Mac denies EE funds offer

| 02/03/2012

mckeevagt (221x275).jpg(CNS): Following Tuesday night’s public meeting in East End when the premier stated that he would help John McLean Jr to fund community projects in the district from the Dart donation, McKeeva Bush denied the comments on Thursday. Bush said he intends to give money to projects brought to his attention by John McLean Jr, whom he had endorsed as a candidate that night, but he would not be giving the money to McLean. Bush accused “certain members of the media” and the opposition of misleading the public and trying to create the impression that he was “doing something wrong”, but he said there was nothing wrong in government funding community projects.

However, Bush had stated that he intended to fund the projects that would be managed by McLean Jr in the same speech in which he offered his political backing to the would-be independent candidate against the incumbent. Bush made it clear he supported the projects which McLean Jr had brought to his attention and that some of the Dart money would go to those projects, which he made clear would be managed by McLean.
Despite these comments, Bush claimed that the media and the opposition were accusing him of making statements which he did not make.

“Certain members of the media and the opposition are trying to create the impression that I am doing something wrong, when there is nothing wrong with allocating government money to community projects,” the premier said in an official statement from his office Thursday evening.

He said he had listened to the recording of his remarks at the meeting and confirmed that he said his government would allocate the money from Dart to community projects.

“What I said was that we were going to allocate $200,000 of this for projects in East End and although I did say some of those projects were brought to my attention by John McLean Jr at no time did I say thefunds would be given to John McLean Jr; and for absolute clarity the funds will not be given to John McLean Jr.”

He said that McLean Jr and other East Enders identified these projects and asked that government do something about them.

“He did not ask that we give him any funds,” Bush stated. “Government will fund the projects for the district as they have asked. The funds provided by the Dart Group under the National Roads Authority Agreement were made payable to the Cayman Islands Government and deposited with the Treasury of the Cayman Islands Government."

He added that any funding of community projects in East End or in any other district would be procured, dispersed and accounted for through the regular government processes.

“The elections are 14 months away, and I am not as concerned about votes as the opposition is, I am concerned with getting this country back on a sound financial footing and getting our people back to work,” Bush said in the statement. “This attempt to create the impression of political funding to John McLean Jr is preposterous and unfounded, and is just another tactic to delay getting the much needed investment in the communities they were designed to help.”

The premier added that for those who wish to hear for themselves what the he said, the public meeting would be broadcast on CITN on Friday, 2 March at 8pm.

In the wake of the comments made by the premier regarding giving the money to projects raised by and to be managed by McLean Jr after the premier had so emphatically endorsed him raised considerable concern in the community.

The leader of the opposition told CNS on Thursday afternoon that he was writing to the governor, the auditor general, the attorney general and the director of public prosecutions, as he said it was a shocking announcement.

McLaughlin said the premier could not justify taking $200,000 of public funds, which was obtained as part of his promise to sell of precious government assets and then to use that in what could be seen as buying votes.

“What he said about giving the money to John McLean Jr for district projects at the same time as pointing to him as the UDP’s man in next elections must amount to official corruption,” McLaughlin suggested.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Ves Bay already have 5 members…4 of them is Maceewa..

  2. Anonymously says:

    The Anti-Corruption Commission website is http://www.anticorruptioncommission.ky/
    The complaints phone number, email address and postal address are given there.

    OR

    There is always the 'GO RADICAL' Solution.

    Choose one!!!…  Let's get this rising dictatorship over and done with.

  3. Anonymous says:

    As if Mac would admit to anything – he is our very own Shaggy  "It wasn't me"

  4. Anonymous says:

    It is obvious that Mac intends to field a new candidate for the UDP in East End, Why else would he seek to destroy the chances of the only viable threat to Arden so early.

    Read between the lines people, John is being sacrificed for the UDP. Serves him right though I guess. Bet his Dad has had a word with him about that.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Well done mac, you just destroyed any chance Johnny jr had in East End, and he was so looking forward to feeding from the trough like daddy did

    • Anonymous says:

      I am from East End, and I am going to vote for Johnnie – me and my entire family of 15.

      We want to see what he will do, and how well he will do it before we start to tear him down.

      As always, we are too quick to remove opportunity from Caymanians. Nuff of that go on in the foreign owned firms, so let's look out for  our own when we get the opportunity.

      Johnny is young and his heart is in the right place. We see him doing more in our district that the elected MLA.

      Vote for Johnnie East End – he is young blood. Let's see what he is able to do. If he doesn't live up to our expectations after being elected, then we will deal with that at the next election, but for 2013 – VOTE HIM IN!

