Activists plan George Town to West Bay rally
(CNS): Campaigners who are trying to preserve the West Bay Road and those trying to prevent the relocation of the Grand Cayman landfill will be coming together to hold a demonstration this coming Saturday afternoon from the capital to the West Bay Road to show both government and the Dart Group that they will not be giving up the fight over these issues. Although government and the NRA has already signed an agreement with the Dart Group to close a portion of the West Bay Road and paving the way for the developer to being the Esterley Tibbetts extension the campaigners still hope they can stop the closure of the existing road.
The campaign has attracted considerable support and the various West Bay based activist groups have now joined forces with the coalition to Keep Bodden Town Dump free which is tied to the same ForCayman Alliance a deal which government eventually proposes to sign with Dart to include the opening of a new waste-management facility in Midland Acres. The campaigners also have the support of the opposition PPM and the independent member for North Side.
Speaking at a well-attended public meeting last month the activists vowed to keep up the pressure against the ForCayman Alliance which is seen as a detrimental deal for the Caymanian people but a good deal for the developer.
However, DECCO, the Dart Groups general contractor has already cleared the area for the start of the road extension as it wishes to close the key stretch of West Bay Road as soon as possible in order to begin development work on the new four or five star resort hotel it proposes to open there as a beach front property.
The activists, who are not happy that the land swap said it will result in a massive increase in the value of the developer’s property, have organised a motorcade which will drive from the capital to the area of the West Bay Road near public beach at the start of the strip of road which government intends to give to Dart in the swap as part of the alliance agreement.
In return for the closure of what is estimated to be around 4200 feet of road some 2300 of that will be given to the developer in a swap for land in West Bay, land in Barkers and over $20million in cash, which the government has said will be spent on community projects and the save the mortgage programme.
Organisers stated that the rally and motor cade will start at 2pm Saturday afternoon at the cricket pitch in George Town, drive around the capital and head down the West Bay Road.
The event is being sponsored by the Concerned Citizens Group, the West Bay Action Committee, Save Cayman and the Coalition to Keep Bodden Town Dump Free.
See more details on rally flyer posted below
Category: Politics
Corruption, crime and poverty are rampant. Racism, xenophobia and indentured labour are daily realities for many people here. The economy is in the doldrums. The country is nearly bankrupt. 3 people have disappeared in a year, half a dozen more have been murdered. There is a gun crime committed every 3.5 days, in a community of less than 50,000 and none of them are solved. The premier is under one police investigation and probably should be under investigation for many more widely known "irregularities". The cost of living and doing business here is driving people and companies away. There are a lot of things to worry about.
And what gets Cayman off its collective backside? Moving a road. And some administrative voting change that sounds like it will just mean more snouts in the public trough.
While walking, might I suggest that it would be a good opportunity to carry a bag and tidy up the roadside along the way?
In any other country there'd be massive demonstrations and the like. Those XXXXX must be laughing their heads off at the passivity of the Caymanian people. Easy pickings doesn't begin to describe what's going on. Shame. shame, shame.
If this was a true born Caymanian who wanted to redevelop a derelict hotel and provide work for their people, then I think we would see more support and encouragement. I suspect there is a touch of envy and perhaps even some race issues at the bottom of the desire to stop people like Mr. Dart and Mr. Imperato (from getting stuff done). Caymanians are quite happy to sell off their land and pocket the money, but for some reason they find it hard to watch these rich, foreign born developers turn legitimate investments into profits. It just seems to stick in the throat of some Caymanians like a fish bone.
"[A] true born Caymanian"? Is this Harry Potter?
To those in the valley caught between groups trying to tell you what you should do or persuade you to go along their way… think for yourself.
If you see harm to our environment, wildlife, or to people, and you find that to be a threat or an actuality, I would oppose and do whatever I can to peaceably stop these projects from happening.
But if you see no imminent threat or harm done to our environment, wildlife, or to people, and you find more good than harm is done, then I would remain silent and allow Government and Dart alliance do what they want to do.
Let no one influence you and then you look stupid because you have nothing to stand on. Don't be lead by anybody.
In the end, if the private-public alliance do have their way, you will gain from it, and there is nothing you get from this life without getting something back! Remember that. And if the protestors get their way, the more there is reservation for something else that would benefit us. Either way, standing for what you know to be true, moral, and noble; or remaining silent, is your democratic right – at least exercise it with a leg to stand on.
People are going missing and robberies are happening daily and these people are playing the same old tune. So please lets move on to more important things. Change the road, move the land fill and for God's sake, mandate recycling. It would be much more valuable to have a recycling petition or a crime petition.
09>37 you are correct. I would really like to know why these incompetent fools marching up and down the street about road and garbage dump, would first march about thestealing, shooting, and missing persons on the Island. Cant you people understand that the people of Bodden Town is not marching about the dump, so why are we setting it on our heads. The George Town Land fill needs to cap. It is seeping in the earth. I am confidence that Dart will do the proper thing in the Bodden Town district. Only a handfull of them are moaning, Also the West Bay Road is going to be just fine. People please find something to do,
save a road????…… the bottom of the caymanian barrell is being scraped
Listen up fool! It's not about saving a road, it's about saving several rights of way to access the beach.
The plan improves access to the beach, especially Public Beach.
$20 million in cash can pay for many "community projects". It can also be used to grease palms and buy votes. Are these considered community projects? How about gifts to churches?
