Government settles with GLF
(CNS): The Cayman Islands government has reached an agreement with GLF Construction but there will be no cost to the public purse, the premier has said. McKeeva Bush said that a settlement has been reached with the company previously in talks to build the cruise berthing facilities in George Town but he would not say how much or who was footing the bill. In a statement to the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday afternoon he confirmed the agreement but said it was not yet appropriate to release any more details. He said that when it was, the public would be informed of the amount but indicated that the figure was less than $3 milllion.
Although he was questioned by the opposition member for East End, Arden McLean, to clarify what he meant when he said the public coffers would not be paying the settlement to the developers, the premier refused to be drawn.
The agreement appears to be in connection with the premier’s decision to terminate the talks with the Italian company and their local partners, Royal Construction, earlier this year and move onto discussions with the Beijing based firm China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC). GLF had taken legal action against the Cayman government over the terminated agreement but speculation had been mounting recently that that government had settled the matter with the company.
The revelation came as the premier adjourned the House sine die for the Christmas break and delivered a statement about what he described as the misinformation and poisoning of public opinion regarding the goal to develop a cruise port. He said there had been too much heat and too little light on the subject.
Bush accused the opposition benches in the Legislative Assembly as well as others who opposed his decision to work with CHEC outside of the parliament of using the talk shows, editorials and the blogs to spread misinformation and rumours.
He said since 2003 it had been a huge battle to try and get cruise facilities, and meanwhile, government continued to lose considerable sums of money as competitors all completed their berthing projects.
Bush also took aim at GLF’s local partners, whom he accused of interfering. Although he did not mention Royal Construction by name, he suggested that during the talks they had been involved in side deals unknown to government with a jewellery store to develop the upland element of the port. He said that there was never any evidence that the firm had the funds to do the project nor did they have the equipment.
He warned the local partners that he “would deal with them in this House” if they did not stop interfering, as he made unspecified accusations against them. “I have taken enough,” Bush said. “And one of these days they are going to understand where I am coming from.”
Encouraging the public to be balanced in their views about the port, he said his government would deliver a facility. He said the press should wait for all of the facts rather than pouring oil on the fire. Criticizing all of the media organisations, he singled out Rooster and its morning talk show, describing it as “nasty”, as he threatened more law suits before the year was out.
Bush said that with CHEC, contrary to the rumour mongering and the bad things people were saying about the Chinese firm, government had finally found a proper partner to develop the facilities. CHEC would not flood the islands with their own labour because the MOU made it clear the job would use local labour and only specialists would be brought from China, he added.
Not only would CHEC deliver on providing local work and business opportunities, the premier stated, but there was also an opportunity for local people to buy shares and invest in the development once it was completed. He said this equity element was already in the MOU and would form part of the final agreement.
Listing what he believed were the positive aspects of working with CHEC, he said they had committed to deliver the upgrade at Spotts and a pier at the Cayman Turtle Farm in West Bay for cruise ships. This alone would save government the $9 milllion subsidy being poured into the farm because, he said, that attraction was always meant to be served by a cruise ship pier. He also said that the Chinese had made a commitment to work with Dervyn Scott to build a dock on Cayman Brac.
Working with CHEC, the premier said, government would not need to find any capital or guarantee any loans. He said that KPMG was now working on the independent business case and although he was not able to go into further detail about the plans, government was working on the due diligence.
Bush also stated that in contrast to the accusations being made by the opposition and others, the FCO was content with how the government was managing the project and revealed that it would go to the Central Tenders Committee once it was ready for the final agreement. “Henry Bellingham is very happy and supportive of the steps we are taking,” Bush said.
Category: Politics
Rolston said on Rooster this morning that Premier paid it out of (our money) from Treasury.
I find it hard to believe anything that comes out of big mac or folio mouth, much less the rest of the united destructive party.
The deal could be structured to allow GLF a future payment stream from income from the dock. While that would be costly, it might be said to be a way of settling without paying anything now, certainly in Macdoublespeak.
Alternatively `China Harbour could have paid off GLF. But we all know what goes around sure does not come around for free.
There is no way that this has been resolved so quickly without some ultimate cost to the people of Cayman. And like the Cohen debacle we all know who had the bright idea of ripping up the GLF deal . . .
Sounds like he is proud that he screwed up again but the public doesn't have to pay. How can the UK allow this incompetent man to keep making decisions? Can we please complete the investigation into his possibly influence peddling and make him step down before he makes anymore decisions? Are you merely waiting for his term to be over? Was the CHEC deal part of the deal on signing the fiscal responsibility agreement?
The people of Cayman need help!
fun and joke aside…HOW CAN THE CAYMAN GOVERNMENT "SETTLE" SOMETHING AND HAVE AN ANONYMOUS PERSON PAY FOR IT????
This sounds fundamentally flawed and curious to say the least.
I wonder if its another "loan"….
