Mac clinging to expat tax
(CNS): Updated — Despite the statement from the representatives of the business community on Saturday morning, the premier has not yet given up on the proposed tax on work permit holders' earnings. In a short statement in the afternoon McKeeva Bush said he had not yet agreed to stop the tax. "The proposed Community Enhancement Fee will only be withdrawn if alternative revenue measures that do not affect the ordinary Caymanian can be implemented," Bush said, adding that further announcements would be made on Monday night at a public meeting at the Mary Miller Hall at 7:30. However, on Saturday evening the business group released a further statement denying that they had “jumped the gun” over the tax withdrawl.
The group signed by Woody Foster and six others stated that they were "unable at this time to explain the discrepancy between the news reports" and the clear understanding it has in writing with the premier.
The business leaders said the earlier press release had also been agreed by the premeir before it was issued.
Check back to CNS for more on this developing story.
Category: Politics
Did not stop macslime from going to jJmaica with his cronies to party all paid for by us.
What an absolute lowlife this guy is
lower than a snake belly in a wagon rut, as Jed Clampett would say
The expats just don't realise how good they have it. They have somewhere to go, I don't. I have to stay here and endure the stupidity of government. I didn't vote for Mac and never will. The current voting system and the ones he buys pretty much guarantees his election. So please stop bitching about how much less money you make and how we dumb caymanians cant manage without you. Of course we can, it will just be very different.
Why can't you leave?
"…without you. Of course we can, it will just be very different."
Yes, I agree, very different indeed. Be careful what you ask for.
Independence? A KYD that is worth $0.02 USD? No Cayman middle class, just obsenely rich and destitute?
I don't understand the thumbs down here. This person makes a good point, and is not being antagonistic to we expats. How about a little empathy?
i think the first sentence condemned this writer to a thumbs down, all are wishing they did not after reading it all, has to be that.
Actually you do have somewhere to go. You could take your British passport and go to the UK or any of the EU countries. You would have to pay tax wherever your dumb a** ended up but you would enjoy free schooling for your children, free healthcare and you would never have to vote at all. Or you could give up your British passport and apply for a visa waiver each time you want to visit the US. Your choice bobo.
This is my home, this is where I was born, this is my country. I dont want to be anywhere else do I not have that right? My loyalty lies with my country just as I sure yours would. Im just tired of hearing about expats andhow bad it will be for them. because it is bad for Caymanians too!
And with your attitude in calling me a dumb a#@. How is that going to help? I didnt call anyone any names, just stated my opinion.
Try get a UK passport, then you wouldn't be stuck.
Different in a Nassau or Kingston kind of different.
I am sure everyone thinks the samething…we have how many MLA's and UDP's in office collecting a good monthly salary and doing absolutely nothing for this country??? Get rid of them, we don't need the dead weight and add up on how much we will save on a monthly basis not paying then their salaries!!!
Wake up Cayman, does anyone know who Captain Eugene is?? Oh yeah he is UDP from west bay…lol
My dear people, Mac has to make it sound like he has to be "convinced" that poor Caymanians won't be hurt by the proposal – he has to give the impression that he has to ensure the alternatives won't affect them, yeah, right. So even if he agreed privately with the 5 businessmen/women that had the meeting with him, to take the expat tax off the table, he still has to milk it for all it is worth, it seems, to make us believe he is only looking out for the interests of poor Caymanians. All these soundbites he throws out, to try and make himself look good, while it seems had no intentions to introduce an expat tax all along. My feeling is he was praying the FCO would come out and say you have to implement payroll tax on EVERYBODY, not just expats, or another alternative like property tax, value added tax, etc. That way he can turn around and blame the UK for forcing his hand to tax his own people and not just expats. So he can say "Look people, I tried my best, but my hands were tied, I had no choice but to take instructions from Mother Country." So he can go win the next election. This is all about the voting come May 2013, he is trying to save his job so that he can complete the deals with Dart, CHEC, etc. that are supposed to be sooooo good for this country. Yeah right. And the moon is made of blue cheese.
Is it true that they are now looking at yearly property taxes for values of over $500,000 and excluding generational undeveloped lands?
Generational undeveloped lands should be at the top of the taxation list because the poor economic use of such an important asset in a small island economy is hamrful to the the economy as a whole.
The chances of the UDP winning the next election are as thin as a slice of air. Their fate has been sealed. Everyone now knows they cannot be trusted.
Chuckster.. ……Help needs to be on the way now !!!
Can someone please blog to say whether the Chamber of Commerce has stated a position view on the Community Enhancement Fee?
Stating a view/position on the Fee is entirely within the Chamber's domain becuase the Fee will affect businesses: it certainly had a very publicly stated position on One Man One Vote Referendum, which was outside the Chamber's arena!!
Can anyone state whether the Chember of Commerce has put its view foward on the Community Enhance Fee?
YES – The Chamber has released a statement:
http://caymanislandskycoc.weblinkconnect.com/cwt/External/WCPages/WCNews/NewsArticleDisplay.aspx?ArticleID=1433
We are Doomed.
None of this tax talk will "Destroy Cayman". It will just Detroy Cayman as You Knew it"
Adding taxes in tax-haven, even merely threatening to, is the Mother of all screw-ups. It is the arrogance of the government and the Country's citizenry to think that changing a cultural philosophy, sooooo near and dear to the hearts of everyone here and that it will pass without consequence.
I have often heard it said that Cayman is a very special place. It is indeed! Where in the Caribbean can you find a Country with such advanced infrastructure, with such a community minded populace and with good restaurants and air transport links. There are no tax havens like this.
BUt changing this core tennet of taxation will forever change the Country you knew, the services you can get here, the things that make it livable and great.. Your Country's politicians are tinkering with the heart of what makes Cayman work – and acting like it will not change anything here.
McKeeva Bush is such a coward. Such a shame of a man that he doesn't have a shred of courage to face his people, his governor, and say "We have to stop the spending" "We have to cut the civil service and government expenditure".. Were he brave enough to say those words, the Country would be saved or at least clutched from the path toward doom.
Constantly clanging the tax saber, and spending like a drunken sailor, this will all destroy Cayman eventually. We are on the path to a very bad outcome in this Country – a brick wall that will crush the Island as we knew it if we can't STOP THE SPENDING>
Reality Bites, I agree with you what is needed is not taxes but rather auster measures, cut civil servants and their benefits by 1/2, reduce spending, cut social services, reduce costs to business and open up to huge developments so that the government can gain more money from work permits. Absolutely no taxes this will destroy this country look around at how many courtries are destroyed by taxes. I don't see a single country in the world that havedirect taxation that is better than Cayman or have a higher standard of living than us. I am for no taxes rather I welcome a cut in the civil service and social services. Overseas medical for people who do not have the means should stop. Cayman hospital is excellent better than any in the region so they can stay here and this will save the government lots of money and they won't have to introduce tax and destroy this country.
The 4 problems why the Government is broke :
1) Immigration system is not working for proper fairness in employment for Caymanians and task force can enforce the laws. No data base exists for all Caymanians to brings in their credentials or resumes or update them to cross reference with expats allpying for the same job.They could also update the system if they are currently employed or not. No full time Immigration board. Business licenses Categories need to be refinded. If you have a retail license you can pretty much sell any product if trendy to make a little extra cash.
2) Customs is the gateway for revenue which there are no laws against the import of counterfeit products and proper control and diligence when importing by plane or by sea. # million dolarsworth of boats sitting around. I am sure they catch someone with information and not by surpirse.
3) Cayman Airways – Opening new routes and hoping for the local residents to support when you have one leg of the flight returning empty. Money flowing out of the country and none coming back in. Same with Holidays.(I would double fairs off the island on Holidays)
4) Our Government representatives are just not visioning the global market looking at the world wide situation and economics to make sound decisons on investments. Overpaid and not showing up for work or certain person jetsetting around the world and making excuses to attract potential investors.
