No word on who’s in charge
(CNS): With the Cayman Islands premier travelling on business in the Far East and the deputy premier at a postal conference on the edge of the Arabian Desert, there has been no official word from government as to who is in charge and for how long. In the continuing failure of the government to keep the public properly informed regarding the whereabouts of its leaders and who is holding the fort at home, there has been no confirmation regarding McKeeva Bush’s current travel schedule or when Juliana O’Connor-Connolly will be returning from a postal conference in Doha, Qatar.
Although CNS has submitted questions regarding the premier, as is now customary the premier’s office has not answered those questions. It is assumed that Education Minister Rolston Anglin is currently acting as premier and CNS has asked for confirmation of that.
The deputy premier admitted she was at a postal conference in her message for World Postal Day but she did not indicate where that conference was in that public statement. It was confirmed by her ministry, however, that she is attending the Universal Postal Union’s 25th congress in Qatar but there are no details on when she will be returning.
Both the premier and his deputy have been criticised not only for the significant amount of official travel the two have engaged in over the past three years, but increasingly over the persistent failure to inform the public on the details of where, why, who and, above all, how much the trips cost.
With the country facing a continued economic slump and the government forced to raise fees and taxes, once again this year, to cover growing government expenses, the issue of costly overseas trips have come under the spotlight.
CNS has submitted freedom of information requests for the details of the trips taken by the country’s leaders and will publish the full documents if and when government releases the information under the law.
Category: Politics
Mark Twain said, "No man is safe while Congress is in session." Is this not true of Cayman?
I don’t think we have much to fear from Congress.
People change with time. JOC went from being the Queen of toilet blocks to being Cayman Brac's first female Globetrotter.
Seeing that she and Mac are clueless and visionless having them far away from Cayman would be a great thing if it were not costing us all hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Is it true that the new insurance tax is to fund all of the travel?
Are you taking the Pissaco?
Perhaps Mad Mac and JuJu could meet up somewhere in Outer Mongolia and then loose their return tickets! What a relief that would be!! Then they could invite all the other members of the Unwanted Demonic Party to join them there!
All this travel might not be so bad after all.
Three years ago Mike Adam, and others, went to Missouri to look at their juvenile detention center and we still don't have one.
Two or three years ago JuJu and Mark, and others, went to Alaska to look at a pollution-free oil refinery and we still don't have one.
Two or three years ago McKeeva, Ellio, and others, went to Italy, Roatan, Jamaica, and China, to look at docks and we still don't have one.
The list of UDP travels without results is endless.
Brilliant!
Postal Conference?!? I am fed up with how much of our money Julianna O'Connor Connelly is wasting on useless trips to exotic locations just for her, her body guard and other tag alongs to enjoy themselves. I hope everyone here in Cayman does what I'm going to do and vote out UDP in May just to be sure she can't waste anymore of our money.
Because they have done nothing, and they are doing nothing, and have plans to do nothing, there is no need for any of the Useless Dump Puppets to be in charge of ANYTHING!
Both premiers on world wide junkets.
Shame, shame. Gone when we need them the most.
Are they in hidding?
We don't need them.
They need us.
We are the source of their income.
Tell me something, why the hell was Mr Bush at an IMF conference. Why was this necessary for the Cayman Islands at this time? The people deserve answers on the reasons for this trip. What did we gain? While we are at it, why in God's name do we need to have representation at a postal conference? Utter RUBBISH!
WASTEFUL WASTEFUL WASTEFUL!
Big Mac at an IMF conference is like sending Steve Manderson (Northward frequent escapee) to a Security conference.
You guys should give the deputy premier a bit of credit you know after all she does things for her constituents.. Like pave private lots with public money. Please give credit where deserved. .
It would be a very interesting FOI to see the complete costs of all of the travels of the Premier and Deputy Premier including their entourages.
This has to be in the millions since they came to office.
We need to rise up against this. Why is it that we are constantly saddled with more taxes and have to stay home and Julie can fly first class all the way to Qatar to pick up a piece of paper on behalf of the postal service? Absolutely ridiculous!! we could have sent Sheena in coach class if it was that important that someone be there in person.
We need leaders that can lead by example to make a mockery of us and continue to burden us with taxes so they can take their jollies at our expense. Where all all the investors they are supposed to be attracting…Are they coming by snail mail?
