No deal yet on EE port
(CNS): Government has not yet given the East End Sea Port a green light, officials said Wednesday, although the premier has said he thinks it is a worthwhile project that could diversify the economy. Criticising a report on CNS, the premier’s press secretary has issued a statement that no announcement has been made on the project and that the law which has been drawn up by the developer is merely a draft for proposedlegislation. Speaking on behalf of McKeeva Bush, his press secretary said if government decided to support the law there would be a full public consultation period before it was brought to the country’s parliament for approval.
Charles Glidden described a report on CNS that government was intending to pursue the project as a “vicious and malicious lie”, despite recent comments made by the governor. In last week’s Throne Speech, which reveals the government’s intention’s for the next financial year, the governor said that in the “area of development ongoing plans include a new cargo facility in East End.” However, the premier’s press office said that this comment was not an announcement that government intended to go ahead with the project.
With community-wide concerns that government does intend to proceed with the commercial port at High Rock in East End as proposed by private developer and land owner, Joseph Imparato, Wednesday’s statement denies that any commitments have been made. Nevertheless, the government said it was pleased that the developer has completed the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
The EIA has been published in full by the developer on his website. Aside from identifying the significant environmental risks and what mitigation could be undertaken, the EIA also reveals the details of the legislation the developer has requested that would create a special development zone of some 1,500 acres on the site of the proposed project at High Rock in East End.
This zone around the facility would circumvent the normal planning laws as well as exempt any development in that area from duties, fees and taxes. The premier’s press secretary stated on Wednesday, however, that this was only a draft proposal for legislation and that any law that was implemented would be reviewed by the legal department.
“If the Cabinet found that it could support any draft legislation, prepared by any entity outside of government, the Legal Department would have to satisfy itself that that draft legislation is in the best interest of the Cayman Islands,” Gidden said on behalf of Bush. He said that this draft legislation would then go to the people for consultation and input, then Cabinet, before it would be taken to the Legislative Assembly for debate.
“While the Premier thinks this is a worthwhile project that can help diversify our economy and give it a solid backbone for the future, this project has not been given the go ahead by the government,” the press secretary’s statement said.
On pages 44 through to 47 in the Environmental Impact Assessment the proposed legislation drawn up by the developer is set out in detail.
See the press secretary’s statement below.
Category: Local News
No, no, no to any port (quarry) at East End!
I would humbly suggest, provided that Mr. Imparato will agree to foot the costs out of his $150 million profit, that we erect a sign just east of the Frank Sound road that says: Welcome to the Holely Land. Sorry but no cameras are allowed due to the completely unnatural yet unique and mind boggling nature of the landscape. Huge earth moving, burrowing, prehistoric dragons are a constant threat. Please be on the lookout for sudden monstrous storm surges. Enjoy your visit and if you are fortunate enough to emerge from your experience unscathed you will be personally greeted by the world renown brainchild of this unforgettable experience, Mr Imparato himself, who will present you with your very own unique, all natural piece of genuine Caymanite which is an extremely beautiful, invaluable and unforgettable piece of jewellry grade stone extracted especially for you from the very foundations of these beautiful islands. Do not delay though because while the landscape experience will always be here for everyone to enjoy, the precious stone is in extremely high demand and will soon be gone forever.
We DO NOT need a dock in East End!
The really reserved parts of Cayman is in East End
We should not put a dock in East End and take away the homes of many animals, it would eventually destroy the place and we dont need
Imagine if another Ivan or a bigger, powerful disaster came….it would wipe out East End….Mac you dont remember IVAN awa?
Point, Blank, Period—-WE DONT NEED A DOCK IN EAST END
Build the dock in town and stick with those plans.
We agree that all the bloggers or a majority of them foreign or local disagree with the east end multiple purpose facility! Well I disagree too but is or rather are the bloggers against sentiments driven purely by their own logic or ppm hap stance!tail twisting jargon? It’s time for a truth and reconciliation act,Tom jones project,road project and opening up of lands specifically for supporters gain during 2005 to 2009 and yes this east end project all were on the drawing board before the present government took over . I wonder why some voices are stronger than others. Don’t vote dot the Rooster in 2013 ya hear
What a bunch of BS, whats Mac got to do with this? To my knowledge it is Mr. Imparata's land, project and his money.
Maybe these guys are protecting the existing quarries…good for them..they already start to drop their prices, their prices are way out of wack, at least 25% over the true cost for quarry products,it is impossible for any developer /builder to observe these cost, it runs the cost of doing business
up and up.
I wish Ezzard, Alden and Arden who are so passionate about this so call quarry, will also lobby for the the other businesses on the Island. We are being out numbered, do something with the trade and business license. It is total madness that the only criteria to qualify….one only has to be a Caymanian to buy a license, and guess what? we are adding over 1000 more Caymanians every year… by status.