When you have less poeple making over 36K a year you will have less consumption in mainly GAS and then you will lose from your 25 cents tax. More morgages cant be paid, more foreclosures, more crime, less tourists, less attrative to visit or invest. less construction, less everything…Then to make ends meet expats from economic stricken countries will look here for work because its way betetr and safer and pay than 36K a year and then what? You keep lowering the cap? and then what more people start cooking the books. and then what Immigration cant keep up with it because there understaffed or task force is too small. And then what…come again with another brainy idea or another band aid to patch the gushing wound.
I once saw the most beautiful rose growing out of the ugliest pile of manure you could ever imagine. Seeing it made me think that maybe there is hope for Cayman after all
This man not real. He partying in Jamaica independence in the middle of a national budget crisis. While he leave the rest of us with task of coming up with alternatives to tax to present to HIM.. Wtf
Bumboclaat madman!
Unna Caymanians going take this kind of behaviour?!
Never in my born days!
U ever hear any ras foolishness like this yet?!
Dear Premier, Somethimes less is more. You could ease the burden on the ordinary Caymanian and at the same time increase government revenue by eliminating all fuel taxes and reducing duties back to 20%. Cutting work permit fees would also reduce the cost of goods and services to the rest of us which would result in increased public spending and renewed revenue growth for government.
I know it sounds hard to believe but you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. Look at it this way, all of the increases you have made during your tenure have not helped. I suggest they had the opposite effect and resulted in less than expected revenue. You may wish to think different now to see how that works.
Less is more.
"…unable at this time to explain the discrepancy between the news reports…"
The explaination is simple, McKeeva Bush is not a man of his word or his signature.
Cut the NationBuilding Fund. Mac's vote buying slush fund. If Mac wsas genuine about cutting wastful spending that would be the first to go. I know the preachers will disagree with me on this one.
Here is my take on this whole situation. I am a Caymanian born and bred lest anyone think differently.
Over the past 20 years or so I have seen our country go from one where it's people worked for a living and to seek help from government was unheard of unless you were indigent or in some other dire circumstance. Cayman today, however, has changed, we have now grown a generation or should I say generations who have grown up with a silver spoon in their mouth believing that they live in a land of milk and honey and that it should all be handed to them whether they work for it or not. Each successful government has continued to tell our people that they will have the jobs but they do nothing to properly educate them or get them qualified for jobs across the wortk spectrum. Instead what we have done is grow generations of people who believe that they are entitled to jobs of any kind whether or not they are qualified or not. This has caused resentment against the expats who have come here to take up both the jobs that the Caymanians don't want and the ones that the Caymanians are not qualified to do. The government in turn because it needs the money fom the work permits don't necessarily do anything to help the situation instead they make promises and give social assistance to those who are unable to find work or who are not qualified.
We have now developed a country where the majority of its people depend on the government for some sort of assistance. The politicians in turn use this dependence to keep them in power simply by keeping them on the gravy train.
There are a great many educated, qualified and good Caymanians out there, that yes, sometimes get overlooked by employers for the expats but only us, the Caymanian employers, can do something about that.
The solution to this whole mess cannot happen today or tomorrow but will take some time. What we have to do is educate our people, and not just high school, It must be mandatory that every child continue to some form of higher education or learn some skill that they can use throughout their lives. The one thing that no onecan take away from us is our education and once we possess it we can use it and we can improve on it. Without higher education and learning our people will remain as they are, dependent on the government.
This is not a UDP or PPM problem even though they attribute to it. It is not an Expat or Caymanian problem. It is an education problem. Educate our people properly to take their position in society and these ill wills will diminish. We must though, free ourselves from the high dependence on government to provide everything for us. Just think how much money we could save if the socil services department cut back to one tenth of it's present budget.
I agree with you whole-heartedly.
It is ONLY the Education of our people that will be the long-term solution to our downward spiral, however …..
One cannot force people to educate themselves anymore than one can force a horse to drink water. What we need to create is the Desire for our people to Improve themselves and their situation.
Having 8,000 of our people on some form of Government BENEFITS in anisland with just 33,000 Caymanians is ludicrous. That is almost 1/4 of all Caymanians !
If just $1,000.00 is given per person per annum, that is CI$8 million per year.
"Give a man a fish, feed him for today. Teach a man to fish, feed him for life".
We are not talking about poor indegent persons with no opportunity or means of providing for themselves.
It is the JOB of Govt. create Opportunity for its people to provide for themselves, NOT to be providing for them daily.
Mate, you dont get it : such a tax, or indeed anything that worries people overseas ( not expat workers here, but investors overseas) will ruin the whole Cayman economy – the expats are not the issue, its the people in the USA etc who pay for the workers of all nationality here to do their thing. The further worry is that this mess has alerted the world to what a joke the Cayman goverment is, thus already making Cayman a less attractive financial centre to use.
Caymanians are generally lovely. But please wake up to the fact that Grand Cayman is a small flat swampy rock in the middle of nowhere with no natural resources. Cayman has nothing of its own that has made it so rich compared to the rest of the Caribbean – it was simply a blank canvas on which the financial services industry could be painted when the Bahamas committed suicide in like style back in the 60’s.
CIG overspending is the issue, not the expats.
Please be careful what you wish for, unless what you wish for is for the next generation of Caymanians to be scratching a living on ships, or fishing in Honduras, like your forefathers (peace be upon them).
Please define "poor caymanians"
The Cayman Islands are one of the world’s richest jurisdictions (more prosperous than the United States according to the latest World Bank data), in part because there are no tax penalties on income and production. So why are the local politicians considering a plan to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs? For the simple reason that they have been promiscuous in spending other people’s money. (Forbes).
Like toilet paper clinging to…
Mr.Bush has choosen the accurate solution to assist with increasing the employment rate.
Even though most expats will disagree with this decision that Mr.Bush has made, they have to keep in mind it's a lotcheaper than the normal taxes most would have to pay back home.
This decision will help the Caymanians who want employment, to become employed this decision should have been put into motion long ago however this is a start and a very good start and as for Mr.Bush these are the choices you should continue to make this is what the locals appreciate you doing for us the people of your homeland also known the Cayman Islands.
As for the expats please give us Caymanians a chance to shine in our own country.
And not feel forgotten or neglected by those who have control over our country.
Kudos Mr.Bush keep up the good work.
Actually I disagree that this tax would be less than I would pay at home. At home the % might be higher however out of that I would receive school for my two children, medical coverage and my house insurance would be a fraction of what it is now.
If I add up those expenses they are already higher than the tax rate back home (most of the financial benefit of being here fades once the children arrive), therefore if the government takes more of my salary without any benefit to me and my property value plumments, other places look better. I can work anywhere, once the math no longer works, I will.
Well said, now do the honors to my country and please leave yourself!
So sorry to know that you moved all your money now without your money I trust that you will move your body too because our social services is overloaded by free loaders from the mass status grants or by Caymanians displaced by the 2004 grantees.
And that is why I moved all my money out of Cayman this week.
yeah right ..to where?? Come on stop with the foolishness!!…This what causes the divide between the locals and expats..
Just keep telling yourself that darlin. What you don't know won't hurt you till the end of it.
The damage this man has single-handedly done to the Cayman Islands will take a generation to undo. His UDP henchman must share blame: they are accessories to his crimes.
A generation is roughly 25 years. if he signs deals with CHEC and Dart with 50 year commitments it will take at least two generations to get out of it probably never to recover. Cayman will be gone and Darttania will be the new norm.
Regardless what we think of him, never the less the media is printing that he isn't implementing the tax to the expats, where some business owners are stating he isn't going through with it….can someone explain how can one say it isn't and what says it is???
Welcome to the cayman islabds
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/05/cayman-expat-tax_n_1744053.html
I guess the whole world knows now!!! and we sure know what they think of us!!!!
There are not enough words in all the languages of this world that the Premier could use to try to undo the damage he has done. Any further run for political office would be futile.