      • Alan Nivia says:

        Clear evidence to support more aggressive family planning strategies.

      • Anonymous says:

        Merely being "young blood" is not a qualification to run for public office. There is nothing in young Johnnie's experience, accomplishments, interest in his community or character that would suggest that he would make a good representative for East End. Before his run for office he showed no interest in the community at all. Last time around he showed how ill-suited he was for the job by the fact that he had not even read the Constitution on which a referendum was soon to be held. He has done or said nothing since to convince me otherwise.  Reading from a script about how dear his EE people are to his heart does not show that his heart is in the right place; it is only fodder for the gullible. It shows that he is willing to say whatever he thinks wants to hear and can parrot whatever is given to him to say. He is the ideal candidate to be manipulated because of his naivete and lack of strong conviction. Why gamble on such a candidate?  

      • Anonymous says:

        Looks you and your entire family of 15 are going to be outcasts in your own district even before elections. Take an example from your neighboring Bodden Town my friend. They fought tooth and nail to replace experienced and intelligent representation for amatures who are now publicly supporting and encouraging a DUMP in their district. Maybe the dump will end up in East End after all.

      • Anonymous says:

        Family of 15? Men da plenty shtew conk n kissawa cake, men.   

    • Anonymous says:

      Da apple na fall far from da tree.

  6. Anonymous says:

    West Bayers might swallow ignorance, but outside those boundaries, people na like that.  East Enders never fell for it last election and na ga fall for it this election either.  Afterall, the wise men came from the East!

  7. Anonymous says:

    Mac says Alden is foo foo because he couldn't see that he had his fingers crossed behind his back some of the time.

  8. Anonymous says:

    Hey SCRATCH, learn to spell SENSE and then cultivate some. We have a core of young leaders out there and you better BEWARE.  They are coming and they are coming educated….BEWARE.  They are already out and about learning our laws and constitution and they will do it by the books, they WILL BE our new LEADERS and true Statesmen.  They will honour our house of Assembly and they will excel. Stick around, watch and LEARN.

    • Anonymous says:

      Mac is a great leader. Well he di make some mistakes, but he is a financial genius. He gave ups $20M in government insurance claims to Cayman General in return for shares in the company. Those shares are now worth >$2M. He made a little mistake with the Cohen financing deal and cost government about $400K. He made a mistake with the GLF port arrangements and that cost about $3M, so far,… But give the devil his due, he is a great leader! Oh one last thing the Dart for Dart deal will cost government too. We will lose a $100M road and gain a $35M road.  

    • SCRATCH says:

      05:50  So how come you are critizing my spelling now and you said the same thing about a certain EE MLA.  Make up your mind which side of the fence you are on. Lol.

  9. Anonymous says:

    Was it just my TV connection or did everyone have trouble with the channel breaking up?

  10. Anonymous says:

    If anyone ever had the misfortune of getting into a fight with an East Ender then they would know that the last thing they need up there is a boxing ring.  Maybe big Mack can get into the ring once it is built with one of those east enders who don't like him and se if Dart's money is being wisely spent.

  11. Anonymous says:

    Well, well.  Seems like we no longer need representives elected by the people.  Looks to me like the UDP Government now decides who will be our representative.  Can Ezzard and Arden do another referendum demanding that elections are held by NOVEMBER 2012?  This nonsense has to STOP immediately.

    • Anonymous says:

      Ellio extended his vocabulary to defend his beloved Mac on Rooster yesterday. Careful Ellie, I hear used Mercedes are not selling for much nowadays.  

  12. Newspeak says:

    Giving money for projects that John McLean will manage is not the same as…. giving money to John McLean.

    Endorsing John McLean as a candidate the same John McLean who will be managing the projects and the money is not nearly the same as… buying votes.

    ok. i believe it.

  13. Anonymous says:

    Each time he opens his mouth, he puts his foot in it.  He is an embarrassment to himself, his party, and his country.   Time now for sensible and levelheaded leadership in this country, and for the old dinosaur-style politicos to retire with some measure of dignity (if they have any left).

  14. Anonymous says:

    Lets just say, you are now in Damage Control Mac!!!  and if anyone even bothers to listen or watch the repeat of the EE meeting tonight, trust me, it will be duly edited out! Hope someone else recorder that meeting and can present iton CITN, instead.  MacKeeva boy, you got to stop spurting off that BIG mouth of yours so, yah nah.  You will get yourself in trouble with your moneybagger.  What you really did though, was to confirm what everyone else were speculating about, that your campaign were being funded by the said moneybagger.  To think, you could not give Mr. Arden, who is the sitting EE Politician the time of the day to get his district projects done.  Imagine from 2010 that man presented the district needs and you just brushed him off with the notion that the Country had no funds. Whola! you can find $200,000 just like that for your party friend. You are also now a Magic! man……Houdini…LOL!