In a few decades we are out of oil.
A few decades more and most of the island is under water.
Why bother to invest on such a long term while short term everything will be gone.
I think the Press Release is correct! Clearly stated, twice. The project is not included "in this fiscal year".
Try the UDP Truthalizer if you want a handy app to translate government announcements into English
Following on from our succesful "plan"/"scheme" JohnJohn trial update, v.4.1 is now available with special EE Port patch.
Here are some of the updates:
"Port" – "Quarry"
"Vicious and malicious lie" – "A plan" or maybe "A scheme"
"Go ahead by Government" – "Mac say so"
Now people we elected Mr Bush two years ago. the majority of the people on this island have recognised that Mr bush is the best man for the job, mr Bush is nobodys fool Mr Imparato is now going to pull any wool over Mckeeva's eyes. McKeeva is the master of the deal. Mr Bush is not going to do anything that he Knows is going to damage this island and yes he will take some calculated risks as you must to progress yourself.
Now Arden and the one from North side are just looking to score political pionts in there miniscule districts but mcKeeva has to look out for the whole country.
So let the man do his work, let him have his way, trust, have faith, and if it does not work out we change him out in the next election.
"So let the man do his work, let him have his way, trust, have faith, and if it does not work out we change him out in the next election."
I am speechless! this is the most ignorant comment I have seen on here in a while. If we take your approach we wont even be able to vote come next election.
This has to be a sarcastic comment right??
This is a pile of BS stacked to the ceiling!
This idiot HAS no ceiling.
Well wrote………MR BUSH!
Yo Mac, I hates when u talk in the third person
Am I McKeeva Bush?
"Mr Imparato is now going to pull any wool over Mckeeva's eyes".
Perhaps you are right!
You know, if all the energy that goes into not liking the Premier/Government/Opposition went into trying to come up with solutions to make the Cayman Islands come out of this recession we would not have to worry.
Can we have some solutions for the lack of jobs, the 8000 persons that needed a government handout last year, the attack on the offshore business here, the failing local companies, the $800M "mortgage" we are all leaving our children and the increase in crime?
Caymanians need to do what many other countries are doing, making sure they all look out for each other rather than playing what I will call "tribal pursuit".
We know that neither UDP nor PPM have the all/any of the solutions by themselves. Let's stop being pawns for a handfull of people who only want "political power"( both sides) and start making this country better.
I agree with you completely, but we cannot move forward without identifying the perpetraitors among us who have and will create these situations for their own self serving and ultimately evil purposes. The incongruity of the situation at hand is the very proof of such.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13616543
Another great opportunity for EAST END STEEL!
Hello CNS,
I am not sure where to ask for this and so I commenting here.
I have a friend (Stephen Ebanks) in emergency life threatening surgery (ruptured spleen) at GT Hostpital who requires O + blood ASAP.
The HSA / Blood Bank is asking that anyone who is O+ to go down to the GT Hospital and donate immediately.
Could you please post an article / notice ?
Thanks very much.
CNS: We don't really have a place for this kind of notice, so I will leave it here and hope people read it.
The call for blood for Stephen is out. I just also received it on bbm and it is being broadcast widely.
Post it on Facebook/Twitter, a lot of people will see it there. Good luck.
The UDP have blamed the PPM for everything since they were elected, but for the udp to try & somehow cast blame on the PPM for "twisting" the truth about what the premier & the governor said or didn't say is really taking it to an all time low (even by the UDP's awful standards). The premier has said on radio, tv & in the newspapers that he is in support of the East End mega quarry, & the governor said in his throne speech that the government was going ahead with their plans to develop the East End port (mega quarry). Now the premiers puppet (press sec) has released a statement on behalf of the premier saying that this ain't so, & amazingly & shockingly the udp are attempting to say that the PPM got it wrong & are telling untruths about what the premier & the governor said! Can they really be attempting to blame the PPM again, for what the premier has publicly said? This is an all time low. The UDP are embarrassing themselves. In fact, I'm embarrassed for them. How stupid can they get?
Guilty Pleasure, all-talk and no action to solve our problems, a typical PPM'r ! Maybe you should hush your mouth and "DONATE" something that could save a life! I mean really…. DONATE!!!
Since when did developers get to write our laws? This sets a very dangerous precedent. They should have to comply with our existing laws, like the rest of us do. Whoever heard of allowing a developer to change the planning and duty laws to favour themselves, and only for their development I bet. We need to stop this NOW.
since forever?
I agree, but isn't this exactly what McBush did for the Shetti hospital? Slippery slope my friend… we live in a dictatorship.
This is a new thing that Mac is doing. The flawed planning law that was pushed through was largley written by a private architect and private attorney then passed. Now they are having to go back and try to fix it.
