Budget promises CUC cut

| 11/06/2011

(CNS): The premier has said that the introduction of a new fee for certain types of hedge funds, which will now be regulated by CIMA, will be converted into a subsidy to cut CUC duty charges on residential bills. Delivering his long awaited budget address late on Friday evening, McKeeva Bush spoke about the need for fiscal prudence and revealed a surplus budget for the 2011/12 year of $12 million. In a two and a half hour address he remained tight lipped on specific plans for the forthcoming year but said his government would be seeking to increase the country’s population and enter into more public-private partnerships to address Cayman’s infrastructure needs.

The long anticipated presentation was far more low key than expected,with the premier staying away from announcing any details on the various projects that his government is depending upon to boost the local economy. He did, however, talk about possible equity schemes for local people to gain a stake in some of these public-private partnerships and offered the George Town cruise port as an example that local people would be able to invest in the upland element of the project.

The premier spoke in particular about his intention to work with the Dart group to get things done and give Caymanians jobs. Although he mentioned the George Town cruise port, medical tourism, the special economic zone and the relocation of the dump, which he said would also be managed by Dart, he remained vague on the plans for all of these proposed developments.

Bush also gave little away on how his government had arrived at a budget surplus as he stressed how challenging it had been to deliver this year’s spending plan. Nevertheless, he did say that he was committed to no new borrowing during this and the next financial year. It appears the UK’s demands that government turn around what was an expected approximate $8 million deficit last week into a surplus was met as it is now predicting $12 million surplus for the 2011/12 year. This represents a change of some $20 milllion in a matter few weeks but government has not revealed what cuts have been made to public services.

With no budget documents available during his address because of the last minute changes, the premier told the opposition they would be delivered to them by Sunday.

Check back to CNS over the weekend for more on the premier’s budget address.  

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  1. Anonymous says:

    CUC bills are mind blowing. I just got a bill of nearly $700 for a month for a small 2-bed condo.  That's a mortgage payment in some places, or the combined cost of broadband, cell phone, gym membership, power and groceries for a month in most developed countries.  Without competition CUC isn't going to stop until we're all using candles, cooking on fires and washing our clothes in the canal. 

  2. The Lone Haranguer says:

    Nice move big boss, take care of the local voters, and pay for it by sticking it to the man, sweet, hopefully you have researched this move and we will not suck the life out of the hedge fund business.

    We look on.

  3. anonymous says:

    Thank you Mr. Premier

    Let us not forget that we are a much better position than most of the world. If we can be strong we will come out of this. I feel that you are doing the best that anyone can do in this economy.

    I am grateful for your leadership.

  4. Anonymous says:

    If we could only get the Dart Group of Companies to administer to our security and run our government like for profit business we would all be much better off. Not that it should be Dart in paricular but I am using them as an example. Government and anything related are just a mess always propped up with free money from the public wether income tax, duty tax etc. We all know in the real world companies that run right survive and prosper. Why is it we elect a bunch of showboat dummies who administer to all things including sercurity and give them a blank check book to fumble themselves through trying to make the right decisions at the publics expense. How about the Public Works Corporation of the Cayman Islands where jobs are advertised and filled with talent on a pay scale competative with the private sector (bring talent from all over aka the best people for the jobs) . There of course would be certain jobs for Caymanians only but certain jobs they would have to competed for on a world scale. Where department heads and employee are paid bonuses meeting cost reduction targets and finding ways to save the company money and the people who they work for (making the big salaries) fired if things are not going right. Where employees have a career and not just a job. So they can realize prosperity if talented and hard working. In government one has to fanangle and side deal to make the extra cash or become influence by the "institution" .  Whereas it is run as a for profit corporations who's profits going forward pay the way for improvements and things that = more money (tourism & favorable investment atmosphere). I know I'm dreaming but why is it the tail always wags the dog? Because the majority of the voting public are civil servants and that's why McKeeva won't step on them? We all look the other way, let these guys in and then complain about as if we think its going to be any better this time around. Maybe we are part of the problem. Chrsyler employs over 200,000 people worldwide. We can't run a small island right? We must do better and should find a way to have a public works company that is traded on the Cayman Islands stock exchange so each and every Caymanian can have access to shares and a say by sharleholder votes what affects their money. It is not the politicians money. It's the peoples money. I think it could be done. We are not that big. Hire the talent..heck  a turn around management company and maybe someday soon there will be a divident check in your PO Box to replace the washer and dryer you were promised and then some. To protect the true indigenous caymanians we could learn a few things from the The Seminole and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Thank you Mr. Premier for getting us lower utilities bill at CUC, this is really a good deal.  The proposal with Mr. Dart is also a good deal as he already owns almost if not 1/2 of Grand Cayman, so we know he is not going anywhere.  Mr. Dart has already demostrated to us that he is capable of putting together a good development.  So why not leave him alone and let him develope the islands alone and give us the jobs and investment apportunities instead of bringing in more people that we know nothing about.  I am not for any more outside developments and developers we have enough "Caymanian" developers.  Mr. Dart is now a Caymanian and he is not going anywhere or bringing in a pile of people to overrun the locals so why not let the gentleman do the quality developments that he wants, just look at Caymana Bay. I don't know that he got no special concessions and he did not bring in cheap labour to work on his projects I can't and won't say the same about the proposed Medical Facility.  Why not just give this to Mr. Dart as well.  A final note Mr. Dart pays his employees well he pays way above the proposed $5 per hour minimum wage so much for a good employer our own Caymanian Mr. Dart.

