Full Dart deal exposed
(CNS): The deal government and the NRA have signed with Dart is a stand-alone agreement for which the review period for any changes or for either party to pull out appears to have passed, even though the review by an independent auditor has not been made public. MLA Ezzard Miller has now revealed to the public via CNS (posted below) the full document after he received the agreement in the post from an unknown concerned citizen. Despite comments by the premier that it should not be in the public domain, the North Side representative said everyone should have an opportunity to see this deal, which raises significant concerns for the Caymanian people.
Miller has made it clear that he thinks this is a bad deal and judging by the comments on the CNS site this week after some of the details of the deal were posted on Monday, so does a significant portion of the Cayman public. More than 255 comments were posted on the story regarding the fact that government has agreed to give Dart 50% of the tax revenues not only on newly developed or renovated hotels and tourist accommodation but also on any hotels that Dart might buy. This concession threatens existing revenue streams to government as well as reducing potential new ones.
Aside from what Miller describes as excessive concessions and waivers, the North Side MLA also has concerns about the plans for the Esterley Tibbetts Highway Extension, which he says will not be a highway after all, as it appears that there will be numerous roundabouts and exit-entrance ramps along the road. The deal allows Dart to place roundabouts on the road every 1,320 feet and entrance-exits every 600 feet, giving the developer access to land it owns. Miller said that, in effect, this means the Esterley Tibbetts is just another regular road and not the highway originally gazetted by the NRA to carry traffic quickly from George Town to West Bay.
He furtherpointed out that a section of the road is being raised as a bridge that will allow for canals, which, it seems, the Dart Group intends to develop through to the back of the new boutique five-star hotel it intends to build at the Courtyard Marriott site.
“I sincerely hope that Dart does not intend to cut canals all the way through to Seven Mile Beach but even cutting a canal that close to the beach will leave West Bay hanging like a thread to the rest of Grand Cayman,” the MLA stated as he warned about what that could mean during a severe storm.
While the details of the plans regarding the road and the canals are of significant concern, Miller is mostly concerned about the deal itself, which he says is extremely bad for Cayman as the development it is meant to encourage will offer no benefit to the Caymanian people other than trickle down at best.
He said the review period in the agreement ended on 31 March, which is more than three months ago, and this means that the Cayman government may now have no chance to extricate itself from what Miller said was a terrible deal. He said he was concerned about how long it has taken for the review of the agreement by independent auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers, which was meant to be finished before March to be published.
The delay in the publication of this independent review of the deal may mean that no alterations can now be made to what Miller believes is a “bad, bad, bad deal for Cayman but a very good one" for the Dart Group.
“The one thing that the UDP government has proven since it came to office is that selling out the Cayman Islands and giving away massive concessions is not the answer to turning the economy around,” Miller said in answer to Bush’s criticisms that he has no solutions. “Creating jobs in the Cayman Islands is not the problem; we have more than 20,000 of them held by work permit holders. It is the decapitation of Mr Entrepreneur which is the problem caused by allowing large conglomerates to wipe out Caymanian small businesses, which are the life blood of our economy.”
The independent MLA pointed to the massive fees and tax increases that have hit small local businesses while large wealthy investors are handed major concessions. The UDP government, he said, had increased the cost of doing business and the cost of borrowing money and it was polices to address these fundamental problems that were needed, not massive waivers to major corporations.
See full Dart Agreement below.
Vote in the CNS poll: Is the ForCayman Investment Alliance good for Cayman?
Category: Politics
I don't think Cayman will ever be the same. Dart owns us; lock, stock and barrel. We just don't know it, yet. It is too late. Now he is collecting our taxes! I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
This deal is lopsided so far in Dart's favour it's not funny at all.
Mac and his cronies are selling Cayman for short term gain of a few at the expense of long term pain for the many (us and generations to come).
How about this side of the arguement. Dart is a Caymanian.
We don't have to fight over what that means. Accept the fact that he has choosen to make the country his home and more than a few of us have welcomed him.
So which one of you would fight with a Kirkconnell, Merren, Foster, Rankine or a Don Seymour ? (sadly more than a few..smh)
All of those families ancesors came to these islands and made it their home. They have worked and created empires. (Is that bad too ?)
So Dart is chopping out and clearing a bigger piece of land. ( I cleared a piece of land next to me to plant some callaloo..not my land … but it's growing in nicely.)
He is doing what the established Caymaninan dynastys have done for years. The rich help the poor and the poor help the rich. The government faciliate business. (every government not only the current)
Every Foster's that open up is a job opportunity for someone and the jobs that Dart is creating are significantly better than some of what the others have to offer. (I use to bag at kirk plaza)
Play with th "unrealized profits and money" all you want. The theory behind this deal is sound. It creates a "win win " stituation.
It 's not being utilized to it's potential. This is a win win.
Which one of us have not walked though and enjoyed the Caymana Bay complex ?
"six movie theaters" ….(fight over that last comment if you must.)
"Selling out the country"….how about creating commerce ? employment ? industries ? and you still get to enjoy the beach !
"Get out of the way" !!!
All of those other successful local families had to earn/pay for what they have. DART is already a billionaire, and our government feels it necessary to give him almost a billion dollars worth of land and concessions! Madness! Caymanians were much better off when there were higher numbers of smaller investors, and not one monopolistic one.
The only difference with Dart and the other business people is that he plays the game at a higher level.
If they never made the deal look good he would not take it. …But the deal is not yet done. China a pretty big fish too.
I have recently visited the Island and seen the beauty of this island…My question is, How does it benefit a people when one man owens it all and the people are held to ransom…
You cleared a patch to plant calloo.."not my land" When the land is reclaimed where do you plant. You appear to be the ASS looking at a dangling carrot. My friend you need to take a closer look and the BIG picture. Please take your blinkers off.
What nobody seems to understand that is if Dart is able to use the concessions and waivers in this agreement, Caymans economy would have to be booming, post-Ivan kind of figures year on year, he definitely can not sustain huge developments over the short term economic climate.
The world is in a slump. If the world bounces back, he might be able to do something with all those waivers but not now. He could use all those waivers and still lose out at the end of the day. What ever he gets in waivers and duty concessions is still small potatoes to what his actual incestments would cost.
He can afford to take advantage of the current economic conditions to buy us out now and ride the bad economy for years. Because of his immense wealth he can afford to take advantage of our weak economic condition now and ride out the poor economy for years without causing so much a dimple in his financial condition.
The bottom line being he will own and control our country and it will be too late for us, his surf's to take it back.
Produce the documents used in this review by PriceWaterhouse Coopers why is that so hard to do UDP Tell us truth about this deal McKeeva stop hiding the truth from the citizens of the Cayman Islands.
Dear Mr Dart:
After reading CNS posters for several weeks and listening to our resident genius on inward investment to Cayman and hugely successful local businessman, Ezzard Miller, my advice to you would be to close down ALL your businesses here and cease ALL your plans for investment in these islands. It is obvious we Caymanians just do not want you here. There are countless investors out there waiting to do business with us and on terms that allows us to profit from their ventures while they just get the satisfaction of a job well done, ie keeping us enjoying all the entitlements we have as Caymanians become used to. We would rather our own wealthy born Caymanian developers, Naul, the Fosters, Kirkconnells, Merrens, Tibbetts would keep us going over the next few years and employ those tiny number of Caymanians we understand the Dart group employs.
Thanks for your consideration.