Just imagine if one is trying to build a house on their own without going to the Bank, one has to get the building inspected and approved every 6 months, and if they can't afford to get their building to the specified stage that planning requires, they have to pay Govt. $1500.00. What a rip off this is for a poor person.
If I am correct the way that the planning law stated before, once the Planning Board approved the application the foundation had to be layed within 1 year after the approval. Then you could finish the building as your funds allowed. Not so anymore. If I am wrong, will somebody please correct me.
Every way that this Govt. can draw blood out of a poor person in the name of taxes, they are doing it, so that they can live in airplanes, just so that they can make the world know that they are the head of the Cayman Islands. I don't see any benifits coming to Cayman as the result of all the running up and down. On the other hand, they may as well live in the airplanes, because when they are here in Cayman they are behaving in such a way that they are only an embarrassment to decent Caymanians.
This is not as uncommon as you might think and really does not mean much.
Every finance industry law of the Cayman Islands was written by the private sector. After a draft is recieved by the Government and the general idea is accepted by the Cabinet or MInister it is forwarded to the Attorney General and the legal department for review and even re-drafting if necessary. It is at that point that the Governor, Cabinet, AG provides input and rationalization.
Even after that point it still has to go to the LA to become law.
All laws that are specific in nature are created in this way worldwide. The Draughting Office would be so swamped trying to assemble the correct information, interview stakeholders and doing the original draft of laws that nothing else would get done.
And the best point of all, All of this legal work is done free of cost to the Government!
Where have you been?
Developers have been writing beach set back laws as well as planning and zoning laws for decades.
If Government's own civil servants won't do it, then let the private sector help. The Development and Planning Law requires a fresh review of the Development Plan every five years. The last plan was in 1997. The laws and regulations have been amended "piece-piece" for years thanks to the incompetence of the former anti-development Director so of course the job wasn't getting done. Government wised up after the last election and removed him from the job so work could get done. Government appointed a fine young Caymanian director and appointed a public-private sector Committee to recommend amendments to the development plan, laws and regulations. Great job Government! Now just get the 2 former planning directors out of the Ministry so you can pass some new development and planning laws and get this country back on its feet !
It is so amazing that the USA thinks they are self sufficient and can survive without the rest of the world. I wonder how much their economy would suffer if they shut down all the so called "Tax Havens". think of the transaction fees alone. This is why they are encouraging offshore companies to move on-shore to Delaware. They want to kill off our business and take it!
In my opinion firms who have waved the Cayman flag in more prosperous times should be penalized by government for moving to Delaware but we all know how fickle our business "Partners" can be. They love us in the good times but god help you when something more attractive comes along.
This is why I have been preaching for years that we need a government supported Law firm & Trust Company here made up of Caymanian Partners and Staff who offer the same level of service to the world that the other firms do without the usual cut throat operation. A Firm that would remain loyal and employ our people and spread the wealth locally.
All those small independent Lawyers who operate their own little office and focus on one or two areas of Law need to come together and show the Big Dogs it can be done properly.
I would love to work for such a Firm wouldn’t you ?
It's business, not personal. Stop catching feelings.
For easy reference, here is an extract from the Throne Speech 2011 delivered to the Legislative Assembly by H.E. the Governor on 23rd May 2011:-
Quote
"Introduction
Madam Speaker, Members of the Legislative Assembly, it is a real honour for me to stand here today, with a sense of humility before the elected representatives, to present my second Throne Speech.
The past year has allowed me to get to know the Cayman Islands much better. I still have much to learn about our society. But I can testify to the extraordinary friendliness and hospitality of the people of the Cayman Islands." ….[etc]…"
"Ministry of Finance, Tourism and Development
To promote tourism, the Ministry of Finance, Tourism and Development will continue developing Owen Roberts International Airport, and it will seek to secure financing for this project. It is also continuing with plans to develop cruise-berthing facilities in George Town and Spotts. Negotiations and proposals for these developments and enhancements are ongoing, and the Ministry intends to complete these projects within the next two years. This will enhance the airport and seaport facilities' safety and security for visitors and locals. The Government will also continue to pursue its policy of enhancing the Cayman Turtle Farm through a partnership lease.
Other initiatives include training tourism service providers and public servants; and promoting the Go Green initiative, to promote the Cayman Islands as a premier eco-tourism destination.
In the coming fiscal year, the Ministry will also build on its successes in both sport and medical tourism with regard to social agencies with strong connections to Cayman's maritime culture. The Ministry will continue supporting them through scholarships and incentives, with the goal of these agencies becoming self-sustaining and profitable.
In addition, the Ministry plans to initiate more private-public sector partnerships for prestigious events such as the Cayman JazzFest, in order to reduce Government's financial contributions.
The Premier's office has continued the development of Barkers National Park, as the Ministry secures additional property and employs Park Rangers. This will protect important aspects of our natural resources and culture, while again enhancing our tourist attractions.