The implications of that possibility are numerous
Mac, if you did no wrong and GLF really did not have the money nor the dredging equipment to do the job (bearing in mind that they are part of the Jan de Nul group, the largest dredging company in the world and they are currently working in the Panama canal) , then why are you having to settle with GLF and pay them off? If GLF did not qualify and you were justified in breaking their contract, why are you having to pay them off? Can you answer that? Your words and your actions contradict each other. Who do you think you are fooling? Certainly not us.
And I thought Jamaican politics was bad.
If "someone" is paying the settlement to GLF on behalf of the Government, isn’t it a violation of our money laundering laws to not disclose the source of the funds?
This is why so many of our young people are misguided and believe that they can ignore the laws of society, look at the example they have to follow!
And we continue to sit idly by and do nothing. The PPM is impotent. Ezzard is the only legislator who has the spine to stand up and do/say something.
I strongly suggest the elected members of parliament grow a pair and stand up to this sort of irresponsible bullish and disgusting behavior before Mandarin becomes the official language of the Cayman Islands. Why are we doing business with communist Governments anyway? Last time I checked we were still British.
It is easy to stand in the LA, deliver a tirade against others and accuse others of things when they have no opportunity to defend themselves. It is also considered cowardly. Acts of bullying will no longer have the desired effect, the citizens of this country are waking up big time and the bully will soon be bullied.
When did this happen? Was there video?
I believe the video is available on the government TV channel.
He warned the local partners that he “would deal with them in this House” if they did not stop interfering, as he made unspecified accusations against them. “I have taken enough,” Bush said. “And one of these days they are going to understand where I am coming from.”
This is a new low. Just when I think nothing could possibly get worse, it does. Here we have the so-called premier of a country, warning off the local partners from interfering with HIS plans to bring CHEC here. WOW. Not content with throwing aside the locals in favor of the Chinese buddies, he feels justified in "warning" them off that he will "deal with them"? In other civilized nations, this could be construed as veiled threats. This could be construed as intimidation to frighten individuals into silence and submission to his will. Is this the impression that this premier wants us to have of his leadership? Are we now to become like a communist country where the residents must be silenced and voice no opinions of their own? Are these "warnings" something the RCIPS and Governor should be concerned about and start looking into?
I wish he would threaten me like that!
He certainly been hanging around and hobnobbing with the communists lately so perhaps he is picking up all their ways and trying a few out here. This warning certainly sounds like some sort of threat, and if I were the owners of the local company, I would not only consider legal action, but I would also report the matter to the Commission of Police and the Governor, because this does seem like intimidation and this sort of behaviour is not expected from someone who is supposed to be leading this country. This is the action of a dictator running a communist country. Last time I checked, we still lived in a free society. If I am wrong, then let me know so I can pack my bags.
Okie dokie, We’re all such stupid hayseeds that we believe the cost has not shifted from govt to CHEC. WOW it’s magic y’all!
That's how our government views us!
A Cruise Ship Dock on Brac?
There'll be more tourists than locals; the infrastructure is insufficient as it stands.
Tourists will be standing dockside, waiting for taxis and buses that won't be there, hoping to go to stores and tourist attractions which are non existant.
One boat load of tourists is double the size of the current population!!!! What does the Brac have to offer over Grand? Grand isn't so doing so well; what makes Brac think that it can compete with an already failing economy?
What are some people thinking? Yet, there is a minority with limited business sense trying to attract tourists to businesses where none curretly exsist and won't; simple because of lack of money. How can an island invest what it dosen't have?
This is ill spent money and a disaster in the making.
" what makes Brac think that it can compete with an already failing economy?". Let me tell you the lay of the land. Brackers don't believe they can compete, and moreover, they don't want to. Most of us don't want this kind of development ruining our shores. Yes, many of us are in hard times. Even so, the LAST thing we want is a development that marginalises the control of our own lands, and mandate overdevelopment, all for the pie-in-the-sky golden [hollow] promise of more tourists.
The Brac will NEVER be able to adequately handle the numbers of a cruise ship unless we overbuild and ruin everything good about Cayman Brac. If this plan goes forward, you can stick a fork in the natural resources that visitors come here for in the first place.
I'm not against change; I don't believe life and country is static. I'm against utter ruination and commercialisation of one of the last holdouts of natural beauty. That's the true weath of the Brac, and it can't be measured in kickbacks. My parents, grandparents, and those before them had respect for the land and the sea — that from which life comes. "He hath founded it upon the seas"… remember that?
Mac is such a blessed man. Twice in one year amazing and inexplicable luck has followed him. The secret money fairy came along and paid this settlement. That is after out thin air a private jet was made available in the Bahamas to fly him and all his buddies when they were stranded in Nassau. Miracles I tell you. Miracles.
IF full due diligence was not done on this person or corporation giving the gift AND all factors are not being publicly disclosed then I would personally consider this to be a bribe.
It's Christmas – Santa paid it!!