I am not sure where you've been reading for the past few weeks but very much to the contrary I have read very little indeed on CNS from Caymanians asking Dart to pack up and leave. The concerns I have read are 95 percent and very justifiably about why on the face of this earth is Mr Dart not being treated like an investor in our country but he of all people is instead being GIVEN tens of millions of our money that he most certainly does not need for HIS priviledge of investing in this country. You read that right, Cayman. Dart is in Cayman because he WANTS to be in Cayman for DART'S reasons, and it is therefore HIS priviledge to be ALLOWED to invest his money in our country. DART is NOT in Cayman because he loves us poor Caymanians with all his precious little heart and or because he wants to do us a huge favor, Cayman, and it is time we all STOP buying into that bull. You refer to "we Caymanians" and I almost hope you are being sarcastic with that term but in any case i will say it is shameful that some of our own Caymanians insist on portraying the general Caymanian public as being at fault here and in many many other cases. The Caymanian commenters here are NOT expressing their concern because of some "entitlement culture" that some people, hopefully mostly expatriates, have disgracefully accused them of having. They want to see things done THE RIGHT WAY AND ABOVE BOARD in their country. That is all. But that will never happen as long as the concept of disgracing our own people is continued to be used as a means of covering up dirt and greed and stupidity.
Although I appreciate your sentiment, it is inaccurate to say that Dart is being given money. He is not — and certainly he is not being given "our" money. Rather, he is being granted concessions on his own future earnings; that is, money that will not be earned at all if their planned developments do not go forward.
I respect anyone's right to object to the terms of the agreement, but there's no point objecting to things that are untrue.
It is simply not possible no matter how anyone on this earth believes they can twist this to get it to mean that Dart is not being given money. If he is being allowed to keep money that everyone else on this island is required to pay then it amounts to exactly the very same thing as giving hime money.
Sorry, I am not twisting anything. At present, there is no money to give. You are objecting to the concessions he has been given, which MAY mean additional monies to him in future, money which has not yet and may never be earned.
Again, you have every right to object to these concessions. Lots of people do.
I see your point as a mute one but I have to respect your right to your own opinion. From my point of view he 'has been given money' by the mere fact that we are now obligated to honor the terms of this agreement, which for all intents and purposes IS certainly going to materialize. In fact it has already started to.
If under the agreement Dart is permitted to keep 50% of the room taxes which are otherwise payable to government (which covers not only any new hotels he might build but also existing hotels he might purchase) he is most certainly being given money.
17:45, your post just about says it all and in an amusing manner too. I suspect there are a lot of us out here who are tired of the Dart bashing and think it is less than fair but there is no point in us saying anything in the present anti-Dart climate.
Make MLAs responsible for back room deals. Vote yes for OMOV.
Dart, Chinese,Indians, Americans – whosenext?
Def not Caymanians.
But Mr. Dart is a Caymanian, so I do not understand your logic.
Yes he was gifted his Status by the UDP. that does not mean what he is doingin in the best interest of the rest of the Cayman people.
Along with citizenship in several other countries.
How’s it going, eh?
You left off one nationality – CAYMANIANS. This time at least we cannot blame these other nationalities for this mess.
McKeeva, OC Connor, Dart, Mark Vandervelde and Jackie Doke are all Caymanians selling out my and my childrens future source of revenue.
Shame on you fellow Caymanians for putting together and signing such a BS deal.
Dart, Indians, Chinese, Koreans, Samoans.
How in the world did some of our people in this island acquire such mental density. They speak of Dart as if he is some world renowned philanthropist who has come to the rescue of this Island, when it's just the opposite! After reading about this man and some of the things he does to avoid paying taxes, even to the point of giving up his birthright says more than any thing. Have you heard of any philanthropic group bearing his name? I didn't think so. He is well known through the world for one thing for sure that is for being a Vulture Capitalist.
And what might that be you may ask? Well let me try to answer your question! Just in case you may not be aware, a vulture is a giant predatory bird that spends most of its life soaring above the earth looking for anything that appears to be dying, and when it sees a potential victim it focuses upon it, until the point when it eventually becomes so weak that it has little or no defense to protect itself. It is at this point when the VULTURE glides to the ground and lands right next to the poor defenseless creature. And there it waits until the point where any signs of life are barely visible. It's at this point that it begins with claws and beak, to feast upon this helpless animal literally tearing it apart. Now you understand what a Vulture Capitalist does! Thats right! He tends to take advantage when something "be it a country or company" is at it's most vulnerable condition.
Yup! They wait until some poor country "in this case Cayman" has gotten itself in such financial difficulty that they are unable to spend the money necessary to stimulate the economy and move the country forward. Then guess who appears on the scene seemingly to rescue us. YUP! The Vulture Capitalist! And they do just enough to give the impression that they are really nice guys. The sad thing is thatour leaders all fell for it hook line and sinker, and of course if there is a little INCENTIVE given by our new found friend to let HIM do a few things that in actuality would bend the rules a little, they all look the other way. So said, so done, because THIS is for the good of us all! Oh ya! NOT! But because we are in such dire straits financially we need Mr. Vultures help badly. So we go to him and plead "because we all know he has the money "PLEASE SIR CAN YOU HELP US", and of course the answer yes. BUT! AH HA! There comes the BUT. So now we must make a commitment to the Mr. V Man that we will give him whatever he wants because he has been so good to us.
Yes, you unbalanced nincompoops he now has you by the gonads where he wants you, and you're now obligated to give the V Man what ever he asks for because you have no choice. He now has his claws in you and is about to take his first bite. But there's a glimmer of hope! We're not finished yet. We still have a little time before he pierces the jugular and we are completely helpless. Lets call on all the people who still have a brain to fight against this outrageous deal our so called Leaders has gotten us into.
VOTE YES for OMOV on July 18.
For someone that knows nothing about which they speak, you sure wasted a lot of time putting it down in writing.
Not nearly as much as you.
WOW.
This is EXACTLY what is happening. He moves in with his dollars and buys up all he can squashing smaller businesses until he has full control.
Cayman was a prime target of his, Why you may ask. Simple. We are small so we are not difficult for him to acquire in terms ofsize. Next we are struggling financially which is what he needs for his prey to feel the desperation and next we have corrupt politicians who would do anything for a dollar including BUT NOT LIMITED TO selling their own mother.
I have been concerned about this for a very long time now as I saw him gobbling up liquor stores I knew he was going to do this to other business types also.
"And they do just enough to give the impression that they are really nice guys."
Never known a vulture to show this behavour? can you give some examples?
DART!
The DART organization loses all credibility withn the deceit ofn hiding all the facts from the people of the country. They make themselves look so generous up front however secretly steal the country's earnings in taxes and duties for generations to recover many fold everything they have initially given. Shameful and dishonest from the Dart organization and Mr. Mark Vanderveld's interview in the journal shows how onesided his bullshit is for the Caymanian people. Any organization which supports and finances the Premier/UDP for their own personal gain and advantage says it all. Absolute greed corrupts absolutely.