    • Anonymous says:

      No doubt you were one of those lambasting the PPM when they reduced duties on fuel so that CUC customers could have lower bills.  

  6. Anonymous says:

    Why is this man so hell-bent on increasing Cayman's population?   We can't even manage the total amount here now, yet he has been harping strongly on this point for quite some time now.  Lord help us with a much bigger population!!!!!!   As it is now the more jobs that are claiming to be created in these Islands, the more we hear people crying out loud that they have no jobs, no money, no one answering their applications etc. etc.  Every time he leaves the Island and returns he brings back a load of muck and scatters it all over the country.  Who knows, he probably just gets a kick hearing the frustration of the country. He is a weird person.  Sit back Cayman, he is about to travel again, and of course, bring back some more goooooooooooooood   neeeeeeeeewwwwwws!!!!!

  7. Fed Up (again) says:

    Throw us a bone.  This particular bone (rebate on CUC costs) will help us but it won't come close to fixing how out of whack our electricity and fuel costs are.   If I did my math correctly from my most recent CUC bill, the cost for electricity is 46.9 US cents per KWH. 

    That compares with

    United States is 9.28 US cents per KWH

    Canada is 6.18 cents per KWH

    UK is 18.59 US cents per KWH

    The cost of fuel will destroy this country just like a chronic painful disease. 

    Where do we go from here?

     

     

     

    • Anonymous says:

      I believe the outrageous profits of CUC are disgusting however comparing to countries which have access to hydro, nuclear and other non-fuel power sources isn't really appropriate.

      • Anonymous says:

        CUC's profits are healthy but not outrageous, but you are correct that there is no valid comparison to countries which have ready access to cheap sources of power.  

    • Karl the Canuck says:

      I agree, but don't forget the costs of transporting the fuel for the genny.  Anyone know what that is?  

      In Canada we've got the world's largest oilfield in our back yard (bigger reserves that the Saudis), so there's no transport costs here (and in fact we use a lot of hydroelectric here, plus some nuclear) and the comparison needs the transport costs to be fair.

  8. au revoir says:

    I have yet to hear anything more foolish than sitting down to talk with the guy who is promising to put a hole in your homes… 

  9. anonymous says:

    Poor and childish behaviour from Alden during budget speech,his arrogant behaviour is giving us a clear warning before election time 2013 comes around,lord help us all if Alden McChavezlin becomes premier of these islands!!

    • Dred says:

      WOW could you not try to mimic what others have said about Big Mac? Look if we fear Alden we should be petrified now. I'm surprised we don't have armed mobs in the streets. THERE IS NO ONE MORE DICTORIAL THAN BIG MAC!!

      Mine you I am not a big fan of Alden either but Big Mac is the bar setter in this dictator game.

    • kenroy chin says:

      Both heads of the party system are for power, the UK sleeps and watches everything. They are the ones really in power. The more people realize this, the more they will see that we are not under a democratic system of government – but an oligarchy of figure heads.