May can't come too soon!!!
hey remember we did send Sheena as well, plus another rep so thats 3 people on this junket – for what…for what.?
I'm sure Paul went too. The bodyguard goes everywhere so that's 4. What about McKeever? He never goes anywhere alone.
So much silence on this issue from our LA members. Has this island gone into dictatorship already???
Has been for the last three years. Are you just now figuring that out?
This is deMACracy!!!
Meanwhile back in the World, a doctor, a lawyer and an accountant were talking about this story and they each said: "AHHHHH hhaaaaaaa haaaaaaa haaaaaaaaaaa..". Then there was nothing else to say.
Just a bunch of leeches bleeding every penny they can get from the public.
Do you hear that Mac and JuJu. Things are running fine with out you both. BUT PLLEEASSE return the CI GOV'T CREDIT CARD as island is broke already!!!
Isn't the role of the Deputy Premiere to deputize in the Premieres Abscence? I think it is time to get rid of this position as it is not adhering to the job description.
Why do we have her?
how many days in the year do these wasters spend in the legislative assembly?
No more than 14 days total. We know where Mac and JuJu spend the rest of the year.
I have no leader
So now we all have to pay more insurance tax just so these morons can see the world. We should all meet them at the airport when they return to let them know how happy we are.
At the very least, the likes of O’Connor-Connolly should be required to submit within 10 days of returning to Cayman a public report to the LA on each such trip, explaining what happened on it and why it represents value for money for Cayman.
This one was clearly an utter waste of money.
Any truth to the rumor . . . . .
that while he is in China, Mac will be signing an MOU putting the country up as collateral to guarantee the China dock deal?
Rumour? Its already signed and he not even reach China yet! Crayola must be making a fortune off of us.
I have been speaking with a number of voters over the past few weeks and get the feeling that the UDP will still have a slim majority in the LA after May 2013.
There is still time for things to change, but I would not recommend that you hold your breath waiting on that change.
I have been speaking to a number of people over the last year and its no feeling, the UDP will be wiped from the LA
Guaranteed that everyone who is signing up to vote will make sure of it.\\
If a chicken was in the next elections I would vote for it, just because chickens can't travel very far from their nests.
You are looking at things from a very personal perspective. Please go out in the community and talk with other voters (other than your friends and family) so that you will have a better feel for what will be the most realistic outcome in May 2013.
As you obviously did in only West Bay
Got fridge?
Your comment suggests that you don't have anything constructive to add to the discussion.
How many of these "people" are actual voters?
The feedback that I have received indicates that the vote in Cayman is very tribal and that there is a silent majority that will vote UPD on election day.
All of them, and the thousands signing up who have status and naturalization wil outnumber the bought votes just nicely
Do you have any stats on new voter registration that you can provide to help support your comment?
Like the silent majority on one man one vote?
Only 57.23% of registered voters participated in the “one man one vote” referendum; and I think it is fair to say that everyone expected that the majority of people that went out to vote would be in favor of changing the voting system that we have in place today. Additionally, only 37.14% of registered voters indicated that they were in support of “one man one vote”.
The important thing to understand is that a significant portion of registered votes did not feel that the existing voting system MUST be changed at this stage as they decided not to go out and vote in favor of “one man one vote”.
I think you would agree that 37.14% of registered voters is too low and that a simple majority is not the right approach for such an important matter.
What worries me is that any Independents that are elected can be "king makers" and Bush will offer them the world to keep himself in power!
He's checking out locations where he can't be extradited.
After the postal conference, the Deputy Premier is scheduled to attend the Swim Flippers Convention and Show in Brisbane. Then it's off to The Fall Handbag and Hygiene Show in Milan. The Premier, in the meantime, will be attending the International Airline Air Sickness Bag Show in Amsterdam. Afterwards he will be watching the 2012 Thong-Wearing Contest in Monaco before flying directly to Austin for the Annual Chili Cook-Off.
Just a quick question… Does cayman have a opposition? Or a leader of the opposition? If so then where is he? He is the one that has the power to demand the answers to all the publics questions..
Where are you? Why are you so silent? I hope you are the opposition and not sitting silently waitingfor your turn to go globe trotting..
This island desperately needs a real leader not this nonsense..
Makethe china billionaires travel here and stop playing rich..