There is already a dock at Scott Dock. That's why it's called that. We laughed when our Premier suggested that Scott Dock could easily be expanded into a full-service dock with a grandiose plan for businesses and other pie-in-the-sky construction accoutrements. Sure, fine. Let's take a small island of one of the last holdouts of NATURAL resources and turn it into a mini-Miami (henceforth known as the Mini-mi plan). I've said it before: Once we ruin our treasured natural resources, they are gone for good. We're already paving over perfectly good rustic gravel parking lots. No, scratch that — they're paved. Good. We needed it hotter on the Brac, and all that nasty land getting our tires dirty is gone for good.
I have no problem with the Chinese, or their businesses, but please don't EVER think that any of their projects are put forth for the common good of the citizens. We are on the cusp of giving away our individuality for a song, AND paying for it in the process.
Who is going to benefit by CHEC projects in Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac, besides CHEC? That's the pivotal question. Follow the money, if the FOIA will allow you. Only a damn fool with short-sighted self-interest would make an agreement for 49 years with a foreign company.
This is the moment of truth. I don't believe we can allow it to happen. This is our future, and I, for one, would much rather fund ANY Caymanian partner/business, than invite the ruin of our country, our culture, our natural beauty.
Do our collective protests accomplish anything at all??? Is there no elected official to speak for us? Are we to finally concede that we are terminally screwed with no recourse other than to take it and take it some more, and try to feed our families while our duties and tax dollars are frittered away?
I have no iron, no influence. I had been lead to believe that we elected representatives that would reflect the collective will of the people. I am the biggest fool of all.
Just how stupid does Bush think the people ofCayman …..wait a minute. Its soooo obvious.
Assuming the payment of the governments $3 million settlement was not philanthropy, we the people need to know who we owe and what are the real terms and conditions of the payback.
Are there no rules in government regarding having secret monies appearing from thin air to pay its bills??
Does this kind of payment arrangement meet the scrutiny of the PMFL or the recently signed FFR??
We the people have the right to know because as always we will have to pay the bill.
Money leaves trails.
FOI, please respond to my request in detail regarding these facts.
Henry Bellingham CAN summon the Premier to London to sort this mess out but we the people NEED to march on the new Glass House to demand answers!
This rediculous abuse of power needs to be stopped now.
Do the South American thing and over-throw the government. The Governor is doing nothing, he needs toGO. He is not even giving good lip service. We need to let our voices be heard or put or words into action. The dictator has to go.
The voters who placed an X for the UDP surely allowed the Piranhas to destroy us and our country. I await the day when XXXXX, it can't come too soon.
Where were all your questions when someone paid the salary for the Public Servants, of this country? or this was'nt true! i sure hope you are not one of them..cause you would be a hypocrite.
you are sure one pessed off person..now you wnant to march on the glass house because you can't get your way with Mac
What an ignoramus.
Cuba will be open soon to cruiseships, so don't even bother to built a dock.
Soon the cruise tourism will be over in Cayman.
Mckeeva knows that, so the goal is now to ship as much money to "friends" as possible, before the island financially sinks.
And McKeeva will be out of office soon. That is why Dart is taking full advantage while he can.We are about to see a s**tstorm of projects involving Dart to take advantage of the remaining days Bush has left in office.
This is a very astute observation, which should give everyone a glimpse of the manipulative business practices of the DART corporation. DART has no true interest in the people of Cayman. Sure, they'll throw them a few scraps from the table as they feast on the development opportunities Bush is giving away.
Ignorance is bliss! Someone tells the Premier that the Cohen deal was better than the deal witht he local banks. Who does he believe? Them or the civil servants? Seeing that he is the almighty what did he do? What was the result? Someone else comes along and says they are offering a better deal than GLF and what does the Premier do? And what is the result? And WHO believes that it is not going to cost the Public Purse a dime? There are none so blind as those who refuse to see!!! We not only getting shafted now,but we gonna be shafted years down the road as well. No one does something of that magnitude for nothing. And he thinks Mr. Bellingham is pleased with that? Good Night Irene.
We sure are lucky that the PPM spent money on roads and schools etc. CAn you imagine what Bush would have done if he had any money to spend.
Back foot…… kiss mi neck
Unaaah try hush about this Governor he not worried about a ting!
Sun, Sea, Sand and Salary. What more should one want?
Could I have some Suntan lotion please, oh and if you could throw in s Surfboard and some Snorkeling gear and Swim trunks and Sandals and a Speargun that would be great, and a nice Sombrero. And some Scotch and Soda too please. And maybe just a wee little Sailboat and a lil Submarine?
I hope its Mike Ryan from Ritz who is paying it out of the 6 million that he owes to the government,
Is there a "finder's fee" for the settlement?
I cannot believe that in the 21st century we still have people with the primitive belief that we can get 'something for nothing'…
The Premier with his Masters, and hoping to get his Doctorate in IGNORANCE.
Governor Taylor, this is an SOS! Help us. Save us from this government's skulduggery.