    • Anonymous says:

      The article does not mention what Alden said – if anything. I think the article just stated what 'your Mac' said. Did you make  a mistake then by referring to Alden as 'your Mac'?

  10. Anonymous says:

    HOORAY! Now I can leave my windows open AND run my AC all day!

  11. Anonymous says:

    Vague is the operative word here!

    Secret, non tranparent, devious, manipulative and deceitful.

    How can we ever trust this dictator who has taken our country from us and does whatever he wishes. Does thisscenario sound familar to us because this is how they all start out.

  12. Anonymous says:

    What I would like to know are the detailed reasons the 2010/2011 budget surplus objective was not met? What were the areas of revenue shortfall from budget and/or what were the departments that overspent their budgets (and vice versa, if any)?  I don't know if the Premier spoke to this in his address, but if we, the public, don't have the information to analyze what exactly happened in a year when everyone was supposed to be so focused on achieving the budget, it's difficult to believe that the 2011/2012 budget is any more realistic than the 2010/2011 budget was.  And apparently it was not. 

    I'm a Caymanian, it's my money that is being spent.  Am I really asking too much?

    • Permit Me . . . says:

      I am an ex-pat.  More of my money is being spent.

      • Anonymous says:

        How do you figure? Obviously you cannot count work permit fees which are not paid by you but by your allegedly Caymanian employer. And the employer must be Caymanian right – at least that is what you say when there is abuse of the workers.

    • Highly Concerned says:

      With the books not being done how could we even trust what we are being told? It's actually quite amazing to me how they even come about the numbers really.

      So let me see if I can get this straight. The government is UNABLE to have support for many of the numbers contained in the reports and it's so prevalent that the AG has said he has to place disclaimers on it and somehow we can say what we have attained?

      So we are on an accrual based system which means expenses are recorded once they are recorded into the books not when they are paid. So my question is this, how do we know they are posting all their bills in a timely manner or at all? Could they have items on their books as debts that they will never collect but fear at tackling it because of the mssive writeoff driving expenses up.

      I am betting that if an audit was done that focussed on AR (accounts receivables) of each department we would fine quite a bit of so called AR that the department well knows they will never collect. One department that I tend to think of is ROC (Registrar of Companies). I am curious if they have many AR items that are in fact uncollectable.

    • Anonymous says:

      I want to ask the Premier (for afterall he is head of government), how come gas prices are continuing to rise here, but overal in the US prices have dropped .17 cents in the past three weeks and continue to drop.  How come ours are continuing to rise??? As the head of government you shouldask this question????

      • Lachlan MacTavish says:

        I am wondering if it is "old gas purchased vs new gas come in vs lag time get as much as possible before people complain". Gas is a huge business making a few lots of dosh.

        • Anonymous says:

          You know that is always the excuse, but you can give it for so long…I was under the impression we get gas in weekly.  One would think the "expensive" gas has been used up by now….but even at the end of the day, the mark up on gas here is outrageous. 

  13. Anonymous says:

    After listening to the budget address I am left asking "what did I miss" as it was a long speech with no content.

    What happened to the big projects that will stimulate the economy while taking care of special cronies? Why was the opportunity missed to tell the people what the Minister of Finance had dreamed up to stimulate the economy. Other than some snide comments directed at the PPM members across the aisle the speech wasn't even full of sound and fury but it was sure full of nothing.

    Maybe the details of the development projects will be delayed as often and longer than the budget address. And what an in your face attitude displayed by the Minister of Finance who kept postponing the address to such and extent that it did not even start on the revised revised time, this was in such contrast to the previous budget addresses given by true Financial Secretaries.

    Do we conclude from the lack of any substance that there is little hope of any of the much vaunted projects ever starting and can we expect yet another law suit over th ebroken contract?

  14. petermilburn says:

    Dont stop the Carnival 3!!!!!

  15. HardRock says:

    Premee Bush is receiving too mcuh advise from certain West Bay people who keep talking about "more rich peopleneed to come to Cayman".

    When will the Premee listen to other members of Parliament?

