Archive for July, 2012
Bodden offers bitter-sweet taste of nostalgia
(CNS): The president of UCCI has made another significant contribution to local culture with the recent publication of his new book, 'A gathering of old men'. In his latest work Roy Bodden returns to his love of storytelling and takes readers on a bitter-sweet nostalgic journey to a forgotten time when things were much simpler but sometimes extremely hard. From the adventures and dangers of turtling to the fears of the future, Bodden tells a story of Cayman’s past as he heard it as a boy listening to the old men in Bodden Town talk under the tree outside his bedroom window. The book is endearing but tinged with sadness as it reflects tough times and lost times.
Although the book is a departure from his recent political trilogy, it still tackles one political issue that remains as poignant today as it did to the old men then: the balance between native Caymanians and the growing numbers of overseas migrants, who have changed the shape of Caymanian society is a recurrent theme. The book illustrates the incredible complexities of Caymanian society and culture but at the same time entertains the readers with sad and funny tales in equal measure.
Bodden is an excellent storyteller and he has invoked a picture of bygone days that depicts the rich tapestry of the Caymanian way of life, long forgotten in many quarters. The author’s storytelling ability allows him to take the readers through some complex issues that Cayman is still grappling with and connect them with what many would say were the legitimate fears of the changing community.
On the surface the book recalls conversations of old men but in reality it is a conversation that Cayman continues to have today about where it is has come from and where it is going.
The book is published by Ian Randle and is available at all local book stores and supermarkets.
Dart to take 50% of taxes
(CNS): Dart Realty (Cayman) Ltd will be taking a 50% share of all tourism taxes levied from guests staying in any of its properties for the ten years following the development, renovation or acquisition of any hotel under an agreement it signed in December with government. According to documents, leaked to the North Side MLA, Dart and its affiliates have also been given a 100% duty concession on all materials used in the development of anything for the next 30 years. The deal, which heralded the development of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway, includes some exceptional and unheard of concessions, Ezzard Miller said, as he showed CNS details of what appears to be snippets of a much larger document.
Among the many concessions that Dart can expect under this part of the ForCayman Investment Alliance, which deals with the West Bay Road projects, it will be allowed to keep half of the taxes it collects from guests staying in the hotel it intends to develop on the site of the former Courtyard Marriott or at any other hotel or tourism accommodation that it builds, renovates or even purchases over the next thirty years for ten years after the opening of that property.
Miller pointed out that the move to give a developer taxes that would normally go to general revenue is unprecedented in the Cayman Islands and has never been mentioned in any of the previous public revelations about the ForCayman Investment Alliance. “There is no precedent for anyone in the private sector collecting for, and then taking, a share from government taxes. I have never heard of the private sector being allowed to collect and take taxes,” he said.
He said this will mean many millions of dollars will be lost from government revenue and just the few pages of the deal that have been leaked to him suggest that the ForCayman Alliance is far worse than he had feared. “It is preposterous,” the independent member said of the deal, which has already been signed.
Miller said he has shared the content of the leaked papers with his legislative colleague Arden McLean, the opposition member for East End, both of whom say the entire document needs to be in the public domain so the people of Cayman can judge for themselves if this deal really is for Cayman, as has been claimed.
“We are appealing to whoever sent the pages of the deal that we now have, which includes the signature pages, to send us the full agreement if they have it,” Miller said. “It is very important everyone gets to see this as it seems there is even less benefit to the Caymanian people as a whole in this agreement than we first feared. If this is part of the NRA deal, which we are confidentit is, then we have some very, very serious concerns about this.”
McLean said he was stunned by how much Dart has been granted in the deal.
“If Dart is, as we are constantly being told, really for Cayman, how can they demand so much?” he asked, referring to the three decades that the company will not pay any duty as well as the half share of tax the company will be taking from visitors.
He noted that such a potential reduction in revenue was very worrying given the government’s current economic situation, and the MLA raised concerns that if Dart is to purchase an existing hotel, a common speculation given that both the Ritz Carlton and the Westin could be for sale, government would lose an existing revenue stream as well.
“Local people will then have to make up that shortfall through other taxes,” McLean added.
The MLAs also questioned how the deal could have passed muster with the FCO, given that the Financial Framework Agreement signed by McKeeva Bush and Henry Bellingham last year says the UK needs to approve any deals government enters into which would impact public revenue streams.