Isn't your job to enforce good governance? Well you are not and that is to our detriment!
So does this mean GLF does now have the money to build the pier?
I am embarassed for Cayman – and I am not even from Cayman.
Perhaps if Lord Blencathra knew of this, the Cohen fiasco, the disregard for the recommendations in the Miller Shaw report, the blatant misuse of the public purse and all the other shady deals going down under the current administration he would overstand why everyone living in Cayman (expats and Caymanians alike) are posting negative comments on CNS and elsewhere. Lord Blencathra, Sir, we have real and genuine complaints that need very close scrutiny and we are powerless to stop this, only people such as yourself can help us.
Signed: Expat
Perhaps if the FCO would actually do something to stop this kind of behaviour Lord Blencathra would not be so embarrased. Strangely it seems he would rather complain about the airing of our dirty laundry than do anything about cleaning it. Surely it doesnt have anything to do with who pays him?
Remember who pays his salary, then it makes sense. Can't bite the hand that feeds you. Talk to the people and you will understand the concerns and why the comments are so negative, you can't judge sitting up all the way over there in your cushy office.
Moa-Tse Bush ?… Him Hai-Ding Sumting!!
The way I see it, mckeewa wants to discourage anybody else from running in the next election because of what he did and what he signed. it will be such a mess for the next 4 years that only he will know how to fix it . I am sure that he has created a web of deceipt that he created so that if he doen't get in next election he will pass on the blame to the ones taking over. He thinks it's win-win for him. HE MUST BE STOPPED AT ALL COST, before it's way too late. The last man from the UK said that bad things are said about us and them. That's because we are sick and tired of the B.S. and OUR silent also yes man gov.
We will wake up one morning and we will live on an island MADE IN CHINA.
Only he will know how to fix it, are shitting me?
Did the Attorney General and/or legal — the Government's legal advisors sign off on this (or Steve McField, Mac's puppet-personal-lawyer-paid-by-the-public-purse)
People, stop calling on the Governor, FCO or Bellingham to do something about what is taking place in Cayman.
We just rewarded one of their former Prime Ministers, a war criminal no less, an all expense paid luxury vacation to the Cayman Islands!
What example have they set?
Our alleged "corruption" concerns a few thousand or even millions of dollars.
British corruption concerned BILLIONS of pounds, illegal international collusion, and hundreds of thousands of INNOCENT HUMAN LIVES!
Of course I am against corruption is all forms, however, to call on one of the most corrupted, illicit, and self-righteous governments to "sort out" our issues is beyond lunacy.
"Corruption" is rampant throughout every modern and "democratic" government / society. So much so that many jurisdictions have ceased identifying it as such – "lobbying" is now the accepted term and act.
The minute one demonstrates to me a single western democracy free from, or sincerely figthing against all forms of "corruption", I will gladly eat my words.
Until that day I am confident in the fact, by way of examples shown by all of the jurisdictions being referred to in these posts (UK included), that "corruption" or the appearance thereof, is simply to be expected in this modern world.
We didn't make the rules – we simply play the game.
Whodatis ? Why you not using your usual moniker?
All this for a cruise ship dock the country does not need as it will not make them benefit.
There s not one thing that is beneficial about a cruise port. There are many many places that thrive as we do from cruise business without one.
All this wasted time and money for something that won't bring us anything more or anythign better.
11.06. You sound like someone who knows absolutely nothing about the economics of the cruise industry in Cayman. As you haven't bothered to provide a single fact to support your bizarre opinion, you might want to explain to your readers how Cayman would adapt to the loss of the $100 million-a-year in revenue that cruise passengers spend in Cayman, and the more than one thousand jobs they support. No benefits? You're a joker!
Not a joker. A voter.
Wow, so very, very wrong, and baselessly so. It is sad to see that there are such misinformed persons out there.
Well done Mac. The best they can do now is character assissinate you, and post negative comments about the deal on this site. Congratulations and I hope the opposition PPM learn some economics 101 from your negotiations, because whilst they were in I still believe they did a poor job. At least this year we will end with a deficit less than 10 million; whilst PPM was in office, they left us with over 80 million deficit. Something to think about.
We notice you didn't ask Mac to help you prove your accusations against the PPM. Something to think about.
He did it all himself, no one assassinated him, he assassinates himself everytime he opens his mouth, and he does it without any help from anyone. No one to blame for that except himself, his words and his own actions.
Your beloved Mac character "assissinated" himself a long time ago, Mr. G.T. minus Ebanks. Why are you trying to accuse Cayman's devil worshippers of doing that?
Well is that 3 million CI or US well the CHEC cayman representative Venture friends were paid 2.8 million for their consultant fees last time i wonder how much they will get this time for this Port deal just asking Cayman because i see we are headed down the same old road again.Why is it that some people charge with running this island can't seem to find honest and persons of integrity to do business with.
Can we make a freedom of information act request for the GLF Construction file?