It is entirely unfair that our Government has over spent and now needs additional income to further run the country.
But truth is, Caymanians have recieved benefits just like those of the higher income earning foreigners, who state they LOVE this country but will betray this nation and leave, -IF- they have to fork over 10% of their yearly salaries!
As a Caymanian I have no qualms with the expat. tax, rather I fully support it considering many arrive only for the dollar and leave, and many want to stay ONLY BECAUSE of our Tax free status.
However should this tax be handed over to me, A very hardworking Caymanian who is NOT Wealthy by any means, I will have to pay it, and I will have to stay!
But for now, I see this expatriate tax as fair, and one that is direly needed considering the times that we are now in economically.
Should my fellow expatriate workers want to kick up and call this tax racist DO repatriate by all means, do go on your strike and do stand by your word, and DO remember to leave!!
As we don't need ingenuine people mixing with our Caymanian people, who genuinely love their country and will remain in it through THICK AND THIN!
The Cayman Islands has been good to many an expatriate, AND we will continue to welcome those who desire to contribute in any means necessary, FOR the benefit of this beloved country.
as you keep on telling us you don't want us to stay and then we can only stay for 7 years, you haveintentionally marketed Cayman to thise you only want to come for the money
So frankly if you someone to blame for expats leaving if this high dicrimatory tax is imposed, then just look in a mirror
We should they feel loyality to somewhere that has time and again made them feel un wanted.
And you don't HAVE to stay, menay Caymanians have left, the UK gave Caymanians British Passports so you can work and live in the UK and most of Europe and you will pay the same in tax as everyone around you. You will also be able to use all the same services including healthcare and free schools.
You expect only expats to pay your taxes and then deny them use of the same services, very chiristian of you
Caymanians treat expats like a dog you frequently beat, to take out your own inadequances on someone and you think that is treating them well?
Sir or Madame.. you just don't understand how the World and your fair Country work. It is not the magic of God that gave you the wonderful island you have today. It is intelligence, and inward investment and stable economic structure, and equity, and rule of law, and balance and reason.. The cornucopia of choices on your grocer's shelf and the infrastructure and the services that make your fair Country so liveable are all provided because there are enough relatively wealthy expats who spend and spend and spend to keep those services here.
Chase those bright overacheivers away at your peril. Mercifully there are still enough good Caymanians who are well educated enough to understand this reality and nature of ecosystem they control and maintain.
You can't roll out taxes in a hurricane prone tax haven. If you change "the Deal" you made with the foreigners who you lured here with the promise of low-taxes, then the foreigners will change the dewal on you and your future.
If there is one thing that all this tax talk has proven beyond a doubt, it's that Cayman and the Caymanian people need the money and expat investment a whole lot more than they are comfortable admitting, or than the expats need Cayman.
Ignorant much?
This issue is only suceeding in bringing out some very ugly and inflamitory comments on both sides here. The more insulting they become the more polarised the factions become. A trade of insults is not a healthy way to debate anything. The problem appears that this has becomethe norm following the example of politicians here. I am an ex-pat and I came here to make money. I am prepared to contribute some of my earnings to a society that is inclusive and to which all can contribute and all can gain from. I find it incredible that some folks believe in the entitlement culture so strongly that it has clouded the reality of the roles here. If someone has the skills for a job they should have the oppertunity to do that job, however no one should believe they are able to do certain jobs just by birth. That is plain stupid. By the same token if folks come here and fail to perform in the role they have been given they should lose that position because of proper management and performance reviews. That should include both the public and private sector. I am not in favour of tax in any shape but believe if it comes for one it comes for all. If you don't contribute how can you expect to be allowed to benefit? More importantly why should you be allowed to do so. In many other parts of the world the social assistance type funds are being cut. Here they appear to be growing. Why? And why is it deemed to be socially acceptable that it is being allowed to do so? Will the society here need to re examine itself in the near future and realise that because it took discrimatory action against certain groups it caused a social and economic rupture in itself that not even a skilled surgeon could stitch together. We wait and see.
racism and discrimination are two different things – I have not seen anyone sugget this idea is racist. It is discriminatory though. I believe you need to also educate yourself on what you think the average ex-pat earns. Yes, there are a very small minority who earn ridiculously high salaries but the vast majority live hand to mouth each week or month just like you claim to. They simply choose to do that in Cayman as beyond all the high cost of living, bickering and politricks it is actually not a bad place to live you know.
Thanks, And please vote for MAC, AGAIN
McKeeva Bush has truly "Lost the plot' !!
With his HIGHLY QUESTIONABLE reputation and involvment in multiple Police Investigations, he has displayed his Lunacy as well (hopefully for the last time).
Who is McKeeva Bush to state that these Esteemed, Reputable, Hard-working, Patriotic Caymanians with UNQUESTIONABLE INTEGRITY are not speaking the truth?
Here are some of the HIGHLY RESPECTED persons and CAYMANIAN FAMILIES who's Reputation he has INSULTED.
Woody Foster
Brigitte Kirkconnell-Shaughness
Roy McTaggart
Dan Scott
Al Thompson
To bite the very hand that has fed his Political Carreer?
I hope ALL of Cayman (especially the UDP Ministers) are taking heed of this Treachery.
THROW THIS MAN OUT OF OFFICE !!
Many expats can afford to eat out in Camana Bay a few times a week. They would not notice a 10% reduction in their salary. Poor Caymanians struggling to make ends meet will notice a 1% cut in their salary. Keep with the Expat tax Mac
Ha ha ha. Nobody can afford to eat at Camana Bay a (few times) a week. Not regular working expats or Caymanians. Please keep your follishness to yourself.
I drive around in a 1995 starlet, like most hard working expats, nearly all Caymanian drive around in brand new luxury 4×4's, where is your logic?
Yup, you are spot on. There are those that can afford it and Caymanians who cannot afford the one percent. But, out of interest, just who is going to pay the increased cost of doing business at the stores and supermarkets when it is passed down the chain??? Caymanians!! All of us Caymanians!!! Any tax will hit us all… Have you forgotten the increase in costs the pension brought about? Guessing’ ya have, there, babe!!!
Dumb da dumb dumb… Take a high school econ class, or at least trust those who have a clue.
Why is it our job to find another solution? Isn't that your job? Typical.
Something smells fishy!
Here is a little quote for UDP Supporters: "a government big enough to give you everything you need is a government big enough to take everything that you have" Don't let Mac ruin this amazing island for everyone.
Mac is no fool, mafia around the world have used the same approach to win the support of their communities. They give them enough that the community depends on them to survive. They are happy to take the handouts not realizing that thier dependency only empowers him more until they can't live without him. We have a whole district full of free housing form Ivan, haven't had to pay for appliances for years, the list goes on. Sitting in their back yards becoming more and more ingorant by the day. They have no idea what a dis-service he has done for them. The reason why there is more crime in WB, he won't let the police come into his district and do anything about it. The ignorant supporters are used to getting hand outs and now feel owed. They feel like they should be able to take what they want. They think that the rest of the community should pay for them.
It seems that between the absolutely insane moves that Mac has made and the investigations against him (please mr governor and commish, please I beg you to take him out now) we might finally have enough people seeing him for what he is…a fool, that we won't vote him back in.
I've never posted on CNS before but this issue has really got me thinking a lot and I just had to go ahead and write in.
And your point???
could you not show a little bit of validation? geeez
The problem here is hat many of his suppporters have only half the brain power that Mac does (I know, very scary thought right!). They can't see far enough past the fridge they got for free to understand that this man is setting them up to not be able to afford to put anything in that fridge. This tax would cost way more job loss than any CS cuts.
Thank goodness that some people got fridges out of it as opposed to many in other countries that only got broken mirrors, red cloth, cod fish and flour, guns to kill each other, drugs and crack pipes.
Control Freak!
In my opinion, the damage had already been done the moment MacBully entertained the idea of the Expat Tax. The confidence in this jurisdiction has been shaken and it will take some time to gain back that confidence.