     

     

     

  16. The Ugly Truth says:

    McKeeva won’t cut the obvious overhead of the civil service by forcing a pay cut, making them pay for half their pension and health care like everyone else, or redundancies because he doesn’t want to piss off his voters.

    • CC says:

      Even the Civil Service has to admit that paying HALF of their pension and HALF of their health-care is the right and moral thing to do.  

      It's time to stop pandering to these bloated civil servants and just do the right thing!

      • Anonymous says:

        NOT when we are being dictated to that the only place the insurance can be used is at the George Town Hospital.  I HAVE NO problem paying half of health insurance once it is opened up and can be used in the same manner the private sector can use theirs.  BUT YES!!!!  there is a problem when you tell me to pay half of something and then ONLY allow me to use at ONE facility!!!!!!!!!

        • Dick Shaugneary says:

          Is there someone at GT Hospital who can treat your chronic overuse of exclamation marks?

      • Dred says:

        I would have to admit that I agree with the person who says one provider is not right.

        One thing that always BAFFLE me and this is blatant stupidity of the CS association. Why do they not use their power better?

        Why not call a general meeting and ask their members if they would entertain them requesting quotes from companies such as AETNA, Generali, BritCay, etc for a better deal on their healthcare.

        I believe that the CS back a hell of a lot of clout when it comes to getting good healthcare and do not use their bargaining power the way they could.

        If I were in charge of the CS they would pay part of the health and pension but I wouldget them discounts all over this Island. I would create a discount card which members would pay $25 for annually. This card would get them discounts much the way Chamber of Commerce does for the private sector.

        Can you imagine if someone backing more than 3K of people came to a business such as a gym and said they wanted a GREAT discount what kind of rate they could get? How about home insurance? 5% off would be like $150 per year minimum. Car insurance 10% off another what $45 minimum. By the time I was done it would be into the thousands of dollars in savings to the point they probably save what they paid out for their pensions and health.

        The CS leadership does not do anything except bark.

        • Anonymous says:

          Actually, the Civil Service Association DOES have a discount card, with the specific discounts changing quarterly (obviously many are the same quarter to quarter). The cost is closer to $5 annually, as you just have to be a member of the CICSA to get the card. Some gyms also advertise civil servant specials (though they are not that great of a deal compared to the regular price to be honest). Lowering insurance premiums would be great and if any companies want to get in on that please contact CICSA! I doubt many private sector companies would give such deep discounts as you propose here. There are many more people with Chamber of Commerce cards than there are civil servants and those deals aren't that amazing either.

  17. Miller says:

    Well done UDP!  

    I am glad this government is addressing the CUC cost. 

    • Anonymous says:

      Except that it was this government that increased the cuc cost when they increased the duty on fuel last year.

    • Anonymous says:

      Please let's wait to see that actually happen.

  18. Anonymous says:

    As far as I am concerned, Cayman right now needs people (yes) but the right callibre of person is what we need.

    Business men willing to start up service based business here

    that will generate more employment (hopefully Caymanians will be included in the emplyoment)

    We need a more attractive Tourism Model, the current one is not working

    People don't have the kind of money they once had to vacation like before, lets face it Cayman has lost it's lustre when it comes to Tourism

    All inclusive Vacations could be  one of the selling options attracting visitors from the UK/Europe  especially.

    Turtle Farm is operated at huge losses (daily, weekly, annually) down size it to make it more profitable, if the visitor numbers were up there would be no losses to report.

    Cayman Airways operates at a loss also, but most airlines do these days National Airlines prime purpose is to bring visitors to their country

    ok Cayman Airways does that, but the volumes just don't add up to a profit situation.

    Population size is good, but if you fill a small Tri Island (Cayman Islands ) with the wrong kind of workers, long term stayers you are looking for trouble (which is what we have going on now), Cayman needs to cut back on a lot of these workers from third world Caribbean countries, that are not contributing anything to Cayman except a negative influence & their bad attitudes & also sending millions of dollars  earned here in Cayman which should be regenerated back into the Cayman economy, we need persons who are willing to purchase houses, open business, import products & Services to generate movement in the economy & spend their money here (not shipping it off every week to Jamaica, Honduras, etc.