These initiatives are intended to diversify Cayman's Tourism industry, and generate hundreds of jobs that will contribute to Cayman's gross domestic product.
In the area of development, ongoing plans include a new cargo facility in East End. The developer has completed a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment which has been reviewed by the Department of Environment and is now posted online. This is in keeping with a commitment to follow due process in the necessary approvals and public consultation, which the government welcomes.
And the Department of Investment and Commerce, working with the financial sector, will be heavily involved in attracting business to the country and strengthening Cayman's global competitiveness as a well-regulated, international financial services centre."
Unquote
Hope this throws some light on the subject.
Bro Charles…..jump ship…….your credibility is at stake my friend. You cannot come out contradict what the Governor has said in his Throne Speech. The Governor made it clear that Government intends to proceed with the East End Seaport. Well the people of Bodden Town, East End and North Side got a "shock of suprization" for Joe, McKeeva and whoever else accompanies them on this ill-fated mission. Let me be clear – We will not allow such an assault on our pristine environment !!!
-A STATE OF DENIAL-
Read my lips, McKeeva does NOT want to see a dock in the East End or dredging a channell in the North Sound.
He has his obligations. You all are wasting your time!
Did I misunderstood the governor during his throne speech? Didn't he say "the government would be going ahead with a port in East East". That sounds like a greenlight to me!
This is very misleading now the premier's "puppet in chief" Charles Glidden comes out and tries to deflect from the issue at hand about nothing has been agreed yet, we all know really well that the "RICH" doesn't operate like that, everything has to be agreed, it's just that the public outcry has caught this government off guard.
The real motive for this port is to create a quarry pit and now that these politicians can't deliver on their promises they are pointing fingers and saying wait a minute.
These politicians should never doubt the power of the people.
Signed,
McCarron McLaughlin
My lad, just get use to the flip-flopping. They flip-flop for a reason. It is possible they are flipping the pancakes in the right hand, yet doing something covert with the left hand. And you're sitting down very annoyed and ready for your pancakes, but they are having an entertaining time, seeing you all fussy and tired out about it. That's how these clever politicians could operate.
The "puppet in chief" is just embarrassing himself.
Long Live The UDP!!
Yes! And please could they move to Cuba or Venezuela or even Libya?
N problemo,they can just set up branches or splinter groups in those countries,but do not think you will get rid of them,never……..lmao
Is this proposed new "daft" or "draft" legislation???
Mr. Charles Glidden can try with all his might to speak on behalf of the Premier and try to twist what was said by him(the Premier) and the Governor. The Governor plainly stated that " in the area of development plans include a new cargo facility in East End" Sounds to me like a done deal. By the way why is Mr. Imparato writing laws for the Country when we have a fully staffed legal department? Mr. Imparato has full run of a law firm that is very much entrenched in the UDP so Madam lawyer please remember when you are giving advice that you too live on this Rock called Cayman. Which fool would accept Mr. Imparato's own EIA Report? Don't you all realise that he would try to make it look favourable on his own behalf. Well, he tried and the whole situation is so terrible that even him could not hide the negative aspects of the entire scenario. This is no propaganda – these are the facts. We will never accept this fiasco in East End and will fight it until we draw our last breath so you all better get ready for a long fight!!
How many times have you heard the govt say something is going to happen and it doesn't? Really? Coz they say it doesn't mean it is going to happen … but what are they trying to detract attention from by getting you all stewed up about this?
Maybe the moving of West Bay Road for Dart as part of the secret "country agreement".
How many time have the people said they wouldn't stand for something…. and then they did???
When the "puppet" speaks, I man nah listen!
charles glidden= muppet puppet
or just muppet for short
Now you mean to tell me that they are attempting to (so to speak) whitewash the hansards. I know I heard the premier with my own ears on more than one occasion, say that he was in support of the EE "Seaport". And didn't the governor mention it in his Throne Speech just a couple weeks ago.
They na pulling the wool over my eyes!
“While the Premier thinks this is a worthwhile project that can help diversify our economy and give it a solid backbone for the future, this project has not been given the go ahead by the government.”
This just shows how so many people are so ready to bash the UDP government. This site is being used to spread propaganda!
If so…. why would this site allow you to correct the propaganda?!!!
Dont you have work to do for the Premier Charles? Don't waste our time by being on here aswell!
And all you PPM supportes are doing good at the propaganda.
It's called, send the fool a little further,I dont blame UDP one bit from holding back on information.
Well well. It looks like the UDP still has about 15 supporters left in Cayman. I'm amazed. Not bad. Or is that fridges talking?
You are wrong there my friend, the UDP got lots more supporters than you think, they just can't be bothered with your propaganda.
Propaganda you say. At least you seem to have spelled it OK.
Hahahaha well well messrs leaders of the opposition we await with bated breath the next twisting of the tale saga.