“It is highly unusual for government to hand taxes directly over to an owner,” McLean added. He said Dart was already getting a massive 100% duty concession on all imports related to future development, as well as the generous stamp duty concessions, which he believed was sufficient to encourage any developer to make an investment. But giving him the taxes was a concession too far that he did not think the people of Cayman could accept.
Both men said that, given the extent of the concessions as spelled out in the schedule, it was very difficult to see any benefit to the community as a whole as government will now collect almost nothing from any development associated with Dart Realty or any of its companies for the next three decades.
“I have always questioned whether this was really designed to help the country and Caymanians on the whole,” Miller said. “Of course, a few people may get some of the jobs but it seems Dart is getting too much and Caymanians are getting too little. These revelations do not calm what are evidently legitimate fears and we shudder to think what is in the rest of the agreement,” he added, as he appealed to whoever it was that sent him the document, who was obviously concerned as well, to send him the entire document.
The North Side representative accused members of the Dart team of being disingenuous about the ForCayman Alliance, as he said many important things are being kept from the people as deals are struck behind closed doors. He said Dart representatives continued to criticise him and make personal attacks, despite the fact that he had reserved his own criticisms for the deal rather than the people involved.
“Given what we have now seen, my criticisms of this deal are well-founded. This will not benefit Caymanians as a whole but it will certainly benefit Dart,” he added.
Robbery suspects rounded up
(CNS): Updated 3:50pm –Police now have a total of six people behind bars in connection with last month’s Cayman National Bank robbery and the Weststar TV heist which took place in May. A police spokesperson said two more men were charged with the bank hold-up this morning and more arrests were made over the weekend and on Monday, including a 40-year-old woman. Two men, aged 23 and 27, appeared in court today charged with robbery and possession of an imitation firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence. The same two men have also been arrested over the robbery at Weststar TV on 24 May on suspicion of robbery, along with a third man, aged 33, who was also arrested regarding both robberies.
At the weekend police arrested two more men in connection with the bank robbery at CNB in Buckingham Square, where the gang of armed men made off with almost a half million dollars in cash on 28 June. During their escape their getaway vehicle collided with a bank van, forcing the robbers to flee on foot. As they fled they dropped some $100,000 before being picked up by another car and making their escape.
Police made the first arrest in West Bay the day after the heist and now have a total of five men in custody in connection with the robbery and one woman. Police said Monday afternoon that a 40-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit robbery. She remains in police custody while enquiries continue.
The first man charged with the crime was 29-year-old Marlon Dillon, who appeared in court last week and was remanded in custody to HMP Northward. Two others appeared Monday while two more men remain in police custody. One other woman however was arrested in connection with the crime but released on police bail.
$5.8M wasted on WB school
(CNS): As a result of poor management procedures the government spent six million dollars on what is now an empty lot (left) when it was forced to stop the Beulah Smith High School project in West Bay, the auditor general said in his latest report. Alastair Swarbrick said the ministry gave the order for the contractor to begin work before a contract was signed but had to stop the work two months later. “The Ministry did not protect the interests of the government by ensuring that there was a signed contract in place that would deal with unusual circumstances, such as the order to stop work," he said in his report on his latest assessment of the way government manages major capital projects.
Among the many other problems relating to the school projects Swarbrick also revealed that the school project designs were never formally approved by Cabinet. In yet another damning report over the way the government manages and spends public money, the country’s auditor said the public purse had to shell out $1,397,000, as part of a negotiated settlement to the contractor for the work that was completed before the stop work order was issued.
Using the Government Office Accommodation Project (GOAP) and the three high school projects as case studies to illustrate the myriad problems in government’s management of major projects, Swarbrick pointed out the consequences of the failure of government to have proper processes in place.
“The importance of a Government-wide strategic framework for ensuring that the capital projects align with the government’s strategic objectives and policy priorities and for determining whether they are affordable is demonstrated by the expenditure incurred on the Beulah Smith High School project,” Swarbrick states in the report. “In this instance, the ministry incurred costs $5.9 million before Cabinet decided that the project would not be completed. In the end, value-for-money was not achieved as significant monies were expended for what is now a vacant lot.”