  15. Anonymous says:

    Wouldn't having a properly constituted district council have made this a non-issue? 

  16. Anonymous says:

    When one is neck deep in dirt, some will always spill out of the largest crack or crevice. 

     

  17. Anonymous says:

    Confucius say:

    "Me think the dictactor speak with forked tongue".

  18. Anonymous says:

    Wriggle, wriggle!

  19. Anonymous says:

    Ahhh, transparency at last…….we can all see right through this!!!::))

  20. Sam Putt Putt says:

    The rally will be rebroadcast on CITN tonight at 8:00 PM. Oh, goodie. Get your TiVos ready. I can  hardly wait for the followup music video to, "What I see happnin'…" to be releasedsometime next week. Nunsense!

  21. so Anonymous says:

    Still learning that saying what you think They want to hear is not the same as  saying what YOU want to hear right Bush?  Not surprised that you are so confused.  Being Premeir of a third world people is easy when you take no responsibility for anything you do.  Who's going to stop you?  The people? They tried, are trying, and will try again.  So far screwing up everything you touch has not been a burden to you.  Just to "Grand Cayman."You ARE doing a great job teaching the people of Cayman a lesson they desperately need to learn if they are to continue governing themselves in the future.  Vote foolishly=get a fool and problems get bigger, premeir gets bigger,  Premeirs paycheck and bank account get bigger, countries debt get bigger and everyone suffers but the Bushits!  Vote smart and perhaps see what Cayman has never seen before.  Integrity, skill, ethics, success.  There are possibilities!  John McLean could be one of them given a chance.  Bush will not be a hard act to follow given the right choice.  Or do the same ole same ole and end up like T&C.  Peoples choice as always.

  22. Anonymous says:

    Hey Cayman, what do you think of your pure hearted clean handed leader now?

    • SCRATCH says:

      08.47  would you like to know what I think?  I think He is a great leader, and a great man.  Cayman could not have a better leader. and besides that stay arround until election day, and see if Cayman do not put him back in.  West Bayers got sence, why would they vote out Mac. and allow some eratic numb skull idiot to lead this country.  I know Caymanians have better sence than that.

      I have heard many persons ask the same question over and over again.  Who can be a better Leader?  I have not seen one person pull the name of anyone out of a hat.  I do hope all of the persons commenting think about that,   The question that is being asked repeatedly,  Name Who can do a better job.  PPM is mashed up, the only person left in that  is Alden, and Arden, and of course Ezzard and Alden will come to blows for the Premier Job.  Kurt definately is not interested any more.  He is happy at the Barn.  Anthony is always sleeping and dont have the slightest idea where the Assembly building is any more.  Charles is waiting with a hook stick gathering PPM  partners who is not going to make it.   Every day it is getting worse.

      • Anonymous says:

        Anyone who writes of 350K in a bad loan arrangement is not a good leader.  Especially when he simply states he is not a financial expert and he seems to think that it is ok to waste 350K of public funds.

         

        Anyone who says they are 'standing fast' and 'not prepared' to go is not leader, they are a dictator.

        I am not prepared to give my vote to this kind of person.  That is to say if he has not dismantled the democracy that remains for the time he remains in office.

      • CaymanFisting says:

        Haha West Bayers have sence?

        Since the word you are looking for is sense not “sence” you prove to make no sense.

        • SCRATCH says:

          Sorry I do not speak the English language very good.  But you understand what I am saying. Correct.  So do not worry about the sence or sense you know what I mean idiot.

      • Anonymous says:

        Hey Scratch. You wouldn't happen to be from Jordan, would you? Your post is so ridiculously biassed it's not funny. The country is already led by an erratic numbskull.  Maybe you can tell me what Capt. Eugene and Dwayne Sermour have done to benefit the country. Your last sentence is correct, though. But why would that lead us to re-elect the current govt.?

        The answer to your question is that almost anyone else in the LA or outside the LA could do a better job.   