Just a political ploy. You can’t see the beach from there anyway. And if Dart builds on the seaside it will be worst. Guys, march against crime if you want to do something constructive.
Marching against crime is not constructive. Criminals are not impressed by marches. What do you think is going to happen – "Hey guys, we had better stop holding up those stores and pocketing all that money. See how we have upset those nice people over there that they are marching"?. Get real.
Roads and rubbish heaps are not impressed by marches either. People march so that the leaders understand their strong feelings on an issue and feel compelled to do something (or in Cayman's case, compelled to say something then continue to do nothing). Truth is that the police here have an awful record of solving crimes and enabling successful prsecutions. They are not regarded as competent or trustworthy and they do not make people feel safe. They need better training and equipment and there needs to be more of them- a lot more of them. That is what people should march for, not save the road/ dump. The fact that an issue like this can motivate Caymanians when guns, drugs and violence does not suggests that Caymanians care more about a cash and assets than they do about the fate of their home grown criminalised underclass and their victims, hence all the eye rolling and exasperation.
They should be marching against crime, corruption, drugs, child abuse, domestic abuse, teenage pregnancy, cost of doing business and price of oil. Try to look at this land swap as a positive thing and support future development, God knows we need that dump capped moved and have a proper waste management facility. The same people who are blowing up a storm are only looking to try to gather votes in the next election.
I like Miss Alice Mae and Captain Bryan personally and they care about Caymanian yet they need to understand that Cayman is a ever changing place and we need parks, good schools, roads and excellent hotels. Ezzard, Alden and Arden are kicking up dirt instead of trying to get business in these rather difficult times, I am not a UDP supporter just a Caymanian who want that Cayman is a great place to live, work and visit for future generations.
Can these "activisits" not get in the way of my weekend. The vast majority of people want the dump moved and see the Dart plan as a good thing for Grand Cayman.
Truth and fact is that some of the people in this march, does not even have enough sense to know why they are marching. Cayman people un real fool fool getting into this march. It is a done deal, nothing you can do about the road. So obviously the march is a political front. Please stay home or go to work. Its nothing to do about road it is Oilitical. How dumb.
Learn to spell and people might pay attention to your post.
Were you planning on driving down West Bay Road to the beach? If so, that's what the rally is about – preserving that opportunity, not just for you, but for our children too.
again…absolute rubbish!…darts proposals will enhancepublic beach for everyone….
I suppose that justifies giving him $40 million in duty concessions?
True, it will enhance the current public beach but we will lose our rights of way to the beach between there and the "new" beach created by combining those rights of way. We can always use the beach but accessing it will be made more difficult.
you will ABLE to drive to the beach. They will improve parking lot also making new beach north of calico jack. DART never will cut anyone off from the beach as it is against planning permission as with anyone who want build condos/hotel along the beach. They must have give an access to beach for the public to use.
You dont get it, or your playing fool, it's okay!
They will not have to give access to the beach all the way along the existing road. They are taking away several rights of way to the beach and making them into one big piece. You will not be able to access the beach by car except at the existing public beach and the "new" beach.
They don't have to give a beach access along the existing road as they will "move" our rights of way all into one spot. You just don't get it……SMH
Oooh, you can just here the self-righteous sensationalism. I am surprised "our children's children" were not brought into this. If keeping the beach for our future was the plan, that plan was destroyed long ago in the greed to develop the whole strip. This planned improvementto what there is should be welcomed.
So………………..are you planning to keep us from doing just that on Saturday? i.e. driving down to the beach. I don't think the Dart plan is designed to keep anyone off the beach.
Of course it is. We will all lose several rights of way to the beach, why can't you stupid people get that into your heads. Wewill not be allowed to access the beach along the length of Dart's development. Combining our rights of way into one is not creating a new beach or giving us any more access.
You 17:43 are the stupid one, access rights to the beach are enshrined in law,have you seen any change to the law?,idjut
Preserve beautiful West Bay Road! We, the Cayman people demand to drive massive American SUVs with draft slogans across the windscreen and loud music up and down SMB, the country's only natural resource, without interferance. Who wants trees, grass or places you can actually walk?
Oh!Oh! Me next…..
We demand more of our prime land sold(under price ofcourse) to "investors" who will pretty it up for "us" then lock the front door, we demand the promise of jobs and not the jobs themselves. The paradox that they are cutting down TREES and digging up GRASS, or that the existing road is more than capable of facilitating WALKING, jogging, cycling etc (see this road on a sunday morning) justifies why YOU say its a good deal is another political or perhaps self interest POSITION we also demand. Please ignore the locals who grew up here, those gypsies, thugs and lazy heads wouldn't know a good thing if it was clearly packaged for everyone but them, however presented for them. I almost forgot, we demand you stop listening to "that music" so loudly or perhaps all together , and placing slogans on YOUR cars as it scares and most importantly irritates the eyes.
Dart for King!
Avoid West Bay Rd and the beach on Saturday, the Natives are restless…
And you are ignorant, in the true Caymanian native meaning of the word.
Pay carefull attention to this behaviour,why would someone mock or try to make you feel fighting to perserve our island is wrong, this is a major part of our problem, this is also what we have to look forward to when we ultimately loose everything to the "civilized."
Q.E.D.
G.E.D.
"When"? Sorry but if there was any civilzation here it disappeared a long long time ago.
must have disappeared with the arrival of Patricia X & Co!
We are not obligated to sell out to Dart just because he has lots of money. Our Leaders need to understantd that also and it is our right to make sure they get the message.