When you lie for a living the truth is unexpainable.
Shouldn't be hard for anyone on both sides to see that Bush ONLY represents the relatively small group of undereducated, overpayed, and unemployable elsewhere voter block that is the only thing standing between him and poverty and vise versa. Everyone else onisland has NO representation. And thats the way it is today on Grand Cayman. Caymankind.
Collect all the $ & stop seelling the county for the almigty $, let Dart & shetty, m-Ryan pay custom duty fees! These people will benefit from if when it is done! Cayman is in no position to give away nothing! If they want a piece of paradise they must pay for it! CAN YOU BE A LEADER & NOT A PUSH OVER FOR THE $$$$$$?
Bracer!!
Its a disgrace that one area of public expenditure that can be fixed so easily is left untouched,(GASBOY cards). I am still witnessing highly paid public servants running around on free gas.
Yes… this needs dealt with straight away. Is there a list of persons who get free gas and what their position is? Do they actually need the gas in the job they do?
Here we go again. The lazy arrogant "caymaninans" and this includes the men and women that here and found another idiot caymanian to marry in order to stay here, they are ridding on this and belive the expat owe to them everything that they not have. McKeva has done what other dictators across the world have simply done. He has gone mad. This china harbour deal, how can it be possible that it is a good deal? Now he cant find a way for them to pay his "commission" fee, so we have to wait and suffer. either way who in there right minds would agreee to such a stupid deal to have another country be in control of a port of entrance. What an idiot to even suggest that Cayman should learn chineese, did it ever occur that they by law should be learn english to work here. Stop encouranging this laziness please. It is so obvious and in the face. the politicians might think its not obvious, its like when you in a relationship and everyone is telling you somthing and you always deny the obvious, always an excuse. What is so common with all this is that the "ignorant" caymanians that belive that the world owe them somthing are pushing and thinking somthing is in it for them. They continue to think every Expat here that has a home or Job has taken it from them. Caymaninans are not un-employed, they are volontary not working, imagine the idiot kid that belive that working in BK or similar fast food business should be used to punish the small time criminals. One fact that cayman knows, and that is there is certain criminal families that will never change, there is a certain un-employed persons that should and never be willing to work, there are the same ones that constant in Labour board, you call and talk to somone inside and they will tell you that they would not hire this persons, but still they send them to you to apply. The real hard working caymanians are very embarassed at this suitation. This Tax idea is just one of the ways that this ignorant people around McKeeva make the world belive that caymanians are stupid. He has a lot of loud mouth people around him walking around and verbally abusing. All the hypocrites around, calling the Lord's name in vain and having another idiot front as bar owner, certain civil cervants that should be fired are doing the hilly billy style with Big mac,. Yes Cayman is too small for the cover-up. The labour board can easy check the details and see that more than half of the people on there so called unemployed list is over 55 and or already working and just want to make use of the peice of paper that say they can work other locations. This is a fact. I feel so sorry as well for the person like Rolston, an educated caymanian that knows better, but also know that if he make the wrong move he can have some serious side effects. One thing you can say about Ezzard, he might come across as an anti expat, but if you read between the lines, I dont think he has a problems with Expats, its just that he is hell bent on helping his own caymanians, so dont mix his style to belive any different. So in cayman talk he simply say, "worry bout you, I ga look out for my own people". So all you Lazy arse caymanians making us hard working caymanians look bad and making the world think we ignorant like the few big mouth people hanging around McKeeva, please shut up. Imagine a "single mother" with 5 children and 4 baby fathers, in other parts of the world its called as it is, but here, ohh no that is the person that can have access to the tax funds and the person that need the most support?. cut the crap cayman. Cayman is run by a mad dictator now. Mr. Dart its not you that cayman is against, its the man that is trying to shove it to the nuts about why cayman needs certain things, best to tell Mac to back off from your side, or put him on a leash, And Mr. Governor, please hurry up get the turks crew to finishup over there so they can come on over here to clean and shake up this mess. November is a long way off still, sorry if I let that cat out of the bag, but I have had enough, and enough is enough, November cant come soon enough. Nuff Said. Ohh And SEZ, pack it up soon, your inner dealing and details will be soon public.
my spelling, it got worssa as my fustrations levels got higher by writing all this.
Divide and conquer! Works every time.
Or in other words, if you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull.
Problem is that Cayman has three industries–finance, tourism, and construction–with few Caymanians. There are a lot of expats making a lot of money in these industries and this is very visible. Continuing to do this requires making Caymanians happy now that they have been exposed to people of great wealth. That means you expats have to pay the government enough to keep them happy with makework jobs and welfare. If they want more than you are willing to pay, you have a trainwreck. Unfortunately, because Caymanians are largely alienated from the expat industries, they are fully capable of killing the economy through ignorance, greed, sloth and envy.
I am a Caymanian and I work in one of these industries. The problem is that most Caymanians don't want to work in the service industry, most Caymanians want a mon-fri 9-5 only job, no weekends and holidays. There are expats, with no more education than the avg Caymanian working with us making tons of money, but because they work incredibly hard. Most Caymanians don't realize the opportunities that are here. We would die to see some driven, motivated young Caymanians working for us but they are impossible to convince to consider a service type job.
Please don't go there, you and the like of you came here with one hand in front of you and one behind you and if you are here long enough you will know what it means. Caymanians since the early 50s held her own and many people that came here at that time until today came here with nothing or very little except to seek a job and a better way of living. We all know the people who came here with money and they made far more than what they came here with. Caymanians will never destroy our country because of envy of people like you who came here with nothing and got something.
Idiots.
What a bunch of Idiots… shouldn’t have a license to drive let alone run a country. All he has achieved is to fracture the community spirit we once had.
My guess is that this was always a ‘bait and switch’ plan. Sadly the fallout is the international reputation we USED to have.
If you doubt check out the international press. Just google ‘cayman expat tax’. We look like complete uneducated boobs to the rest of the world for even thinking of such foolishness.
Oh the seeming contradictions ! It seems our heads are being played with. People, it seems that he is only saying these things publicly to assure the locals (especially those diehard supporters from his constituency) and the poor civil servants, that he is looking out for their interests at all times, even though he may have already agreed in private to take the alternatives. He has to convince the voters to vote for him again in May 2013, afterall. I think the OMOV results shook some people up and a lot of what is going on here is pandering to the diehard elements or the people that were pissed off about how the OMOV results were treated.
The government should not try to work any further solution into formulating their budget. Instead the easy solution to all this is to let the business community, the Chamber and the Expat Community all write their business proposals and submit it to the FCO. Government in return should publish what the FCO thinks of their budget proposals as oppose to what the government has submitted with the 10% fees. The Premier should stop all this right now and let the chips fall where they may. If the various groups want to submit their form of budget to the FCO let them do for there should always be room at the table for men and women of good intentions.
Evidently everyone in Cayman is against "Taxes" so the next alternative is to cut spending and the civil servants. This is the best option, retire every one over the age of 50 and give them half of the package and the other half over time including their retirement benefits. Every non essential expat worker in government should be made redundant and incentives should be given to Caymanians filing those positions who can take over the position of that person. Cut social services benefits to every foreign recipent and absolutely no person who was given status in the 2004 status grants should be given any social service benefits.
Who is generating this crap from his office – can’t believe it is his sycophantic Press Secretary “Challo ” who would normally not even register on the MENSA scale. It looks likes the product ofsomeone who does not know his arse from his elbow, whilst exhibiting the attention span of a butterfly. As a friend used to joke about those of limited intellectual capacity – ” THREE MORE BRAIN CELLS AND HE WOULD BE A PLANT “.
P l e a s e, try not to be so insulting….it sounds just plain ugly. There are people who are vertically brain challenged because God made little brains and big brains…it’s the luck of the draw. Despite this fact I believe it is within 99.9 percent of the people do know right from wrong and that is where each and everyone of our UDP leaders fall miserably short!