Yes
Careful babuska when you tell the truth round ya some people do not really appreciate it at all you must have seen who travel with the group to Chinatown and came back early.Same old game Cayman and same old players
any comment mr governor?
forget about the $3m…the most shocking thing is the shambolic incompetence and arrogance mckeeva who is responsible for this mess
anywhere else in the civilised world, mac would be forced to resign….
but in cayman….just another day in wonderland!
time for a march to the governors house!
Well Folks……This is exactly what you get when you allow a leader of government business who is under criminal investigation to remain in office and contine to do his secretive deals. This sad situation is a direct consequence of a broken political / legal system and our willingness to sit back and watch it happen.
Boy we smart. The Chinese pays GLF $3million on our behalf then bills us for $9million for reinbursement, Bushanomics. I wonder if we are teaching this in the schools too.
"“I have taken enough,” Bush said."
Amen to that!
Been lurking for a while, one of the best comments ever. . .
I will give you two "Amens" when he says "I'm not going to take any more".
Only if he signs an MOU guaranteeing it.
Why? His MOUs are not worth the paper their written on.
You mean the RCIP won't let us take him to court even if he puts it on paper?
…and some of it will be used to buy appliances come electiontime!!!
What does it take to get a straight answer out of this guy? Or are we not worthy of an explanation? There was a contract he unilaterally entered and then breached, which has never been explained, now there's a settlement he won't tell us the details of, involving an amount he won't disclose being paid, apparently, by a secret donor? And this is for a public procurement project that is vital to the country! The only thing he's prepared to say is that the oppositon is spreading rumours. That's it, that's all we're allowed to know. Of course there are rumours, because for some reason no-one is allowed to know the facts. It is astonishing. This is supposed to be a transparent, democratic process. Instead the country's leader has personally taken over the project, made a mess of it, been sued, spent millions and not only are we no closer to getting a cruise port, we're not even allowed to know what's happened! What is the governor actually for if it's not to stop cronyism, incompentence, corruption and secrecy in the local government? Get involved man!
Your second sentence basically answers your first question. Your last sentence tells how YOU can fix it. Wish you would or could.
"…being paid, apparently, by a secret donor…"
We have met the secret donor because he is us.
Big Mac is good for the GLOBAL economy. Cohen has profited from his mistakes, GLF has profited from his mistakes, and let us not forget Tom Jones who is sitting quietly while we pay their lawyer's fees. How much will the settlement with Tom Jones be Mac Jon-ill?
All my life, the words "Made in China" has meant cheap and poor quality. Conversely, the words "Made in Italy" has always represented superb quality and attention to detail. Maybe CNS should do a poll on "Made in China vs. Made in Italy".
9.12…but wasn't the "affordable housing scheme" made in Italy? That fiasco cost the country $17,000,000, and by the time they realized that European electrical and plumbing fittings weren't compatible with American ones, Hurricane Ivan conveniently buried the evidence. Pathetic! And who suffered? The poor of course! These soaring, effortless levels of publicly displayed incompetence, sometimes exceed that of an arthritic elephant auditioning for the Royal Ballet.
Well, I'm not a construction worker and know that so whose fault is it that incompatible fittings were bought? Surely not the Italians fault?
GLF offered to do Spotts and Turtle Farm as well. There were even articles on it back in June. Add that to the 25 yrs for GLF vs. 51 yrs for CHEC, and you will see that there is no camparison whatsoever!
The auditor general needs to step in right now before this gets any worse. Can he not apply to the Courts for an injunction if he isn't afforded the time to look into such a big contract?
History repeats itself Cayman the same persons involved with the Turtle Farm fiasco are the same crew now involved with China Harbor deal surprise surprise! and government ended up paying for that deal what makes you think things are going to be any different. The only way to remedy this situation is to remove the principals who keep XXXX this country?
Your so right. Mac and his henchhmen have a great track record don't they?
Another day, another lie.
The world is changing!
In today's news, former French president Jacques Chirac has been given a two year supsended prison sentence for diverting public funds and abusing public trust. Former governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich is going to prison for 14 years for trying to sell a vacant seat to the US Senate. Those are just two examples, but there are quite a few examples of high profile politicians who have made recently headlines in regards to the laws finally catching up with them.
Considering the UK's latest political fall out with the remainder of Europe, I am sure they will want to avoid any negative attention whatsoever and the screws will slowly tighten for those who continue to think they can be above the law. Imunitities will be strippsed!
Unfortunately, this is not going to happen fast enough for us, but Kharma is a b()*% and anyone who thinks in this day and age that because they hold a politicial position they are untouchable, they better sit up and start paying attention!
Any of this sound familiar to anyone?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16194089
Could this have funneled down to which was agreeable in some term of a lesser lawsuit ? All speculation I know, but extremely disconcerting if that's the new way of doing govt. business here, – imagine the queue of bidders next time a project comes up, – It seems in some realms it is possible to get something for nothing.
Maybe the money is coming from the $3 Million that the Chinese company gave Bush after he signed the first MOU.