Among the many issues surrounding the high school projects Swarbrick points to the failure to make a proper business case for the schools at the outset, which resulted in multiple changes to the projects and the increasing costs. He said the cost estimate provided in 2005 did not reflect the complete strategy ultimately pursued by the minister of education that changed the design to include a new education delivery philosophy, community and sporting facilities, and hurricane shelters.
“This significant change for the business needs for the school projects would have had a significant impact on the cost of the project and the timeline for their construction. Despite this change, there was no attempt to develop a robust business case at that time,” Swarbrick stated.
The Central Tenders Committee accepted the contractors bid for the Beulah Smith High School in August 2008 but the ministry provided authority for the work to start before a contract was signed. It then had to stop work on that school in December 2008 as a result of the downturn in the economy and government’s falling revenue.
Although Swarbrick states that all steps in the open tender process were followed and the assessment criteria used were supportive of the overall procurement strategy, the evaluation committee did not include government staff with construction project management expertise.
“Where the Ministry had limited expertise in construction project management, the inclusion of such experts could have helped support good decision making during this stage of procurement.”
One issue he said was that there was a significant price differences between the estimate provided by the quantity surveyor and the bid price. Although the lowest bids were accepted, Swarbrick said government never investigated the reason why there was such a major difference in the cost estimates.
However, he points to the decision to allow work to start without an approved contract as a major problem that should not happen again.
Swarbrick also revealed that during his limited assessment of the school projects he found that Cabinet was never presented with nor did they approve the final project designs leading to the tendering process.
“Without Cabinet involvement, we believe there was insufficient oversight and controls to deter abuse of process,” Swarbrick stated.
See full report below.
Pawn shop robbery suspect denies all charges
(CNS): A 20-year-old man has denied robbery, common assault and two counts of possessing an imitation gun in connection with a hold-up at the Cashwiz store in Bodden Town on 31 May. Appearing in Grand Court on Friday morning, Aaron McLaughlin pleaded not guilty to all four charges, which relate to a robbery at the pawn shop when he is accused of stealing $61 and a gold ring after threatening staff with an imitation weapon. McLaughlin is also accused of assaulting a police officer during his arrest a short distance from where the daylight robbery had occurred.
McLaughlin was remanded in custody until his trial in September, which is expected to take three days.
Meanwhile, a 23-year-old man also pleaded not guilty to a mugging which took place in car park off the West Bay Road in January 2009. The prosecution says Rex Watler robbed his victim of a wallet that contained around $40, a driver’s licence and a credit card. Watler pleaded not guilty to one count of robbery and denies being one of two men who mugged a 44-year-old man behind the Triple Crown pub.
Watler was released on bail until March next year, when his trial will take place more than four years after the event. The judge queried the timeline and pointed out to the crown that it may face arguments relating to the delay in justice given the fact that the bill of rights will be in place by the time to trial starts.
Cayman sprinter smashes personal best
(CNS): One of Cayman’s Olympic hopefuls placed himself among the contenders for the 100 metre title this weekend when he smashed his personal best in Madrid and joined the world’s international elite sprinters in the sub-ten club. Kemar Hyman of the Cayman Islands ran a personal-best 9.95 seconds to win the 100 meters in the Madrid Meet on Saturday, his team told CNS. The 23-year-old from George Towan was aided by a strong but legal tailwind, broke the record for the Spanish capital meet after smashing his own best time of 10.27 seconds set last year. World champion Yohan Blake’s 9.75 is the season’s best going into the London Olympics.
Teen wife admits setting fire to husband’s home
(CNS): A nineteen-year-old George Town woman pleaded guilty to arson on Friday and admitted setting fire to her husband’s room at a house in Windsor Park last month. Shaneeke Wellington, who is also charged with endangering life, was released on bail until her sentencing hearing in August but the judge warned the young woman that she was facing serious charges and could expect a custodial sentence. The teenage wife admitted going to the room where her husband was staying in Oak Mill Street on 17 June after the couple had argued on the previous day. She set the fire by burning tissues on his bed which also caught fire.
The fire severely damaged the man’s room and also spread to other parts of the house, from which people had to be evacuated in the early hours of the morning.
The crown revealed that, on arrest, the woman, who was very upset, had admitted that she wished her husband had been in his room when she started the blaze.
The judge ordered a social enquiry report and agreed to her defence attorney’s urgings to let his client remain on bail with an electronic tag until the sentencing hearing next month. The lawyer said this was his client’s first offence and she was admitting reckless behaviour when she set the fire but in mitigation he would make it clear that she did not intend to endanger anyone’s life.