I dont think we should start blaming poor Challo!
Maybe he is afraid that if he repeats what Mac says today, then Mac will turnaround and contradict him tomorrow.
Thats why he has not said more than three words since becoming press secretary…
I would rather have a household plant as Premier. It would be less damaging to the nation.
Basil for Premiere!!
And less expensive.
VOTE FOR FERN!!!!
Potting soil now on sale at Vigaro, until new duty increases….
A bush is a plant!
The expats from the UK, USA etc can go if they do not want to pay a fair share of tax. There are plenty of people from India, Philipines who would gladly come here and work for half their salary
If ir weren'r so seriously detrimental to Cayman I could laugh at you should this come true and the harsh reality of the situation afterwards will lick u in the ass.
Sir, they are willing to pay a fair share, but a one sided tax isnt fair. How about extending this tax to all, not just expats?
The key word is "Fairshare" and you are correrct. How much are you willing to pay?
I love you
You are correct, sir, that Filipinos and Indians would happily come work here for cheaper than the current expats. However, that would still cripple the CI economy since no one under $36k would be paying tax! Think about it. Also, the expats from UK, US, etc. prop up the economy through their spending which would be gone.
I can't believe that any Caymanians could feel good about their government being funded by other non-voting individuals. More entitlement in the future for CI…
I think you mean Caymankind realist.
You seem to have the same amount of brain power as our leader, and just as delusional, I won't bother to argue your statement because you still won't understand in the end,
Thankfully there is evidence from the past few days that the majority of our population is way smarter than you
Possibly true…..but most of them earn below $36k per year. So, your tax net would have to include raising fees on money transfers to said countries, as a desperate means to keep feeding the gravy train.
Yes, this is true… you can always get expats from those countries.
However while expats from richer nations tend to spend more within the country (bars, restaurants, shops, salons, liquor shops, spas, buying houses, renting houses (1 bedroom per person, not 6 to a 2 bedroom house), the expats from these poorer nations will hold onto their cash and send every penny home…
So if you think Cayman businesses can survice with just the spending of Caymanians, and not the expats, then go ahead and run the high spending expats off the island and welcome those from poorer nations….
While I do not agree with the implementation of the Comminity Enhancement Fee, I do not agree that the expats from first world countries spend more money here than those from third world countries. If one visits Kirks or Fosters Airport Road on Saturday, a huge portion of the patronage is from Jamaicans and Filipinos. Myabe the Brits and Canadians etc are more likely to patronise palces such as the restaurants in Camana Bay, Grand Old House etc than do Filipinos and Jamaicans, a lot of those restaurants are owned by or have a significcant percentage ownership by foreign nationals, the supermarkets mentioned, as well as Hurleys, are all owned by multi-generational Caymanian families
What a moron, peopple like you make me want to pretend I'm not Caymanian.
Or put another way "I feel very strongly that someone other than me should pay tax"
This one is proposing to bring more poor people to solve our problems.
I guess the thinking is that poor people will make us rich…
Oh Dear!
Oh Dear!
Oh Dear!
What shall we do with this poster?
He must be a graduate of the Old Bush School too…
Yes, but they won't be making enough money to pay taxes so how will that help?
Wow is must be really hard for you to live each day. Read a book.
You are so right that expats from the UK, USA etc can go if they don't want to pay the 10% and there will be plenty of people from India & Philipines to replace them for half of their salary but dear writer first of all they will not have to pay the taxes because they will not be paid over the $36,000 per year and welcome to "Developing Work" status. As much as Caymanians love to proclaim that they are "First World". Let me know when the exodus of USA and European expats plan to leave because I will be right behind them with one bag in hand and everything else will be left behind because this country could never survive without those two group of people which are in the minority of workers on these islands yet they contribute the most financially.
Please stop staying that we do not want to contribute because that is not the case at all. Our family has always willingly paid all of the stamp duties, import duties and all other fees that have been required of us. Additionally, we happily contribute to local charities on a regular basis and volunteer with both a mentoring program for young Camanian professionals and a junior sports program. Our resistance is not to paying our fair share but for a plan that financial experts (including those with no vested interest in Cayman) have said will destroy the last of Cayman's global financial advantage. Premier McKeeva Bush is proposing that we contribute 10% of our family's income to a plan that will ultimately cause the erosion or collapse of the very financial sector that we depend on for our livelihood. Admittedly, the thought of a 10% reduction to our income is disconcerting but what is far more upsetting are the long term consequences of this plan. My children were born here and I hope that they, along with all the other young people of these islands, have as good or even better opportunities than I have had here. Please give us the opportunity to participate in a plan that will create a bright and prosperous future for this country.
I totally agree with you. Caymanians should pay no tax at all. They shouldn't even work. In fact, I think the expats should serve them and wipe their behinds too. You obviously don't like white people, so maybe white people should paint their skin to look like you too? I can guarantee the day that expats (white people, to you) start paying tax and you don't, is the day the racial divisions become untenable. Oh, and the Indians and Philipinos will have to pay tax too since they will flll our jobs. Would you fly 10,000 miles from home just to work in such a discriminatory place? I don't think so. What does that leave then? It leaves Caymanians to work………..oh, but you don't want to work and pay your share. Oh well, there's always the
Stone Age. Good luck with that.
Bravo, BIS – As the later post said you need three more brain cell to become a plant. Ex-pat is ex-pat no matter from which country or corner of the world is coming. And, yeah they, Indians, etc. will gladly rushing in to Cayman just only to support you and your incompetent government for half a salary – 10%.
You must be one of the idiots supporting all this crap going on or maybe The Imperor himself.
McKeeve please post under your real name.
Thank you.
Cayman
I would like to suggest a new term for the Cayman dictionary.
Re-Pat (opposite of Ex-pat). The vacuum created by the mass exodus of people leaving this island due to discrimination.
At least when I pay taxes in my home country I will feel like part of a community.
So what are you fussig about? Cayman's plight or your plight?
Clinging to relevancy more like it. Can’t wait till this man gets the boot!
Bush did not complete High School much less any formal higher education….yet his ego has him thinking that he knows better than everyone else….remember Cohen Deal, GLF Deal?? First Cayman Bank? not to mention three inverstigations….two of "financial irregularities?
Expenditures (Nation Building) and others need to go! And someone with some formal training in finance needs to take over the Ministry of Finance!
REAL Accountability needs to happen…NOW!
OMFG! This man is unbelievable!
Mac has not found any solutions that will protect his party from losing votes; especially from the unemployed people in West… that is what this is all about. You guys wanted a party, congratulations, you got what you ask for! Next time expats, live in a place where you can vote. Good luck with finding that place. 🙂
Takes yer breath away. Doesn’t want to hurt the poor people. Running for junior high president in a girls school perhaps?
KeKe, you show them! We behind yah and we gonna fight for yah!
Have you ever been subjected to a test to determine your IQ ?
I wonder if this whole direct expat tax is a negotication device with another party perhaps Dart or someone else and Bush is playing chicken with them.
Where is the Premier this weekend? Working hard with his advisors and the leaders of the business community to save Cayman? Or somewhere else?…
CNS: We have not yet been able to confirm but understand the premier is in Jamaica.
Cayman embarrassment is flaunting his ignorance with his people overseas. Stay long.
Celebrating Jamaica Independence in style, on our dime no doubt, without the courtesy of notification in the midst of a national budget crisis…!
Disgraceful! Resign!
Big mouth Ellio – UDP press secretary, Charles Glidden, Premier Press Secretary….can I buy a vowel? Get a clue what you do for your salaries??
The UK has essentially said balance your budget, Cayman, and put your public finances on a sustainable footing. We, the UK, do not much care whether you do it by cutting expenditure or increasing taxation, or both. But the same old nonsense of promises made and no delivery will not do. And thus no more borrowing. We should be grateful to the UK for taking this stance, even if it is medicine they are not prepared to impose back home in the UK!