NOT from the public purse ? Interesting because there is only one person who should be paying for this settlement and that is our Premier himself for creating the mess in the first place. However if CHEC or Dart is the generous benefactor to settle with GLF on behalf of Govt then they too are as XXXX as the Godfather who arranges for all these so called deals.
If I remember correctly, I believe McKeeva made a public statement concerning the Cohen 'deal' that he would 'do it again'. This is the 'again' folks, and I am afraid we are going to pay very dearly for our incessant probing into the Premier's 'personal' affairs and making him look like an itiot to the entire world. We are in serious trouble, Cayman.
Mac, please DO tell us the details NOW. You see you are a public servant. You govern for our benefit. Not for your own benefit or the benefit of your buddies. Maybe that is a shock. If that confuses you ask Steve "source of all things legal" McField as he is your little court jester when it comes to all things constitutional.
If ANY money has to be paid away where has it come from? Because all the evidence is that all the losses would have been caused by your personal conduct so what we really want to know is why the Government is not looking to you personally for a surcharge.
Oh, as long ss it's less than $3M then that's okay! WHAT? Bush announces this dreadful waste of money as if it's some kind of victory! Amazing arrogance and ignorance.
I am calling on the Auditor General to look into this matter. Something really, really smells about this whole arrangement.
What scares me is the blatant disregard. It is so very obvious that some fat cat has struck a side-deal with the CHEC for itself and possibly a chosen few – and it doesn't appear to care that it is obvious to everyone. We have reached a very dangerous place.
My People, Where O where is the Outrage? I fearthat when it comes, it will be too late.
I think we need the attorney general to look into this as well.
He won't, because the marl road says he and Mac are bosom buddies. If he is not, then let us hope he will prove the marl road wrong.
Lets hope that Dervyn Scott has a good lawyer because he is way way way out of his league with the Chinese – He better make sure that he has that Scott Brac land secure otherwise one day they may find that they have none of it left. Furthermore Cayman Brac does not need cruise tourism – we have eco tourism – can you imagine letting hundreds of chattering tourists loose in our bird sancturaries.
NO ONE, NO ONE pays your bills for you for free!!! No ONE, NO ONE pays your bills for you for free.
This is really the truest indication of how stupid McKeeva thinks the Caymanian public is. And as for the others in his gang that merrily follow along clapping their hands and smiling as he spouts this kind of insulting rubbish to the public, shame on everyone of your little insecure, childish selves. You are the most disgusting bunch of imitations for leaders that Cayman has ever seen!!!
so true, i always say "something for something" nothing is for free nowaydays!
It seems Mac you have forgotten that time is longer than thatch rope. If you were so in the right Mac, why settle? You have walked so far down the great wall of china (at our expense) it will be interesting to see how this ends.
“When you see that trading is done, not by consent, but by compulsion – when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing – when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors – when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don’t protect you against them, but protect them against you – when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice – you may know that your society is doomed.” — Ayn Rand
This is just so sad to read.
I have a great deal of respect for CNS but find myself hoping against hope that they have missed something here beause this story painst a picture that nobody wants to see carry the title "The Cayman of today and the future"
As more than one poster has pointed out you don't just pay someone $3M because you are sorry that they were unable to come up with the goods.
Surely you pay them either because you stood them to one side outside the rights you had to do so (I beleive the term is broiken contract) or because you are asking them to step aside when they don't have to (I believe the word is bribe). Either way it means that the way in which GLF was stood to one side was / is wrong. WHo is responsible for that situation.
Again as per previous posters I am sure that everyone is scratching their heads as to why it is inappropriate to say where the funds are coming from. I have no theories that will look good against the Premier.
These things happen in Banana Republics. They also get attempted in good countries but when unearthed those responsible find themselves at the very wrong end of the system. The sadness here is that since we are not seeing the 'good country' outcome we are being driven reluctantly and tragically towards the conclusion that there must be banana republicanism here. And if that is the case then where to now for Cayman.
So sad
Good job Mac.
No point in wasting any more money on lawsuits
I think we've barely scratched the surface.
Are you saying he should fire poor Uncle Steve?
Caymanians are tired of being threatened by this dictator. Now he is going to "deal with the partners of Royal Construction if they don't stop interfering"! Interfering with what? His deal to bring CHEC into the Cayman Islands, the bottom feeders of the international Chinese companies, the firm which bribed the son of the President of Bangladesh and sent him to prison?