  23. Anon says:

    You can try to wiggle your way out of what you said but what is the point of having a representative if you are going to just ignore proposals he brings to the house and accept proposals from someone who isn’t a member of parliament?  Even though you have endorsed him Mr. Premier, John McLean Jr. is still not a member of parliament and it is disrespectful  to the people of East End to ignore the person they chose as their representative but listen to someone who you have endorsed. The people of East End have not voted  John McLean in and until they do so you are obligated to listen to the proposals from their representative who is bringing proposals as the requests of the people of East End, not his own personal request list.

    XXXX

    You have insulted the people of East End because you are basically telling them that they were not intelligent enough to choose the right candidate so you are ignoring the candidate they chose and you are endorsing who you think should be the representative but that is not your choice sir, the people of East End will show their choice in May 2013 and they may or may not select John McLean Jr as their choice but until they do so, you have to respect the incumbent’s position as the choice made by the people of East End.

  24. Anonymous says:

    Too many trips to Washington, D.C., where the favorite political term is:  "I voted for it before I voted against it."

     

    Now that the door has been opened, let's keep an eye out for any new money finding its way to East End, say in the sum of . . . oh, $200,000 or thereabouts.   Then again, with Dr. Shetty's new hospital about to be built, maybe that "money" is needed for infrastructure improvements related to his tourist medical compound.  Anything to divert attention from the down and dirty politics, bribes, and alleged corruption which seems to be on everyones minds these days.

  25. Anonymous says:

    Sit down and shut up already mac……while you're at it step down before you fall down…we all know thats coming even if you dont……

  26. Anonymous says:

    So what he is saying now is that the money is not allocated because of serious need in this district, instad the money is allocated only IF the projects are run by someone the Premier backs. Clearly – this so much different from what he said before. NOT!

    Wow!

    That's how you treat your own people McKeeva? Your own? At the end of the day whether they vote for you or not, they are you own people!

    You should hang your head in shame!  

  27. Pedigree Chum says:

    Here is the thing.  When a poltician is under investigation for corruption, when there is documentary evidence that raises serious issues to be investigated, when that poltiician arrogantly makes no attempt to credibily deal with the allegations and when that politician says, expressly or impliedly, that schemes endorsed by his candidate will receive funding out of a hypothecated sum paid as part of a controversial land deal, when all these things happen then the people draw conclusions.  A bed has been made and someone is getting uncomfortable lying in it.,

  28. T.L. Haranguer says:

    PAC ?

  29. Anonymous says:

    A FOOL IS KNOWN BY THE MULTITUDE OF HIS WORDS.  I dear any man to doubt this scripture. Every time this man open his mouth he proves to us how unrealible he is. I say to the rest of cayman and you will find out that these two men are the same way, like to go on FAR EAST TRIPS.  One thing i will like to know . Has there been any audit on the money for the Christman clean up in 2010.  My money was short and when i asked XXXXX he told that the goverment had to keep back some money to pay for the insurance policy to cover me while working. I found out that this is not true, but i has never got my money back. XXXXX

    • Anonymous says:

      and your english and spelling sucks

      • Anonymous says:

        Your capitalization and punctuation are even worse.

      • Anonymous says:

        I don't believe this. A  UDP supporter making an illiterate attempt at defending defend good grammar. What is this world coming to? Hey dude, can you spell 'step down Mac'?

  30. Utopian says:

    "He said he had to go back and listen to the recording. . ." to find a way to put a different spin on what he said!  Amazing!  But what's more more amazing is the people of Cayman actually put up with this political BS month, after scandelous month.

  31. Real World says:

    A word of advice to young John Mclean Jr.:  Be careful with whom you allow yourself to politically associate, because your politcal career may be tarnished before it's even been polished.  "Independant" should mean Independant. 

  32. Lin says:

    I was wondering. I don't think Mac would sink himself so easily.

    • Anonymous says:

      He just makes it look easy

    • Out of Wack says:

       

       

       

      It is very very sad what is taking place in Cayman where Politics are concerned.  Really and truly I see the media, unline news Services and radio shows, twisting and turning their headlines in some ways, that is leaving the public thinking"Why are they setting up people to strife"  It is just unbelieveable when you read and listen.  Many of these persons I know, and cannot believe that they have turned into someone ugly because of Politics.

    • Anonymous says:

      He said it because he felt he could get away with it. He's that arrogant.

  33. ohhh says:

    Ohh now I get it ! Sorry must have misunderstood, ok then BOBO I guess the lil call from your lawyer had nothing to do with the sudden change of heart then? Looks like Mac forgot to lookup the meaning of official corruption before he went to the meeting. At least we know Steve MCField is on the job LMAO. When are the people of thiscountry going to wake the hell up?

    We should be marching down to this mans office in the morning to tell him to step down now!