This so called "agreement" very obviously and very repeatedly belabors the supposition that Cayman is in such a hopeless financial situation that there is no way on earth we can pull out of it with out Darts "help", help very obviously meaning we do it HIS way or no way at all. And since there is no chance on earth that we can ever help ourselves again we have absolutely no choice but to swallow whatever Mr. Dart and Mr. Bush see fit to shove down our throats. This is a huge load of absolute bulls**t of the very highest order, Cayman. Not only is Mr. Dart most certainly the vulture capitalist that he is so often termed as being, but he is very plainly going as far here as telling us in no uncertain terms that we are already dead and it is time for him to start picking away at our still warm flesh. Cayman came from thatch roofs and smoke pans and mosquito infested swamps to where Mr. Dart found us in this country today Cayman, and suddenly we are being told there is no way on earth we can survive without his precious love for us? Cayman has very simply been feeling the effects of a recession that has had negative effects on countries in every corner of this globe Cayman, and we most certainly would not be feeling those effects nearly as much if there was some way to STOP McKeeva Bush from squandering our money millions of dollars at a time. It is not going to last forever and we will survive it with or without Mr. Dart's immeasureable love and generosity, and ONLY without the glorious leadership we have in this country today. We have been decieved to absolutely no end by people we placed in the highest position of trust in this country, Cayman, and by people who claim to love us "to death". All in the name of absolute blatant runaway greed and gross stupidity. Nothing short of a full fledged revolution is going to stop the smelly pus that is oozing out of this country's gaping wounds, my people. It is time to get very serious about the future of this country and our people Cayman.
Yes, we HAD to sell the Government Administration Building too. And the Cohen 'deal' was in the country's best interest no matter what anybody else said too. And good, honest intelligent people lost their jobs because we couldn't possibly pass on the CHEC 'deal' too, and now this.What really bothers me is that these 'deals' keep getting steadily more and more horrific and detrimental to this country and our people. God help us.
To you and UH UH UH above, your characterization of DART is completely consistent with the research I have done. If anyone is in question, simple do an internet search for "Kenneth Dart", and with a few clicks, the picture is painted of his works in the U.S., Belize, Argentina, Russia, Greece and others.
I come from hardy (and hearty) Caymanian stock and we are adaptive and rugged folk. Our ancestors made homes and livelihoods from land and sea that would make most contemporary people cringe. Yes, we are on hard times — just as the rest of the globe. PLEASE, let us not allow short-sighted people sell away our land and heritage for short-term gains, especially when those gains don't translate into a country-wide benefit, but a benefit for the few and priviledged.
Share and share alike. I am sharing in our downturned economy, and I will work any legal job to support my family, but I won't cozy up to any people or organizations that seek to exploit my country.
This is the kind of 'investment' that we can ill afford, because Mr. Dart looks many steps ahead of our government, and he has played well. Time to put away the chessboard and do something for ourselves and not rely upon pie-in-the-sky projects that are 'too good to be true'; remember, what we see before us now, is only what we are being allowed to see — just the very tip of the whole.
You are so right 18:38 it looks like someone is awake, you see we must not shy away from the truth, no matter who dont like it, tell the truth over and over again, even if it hurts, the days of not trying to hurt someones feeling is over, this is ours we have to care for our country no one else can do this for us.
"I care not what puppet is placed on
the throne of England to rule the Empire, …
The man that controls Britain's money
supply controls the British Empire.
And I control the money supply."
Baron Nathan Mayer Rothschild
If the above is true for England, can you think what wil be the fate of Cayman with more Dart control over Bussiness and Govenment in the Cayman Islands.
The PPM silence is deafening because they are busygetting moist fantasizing about being elected in 2013 so they can get into bed financially with Dart. There is no difference between the PPM and UDP with regards to Dart. They both love and want his money and will do anything to get it. The PPM will realise their mistake when it is too late as they usually do.
Only Ezzard seems to have what it takes to call the For Cayman Investment Alliance what it is; a very BAD DEAL for Cayman.
We need to stop the scaremongering about Dart being the only deal in town and without him Cayman will wither away financially. Look around you and realise that many of the projects happening today are by other local developers. Cricket Square, Appleby, Watercolours, Oceana, Clifton Hunter and many other smaller projects and pirvate homes. Cayman has done very well BD (Before Dart) and has the potential to continue to do well with Dart or AD (After Dart). What Cayman cannot afford is to give concessions to all major projects and expect to have a balanced budget in the coming years.
Imagine if we are struggling to balance the budget today, where would we be if such concessions were given 30 years ago to the hotels on Seven Mile Beach and to other major developments? We would be broke with a devalued dollar, direct taxation, a brain drain and much higher unemployment and crime! In other words, not even Dart would want to be here. Believe it or not, having developers pay their way so we can keep our infastructure updated is part of the draw for international investors.
To be clear, I have nothing against the Dart group but I do have something against concessions and development that does not pay its way. We do not have to make the false choice of giving huge concessions or watch the economy wilt. A win win situation is possible where developers pay their way AND make a return on investment while the government is able to receive its fair share of revenue and continue to improve the lives of all who live here in the Cayman Islands.
Yet again, the age old Caymanian tradition of wanting not only something, but everything for nothing rears its ugly head.
You're right. It seems that Mr. Dart has gotten himself a particularly bad case of that. I suppose you inherit that when you 'become' a Caymanian?
Actually with this deal we are getting relatively little and giving away far too much. This is a 'For Dart Alliance'.
I think we should now change the name of all the three Islands, cause it is no longer Grand cayman. Dart Brac, Little Dart, Grand Dart……No matter how some look at it this man gave up his citizenship so he didn't have to pay taxes they kicked him out of I believe Belize cause they seen right through him, Cayman is no longer owned by Cayman…..and the government allowed this to happen. Again, what the h…. is going on with all the investigations?????? Wait any longer and there won't be anything left
14:05 you sound corrupt,greedy and foolish,its people like you that has an agenda that we shall continue to fight , its dart that want something for nothing,we are not stupid,you take our niceness for weakness,be very carefull maybe England is watching, in T&C some of those corrupt firms have lost what they stole,and so it must be here also,we demand it,or we will lose respect for our mother country.
The people of this island are calling on you Mr Bush and your party loyalist followers to produce all relevant documents use in this review by Price Waterhouse Coopers and for the results to be made available or published stop playing games with our money. We are asking this for the simple reason that no one else appears to care and that includes our lost opposition members wondering around here burying themselves up with sand our hiding down in their crab holes. Not one single member has come out other than the member for Northside on this matter too contented with their friend Dart and what he has to offer them.
Maybe Dart should just give all his moey to Cayman for nothing in return! Maybe he should give you all his money – yes you! Talk about an entitlement culture!
Get your heads out your asses people – he is a business man. He is investing billions of dollars into the economy and he should get a return, you cannot blame him for trying to get the bedtdeal he can. If anyone blame Mac. And when you say “Dart” it really means all of the “employees” employs on island. And the better he does the better Cayman does. It is in his interests to see Cayman do well and to be honest I would rather have a major company like that doing huge projects than government screwing it up. He may not be Santa but to paint “him” as the Devil is uninformed and poorly misguided.
If you don’t like the politics go and change it! Instead of sitting behind your computer like a crab in a bucket!
"all his moey"? "He is investing billions of dollars"? "get the bedtdeal"? "If anyone blame Mac."? "all of the "employees" employs on island"? "poorly misguided"? man you sound like a crab in a bucket sitting behind his computer, whatever the f THAT means. It is illiterate idiots like you that continue to allow this island and everyone in it to get properly shafted. Do your self and your country and your people a huge, huge favor and shut the f up.
If he's such a good businessman, he should make a profit on his buisness ventures per se and not fleece the the population for 50% of the taxes he should pay into the public purse. The gowerment is giving away far too much; or put another way: Dart is taking too much from the Caymanian people.
Mckeeva will go down in Cayman's history as being the fearless pirate of the 21st century
In a few years to come, pirates week will be the biggest interrnational comedy show!