Mac, listen and listen good! You are not fooling anyone, every Caymanian knows you [talked to] the Chinese back in January when you were supposed to have been in an exclusive agreement with GLF. You yourself confirmed this in your speech at the Ritz Carlton. This is why you are paying GLF off. If you are correct that GLF/Royal failed to perform under the terms of their Framework Agreement why are you paying them anything? XXXX
The recent revelations regarding Cline Glidden's email the day you terminated GLF along with Daniel Priestley's subsequent report, confirms you made this deal with China Harbour all by yourself and kept it so close to your chest that neither Cline Glidden, the members of your cabinet or the Chairman of the Port Authority had any idea, up to the very day, that you planned to terminate GLF. Your arrogance then, followed by your arrogance 2 months later in getting rid of the Port Chairman and the vice Chairman because they decided to reinstate GLF was and is a national disgrace. How you are still leader of this country and the UDP, speaks only to the weakness of the "yes" men (and woman) around you!
You alone are responsible for this debacle and I hope you alone are taking responsibility and are paying off GLF, who, I am sure, have no desire to even hear the words "Cayman Islands" ever again!
However, Mac, hear this and hear it good – the Chinese are not coming to Cayman…if we have to stand in front of the planes like we did with the Cubans, we will. Be forewarned!
Wow Mr. premier, you did the right thing by breaking the contract with GLF but have agreed to pay them million in damages from your decision… Pure unadulterated "FRUTTAISM GENIUS"
Who is the secret benefactor to the Cayman Islands by paying the debt created by you and your smart rubber stamping board who have no indemity from their decisions. I trust that it is not the sucessfull CHEC and when has the Cayman Islands started accepting gifts to settle debts.
How is it possible that even members of the legislative Assembly cannot be told who is presenting such gifts and what the amount is
So GLF is settling with the government but it's not coming out of public coffers. Let wait and see what the master of spin will cook up for this one!!!
My take on 'not out of the public coffers' is that CHEC will be footing the bill directly and that the est. $3m will then be oncharged to Gov't indirectly through reduced fees on the new port. So not received by the public coffers rather than not paid by them. Same difference, Caymanians still get screwed.
WTF??! Am I the only one absoloutely petrified at what this *&^$^ is going to do next? Why is he still the Premier? XXXX Why is he even speaking??? OMG, what are we going to do on our once-a-paradise-turned-nightmare Island?
My bills are atrocious (and I use every conventional and unconventional method there is to conserve), I want to start a family and had to push that back until 2015 when my husband nearly peed himself in shock (he also had just opened the CUC bill). Every yearly medical has been put off until next year because even the co-pay is absurd!! I have not been to the US in years because the ticket and spending money keeps getting spent on gas, food and credit (to cry to my Mother that I wish I was still a kid). I no longer eat out, unless you count Wendy's once a month and KFC's $3 snack bag for lunch sometimes (maybe twice a month at most).
I love Cayman, it's my home and I love people who come here to live and accept Cayman and it's native people as thier own (I even love the ones who hate Cayman because they talk about us way more, great publicity)! Point is, caymanian, non-caymanian, human, alien, whatever you like to class yourself as, we all have to admit, this 'spectacle' is the most blatant disregard for anything remotely sensible coming not only from a grown man but a public figure running a country no less…Shoot, I just peed myself, this is so messed up yet insanely hilarious.
To any sensible outsider we must look like a bunch of hillbilly tribes people who are uneducated, backward and ignorant because guess what, their mamas told them the same thing ours did "Birds of a feather flock together"! Thanks MR. PREMIER, not.
sigh.
I'm tired of complaining and I'd like to do something about it before the reincarnated German really goes crazy!
Yeah, Mac really does make you look that way, and it’s a shame because as a former expat I can testify that Caymanians are generally not like that. Sure, there’s a few hillbillies just like everywhere including my homeland, but Caymanians are generally just normal full-functioning regular people, although they are, for some reason, are rather a lot nicer to everyone than most people elsewhere. I hope you guys manage to clean house, because this really is a shame what is happening to your country.
Where is the settlement money coming from then?
if not the public purse it better be McKeeva's purse!
I can not speak for everyone, but I for one would ( just once) like a straight answer. Are we really to believe that CHEC is going to pay off gLF without transferring the cost to us? However hidden it might be? I guess we are all fools, or at least assumed to be.
I am seriously sick to my stomach after reading this!
Wake up people this is a very large nail in the coffin! I believe history will not tell great stories of the Bush years, rather it will be an era that has short chapters in the history books as it will be full of stories of shame and corruption.
Why all the secrets? Tell me! Why?
What makes Mr. Bush qualified to dictate who will be given the port deal? Is it the fact that he removed any board members that had the balls to disagree? Is it all the project management and construction experience? Is it the drive to put Caymanian companies to work, and fill the gaps with foreign labor? This is if not the single largest, it must be very close to the largest single project attempted by the public sector. And we are letting this thug dictate who is going to do it!
People stop being afraid of him andhis cronies; use your voice, your name, your face, your money, your reputation, your everything to stop this madness! This is your Cayman, not his. This Government survives and thrives off the fact that they know you are complacent, and easily intimidated. Soon you will not be able to blame the PPM, or the UDP as the man in the mirror is truly the one to blame.
This is a slap in the face of each and every Caymanian construction company, as you are apparently good enough to build a dock. Get use to sucking egg, because a Peking duck is laying a bunch for you as you read this!
