining households to join in. “We are hoping that this final appeal will encourage the non-respondents to comply.”
She said anyone who had not yet taken part could call the Census Office in their respective area and arrangements will be made to get them enumerated. Census workers will now be returning to all of the households that have refused to cooperate as well as those that have been away. “The overall response has been really very good, but we must reach everyone,” Talbert added.
The count began on 10/10/10 with the goal of counting 100 percent of the islands’ households and as close to 100 percent participation in the actual census as possible. The ESO was at pains to emphasize the confidentiality of the count and the increase in penalties for any breach of confidentiality, as well as the extensive training the 300 enumerators had undergone before the census began.
District Census Offices are open Monday-Saturday 8:30am-8 pm.
George Town: Paddington Place, 946-5107 (Daisylyn Chin or Selburn Christian)
West Bay: Centennial Towers, 914-7864 (Nicole Emmanuel-Jones or Theodore Thompson)
Eastern Districts: Countryside Shopping Village, 949-9229 (Adolphus Laidlow or Michael Godfrey)
Cayman Brac and Little Cayman: 948-0940 (Chevala Burke).