A key issue is "new sustainable revenue" and what the UK means by the term. It seems that the UK has concluded that going back to the same (tired) old wells – indirect fees from tourism and the financial sector (and related work permits) and import duties – does not cut it. This is because the UK (like many people here) has worked out that ever increasing fees on these two core industries are making Cayman ever more uncompetitive. And this problem is being exacerbated by the carve outs being granted to various interests such as Dart, Shetty and the SEZ. As has been pointed out by others, these concessions increase the burden on our traditional businesses and revenue sources.
The not so hidden message from the UK is that it wants the local community (and this means everyone, not just Caymanians or expatriates) to accept new revenue measures that are not necessarily dependant on volatile areas of economic activity. Ideally, that should also require payment for publicservices by those who benefit from those same services. Such an alignment, however unpopular with many of those who vote, is in fact critical to the long term stability and success of Cayman and is the only way to bring responsibility and accountability in government.
The current Government has recognised that the parameters of the UK requirements do not leave much room for manoeuvre. And that the UK is effectively requiring either direct taxation of one form or another (think payroll tax, property tax) and/or a local sales tax/VAT. Whether the alternative revenue raising proposals (e.g. gambling, variable road user/licensing, garbage, directors, forex etc fees) put forward by the private sector will meet the UK's demands must therefore be an open question.
It seems a vain hope that meaningful cuts will be made in public waste and spending. It is self evident that Cayman does not need such a large public service. But, given the make up of the electoral roll, and the demographics of the Islands, only the very brave would bet on any progress being made on the expenditure side any time soon. In the meantime we should not simply accept where we are heading – a situation where the primary purpose of revenue raising is to pay for the civil service. And that, as a result, we see cuts in public services delivered, but no reduction in the civil service. That is like becoming a bankrupt General Motors, i.e., a benefits programme for its employees and retirees paid for by making (rather bad) cars!
Tim Ridley
A little long winded, however erudite, but it does possibly identify one of the ” elephants in the room ” – if Government does not very quickly get something right, there will indeed be work for those who are presently unemployed – rolling up the carpets, and turning off the lights.
Expats can't take salary cuts but CS should become redundant, homeless & starve, so says the expat/businessmen!
Caymanians need to work beause they ALSO need to eat. Do they deserve to dig in the garbage for food?
Reduce the number of work permts, then you can reduce the number of CS who can then go to the private sector; but alas, revenue lost from WP and profits lost from cheap labour.
Mr Ridley, please sir, what is your wise suggestion to the poor Caymanian CS soon-to-be redundant, homeless & starving? (PS. I'm not moving tothe cold, dark, wet UK).
Resectfully await your wise response.
Honest Tears N M' Eyes
Thank you. It is the nature of parties to shape their policies so to please voters. That is why we are stuck where we are today. They are trying to make cuts without cutting their supporters, a very hard feat to accomplish.
Is this a tactic to try to win the majority of voters who disagreed with him and voted for the One Man, One Vote?
There is one chain of events that causes our politicians to act the way they do that many people here are not seeing, and that is the solemn truth that qualified Caymanian's are being replaced or not hired so to allow certain expats the prevelege over them. And this abuse in the work places across Cayman has been going on for a long time. That is why you have over 2000 Caymanians unemployed. I suggest before the government considers any other alternative to make it harder for those on the low end, to please do something with the Labor Department and qualified Caymanians not being hired because of favoritism. The Labor Department need more weight in their own country. Far too many times, big employers have their weight and say over them. This is the reason I believe the UDP is very reluctant in cutting more than it can cut. These big shots that visit him about alternatives, must have alternatives that will not make it any harder for Caymanians.
Whether this is true or not I am not convinced at all and has not been my experience nor any of my friends, but regardless of this, the expat tax would result in less jobs for caymanians and a disaster for the whole economy.
and how may I ask was this 'solemn truth' revealed to you?
I wish someone explain this to the broad public. There is not ONE SINGLE EXPAT!!! On this beautiful islands that got a job without been autorized by CAYMANIANS!!!!!!, immigration? Caimanians, immigration boards? Caimanians, people who make the laws? Caimanians, people who enforce the laws? Caimanians, minimum 60% ownership on everysingle company? Caimanians, not a director?, just fronting? Caimanians, people who gave status to expats? Caimanians, people who keep electing the wrong leaders? Caimanians…… DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOW WHY IS NOT MY FAULT!!!!!!!!! And IF you really want to help your fellow caimanians remember that most of the unemploy ones are not the high quilify ones, be fair and represent all your population…..
Someone needs to tell the honourable IDIOT that money likes stability. At the same time, his supporters should know he is only using them for his personal gain. Indeed, he needs to win the next election to secure his retirement. And trust me while he is enjoying his retirement, his stupid loyal supporters will be paying taxes.
Stick with it Mac. These rich expats can well afford to pay more taxes
As can all caymanians, you own the businesses here so dip into your own pockest before taking from your slave labour.
The definition of IRONY – your name is Good Samaritan (not).
Do you not see that it doesn't matter if they can afford it or not?
Those "rich" expats that help to support the Cayman economy and make it what it is today, will leave, moving business to other islands. Cayman will crumble. Take a minute to read some of the articles that have been in some of the bigger credible newspapers/magazines. It has become world news because the only people who think this is a good idea are a small group of Caymanians who can't take a moment to think outside the box and think that they are OWED something because you were born here. Your forefathers created Cayman to be what it is today and those rich expats you refer to have helped to maintain and grow it unto the fifth largest financial center in the world. You are about to blow it by supporting such a stupid idea. Put your energy into asking why has it even come to this rather than making such rude comments.
Do yourself a favor or better yet the Caymanians that get it, take aminute to educate yourself rather than playing follow the leader.
The line in the sand has already been drawn even if the tax is removed.
Great job Mr. Bush!
In other words I am Caymanian and you need to feed me because due to circumstances beyond my understanding I can't feed myself. We understand. But you need to learn to feed yourself or face the consequences. One way or another the days of intitlement are coming to an end in Cayman. The only question is will it come with expat money to help you or will you have to learn to make due with Mac's money? P.S. he is not good at sharing.
This has nothing to do with affording the tax but whether the Expats want to pay the tax.
All reasonable people weight their options. In the case of all the Expats living and working and spending in Cayman, they are all now weighing their options.
Can I work in some other tax haven and make more money?
I'm sure that all the big law, accounting and banking firms are now scouting out office space in all the other low or no tax centers.
Premier McKeeva Bush says, “If the proposed revenue measures are not on the poorer people, I will switch. If not, the measures stay, even if in a reformed manner.” The Premier stands up for his people. He has no other choice. He refuses to lay off 500 to 700 civil servants and see them roaming our streets to increase crime. He refuses to take people off of welfare benefits. Thank you, Premier. We hope you find the best alternative that will put your people first and will not be so hard on expats.
So if we lay off 500 Civil Servants we can expect these ordinarilty law abiding folk to take to the streets in a bloody crime spree unlike any we have seen before? Weird I never thought Accountants, Administrators, economists etc would have such a propensity for violence. Are you really thinking that we are all as stupid as you UDP Supporters?
Enjoy your fridge. Mac will be GONE in May.
GENIUS.
Civil servants shouldn't be laid off from their fake jobs (regardless of the obviously bloated civil service) because they will end up "roaming our streets to increase crime". Help us – is this because they are holding us all to ransom with the threat of 'criminal roaming' or because the government is already employing 500 to 700 criminals with our money?
In reply to Staunch UDP – your assumption that civil servants would turn to a life of crime in the event of unemployment is very harsh. Civil Servants are generally hard working, moral and productive members of society who I believe would eventually find work in the private sector rather then "roaming our streets"
However, there are a number of other reasons why laying off 500+ civil service workers is a terrible idea in the short and medium term:
1. Caymanian Civil servants spend all of their wages in Cayman – to remove this kind of spending power from the greater economy would be devastating.