  34. Anonymous says:

    My goodness, Mr.Bush's message to the good people of East End : "You're stupid".

  35. Empty Chair says:

    Yeah Mckeeva, we believe you (NOT)

  36. Soul Rebel says:

    Hahahahahahaahahahahahahahabahahahah!!!!!!! Hahahahahahahahahahahahah!!!!! Put your foot in your mouth huh Mac!? How does it taste?!

  37. McCarron McLaughlin says:

    Hey Mac while your at it, can you ask Dart to paydown our national debt and make it worth your while?

    This $5mm dollar is nothing more than some "flash cash" for the UDP in order to garner support for the 2013 elections.

    • Anonymous says:

      Maybe he would too!!!! And by the way where do you all think Cayman would be now if it wasnt for dart spending all that money?

      • McCarron McLaughlin says:

        I think asshole if it wasn't Dart it would have been someone else.

  38. Anonymous says:

    No matter how you spin it, this looks like corruption to me!  Why not give the money to Arden McLean. What is clear is that the priority list given to the government by MLA McLean could have been financed but the government did not vote the funds BECAUSE it would make Mr. McLean look good? This is truly disgusting. What happened to love of country ??? AND  is it that East Enders are being punished because they voted for McLean!  What happened to democracy ??   Boggles the mind. 

     

  39. XXX says:

    Oh what a tangled web we weave when at first we practice to deceive.  I think the people of the Cayman Islands are no longer willing to be deceived by our "Premier" who continues to say one thing and when he is called on it changes it to try and make himself look better.

  40. Knot S Smart says:

    I am getting into the movie making business and my first movie will be:

    'Liar. Liar. Pants on Fire'

    And my second movie will be:

    'Machaivelli is Alive and Well'…

  41. Anonymous says:

    Here comes Mac's expected spin- as usual, it took several days to manufacture.

    Johnny is unfortunately UDP and the money was going to go to "his projects" to aid in his 2013 campaign.  Afterall Johnny also coordinated the East End clean-up for UDP. Nothing can hide or spin that fact.

  42. SKEPTICAL says:

    Did anyone from the Media make an independent recording and/or video of Bush’s speech so that we can gauge the credibility of this latest contradiction of himself, no doubt prompted by his realization that he had opened a political “Pandora’s Box “.

  43. Anonymous says:

    Okay so if that is the case then Mr Bush has formally appropriated $200,000 of funds to these projects.

    If we are to take his comments at face value then they mean that the funding is unconditional on any participation by Mr McLean.

    That being the case, the comments also mean that if Mr McLean is defeated and another MLA – regardless of political affiliation (the exisitng incumbent if succesfully re-elected for example) – calls on the funding to complete these self same projects then the funds must be provided.

    CNS – may I suggest you ask Mr Bush to confirm that that interpretation of his remarks is correct……

  44. Anonymous says:

    Nothing wrong with funding community projects? Good, I bet Arden knows of a few good causes. Give him some to spend if your intentions are noble.

    …didn’t think so.

  45. Anonymous says:

    Dart must have told Mac, "You messed up! "

  46. Anonymous says:

    I bet his speech writers wish he would not stray form the script.  LOL!!!

     

  47. Anonymous says:

    Mac says "This attempt to create the impression of political funding to John McLean Jr. is preposterous and unfounded, and is just another tactic to delay getting the much needed investment in the communities they were designed to help”.

    You created that impression, Mac and it is consistent with your behaviour to date. It was you in one breath who endorsed Johnnie as your favoured political candidate and put him charge of spending $200,000 on community projects. It is obviously a  backdoor way to fund his political campaign. We are not stupid. You are arrogant beyond belief. 

    How ridiculous to suggest to suggest that the EE MLA want to delay getting much needed in investment in his community when he has been asking for it all along.   

    • Anonymous says:

      I don’t think it’s arrogance. I think he really doesn’t knOw any better

      • SNAP says:

        SNAP   02.49  You obviously dont know too much, because even a fool is appreciated for not blabbering off his mouth.  What they say, that still waters run deep.

    • Politricks says:

      Pure and simple Politricks

      • VoTER says:

        To tell you the truth, I am concentrating on my own district Bodden Town and that is to support Dwayne Seymour.  A plesant young man who is honest, does not hold  grudges against any one, and you will not hear him critizing either UDP INDEPENDENT OR PPM that I like about him.  He is a very nice man and I believe he will work with  any party that care about keeping the Island afloat.  I have never heard him critizing none of the opposing parties.  Very  good John john.