    Someone should ask for a FOI on the amount of money leaving Cayman annually, & a breakdown of  which countries these funds are sent to.

    Cayman wake up & smell the roses

     

     

    • Anonymous says:

      The Immigration Department operates our businesses here so why would any businessman want to start a business in this country when your business is controlled by others.

      Immigration needs to be in charge of administrative immigration only, eliminate the roll over policy and stay totally out of business to allow business on the island to develop as it is private sector business that creates job if they are allowed to without intervention from Immigration.

      No-one will wish to come here for developing businesses or a career until Immmigration is removed from their involvement in business. This is coming from a Caymanian who at one time had only Caymanians employed and requested a single permit which was critical to the development and growth of the business which was refused twice and the business is no longer.

  19. Conductor says:

    Beware Mr. Bush,

    The light you see at the end of tunnel may be an oncoming train.

    Your speech inspired hope for our future. Lowering duty on CUC fuel in order to decrease electricity costs is a huge step in the right direction. I don't think the hedge fund guys will be too happy about taking up the slack however. Remember, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. You could grow the hedge fund industry here by lower their fees rather than raise them. An abundance of new financial service companies here will add to GDP. If you're looking to grow the population, look no further; it is the masters of the financial sector who you want as a permanent part of Cayman. They run the money machine and will invest their earnings here at their new home which will benefit us all.

     In your own words you stated that duties were lowered or removed in some areas in order to boost production and create jobs. This is true and that is why the decrease in duties and taxes should be made across the board for all of Cayman. This is on of the quickest ways to ensure the GDP growth you envision.

    We all learn through experience. Hopefully this experience will truly lead us to thelight and not an oncoming train.

     

    • Chris Johnson says:

      The costs of doing business here will never attract management companies to open fully staffed offices here. In fact many have opened back offices elsewhere. That coupled with the continual battles with immigration and an inept government make depressing reading.

  20. deja-wu? says:

    Deja-wu ?

    Cudda swore I heard sum'em like dis before!!

  21. Anonymous says:

    So what if there's an agreement with Dart? At least it's with a developer with a proven track record and who still wants tocontinue investing in this country and not some speculator who wants to hold Government to ransom for the privilege of letting them come to the country.  Let's have an open mind and see what this agreement is all about.

  22. Anonymous says:

    You smell somthin comin down the pipe? Yeh a big bulk status grant. All who want this better start cosying up to them fries….

  23. Anonymous says:

    Anyone know if McKeeva paid that Bajan to write this Budget Speech as well?

    • Anonymous says:

      As a performance I'd give it 6.5 out of !0. The cadence and flow were off until it came to the free-style at the end escalating into high dudgeon at  10:10. 

      Anomalies which need to be addressed: a "demonstration in the most profiled way" . What is a "profiled way"?

      and

      "work programmes for seniors and ex-cons". Are seniors and ex-cons in the same category? Nice.

       

  24. Proud to be Caymanian 6 Gen.. says:

    BUDGET>>>>  Sound's like a campaign manifesto to me!!!.

    They well know that voters seldom go out at night because of the crime, therefore the reason for the delay in presenting the report, minutes to 7pm.

    Seems like the report was printed before they got the go ahead on the budget, they said they were negotiating with a   CLERK   in the UK untill after 2, 3, or 4pm (8-10pm London) on a Friday???.

    Please do your job, we are all suffering because of decisions made long ago, eg. over 60% of H. S. graduates were academically semi-illiterate, had no trade skills and very little self respect. They were taught to expect alot for very little effort from themselves.

    We dont need more people, we are already a minority in our own country,   just make what we have more attractive and affordable.

    Please, P l e a se,   put these islands and it's people first.  Thank You.

    • Doomed says:

      I do like the idea of moving the clock forward an hour so we can get an extra hour of daylight. But why stop there? Why not move it forward two or even three hours so we can get more sun. Brilliant idea Mr Prem. Go for it.

      • Anonymous says:

        Don't give hin any more ideas, he might move the clock forward five years and tell the FCO that he can start borrowing money again!

      • Good idea says:

        The idea of Daylight Savings Time has been bounced aroun d before and it does make sense!