I find it very disturbing that there appears to have been an attempt to keep this agreement secret when it should be in the public domain. Taxes collected by government are after all money for the people and it should not be given away in exchange for something else just because one man thinks its a good idea. Does not the premier understand that he was elected to serve the people and not rape them of what is rightfully theirs?
If there is no hotel they get nothing …
So you really think he has bought the hotel and is gutting it just to be able to have an empty shell of a building standing there? You really think a vulture capitalist will sink all that money into something and then not develop it? Whatever you are smoking, I want some.
If there is a hotel they lose something.
Evidently not. The premier is a one-man show and if he wasn't doing so much damage to the country would be dismissed as a huge joke. All he's got is a big mouth which he uses to yell at the electorate. And he says the weirdest of things. Things are so bad I'm even praying that Mr "Big Spender" Alden takes over, that's how desperate I'm feeling.
The BIG MacGiva is at it again!!!! In his previous administration we had the BIG STATUS GIVEAWAY. Now we have the BIG DART GIVEAWAY. What is truly astounding is the colleagues of MacGiva who stand by like sheep and let him do all of his ill-conceived moves when they must know better.
Worst of all is that all of this is not his to giveaway
dart was kicked out of belieze! Research the reason!
Does BUSH realize that he came into this world in nothing but his birthday suit, and when he does leave it, as we all will do at some point, he can take nothing with him? So why not try to leave behind a GOOD NAME behind as his legacy? The Bible says a GOOD NAME LASTS FOREVER AND IS MORE TO BE DESIRED THAN FINE GOLD, as riches will be consumed, or rust, rot or stolen by thieves who will eventually break in and take it . Why not leave agood name, that you hear it now and generations later, the words that immediately come to one's mind are honour, love of country and countrymen, man of integrity, high ethics, morals, and ideals, principled man who is a man of his word and does not renege on prior agreements, not a sell-out, etc etc? But I see no attempt on his part to try and leave a legacy of a good name behind. Instead, I see the opposite being attempted. I would not want to share on this public forum, some of the adjectives that do come to mind now, based on his current behaviour and performance as leader of our country. All I will safely say is, SHAMEFUL AND DISGRACEFUL.
Maybe nobody has told him there are no pockets in a shroud ?
PPM, where are you? Your silence is deafening on this topic !!! Ezzard is the only sane voice we hear at this point in time – surely you either have to take a stand for or against this deal, there can be no middle ground as far as we see. LET US KNOW YOUR VIEWPOINTS ON THIS DEAL. You also need to demand the release of the Price Waterhouse Cooper Review to the public. It is being said that it is being kept hidden as it actually is a nail in the coffin of this deal and therefore the parties that be do not want it to see the light of day – we need to see it to make that judgement for ourselves.
Caymanian Compass, where are you and your journalistic skills? Your silence is equally defeaning !!! You are the major newspaper of the island – and no thoughts in your head on this? ARE YOU GUYS AFRAID TO LOSE LUCRATIVE CONTRACTS, OR BEEN THREATENED BY SOME POWERFUL ENTITY, OR WHAT?
It is time all of us admit we have to band together to get rid of this tyrant. If we don't we will end up with the same fate as the Director of the NRA…unemployed, gagged and blacklisted when he stood up against this agreement because it has the potential to be very dangerous and puts the power firmly in DARTS hands. We are dealing with a leader (and his followers)with no concience or morality. They don't think twice about crushing anyone that opposes them regardless of their contribution or position and next time it might be you! Time to act Cayman… start with a YES vote on Wednesday.
Wait a minute, Miller is not the Official Opposition. Where are Alden and the PPM elected officials? THE SILENCE IS DEAFENING. Got to ask the question is Alden connected to Dart or any of his projects in business or by legally representation?
UDP, RELEASE THE PRICE WATERHOUSE COOPER REPORT NOW !!! WE PAID FOR IT, WE HAVE A RIGHT TO SEE IT !!!
Someone posted comments earlier, and it is such an important message, I wanted to copy that post here again: "Whether the time for review has passed or not, when we get rid of Big Mac the new Government must cancel this agreement. Mackeeva cancelled many projects whether it was considered legal or not and this is one case where cancelling in the best interests of Cayman would be justifiable."
Enough said. Let's show this Government who really are in charge, the clueless individuals making unilateral decisions on all our behalf, of we the people that pay for them to run this country properly.
This thing is mind boggling.I sure hope Ezzard or someone has forwarded a copy of this Agreement to the FCO,or at least provide them with a link to this article .Surely they need to know that the power that is supposed to be exercised by our Cabinet and LA has been turned over to Dart ,the same Dart involved with Greece and Vulture funds.Perhaps at the same time we should bring this info to the attention of the British Press.It would be interesting to see how Mr Cameron and his Govt react to this news.
The failure to disclose the " independent " report (which Dart wants modified LOL) should be grounds for the UK to stop any further work or progress on this agreement until it brought out of the dark and in to the sunlight for all the people to see, discuss, and debate. To do less would be negligent on their part. For government to move forward without doing so borders on criminal misuse of political power.
Agreed. But as long as his light remains on he will continue to burn an awful lot of local businesses on the way.
investors everywhere else in the world are offered incentives….
dart is one of the few people out there willing to invest but cayman wants to shoot itself in the foot????
this is place is dying a slow death…..
Most 1st world countries have anti monopoly laws. Here our premier encourages it.
nonsense….you are shooting a gift horse in the head…..
goodonight cayman
What does goodonight mean? You obviously don't have enough respect for your country to even type its name properly. Is it any wonder Dart is taking it over?
I hope no-one was looking in its mouth at the time.
That's what you ought to do with Trojan Horses.
Incentives, dummy, are offered to FOREIGN investors to entice them, & while I know that Dart is a foreigner who received status under the controversial 2003 status grant give-aways after living but a few years in Cayman, none-the-less he is a "paper Caymanian" who lives here & needs no enticing. Dart is investing because he wants to invest & he sure as hell does not need any tax breaks or concessions on anything, he has more money than our government does. Cayman does not want to "shoot itself in the foot," it is two men out there who are doing their best to shoot Cayman in the foot for their own greedy needs, & because of their greed "this place is dying a very fast death," not a slow death as you suggest. GREED will kill any & everyone & that is exactly what is happening. We suffer while 2 persons prosper.
Incentives yes. The car, house and kitten caboodle no.
We could have offered incentives that did not murder our future.
Your loyalties are EXTREMELY misplaced.
You needto sit down and think for a minute about teh future of your kids and their kids. Well that is unless you too are getting a piece of the pie so graciously given out to the few not caring about the rest of us.
…kit and caboodle, not kitten caboodle
You get what I mean…geeesssh. critics.