As for all these conferences send the ones who has done all the hard work and deserves the credit ..
Stop showing your face there like your beloved by the people when in reality you are almost scorned…
I think this postal conference is a wonderful thing, and the fact that Cayman has received accolades is probably well deserved. I know they break records, because I received three separate packages containing books from the UK recently that took over five months to arrive, measurably faster than a floating cocunut, or flotsam from the Japanese tsunami. Of course, I can't blame the Cayman Post Office, as the delay was probably somewhere else, but it's good to know that the entire global postal organization is focussed on providing a better service. I feel sure JuJu's contribution will make all the difference. Anyhow, I've done well out of it, as in all three cases my money was refunded some months before the books arrived, and I'm a patient person.
I tend to find, like JuJu, if you pray, your packages arrive in a timely manner.
They know they are on the way out, so they are living it up while they can before May 2013 and rubbing it into our faces – they don't see the need to issue a proper release to explain why, in this time of economic cash-crunch, they need to take these trips and what they hope to achieve. Just the other day, I saw another minister returning from his recent "jolly" in Europe and the following weekend, he was on his way out again, this time with his wife. Do these leaders ever stay in the country long enough to actually do any work and justify their salaries? Postal conference? Give me a break. Send the Postmaster then, not a Deputy Premier, for crying out loud. Doesn't the Deputy Premier have far more important things to do with her time? Is this really such a priority for her, given the serious issues at home here? Do any of our leaders even attend these conferences and how much time do they actually spend there and what do they really achieve? Or do they just go online, research the conferences that are planned in a country that takes their fancy, and use it as a pretext for another "jolly" overseas on our dime? I can just picture it "Oh, this might be a nice place to visit, let's see if there is a conference going on which we can use as an excuse to go there and have a nice time." Enough with the nonsense already ! They are an embarrassment to Caymanians who mean well for their country. As for the Premier, what is the reason for the Far East trip? Doesn't CHEC have an office in Jamaica anymore and weren't the meetings being held there? I guess no one has heard of "GotoMeeting". Must be some high-level reason then, to go trekking all the way to Far East! Can some sound, intelligent, successful and educated businessmen and women PLEASE step up to the plate and rescue the country from these old-relic dinasoars who do not think they are accountable to the people and that they must give an account for themselves, given that the country is broke and people are suffering just to get by and put food on their table, while they travel on our dime?
You make a great point. Why do we need a deputy premier's office if the office holder a) feels no responsibility to be on island why the premier is away and b) obviously does no work and has nothing useful to do with her time or else she wouldn't be at a goddamned mail conference in the middle east.
The good news is the conference is now in its 16th day with only 8 more to go. The conference website lists a wealth of hotels from just under $100 to $1000 per night. There are probably only a few people in our delegation (10-100) so the costs should be just below that of the chinese dock…
Budget crisis… Lavish travel continue…postal conference really? This is necessay essential travel wtf?!
UDP suxxx
The Permier and Deputy are still in charge as the mandate of the government is self interest…they can do that anywhere.
OMG! What ever will we do without someone in charge?!
Throw a party….umz umz umz umz umz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm in charge. Forward all cheques to my PO box and I declare the rest of the month a public holiday.
You're welcome,
Dude
The fact the Mac has not left anyone in charge simply tells us that he does not have any faith in the ability of his minions to run the country.
Save Cayman from DeMACracy! Vote all of the Useless Dumb Puppets out of office!
I beg to differ. What is shows is that WE DON"T NEED THEM and can do without them just fine.
I say we call an Emergency sitting of the LA NOW, and throw thier useless bottoms out of office once and for all.
Rolston, grow a pair for once in your life !!
Rolston's got a pair, it's just that the Courts are currently squeezing or playing with them like those chinese stress balls **tingle tingle**
Who makes these calls for Rolston? Do you really know what you are calling for? Hint: just another useless windbag with no moral compass. Check his record since he has been elected. With the exception of tearing down the former Minister there is not much else besides 2 late night single car wrecks!
At best… There is an EXTREMELY small chance the postal system would have benifited by the Postmaster going. Like thetelecommunications conferance in Spain, i doubt there was another member of any country's legeslative assembly in attendance.
It is really sad for me to see the country and it's people abused by it's elected officials.