        1.) An extra work hour in the financial industry to communicate real-time with New York and London – increased efficiency

        2.) New tourism slogan:  "More sunshine guaranteed!"  Sunset today is 7:04PM and this is one of the longest days of the year! (pathetic)  What IF it was 8:00PM tonight….what would you do?

        3.) Go for a walk or a swim with your kids AFTER dinner?  A.) Perhaps this would create a better family bond than watchig TV or  playing video games.  B.) Combat out nation-wide obesity epidemic.

        My two cents as a full time working person is that it is a real shame for 80% of the year that I get home from work too late to enjoy a sunset….you???

         

  25. Anonymous says:

    shambles……

    just a re-hash of everything that has been said over the last two years….

    i still don't know why the budget had been delayed so many times…..what has been changed to suit the uk?

  26. Peter says:

    Well done Mr Bush!
    I have to congratulate you on all your hard work, I truly believe you have done everything possible for the good of Cayman. You have done a remarkable job under the toughest of times.
    And may I also add what a stand up man Mr Dart is for everything he does in cayman, A real gentleman!
    On a more sour note I must say how embarrassed I was to see the ppm members swinging around on there chairs while Mr Bush was delivering his speech with no respect for him or there surroundings, LikeĀ a group of naughty school boys being kept in after school !

    A real hats off to you Mr Bush And to you to Mr Dart.

    Keep up the excellent work.

    • Anonymous says:

      Does anyone know how many names the Press Secretary and his office use in submitting CNS comments congratulating the Premier? I cannot imaging any sane person offering congratulations on this mess who is not being paid to do so.

    • Alan Nivia says:

      The UDP Supporter bot has a new name "Peter".  It is shame "Peter" has not mastered grammar yet.

  27. 3rd CLASS CITIZEN says:

    Cut the travel. Cut your pay. Cut the lies. Cut the backward thinking.

    • Anonymous says:

      But then there would be no announcements and no thinking at all.

    • Stalker says:

      AND for the second time get back government phones that fire officers and police have that is retired already,let them pay their own bills.

  28. Anonymous says:

    Great!  Another way to make OTHERS pay for what Caymanians spend. OR maybe just another way of chasing off more business?  Try it and see.  There are still a few businesses left.  Really what have you got to lose?

  29. Anonymous says:

    NO budget documents available because of last minute changes?  Right! I would belive it if it was said no budget  documents due to incriminating evidence.  I would belive no budget documents due to inability to perform basic reading, writing and arithmatic.  I would belive no budget documents because the boss said don't write that down or throw the receipts away or don't ask me where the money went.  Yes you can fool a whole country for what ? 6 years?  But your not fooling me.

  30. Anonymous says:

    A mystical, magical surplus derived from a deficit in a mere matter of weeks.  It will be interesting to see how this miracle evolved, other than from "kicking the can down the road," as U.S. politicians so eloquently put it when dealing with their own debt.

  31. Listen . . . says:

    If you listen carefuly you can hear the sounds of hedge funds forming elsewhere . . . .

    • Anonymous says:

      That's not an issue.  A $1,500 incremental fee is not going to induce a hedge fund to form or redomicle elsewhere.  Its a non issue, and merely a small fee increase.  

      The average fund size is about $25 million, and aggregate net income for Cayman funds in 2009 was in excess of $200 billion (…yes, billion with a "B"), so this is a non-issue.  Good move by the government.  

      • Loopy Lou says:

        Obviously someone who has not discussed formation costs with a Honh Kong based client . . .

        • Anonymous says:

          Master/feeder structures are established primarily by US-based managers.  A US-based manager is not going to redomicle its fund to Hong Kong.  It just isnt going to happen. 

          Now, master funds are brought under the legislative scope of CIMA.  It was an anomaly that only feeder funds were registered, and not the master fund as well, where the trading activity takes place.   

           

  32. Anonymous says:

    A budget is a plan. The Cayman Islands Government's history of following a plan is a tragic comedy of errors.

    There is no mystery surrounding the fact that the UK does not trust us to manage our money.

    The long term solution will come about when a new generation of well educated, hard working and ethical Caymanians take the reins of both the public and private sectors. Young Caymanians who will put service above self.

    The short term solution is to muddle through the mess with the current generation of poorly educated, lazy and ethically challenged persons and hope that we don't shoot ourselves in the foot too often.