Routine stop yields firearm
(CNS): Police officers who made a routine stop of a vehicle in the early hours of Friday morning in George Town recovered a handgun and bullets from a man who tried to flee. He and two other men with him in the car at the time police pulled the vehicle over are all in police custody. An RCIPS spokesperson said the incident occurred on North Sound Road, near to Welly's Cool Spot at around 1:30am. Police said the officers had cause to stop the car and as it pulled over a man alighted from the vehicle and ran off. He was chased on foot by police who subsequently recovered the firearm and an undisclosed quantity of ammunition.
All three male occupants of the car were arrested on suspicion of possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. In addition, one of the men was also arrested on suspicion of being in possession of ganja.
All three remain in police custody while enquiries are on-going the police stated.
Anyone who has information about crime in the Cayman Islands is asked to call George Town CID on 949-4222, the RCIPS tip-line 949-7777 or Crime Stoppers on 800-8477(TIPS).
Cayman Airways launches Dallas flight
(CNS Business): Following the inaugural Cayman Airways Limited (CAL) flight to Panama last month, the national carrier launched its seasonal nonstop flights between Grand Cayman and Dallas on Saturday, 23 June. Cayman Airways President and CEO, Fabian Whorms, said the airline anticipates much success for Cayman tourism with this new Dallas route. “In starting this new non-stop service to Dallas, on the heels of launching Panama, we are fulfilling our mandate as a lever of national economic growth, especially in relation to supporting our tourism industry. We are also excited to offer our local residents the opportunity to experience all of what Dallas has to offer, including the fantastic shopping and tourist attractions.” Read more on CNS Business
Candidate equality
The push for the proposed one man, one vote (OMOV) electoral system is probably more about candidate equality than voter equality. Nothing wrong with this, but of course this is never mentioned as a motive. In my previous post on “Voter Equality” on CNS readers posted the right question but the answer was not really discussed or debated.
I had alluded to the fact that certain people were doing most of the pushing for OMOV and had concluded thatit must somehow be to their advantage to have OMOV. One poster asked, what does the MLA forEast End and North Side have to gain by OMOV? The question was posted almost rhetorically, as if they thought these MLA’s had nothing to gain. I believe the opposite is true.
There can be no doubt by anyone who has been following politics in Cayman that both the MLA for East End and North Side would have no problem being the political leader of these Islands. Absolutely nothing wrong with that either.
The present system of voting probably makes it more difficult for independent candidates to be elected. Just look at the numbers of independent candidates elected if you have any doubts. The present multi-member system also guarantees that candidates will be elected with a wide margin in the number of votes that each receives. The MLAs for East End and North Side get elected with a relative handful of votes. Less than 200 votes can give a candidate a seat as an MLA in these small districts. The leading candidates for George Town and West Bay, on the other hand, can easily get 3000 votes by comparison. Big difference!
What this means is that it is more difficult for the MLA for East End and North Side to rise to the top of the heap and take the reins of political power. This is clearly evident as you look at history. We have to go back to Jim Bodden to find a political leader that has not come from West Bay or George Town. Charisma and personality gave him the edge. Since formal political parties have emerged, the top vote-getters in George Town and West Bay have always been our leader/premier.
Another example is the most recent competition for the internal leadership of the PPM. The MLA for East End tried vying for this top position, however I suspect it was very difficult to get the votes needed against his George Town colleague. No real surprise there, considering the mathematics.
If we go to OMOV this should help level the playing field for candidates and will make it easier for candidates from the existing smaller districts to emerge as premier. Independent candidates may also have a better chance to get elected as an MLA and subsequently as premier in a coalition situation. No reason to be ashamed of this.
The top position of premier is given to the person who is leader of the party/group commanding the majority of elected MLAs. One thing is for certain, under the OMOV system, the competitiveness for leadership will be more intense, and the likelihood for changes at the top amongst colleagues from the same party, even during a political term, will be increased. Remember the premier can remove his/her ministers at any time.
A vote for OMOV should bring greater numerical equality for both voters and candidates. Whether it will improve the caliber of our representatives, overall good governance, create greater unity, national perspective and our quality of life remains to be seen, but I have my doubts.
I still don’t know how to vote on referendum day. HELP!