The history books should have long detailed chapters so Caymanians for generations to come will not forget all that Mac and the rest of the UDP has done so that we won’t ever repeat the mistake of electing a government who cares not for their country or its people but only for themselves.
Mr Bush says the settlement has been reached. Apparently whatever was agreed is a "done deal". It's all been worked out.
So what the hell is the Premier hiding? Why can he not tell us what the settlement is? One would think that solving the "problem" of having the cruise port project totally effed up by the Premier's meddling would be something he would want to share with the Caymanian people, to say "look what I did to fix the problem". But no.
Yet again, we've got unsupported (and somewhat confusing) comments by the Premier. You've reached a settlement that doesn't come out of the public purse? What the heck?
And as for the Premier's complaint about there being too much heat and too little light on certain subjects, Mr. Bush that is your own damn fault because you never tell the people of the Cayman Islands anything beyond the barest details, if even that. Don't you see that you are the one that is constantly making the people of the Cayman Islands your "enemy" by treating us like we don't deserve to know what our government is doing and how you are doing it? YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN BRING LIGHT TO ALL THESE CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES AND YET YOU REFUSE TO DO SO.
Are you really so g*****n arrogant that you think know better than the entire population of the Cayman Islands: Ministers, ministers, sea captains, board members, civil servants, everyone? God save us all.
Last time we were told about a deal this great it was the Cohen loan. How did that one work out again?
Back-side up.
If I remember correctly, our Premier acted in the best interests of our country as he was entitled to do. He consequently managed to relieve us of $450,000.00 that we had no use for and that was only becoming a burden to us. Very well done, Mr. Premier, we have every confidence that you will out-do yourself with this one. God help the Cayman Islands.
Some one has to pay and I think it will be hidden in the contract and the we the people of Cayman will pay. We just may not beable to find it. I would suggest the Auditor General look at this before the fact to see just what kind of wool is being pulled over our eyes.
Ask any fifth grade student in Cayman and you will know without a doubt that Cayman will pay. They will also confirm that that is a mere drop in the bucket compared to what we are REALLY going to pay.
6 x 10 The average size of a prison cell.
Mac, what gives you the right to threaten your employers?
Or accuse them of being devil worshippers, you of all people?
How long will it take to convert the Yuan to $3million?
Lets build a dock in a country that has no accounts and half finished schools.
Lets build a dock with a communist country with shocking human rights issues.
Lets build a dock with a company that is embroiled in a possible pay off deal with a resigned jamaican minister.
Lets build a dock where the customer is not involved.
Lets build a dock just so someone can leave a legacy.
… lets just go to vegas, and put our grand kids inheritance on black and spin the wheel…
And, I might add, let's build a dock with a bottomfeeder of the Chinese international companies who bribed the son of the Bangladesh Minister to get a similar project in that country, resulting in him now spending big time in prison, and the same company also is now embroiled in serious issues in Jamaica where the Auditor General and AntiCorruption Commission is now investigation the circumstances surrounding contracts and suspicious increases in their profit margins.
anytime this fool opens his mouth …it leaves more questions than answers….
wtf??……governor do something NOW!
I AM bloody doing something. I'm having my nap. Don't you understand I'm on Mac's turf? Now will you please let me rest in bloomin' peace?
The Government is paying one way or the other. Whether CHEC pays GLF and Govt pays CHEC, or Govt pays GLF direct – we still end up paying.
A text-book UDP manoeuvre – the public purse pays for their "screw-up.
What is the exchange rate between the Yuan and the CI Dollar – somebody suggested a few weeks ago that Big Mac had probably been able to walk away from the GLF deal because CHEC had offered to bankroll him for any claims for damages, if he gave them the contract(s).
Ooh what a tangled web we weave. The spin doctor is weaving his web. What I would like to know is this:
How does the payback compare in CHEC Vs. GLF ?
How do we know for sure someone is not getting a cut of the per head rate being negotiated? How do we know if the rate is aggressively negotiated?
Was GLF going to do the same thing as CHEC? If not, was it brought forward to allow them to quote based on the exact same parameters?
What the people want to be able to do is to lay the two offers down side by side to see who really is offering the best deal for Cayman. Problem is our Premier would never do this because he does not know the first thing about TRANSPARENCY.
I truly wish UK would step in on this and open the whole process up again to bidding. Something of this magnitude needs to be done PROPERLY. There is simply too many backroom deals going on here and the public probably only knows 5% of what is truly happening.
He still claims today that GLF did not have any evidence of ability to finance the project yet the UDPs own said he was happy with what was provided which leads me to think HE JUST WANTED THEM GONE.
This needs to be looked into SERIOUSLY!!!! Hey where is our AG (Auditor General), he's been too quiet lately. Please don't tell me our Premier got to him.
The web is not tangled.
It is simple. The premier is no financial expert but he knows a good deal when he sees it. Have faith. Trust him.