2. The pressure on welfare and caymanian families in the short/medium term while all of these people are looking for work would be huge and unsustainable
3. Unless the layoffs were very gradual you would flood the market with available labour – there could be two effects a) driving downwages due to competition (maybe not a bad thing for employers but a terrible thing for workers with set expenses such as a mortgage) b) It would take far longer on average for these people to find work due to competition putting more pressure on welfare services, Caymanian families and the economy.
4. Services would suffer – contrary to popular belief Civil servants do work hard to keep our country running. I admit that greater efficiencies and computerisation could be introduced but until that investment is made we have to assume that reducing head count would have a devastating effect on services.
The solution to reducing the cost of the civil service will require:
1. some investment in systems and processes to increase efficiency/productivity before "head count" can be reduced.
2. Lay offs will need to be slow and phased and include fair redundancy pay offs to sustain familys until other employment is found.
3. The next phase of lay offs should not happen until those workers who have been laid off have found alternative employment to avoid flooding the market.
Provided a sensible approach is taken there is no reason why we can not reduce the cost of our government over the next 5 or 10 years. But to think that there is an over night solution that will not be devastating to this island and its people is wrong.
Fire everyone who stole gas, then there will be no need for redundancy payment.
Get rid of this tax, period. You don't have to cut the civil service (although you could let some foreigners go). All you have to do is stop some of the useless wasteful spending (not all of it, just some of it). Why is the budget spending 10% higher than last year's? Doesn't have to be, but it looks like the premier needs a huge slush fund in an election year.
Lies, lies and BS. This man cannot be trusted. The damage is done anyway. Many ppl will no longer b buying property here as they have lost faith in the Govt. I hope sense prevails but Cayman has been tarnished by these clownish antics.
that is so true for me
Someone said from the start, this was never a Caymanian / Work Permit Holder issue, it is the people versus an incompetent government overseered by another incompetent government. The people have two enemies, preventing their economy from growth and success:- The Foreign Office and our Party Government, a two-party system which I predicted will ruin and further divide Caymanians against Caymanians. Until voters open their eyes and realize the foolish back and forth rhetoric between the Premier, FCO Governor, and Opposition Leader, they will see the similarities. Cayman, let us united together and take back our country. The question of all questions:- How are we going to take our beloved islands back?
There must be consequences sufficient to clearly demonstrate to our community and the international community that this type of poorly considered thing will never happen again. If there are no consequences then confidence and calm will not return.
Oh thank you Almighty Merchant Class for looking out for the little guy…get over yourselves already! What possible purpose did it serve making a press release this morning? How else was McKeeva going to respond? Consider McKeeva’s background for a moment and then consider the disdain in which many ordinary Caymanians have toward the local families comprising the merchant class. The expat tax may well be of the table but Woody’s press release this morning is about the dumbest thing that you could do in the situation
Yet McKeeva approved their press release!
Why should there be disdain towards local families comprising the merchant class? There is no royalty in Cayman and those of the supposedly termed "''merchant class"' had to work as hard as anyone else to get where they are in life. I am an ordinary Caymanian ( though I do share surname with families in the merchant class) that has no disdain towards them.
Any1 who has been to Foster's on a Saturday night alone knows that particular business is not suffering AT ALL. I don't think none of the Supermarkets are feeling the pinch as ppl will always have to buy groceries. It sounds to me like some of their proposals will affect Caymanians and Mac wants our votes so he is very skeptical about pissing us off even more. I don't agree with the tax at all and I wouldn't wote for McKeewa if he offered me a house much less a fridge.
No, just Cayman Airways.
Watch selection drop and prices increase as the expat spending-class leave.
I have been to the Bahamas and seen the empty shelves and draconian prices that result when you chase the spenders away.
This is just a smoke screen for something greater. Tomorrow we will find out he sold the island to Dart
Mac still holding on…. I guess the math and having to let go civil servants don't add up! Way to go Mac, stick to your guns if you have to, because none of these big shots will look out for the average Caymanians that are unemployed in the hundreds.
He needs to be removed from his position and it seems his cabinet needs to do it.
HE IS A MENACE TO THIS SOCIETY.
A TERRORIST TO THE ISLANDs AND THEIR WELL-BEING.
These Islands and citizens of reasonable thinking, need to refuse to do business and listen to the nonsense that this less than Honourable Premier spews any longer.
WAKE- UP Speaker, Deputy Governor, Deputy Permier, Ministers, Member of the LA and EVERYONE else who has a greater say than average Joe. WAKE THE HELL UP and DO Something.
What a circus :(.
I felt sorry for poor Rolston on the tv last night.
He looked so very tired and weary, and if I had a drink I would have offered it to him.
Just one mind
I know of 3 people personally that pulled out of house deals due to uncertanty about this tax. 1 house wassold for a little over 1 million. the other two came close to totaling another million. Thats 2 million total. With a 7% stamp duty, the gov't just lost 140,000 between three people!!!! I dont go out that much (trying to save money) and dont know that many people, so I can only imagine there are more stoies like this!!!! Bush has no clue on the effects this tax will bring, no analysis, no projections, just verbal diarea coming out of his mouth
Yep, thanks Mac. We have our house for sale as we want to downsize. I guess we will never sell it now (sigh).
Stupid is as stupid does. Tax the expats 50%, get rid of the expats!!! rollover should be sorter!!! I have heard this time and time again from fellow Caymanian co-workers and friends. The ones that are in my position are singing a different song. I am not rich by ANY means! I need my income coming in every month to keep paying my expenses. One of my best income soursec is…… i mean WAS my rental income. Before this rollover got so much steam an support, I was getting a little over $4000 a month in rental income. NOW!!! with places empty, and cant be filled (8000 less work permit holders) I have lowered, and lowered and LOWERED my rent to now be only getting $2800 (if filled a month). for you non mathmaticians, thats $1200 less a month $14,400 less a year!!!! CRAZY!!!!! how would you like your employer to tell you OH by the way your salary is going to get cut by almost $20,000 USD per year!!! BUSH STOP DESTROYING YOUR ISLAND!!!!! STOP SELLING OUT TO THE CHINESSE FOR YOUR OWN BENFITS!!!!! LEAVE YOUR PEOPLE ALONE!!!!!
This man is a joke (not even worthy of calling him our Premier) he says "if a solution can be found that does not affect ordinary Caymanians" he will consider it. YOUR TAX WILL AFFFECT US (your CAYMANIAN people) The amount of money we make from expats work permits will fall due to the island being less attractive. Restaurants will oder less food, due to expats having less disposable income to go out. And if you think thats a drop in the hat, well it is compared to the immpression you leave with all of the off shore money coming here to avoid taxes!! WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO TO OUR HOME!!!!!! do we all forget that this man is under THREE criminal investigations!! AHHHHHHH I just want to scream to see what is going on. SOOOO frustarting
Civil Service full a "ordinary" Caymanians!! So why he gaw cut from ow-a salaries, den?
this man is playing mind games with us! those thin gs can come and bite you in the a$$ come may next year! TREK CAREFUL UDP!!
I am appalled by your statement that the man is "playing mind games" with us. If he doesn't have a brain, how can he figure out "mind games"? He reminds me of a statement made to me by my eldest daughter years ago. She wanted permission to go somewhere with a group that was forbidden to her and when I angrily asked her what she would do if she had a brain, her answer was "I'd take it out and play with it.". Well, McIdiot is tha same. He doesn't have a brain, so therefore, he cannot have a mind of his own.
Big Mac – 1) drop this lame idea of an expat tax – you know it was dumb from the get go…. after all… the idea came from your blue iguana like brain… and then 2) go "sun your buns" on the beach for a VERY long time!!!
Please do not insult our blue iguanas.
Don't insult the Blue Iguanas!
go "sun your buns" Mr. Premier and you will not find the Governor there either as you rudely stated!