     

  33. Anonymous says:

    Who are we going to increase the population with. Let the Cubans who make it here Stay? Let all people that come on contruction permits stay? Let all people who come visit people on Construction Permits Stay. Let all people who are currently residing illegally in the Cayman Islands Stay? If it is by not the same Criteria that I was allowed to come and work (and pay a huge work permit fee) 10 years until I got PR (and I still pay huge work permit fees) then……you won't be increasing the islands population with people who have money. Subject to flucations in the economy (getting worse) you will have more people on the governmet tit. More people is not the answer. Smarter people in Government is the answer. They will finally destroy the islands once and for all if they are allowed to remain in office any longer.

    • Anonymous says:

      My guess is that Caymanians will now be paid to stay home and have sex.  The ethnic cleansing of the civil service has already begun with ex-pats being sent packing so that underqualified Caymanians can fill the posts.  Anyone who might spend any money here is being crated up and carted off.  Hasta la vista, Cayman.

       

    • Anonymous says:

      You forgot the Chinese will build the port and the Indians will run the hospital.  That is where the increase in population will come from.  Then he will give them and their 5 children status and Social Services will support them all.

  34. Anonymous says:

    More confirmation that Bush has a "Country Agreement" with Dart.  In effect selling out the country to Dart.  Get ready to fight to keep West Bay Road where it is.

    • Brutus says:

      Why are Caymanians so desirous of keeping things the way they are, while all the time complaining how bad things are the way they are?

  35. Cronin says:

    Again Mr Bush is talking population expansion and according to him the “Right People” I would like to know by whom and how is that going to be determined. Everybody else around the globe is tightening their immigration policies to protect their borders and their own peoples economic interest.The last experiment with this by both parties caused very serious problems and has had some very negative ramifications by their own admission.The problem i see with these good intention economic initiatives they become or are frequently hijacked somewhere along the line by some greedy person or unscrupulous persons. This leads to all types of things happening or being done in the name of progress and diversification of our economy.The previous promised economic windfall never materialized and those here during a natural disaster like Ivan witnessed some very disturbing,shocking and ugly things take place and done to Cayman. These things we pray and hope we don’t have to ever experience again. I was here during both Allen and Gilbert which were Cat 2″s nothing to the magnitude of Ivan but still people acted responsibly during both. Even our great governing power would like us to forget what transpired during that crisis,need i say more. My concerns as i am sure the concerns of many Caymanians are such things as crime which we are now struggling with the current population, which it appears our foreign run and manage police service can’t seem to get a grasp with and is consuming our annual national budget like a huge whale eating krill, Others see our influence and say alsoweening in this island and are concern with the direction we are headed, that along with percieved preferences and advantages given to foreign nationals is also concerning to many, that coupled with a sense of not having control over a number things attached to the Caymanian identity makes most Caymanians upset and angry and inturn they have serious reservations and are very skeptical about supporting any changes to our immigration policies.Unfortunatley the same goes for our politicians who are viewed in a very dim light because they seldom act in the islands best interest they infact usual infuriate and incense even the most docile Caymanians to act to protect what they deem as theirs or is their right as a people..This is a hard sell for our Premier and the opposition will play politics with it. I am proud to say however young Caymanians are starting to stand up for their rights a bit late but still a very positive sign.

  36. Anonymous says:

    That's right McK, just keep forcing things down your peoples throat with your socialist ways!!! It seems like no one is going to stop you.

    It's amazing how you can produce millions out of nothing, perhaps McK should teach the Americans a few things about finance and get them out of the financial mess in which they're neck deep.

    And yeah, just continue selling Cayman to your puppet masters, you soon gone anyway and your pockets will be well lined. Our children and their children will be the ones to suffer. Let's wake up people.

    How can people take this man serious when he's addressing the country in regards to serious budget matters and doesn't have all the facts together for the people. It's like feeding us garbage.

    Makes me so sick I just want to spit.

  37. Real World says:

    The substance of this budget speech lies in its deliberate and impudent vagueness.   If the Premier believes all he has to do is throw a few crumbs from the CUC table to keep the plebeians happy, he's got another thing coming.