Cayman was successful and had a robust, thriving economy before, and also had HEALTHY competition which contributed to its success. Its success and the fact that it is tax-free, is what attracted these wealthy entities here – they were not the ones that made Cayman successful, and believe me, THEY ARE DOING US NO FAVOURS, BUT ARE HERE SIMPLY FOR THEMSELVES. But it seems to me they are contributing towards the demise of the formerly HEALTHY COMPETITION WE USED TO HAVE, and they, along with the global recession and a clueless government who is complicit in helping these wealthy developers at our expense, is what is driving the nail into our coffins and slowing down our economy even further. Have you ever considered that just maybe, the very HARMFUL consequences of allowing one wealthy entity to control and dominate so many industries (retail, liquor, development / controlling all their own construction, and now venturing into tourism), is what is killing our local economy, along with global recession, and is helping to run smaller businesses into the ground who can't compete with their resources? And now you want to give that entity even more control? To do what? Continue killing local competition, smaller businesses and entrepreneurs while they go on to dominate even more of the existing market share? And what – take over additional existing hotels later and thereby reduce existing revenues to Government by way of stay-over tourist tax dollars? To what end – so that we in turn, the ordinary folk, who have to pay FULL duties, taxes, fees, etc. and have already had them raised on us, can have those duties and taxes FURTHER RAISED on us so we have to end up paying more to Government, while this extremely wealthy group continue to get waivers, exemptions and even half of our tourist tax dollars? This place is dying a slow death, I do agree with you, but for VERY DIFFERENT REASONS. YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM, WITH YOUR KIND OF THINKING.
Its the same entitlement culture they are accuseing us of, nothing stays hidden that is known.
"…one of the few people willing to invest…." perhaps not many are willing to invest because of the high cost of doing business here combined with the very questionable practices and policies of our politicians bordering on, if not equating to corruption… ever thought of that?
Perhaps if we the people addressed our politicians, and the politicians finally sorted their act out anddid the job they were paid to do, making prudent financial decisions, then perhaps we'd have politicians worth voting for, jobs for our people, less crime, better public facilities and amenities, and people looking to invest like wildfire and Cayman would be a much happier place than it is now.
I know which I'd prefer, and in addressing our politicians, regardless of whether they're UDP or PPM, a good way to start is by voting YES to OMOV. Then, instead of sitting on our backsides, croticising and complaining, lets demand results from our politicians, make them earn their money (after all we pay them to work for us), and definitely they should have to earn those fancy titles they now want to claim as of right.
It’s very unfortunate that some folks get worked up over potentially lost future revenues (especially a deal like this which is pure incremental revenue) when the real issue is the fact that everyday CIG hemorrhages our collected tax dollars through ongoing mismanagement and waste. Sadly it’s not going to get much attention on the news sites since it’s been going on for so long and no one has the political will to address it.
Someone needs to pay for our infrastructure which includes the out of control civil service expenditures. If you want to stop/deter development (especially from well-funded investors who have a proven track record here and complete projects to a high standard) then get comfortable with the idea of direct taxation on residents, a concept that the UK would love to see here and has implemented in Turks. I suspect the vocal minority here may not be so vocal when faced with paying for the government out of their own pocket.
Regardless of whether or not these rich developers complete their developments, we, the ordinary folk, or john public, or general public, whatever you want to call us – will still end up being taxed more in return for all the waivers and concessions and existing tax revenues that are being given away willy nilly to the rich. Robbing from Peter to pay Paul, that is the syndrome we are talking about here. That is the bottomline.
Hahahaha! "potentially lost future revenues" ??? That's rich!
Pull your head out! Dart has a 25 year plan of development in store for that entire length of pristine Seven Miles Beach property that he got as a trade!!! Practically free. Millions and millions of dollars of real estate value once there isn't a road going thru it.
Still can't believe that people think this was okay…
In the words of Bush Marley:
I'm giving and I'm giving and I'm giving away,
I'm giving and I'm giving and I'm giving away,
I'm giving and I'm giving and I'm giving away,
But I must get something for myself !!
Hit it John, John !
Is it legal for the NRA to sign an agreement that also deals with various tax incentives? Isn't the NRA madate limited to road issues?
This is one of my thoughts also. How can NRA negotiate things which do not fall under their control.
Does this deal not also have to meet the value for money mandate as set down by the agreement UDP signed with the UK? As I understand it PWC report was quite negative and if this is the case can it be agreed to without the UK's blessings??
PricewaterhouseCoopers is the preeminent accounting firm in the Cayman Islands. Just wondering if this study went out to tender. As I said just wondering. Of course it would be nice to know the fee but until someone does an FOI I guest we will never know.
If they are charging by the hour it should be a princely sum after all these months.
If the Government causes the delays then you get what you pay for. If they cannot be timely with the AG what do you expect when the Government deals with external consultants.
Do not forget that the Tourism Study completed by Coopers and Lybrand that was commissioned by Norman Bodden many years ago was ignored by the following Government for over two years. You should read it now. It is still relevant because successive governments ignored their recommendations which is one reason why the state of the island is where it is.
Of course I forgot to mention, Mr Bodden’s Government gave the utmost cooperation hence a timely report. I know, I helped put it together.
Modest of you Mr Johnson. Thanks for all your efforts on our behalf.
The government also signed which would cover the tax incentives.
I noticed how people are making statements relating to what will happen to us if Dart leaves with his money. let me state that we the Cayman Islands were successful long before dart came to our shores. Dart is not the only person in the world that has money. Please dont get me wrong I am not against investors coming to Cayman but there must be some compromise that the Caymanian people can also share in the success not just the developer.
True.But until these so called "investors" start lining up, spending capital here, create jobs and development…all we have is DART.
If Cayman enables Dart to have a monopoly on the islands, then Cayman will never attract other investors to them individual sectors he monopolizes.
This deal seems to focus directly on the tourism sector, a major part of the Cayman economy.
You must ensure competition exists, and with the massive benefits received from this development then Dart can also manipulate the competition.
I am not saying all of this agreement is bad but it does seem to be fairly one sided in the long term.
To quote an earlier post "If Cayman enables Dart to have a monopoly on the islands, then Cayman will never attract other investors to them individual sectors he monopolizes.
This deal seems to focus directly on the tourism sector, a major part of the Cayman economy. You must ensure competition exists, and with the massive benefits received from this development then Dart can also manipulate the competition."
Poster, I think that has been the plan all along. That's what vulture capitalists do, they prey on the weak so they can turn things to their advantage. By ensuring they have a stranglehold, it is hard to for anyone else to come in and compete, so they end up owning most of everything. Our future is written on the wall – we will all end up working for this monopology, if we don't get some anti-monopology and anti-trust laws enacted fast.
Cayman is only a reflection of the rest of the world, where the 1% rule and politicians are simply tools.
CNS had a previous commentary about the vulture funds and Greece – when in Athens do as the Athenians …
Why is it that everyone focuses on the negative and misrepresents the information to suit their own created argument? Do you really believe that billions of dollars being invested into the Cayman economy is a bad thing? Where else will that funding come from? Why should Dart spend and spend without any return? Any shop owner will tell you, selling something at a discount is still selling something and creating revenue.
Your last sentence doesnt seem to be too true with so many shops that have closed and another one closing every day.
That's the shop owner. But we are talking about running a country. A shop owner is not an elected official who is answerable to an electorate. Comprende?
UDP cannot produce those documents in question because somebodeee going to get into serious problems Guess who dat is? aaaaah what a mess!
Produce the public's documents now! UDP show us the documents now! UDP stop hiding the documents from the public UDP tell the people the truth UDP stop hiding things for DART UDP Produce our documents now UDP and face the consquences of your actions UDP!
Cayman needs to see and demand all documentation given to Pricewaterhouse Coopers for this so called independent review. It has now become abundantly clear this Government cannot be and should not be trusted. UDP please provide to the people of these islands such documents if you have nothing to hide.
Whether the time for review has passed or not, when we get rid of Big Mac the new Government must cancel this agreement. Mackeeva cancelled many projects whether it was considered legal or not and this is one case where cancelling in the best interests of Cayman would be justifiable
Where is the NRA document (16 pages)?