About three weeks ago I received a piece of local mail in my mailbox. Postmarked June 19th. One can only hope that someone learns something, soon.
This is utter lunacy. The place is being governed by "out-to-lunch" cardboard cut-out characters that would have provided marvellous character models for Dodgson's "Alice" adventures. I need another beer.
Postal Conference? Really??? WHY?????
Yes! A Postal Conference!!!
They have some good food over there in that part of the world you know!!!!
I mean, she will come back with many new ideas to transform our postal service to a
"A Class" operation, zzzzzzzzz, what, what i think I was mumbling in my sleep just now! Had a dream that the UDP was traveling the world spending our money!!! Thank goodnes it was only a real bad dream!
Postal conference? Are u kidding me? What value is Cayman getting by Juju being there? Have a heart Juju please stop wasting our money.
Expect to see less and less of them in the months to come. After all, their free travel vouchers expire come May, 2013.
So I hear Mac is outta town and JuJu 'Oconnor is jet setting around. Not to worry folks I hear that George W. Bush is coming to town. May be he might runs things…hopefuly not to the ground.
Just what we need, more 'Bush' …
Without a Conservation Law……we can clear all the Bush we want!
God is in charge as usual!!
I wish it were true. God only asks for 10% in taxes. 🙂
Or $4 million doalllrs of the publics funds……
Yeah! and unfortunately GOD will be broke again next year; but worries Saint Mac has it covered.
Yeah. "Let us bow our heads and pray for the country's budget"
whats anybody going to do about it???
Replying to your question……… nothing!
what else do you expect from caymanian politicians,…voted in by caymanian voters?……
Well I dare say, with no one in charge, we are no worse off than when they are here. In fact, this may be quite the improvement!
Unfortunately, they keep returning.
It's not so bad to have those two out of Cayman for extended stays, however, it does hurt VERY BAD that we are the ones paying for these jaunts.
After May election you'll find and see them at every turn in Cayman, then you will know that they were just wasting our dollars on their glorious travel, half way around the world NO LESS!!
Keke that's it!!!! I've had enough of you and your wacations!
Oh you must mean that you're going to put a "walve" on it to stop the flow of public funds!
In the face of the public who has to bear the brunt of these tax hikes and the civil service who has to take pay cuts all of this travel is ridiculous. They are fish ing for business yes / maybe but where are the fruits of all these years of travels? I believe they really need to slow it down…
The fruit of their labors is now obvious. Everyone is missing the point here. The Premier and Deputy Premier have built such an efficient and well established system of governance and infrastructure that Cayman appears to run just fine without their presence. They can sit back now in retirement and travel the world with the confidence that all systems are running just fine. The services of the Premier and Deputy Premier are no longer needed here. They should now step aside and relinquish their pay packages so we can take their salaries and monies they would have used on future travel and use it to increase the pay of Civil Servants and maybe even spend a little on alternative energy production.
Thank you Premier and Deputy Premier. We will always remember the paradise you have left for us.
Does anyone know if Qatar or China are signatories to the Geneva Convention in the event we may have a request for extradition in the near future?
The Lunatics are running the Asylum! However, they seem to be currently absent……
I’ll run things. First order of business would be to get rid of the udp party. They are all worthless
Not worthless..they are Wutlesss!!!!
Orda sum patties too nuh, i hungreh
Thank you CNS, things would be much worse without your efforts.
Perhaps Julianna left Paul in charge. Nothing would surprise me now.
Juliana left Paul? Bite your tongue, you scalawag!
Gosh. No one in charge?
Just hope Bermuda dont invade us while our Commander in Chief and his Deputy (and her chauffer/personal assistant/bf) are away partying..
Oh My! you dare sayyyy….
Keep the heat on them Wendy and Nicky – you are our last line of defence.
I don't know whether it is mere ignorance or arrogance. They both are gone- running around to attend these stupid happenings and did not even have the decency to let us know who is left in charge of our beloved Cayman. It is either that they are not smart enough to realise that as Premier and Deputy Premier there is really no need to attend these frivolous gatherings or else they are doing it to spite us just because they can. Others invitees must be wondering why they show up when it is such a waste of precious time. To test the efficiency of the postal service they should have asked the council to air mail the trophy to us. Really no need to spend thousands of dollars to go collect it.
No-one has been in charge for years. Just posturing and pilfering.