Governor Taylor is an early riser doing his exercise early in the morning while you are doling out your vote buying favours in West Bay all at our expense from the slush fund you call "Nation Building Fund" with our money.
Stoping these vote buying expenditures will save us tens of millions of dollars Mr. Bush.
Expat Tax – No Expat Tax
Expat Tax – No Expat Tax
No Expat Tax – Expat Tax
eeeine.. meenie…mannie… moe…
I need a valium and a 6-pack together..
And I am hereby offering to allow our Premier to change fromhis name to mine…
My brother, if you need a six pack with your valium, you may be in trouble. It usually takes only 2 for me and I am out like a light. Peace & Love.
Shocker. NOT.
Nobody should underestimate his guy – NOBODY – including his supporters.
We are all going to end up paying dearly for this Governments inability to cut expenses – YES – Caymanians too – we already are.
Wonder how much money left this Islands last week in just a few keystrokes.
This is a response to the call for action from the big local families and their businesses and whether they plan to cover the tax to their Expat employees.
We have been active in giving suggestions to the CIG.
We have been active in campaigning against this Tax.
As for policy, we have had to wait to see if this insane proposal was to come into effect.
We want to do whatever possible to keep our valuable staff, but the entire economy and all businesses (big and small) are under extreme pressure. There is only so much that a company can absorb.
In the case of retail to the local market, the additonal cost has to be passed on the the consumer. We don't want to increase the cost of living, but the margins that we all work on are very slim, so even a 1-2% change can make or break a business. We absorbed the work permit increases and this has hurt our bottom line. We could not absorb the 2% increase in duties, this had to been passed on. Adding the 10% tax, if we chose to compensate to keep our expat employees, this too would end up being paid for by the consumer. We have no other alternative. Costs can not be added in all directions and merely considered a "cost of doing business". There is only so much pressure that a business can take.
Some of the businesses that you mention have no ability to pass on these extra costs as they compete with the world market (not just local companies), so any increase in price takes away the fundamental advantage of being a travel retail destination. Many of these businesses are priced better than the US or UK retailers and this is why the tourists shop here instead of at home. Any increase in cost becomes a hit to revenues and I know for a fact that many of these businesses are having a tough time, so the expat workers would have to shoulder this tax, unfortunately as there is no other alternative.
Thank goodness it appears that this tax is no longer going through, but there will be some increase in fees to cover the overspending of the government (unfortunately rather than trying to cut costs it seems) as the end results would destroy Cayman.
So bear in mind that we should all keep the PRESSURE on the Premier and CIG to cut costs rather than just examine new revenues. Any increase in costs will result, across the board, in an increased cost of living for everyone. Having said this, whether it it a 10% tax or not, you will take less to your savings unless we hold this government and the previous administration responsible for the waste.
The Premier need to understand, also his Cabinet and UDP that changing his mind on the Expat tax only make him and his Cabinet look like a fool. If you cannot make up your mind on this, which is so evident is necessary then I would say you are sitting on the fence. Come down Mr Bush and do what has to be done. Who tell you that the Expat.likes you? They do not. and changing this to suit them will cause you to loose confidence in the eyes of Caymanians who supported you. The expats do not vote for you. What need to be done, is all UDP Members in each district need to do some work. Will someone tell me what the UDP members are doing while Mr Bush batle with the Tax problem.
UDP members need to get to work….what you been doing for the past three years?
The have been looking like fools for the past years three years…and longer.
No, the expats do not vote for him or any government, as you said, so why tax them?
You write and sound like the guy at the meeting in the yellow shirt?
Hold on. Look like a fool?? I won't continue because well I can't pay the legal bill.
Local Biz I thank you for the piece on this matter.
However you are leaving a big problem in front of us to continually jump up and bite us.
You want Government to cut costs. Fine no problem. But the cost of living continues to climb in this country which means that Government will have no other choice but the cut jobs, which they have been doing for the past few years like everyone. Now I will grant you that they have also gone on to add jobs but there are sections of Government that are understaffed badly.
This country needs desperately a new revenue source. If it is not a tax then maybe it needs to be a casino or lottery. But if your solution is to just cut and cut then this problem will be back to discuss next year and the next after it.
But to your own point the cost of living is rising because the CIG is living outside of its means.
If CIG was to cut cost as in moving a percentage of its work force into the private sector what would happen IDEALLY is that CIG would have less revenues from the permits but teh cost savings would be like 10 times the revenue lost which would lead to a healthier bottomline for CIG.
This along with new revenue measures and I keep throwing Casinos out there because I believe everything else is more of a rubberband than solutions. Casinos in my mind's eye fixes two problems at once. CIG revenues would be better from the licensing fees and % of winnings but also it would kick start construction. It would also stabilize the tourism industry because gamblers are not as VACATION centered as normal tourist are. They tend to go where teh action is and if we held tournaments during summer months we could even out tourism in Cayman. So if you looked at it you would see this:
1) Increases substantially CIG revenues. Bahamas gov is making 20+ Mil per year. I see no reason why can not do the same.
2) Would jump start construction industry with new casinos being build or renovations being done to existing.
3) Would even out and stabilize tourism in Cayman with competitions held in June to September annually.
4) Gamblers could become investors also. These are people generally with a decent amount of money that may not have made Cayman a destination of choice before.
The biggest con we have out of this is the Caymanian gambling away his/her rent money and this could easily be solved by either:
1) Making it illegal for Caymanians to gamble OR
2) Placing a really high license fee for locals to go gamble like CI$10K per annum. This does two things. Sorts out those who can afford from those who can not AND ads more CIG revenue. We could have a fine also for any breaking this rule of like CI$500.
The other fear of corruption or bad element would be sorted out the way we sort out who we do business with at banks. A full background check with US agencies andteh likes. I am sure they know who are tied to what.
After we create real income options and cut cost it might become possible for us to lower some fees we hiked up before such as fuel duties and the infamous 2% duties. THIS will lead to reduction in cost of living which I believe needs to be a #1 priority of the next government.
I believe that Mr. Miller's 2 cents or 4 cents exchange idea also has some merit and I can see that being an option to additional income also and I am sure that people like Mr Foster and his group might have some additional ideas that can be put forward also.
Taxes should come ONLY AFTER ALL ELSE FAILS. Now as a 1st solution so one can balance a budget.
I completely agree with you. I feel the point at the end is that there needs to be a focus and pressure from the people for fiscal responsibility in all directions, not merely the finding new revenue to cover all the waste. The point is for everyone to keep the pressure even if the tax is taken off of the table. We let him get away with wasting the country's money for years and now that we are about to feel the pain we are all up in arms. We let this lunatic back into power and he is sinking the ship at record pace. He needs to understand that there are consequences, he cannot wake up every morning and simply do whatever he likes and the people of Cayman (Expat and local) are not willing to pay for his mistakes anymore.
Casino or Lottery???? one look at Las Vegas and it should tell you it does not solve any financial problems it just compounds the problems more. Las Vegas it one place in the USA that is hit the hardest by the recession and if gambling was a solution it would be one of the best performers. Go no further than the state of Florida they have the highest rate of forclosure in the USA go figure before spouting nonsence about Casiono and Lottery if it cannot bail out the USA, Bahamas and a host of other country what is the magic solution for Cayman? Go back to the drawing board and come up with a sensible sustainable and reliable source of income.
How about Bahamas….?? Huuummm.
The reason is because its all they got. We are a complex economy built on banking and tourism. Soon to be multiple level tourism.
Government should cut cost by getting rid of 50% of the non Cayman staffer and fill them with some of the people who are now on welfare. Deport all the foreign prisoners that are in our prisions back to their home country. Revert back to a refundable repatriation fee for permit holders of the cost of a first class ticket back to their home country and half of the money will be refunded to the employer after 7 years. No need for a government enhancement fee there. Do away with the mandatory pension for foreign workers which is a huge cost to employers, make it optional. Stop the maintainance of private subdivision roads if it’s not a public thru road let the residents maintain the road.