Follks an island very much like ours “Bermuda” is up the creek without a paddle. Expats are leaving in droves, more than 50% of their hotel properties are closed and in receivership and there isn’t a fix or solution in sight. Bermudians are disillusioned. We are heading in the same direction fast and although this deal may not seem to be totally in our favour we have an opportunity to work with a very wealthy investor who has already invested well over a billion dollars here and is keen to be Involved over the long term. Let’s roll the dice and get things back on track. Miller is a misguided politician vying for votes and if he is ever in charge this island is in big BIG trouble.
Google Bermuda and see for youself. Mr. Dart do yourself a favour and take your money, ideas and generosity and take it to a destination with some sense. This one obviously has none.
These people do not understand how easily the tide run outs and trust me, Dart is easily one of the major investors in Cayman.
When he leaves and everyone trickles out of Cayman, we will become a nation of diaspora just like every other Caribbean country and look back at the good old days.
Oh yeah!!!! sound great less burden & stress less crime less traffic please leave in an orderly fashion single file. From what i see here going on now the good old days sounds like paradise without people who think like you. When a person has to mark his identity with someone esle's name how truly sad for Cayman. Let me quote you something from the late great right Honourable Robert Nester Marley "So it was in the beginning so shall it be in the end". We will all leave here including Dart with what we brought into this world absolutely nothing!
Real Beenie, I gots to tell ya, you got a really teeny weeny beenie brain.
There is one thing to work with investors to allow them to make gains on their investment and another thing to allow him to out and out rape us of our resources.
We may have a Pirates Week but until no one really plundered us until now.
There needs to be some sort of balance.
The way you state this is like it's only slightly in his favor. This is a RAILROAD job. I have no issue with us giving him duty concessions based on his bringing in material to renovate new properties he acquires because I can see this as a potentially good thing especially if it is the old Hyatt property.
To me the 50% on Hotel Tax NO. That was STUPID. What if he simply wentout and gobbled up hotel after hotel then we would have little to no tax being collected by CIG for 10 years.
We have to stop this IMMEDIATE Gratification crap. Grab now and worry about later is a pathetic way of running anything let alone the government of the Cayman Islands.
I can also see giving some development concessions.
Roads wise NO. If it's a HIGHWAY no round abouts no stoppages. This will only slow the traffic and create bottlenecks.
This deal needs to be revisted and it needs to be revoked based on the value for money. I am of the opinion that PriceWaterhouseCoopers did not find value for money either and its why the documents are being witheld from the public. It is also why Dart was asking that the review be amended.
[nodding]
I votin 4 Dred in the next election!
Thanks for your VOTE of confidence but I don't have naer the money nor the cut throat manner or corrupt demeanor to run for politics.
That's Mac's style – grab and go – he grabbing at the wealthy developers now and offering great concessions because he know he soon going out, so he grabbing while he can. Agree with the Pirates Week anology – this "agreement" is akin to pillaging and plunder and rape – of us, that is.
Where would that be you ungrateful prick Greece! Your words speak of the type and measure of many like you who abandon this place after Hurricane Ivan. The fact is there is no where else that would put up with the foolishness and bullshit Caymanians put up with and allow you to get way without some sort serious confrontation. You ought to be thankful for the civilized and peaceful manner in which this place tries to mitigate it greviences and some of outrageous conduct some of you come and carry on with here. Big trouble you must be asleep or blind or obviously a benefactor of the corruption now miring this place down. You dont like here no one is hold a gun to your head seee ya and dont want to beee ya!
Please Mr. Dart (whoever you are), listen to Cayma shame & leave & take all your money with you. You will not only being doing yourself a fovour, you will be doing us all a favour. It is not good for one person to own so much & control almost everything, only a blind person wouldn't see that. Yes Mr. Dart, do us all a fovour & leave ASAP, but I know you won't because you have tried this same crap in other countries & been kicked out, but I still beg you please leave Cayman, thanks
Could you please go with him too, when the exit is being made. We will be the better for it. Thank you.
Having read the Agreement I asked the Government to quantify in detail the financial and other benefits the Caymanian people will Directly gain now, and in the future, from this Agreement. It seems that the sole purpose of this Agreement is to facilitate, at our expense, access to all of Dart properties in this area. This deal is 99.9% in favor of Dart and the rest is for us. Perhaps, the only Caymanians to really benefit from this deal are the ones who have spearheaded it XXXX. We know this Government does not do anything for “free” or for the benefit of the masses.
Perhaps we should simply turn over the government to Dart.
"Pave paradise,put up a parking lot." Joni Mitchell
To Paper Caymanian ,Fri,07/13/2012-07:30 My sentiments exactly. In fact it looks like we have already turned over a large part of Govt to Dart. e.g Govt has agreed to give Dart projects top priority.It also states that the Water Authority MUST give priority to Darts requests.Govt must tell CUC exactly where Dart wants poles to be put down ,and so on ,and so on….In other words Dart is already calling the shots.
The questions is: Given a choice, how many of the tax paying population truely wants to subsidize Dart's hotels for 50-years while they're paying high food prices, high fuel bills, and the highest level of duties and taxes ever imposed? The Premier obviously does not understand what other countires have experienced: An unfair tax system leads to resentment and social unrest.
No problem then Dart forgets about the hotel he wants to build and you are stuck with the ongoing dump problems.
You guys seem to forget that if you want to have something you have to pay for it. Did you or anyone think that Dart heard we were a nice country with problems and he out of the goodness of his heart came to help us?
Now Dart has the upper hand in these negotiations. We as a nation is much more in trouble than Dart needs to spend the money. A major project like the resort will need lots of workers to build it and to maintain it. Plus 50% of what he plan to do is still a lot of money.
One thing that we do need to make sure of is that the resort uses people that are here not bring in more. This is an ongoing problem in Cayman. The expats are trying to help their other expat friends and if they are already on the island no problem but if not then this new resort will not help to fix existing problems in unemployment.
We're paying too high a price, my friend. The Premier is giving away too much. It shouldn't cost the country this much to entice investors.
Or, we can simply go back to the original winner of the bid, let them remediate the dump and put in the recycling plant and other things, and we keep our 50% share of the tourist tax dollars to help pay for it, rather than make a rich man even richer at our expense, how about that for a solution?
Take a good look at some of the businesses Dart has bought in to and see how many long serving staff members (including Caymanians) were removed or pushed out of their positions by expat Dart management to make room for their expat friends.
Comments like this are unhelpful at best. If you don't have specifics, why bother posting? As it is, your post is just speculation.
It is true, as already posted, that the silence of the PPM members on these recent revelations is deafening. We can’t expect anything from Kurt or several other of his buddies, but where is Alden. It was my understanding that he dabbles in matters “legal” – so could we possibly have his thoughts on the aspects of Contract Law which might relate to these various Dart “Agreements” and an assessment of the extent to which they are currently enforceable and, more importantly, would be binding on a future, hopefully non-UDP, Government.
They know the truth thats why. They are not going to make a bunch of noise over something they know is truly good for Cayman. Either that or Ezzard is trying for Premier. Probably both.
SOMEBODY most certainly needs to try for premier. Especially considering that those three police investigations could come to a head any time.
Nobody who cares at all about Cayman and also has problems with high blood pressure should read this. It will kill you.
I have now read the entire deal. I looks like what you would expect when the negotiation on one side is done by a world class commercial empire and the negotiation on the other side is led by a grade school drop out whose common sense goes no further than his own wallet.
Hi that is unfair. bush was involved in First Cayman Bank, remember? Then it went into liquidation, remember? That is where his expertise comes from, apart from what he learnt on the Cohen deal and all the many failures of his Government including their desire to get sued all the time. Average IQ? About 10.
LMAO. Yup. U hit da nail on da head there, for real!
Ezzard is the only one we have in the entire Legislative Assembly who has Cayman and its people at heart. Plain and simple. Thank you Ezzard for representing ALL of Cayman, not just those in your district. Thank YOU!
I dont' think that Government giving so much authority to a private entity is even legal.
Can somebody please show us the "Independent Review". This deal is so unbelievably badforCayman that it should be entertaining and that is likely to be the only value for money any of us sees.
People need to read what was given away in sections 89 – 92. Those concessions are PERMANENT and cover just about everything monetary. Sickening.
Ezzar Miller is a man to be respected. Over the last couple of year my opinion of this man has grown by leaps and bounds and Cayman needs to be incredibly thankful that they have a politician in their midst who is honest, forthright and who calls a spade a spade.
I am frankly tired of hearing that Mr. Miller cannot lead the Cayman Islands because he is anti-business and anti-expat. The opposite is the truth! He is not anti-business, he is not anti-expat, he is simply pro-Cayman and he is not going to stand by and see his people and his country raped and pillaged by greedy politicians and foreign vulture capitalists like Dart and China Harbour!
For the record, I am an expat who operated a construction company after hurricane Ivan and I have never had work permits approved so fast as when Ezzard and Franz Manderson were in charge. Ezzard realized we were in a genuine emergency situation and he acted accordingly! He had no desire to keep foreign workers out then..or now, as long as there is no Caymanian available to do the job.
Cayman has a big decision to make next Wednesday. They can either go out and vote YES to OMOV which will not only guarantee equality at the polling station in the future, but send a clear message to the UDP and the ruling government that they will no longer put up with the selling out of their country; or they can stay at home and prepare their resumes to work with either Dart or China Harbour for the rest of their and their children's lives!
Ezzard cannot keep this up forever and he will get tired if he has no support – come on Cayman…wake up for Gods sake. Better an honest man that a …..!
I hate McKeeva and I hate any damn fool that supports him. The only divide in Cayman is good people vs. THE UDP.He’s not my leader and come next week and May 2013 I’m going to do something about these scumbags. Vote YES July 18. And come 2013 vote the UDP straight out of local politics for good! Banish them from politics and don’t call them “honorable”. Instead refer to them all as “the deplorable” before saying their names. The UDP is like cancer and they have festered and rotted for three years too many.
Ezzard Miller is a hero in my book. Because only he seems to have Cayman's best long-term interests at heart. And I am a foreigner simply observing things from afar and coming to this realization – go figure. But I do genuinely believe he cares for CAYMAN's (operative word being Cayman) best interests for the long-term, and that includes his fellow Caymanians – I mean the ordinary men and women to whom this place belongs, not those in Government who seem to have elevated themselves above the electorate who put them into their respective seats and to whom they have stopped listening, and instead are busy selling out the country's assets for little in return and kissing the rich butts of the rich developers. Mr. Miller certainly does not seem to cater to the wealthy developers looking to make a quick buck at the expense of the country's coffers. Cayman needs a premier with those kinds of ethics and who is worthy of that esteemed seat. Has anybody wondered why all these wealthy developers go to Cayman in the first place? It is because they know there is money to be made there, and it is currently income-tax free. These developers are not going anywhere because they know they have it good here and an added bonus is a government willing to eat out of its hand. If they didn't think it was good for them to be here, they would never have come at all to invest their money and get a nice return. So why is Government bending over backwards and eagerly giving away the very few sources of revenue they have, to these very wealthy developers who are already extremely wealthy and whose net worth is probably many times over our local GDP? ASTONISHING !
I looked at the plans in questions and I believe these roundabouts and exits are necessary if the surrounding lands (whoever the owners end up being) are to be accessible. I take the bypass everyday into George Town and everyone knows how many deadly accidents there’s been on that road, not to mention the awkwardness of trying to exit at the museum or coming in and out of the Lakesside condos. Exits and roundabout don’t require any stop lights thus will be fast enough to bring people in/out of west Bay in a safe manner….
Now, I’ll go read the deal itself…
It makes me sick to my stomach as a Caymanian to see how irresponsible political mischief has become. Mr. Ezzard please put your considerable energy and talents to good use and help move this country forward – you don’t have to like Dart in the Cayman Islands but don’t use him for political purposes.
Dart in the Cayman Islands has been good for the country……
To the best of my memory we have for many years offered concession to developers this is well documented. Dart in the Cayman Islands has done what many other have only promised to do….they have invested in the country (did the whole of Camana without any concessions) and now that a new deal offers them they ability to recover some of their investment it is being exploited for political gain. They have invested in the community…they have invested in the people (many Caymanians are employed by them in well paying jobs with great futures.
Go read the agreement, bonehead. Yes he did the whole of Caymana without any concessions. Then came McKeeva.
Has anyone thought that Dart could very soon become our largest Not tax/duty/fee paying company in the Cayman Islands controlling not just Politicians, but development, tourism, retail, and basically our future. All thanks to the greed of the current administration.
Those who are appalled by this deal should go to the polls on the 18th of July and vote YES to OMOV.
I said it before and I will say it again. Not only is this depriving the government of taxes but it is a fraud perpetuated on our tourists. No accommadtions should be allowed to collect and keep Tourism tax. That is also unfair to the othe raccommodations. I can understand duty concessions on materials but not Tourism Tax. There has to be a law against this.
Anon 21: 22
I would suggest you investigate the already establishments that ows tourism tax. Why you all so eager to mess with Dart?
Dear 23:09;
I don't need to investigate this, I already know the answer but you feel free to send an FOI to the Department of Tourism if you want to hear the truth.
I have no problem with DART but I find it totally unacceptable for them to be defrauding our tourists, the people of the Cayman Islands and putting the local businesses out of business. Our businesses, accommodations, etc can not compete with a big company like them getting all of these concessions.
We have motre than enough accommodations. We don't need anymore. Feel free to FOI that as well.
Anon 20;28
Did you ask for concession? the Bible says ask and it shall be given unto you!
It has become painfully obvious that the only persons benefitting & prospering under the UDP government are a few chosen UDP members, a few of their choice (cohort) supporters, the premier especially, & of course Dart. Everybody else is suffering & hurting. This government is the worse in our history, as well as being the most selfish & self-serving we have ever had. They are a DISGRACE!
Plane and simple. Let’s do what Egypt did! March and demand the removal of the current joke of a government. If they won’t go quietly then we’ll remove them! England is the answer to our problems. We As Caymanians must demand this idiot in charge to go. Let’s make a movement….. Just talking about this won’t solve anything. Let’s set camp up in downtown George town for the whole island to see, call CNN and a few other major networks and let them tell our story….. The udp joke is going to DESTROY this island!
You sound just like the fool you are, go ahead and destroy this country, for your own personal, power hungry friends.
When people hold demonstrations in the US or anywhere in the world you call it democracy or freedom of speech, when we want to do it here we are fools and want to destroy the country.
Who really are you people? are you really makeing that much money that you dont care about your fellow human? we shall stand up,we shall fight ,we will have free speech even when you dont want us to, we want a country just like you want your country, stay out of our politics, we are not mixed up in yours,do you really care about the Caymanian people?, yet you want us to welcome you,strange very strange and arragant.
21;04
well you all tried everything else, now you take to destroying this country. you wasting your time we putting the best back in next year.
Actually your "best" will soon be put out to pasture. Sensible, levelheaded people will be put in next time instead.
You have my support.
Hotheaded antics like you are proposing will destroy our island far faster!
Vote on Wednesday, power to the people, don’t go getting silly!
Sorry to tell you, but too many Caymanians have already had a drink of the mind controlling drug poisioned UDP Dartaid!
Caymanians have lost the will to fight for what is right for our children and grandchildren, today's Caymanians only think about their selfish wants for today, our children and grandchildren will see their needs dashed to the ground asthey are trampled by the economic dictators, led by UDP and Dart.
Caymanians do not have the will to do as Egypt did, the mind controlled drugged Caymanians will not march in the thousands.
The marchers will come from a future generation of oppressed Caymanians.
England is not the answer to our problems…..we, Caymanians, are the answer to our problems. Only Caymanians voted this government in, no one else.
'We As Caymanians must demand this idiot in charge to go.' Well what you gonna do about it then?
Call CNN? Why? There are bigger problems in the world than Cayman's own 'self-inflicted' ones. President Obama would be very happy to see Cayman's woes on his American networks!
Joker you would only be one of the few lunatics in the boiling sun,no thank you to your invite.
I am not the original poster, but I would rather boil in the sun for what I believe is right, and for the future of Cayman and its people than sit at home and do nothing. When it all hits the fan (and it will), at least I could say I tried to do something about it. Prevention is better than cure and if enough people bothered to turn out in the hot sun, then a valid point would be made, and instead of mocking us, the government would have to listen, if only people would have the guts to go there, hot sun or not.
The joke will soon be on you bwoy, when you working for Dart or CHEC, can't get a raise or either leave and go work for one of the many other companies (who will be long gone, having been run out of business by the two big entities), THEN YOU WILL SUCK SALT AND WE WILL LAUGH AT YOU.
great idea to set up camp outside the government house then you can bring your campstoves, blaring music, copious amount of alcohol and jet skiis and it'll be just like Easter. At the end you can leave all your garbage and meander back to home to sleep it off. I wouldn't suggest marching as that may take too much effort and lordy who would organize the event and it would go in multiple directions and have to pass at least a dozen jerk stands. Maybe get the opposition to do the mock session again that worked out well except that maybe this time it should be held at the CW bar where it normally happens every Friday night.
You really insult all Caymanians when you make such offensive comments – wait, you might just geta nice surprise when the people decide enough is enough – the swiftness might knock you off your feet.
Thank you Ezzard! Thank you!
Thank you to the brave soul who provided the copy of the Dart / UDP document to Mr. Ezzard.
You are an unsung hero, I wish you blessings for your bravery.
Mr. Miller, you and I understand basic commonsense and practical economics. The ruling government, on the other hand, understand DIDDLY SQUAT. They also know how to keep their rich buddies happy while screwing their llittle countrymen trying to eke out a living with their smaller businesses – this they are particularly good at, if nothing else.
Jokingly, I have always said that we should cut a canal just north of the Westin Hotel and put a toll bridge over it to separate West Bay from the rest of the Cayman Islands. Now it is becoming a serious thing, as Dart will be doing it for us. Ezzard, whenever it happens, remember it is the West Bay Premier who is engineering it, so obviously, years ago when the airplanes came in from Miami, someone would ask who came on it and the standard remark was, "some Caymanians and x amount of West Bayers". Maybe they knew something from way back then.
You forgot razorwire and 20 foot fence around West Bay. We could also impose the McKeeva fee of 1 million dollars per visit.
We should also make West Bayers apply for a visitor's visa to cross over the border into Cayman. Problem is, the police records might get quite a few of them turned down.
Um, CNS: Please may we have a poll to see how many think this is a good deal? Oh and another poll to find out how many are sick of all this bullshit?
After all, government revenue is public money, OUR money, and this agreement reveals alot more than we were told to expect, and none of it good.
Ezzard is right to come forward with this, its quite an eye-opener.
CNS: OK to the first suggestion. The second idea will be decided next May. I've put the link at the bottom of the article.
Um, I encourage anyone with a brain to read this agreement – all of it. Those without brains might get an idea from the plans.
Talk bout bad business.
SMH…
Let me tell you all this and listen to it clearly. Big Mac knows this is the end for him, he knows that he will not be in politics after the next election; he will retire when his government does not get reelected. You have all watched him XXXXX, you have all seen him sell out his own country. Cayman has made him a very rich man, yet there are people here who still think he has Cayman’s best interests at heart, to this I say you are all fools. Wake the hell up and look at what he is doing to YOUR country!! He is selling it out from under your feet. Walk around the so called Dart project and count for yourselves how many Caymanians are employed, its bull*hit the rich get richer, that’s all. Go on do it have a look, he is SELLING all of use out. Job for Caymanians!!!! NO, take a look, very few people have been employed, stop the madness people and opened your eyes!
There are cheap workers living in trailer camps from the first development till now – but where are the Caymanian workers? I don't see none.
But kiss mi neck back, OC Connor knew about this all along and not say anything – he just as guilty! He see what was being given away by this Government to Dart (all the concessions and taxes he will collect) and went along with it with his silence! Got to go too!
Isn't Orrett Connor well past the mandatory retirement age? Why is he still in government?
Damn, it is definitely now time for this man to go so as to save Cayman. Go where I don't care, just go, but to northward preferably. This makes awful reading, it is saying "goodbye Cayman"!!!!
Ezzard: “The one thing that the UDP government has proven since it came to office is that selling out the Cayman Islands and giving away massive concessions is not the answer to turning the economy around…” It is obvious. Dart is playing the game of monopoly. Every good, product, and wage will be set at his price. And where will people run for a decent job when he has taken over the entire market, because they allowed him to sell us out? I appeal to all to vote YES in the 18th July Referendum for "one person one vote." It may not remedy our entire situation, but it will be a step in the right direction towards more democracy. More representation and holding politicians accountable is what Cayman is in dire need of.
Ezzard for Premier! And why? Because he is the only MLA that is true Opposition. The PPM and all others have not expose the dirt and filth like this man, Ezzard Miller.
YOu are compromised/. You have drank the coolade. Ezzard has poison the populaiton with his divisive and vitriolic statements. Charity begins at home. He should not throw stones when he lives in a glass house.
Nobody drinks more coolaide that the followers of UDP. When I hear the name McKeeva Bush now I automatically think Brother Jonesy and the Guyana Tragedy. The deals he strikes are deathnells to the Caymanian people.
I believe if he told you something Blue was Red you would believe him.
Ray Charles can see what has been sold, and who has been paid. We need Ezzard, he is a smart, efficent and strong man. We need him to stand up against this bunch of Vultures. Time to take Cayman back, from those who have bought control of this country, it's government, and it's people.
I would also like to agree that Ezzard would make a great Premier., To all the idiots who always follow the UDP and talk bad about Ezzard I wish you will get off the UDP Horse and look around you. Ezzard is not telling you lies, he always hit the nail right on the head. He is honest, educated, and experienced, and calls a spade a spade. EZZARD FOR PREMIER!! ON WEDNESDAY JULY 18 PLEASE GO TO THE POLES AND SEND A RESOUNDING MESSAGE TO THE UDP BY VOTING FOR OMOV- AND FINISH IT UP NEXT YEAR. JUST HOLD ON A FEW MORE MONTHS – A CHANGE IS COMING!!