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Benefits of 2-party system
The two-party system in Cayman started over a decade ago and today there is still considerable debate as to its necessity. Many of us remember the “good old days” when we simply had elected officials lumped into the overall Executive Council. However, it was impossible to expect that Cayman politics was going to stay that way.
We may reminisce about our innocent youth, but we are never going to get it back. The two-party system is here to stay.
The reason the two-party system exists in human affairs seems to stem from human nature itself. In whatever social-political arena we examine, the people in them fall into two broad categories. For sake of simplicity we call them “liberal” and “conservative.” Everywhere we look in the broad spectrum of humanity, people are divided into these two categories. Everyone we know is either a conservative or a liberal. In actual fact, this seems to be decided at a very early age in our life. It is difficult, if not impossible, to change one’s mind-set. You are either left or right. You are either liberal or conservative.
For example, in Cayman, we have UDP (liberals) and PPM (conservatives). American politics is also divided between liberals (Democrats) and conservatives (Republicans.) Despite the monarchy, English politics is also divided between political parties that are clearly liberal and conservative. In the US, news agencies (despite their claims of “objectivity”) are divided between liberal and conservative: CNN is liberal, and Fox is conservative. This is clear as day. In Cayman, radio stations (as evidenced by their talk-shows) are also divided between liberal and conservative. Even in our immediatefamilies, we see this divide. No matter where we look in the world, the divide between liberal and conservative exists.
Of course there is the minority “independent” viewpoint. There are some people who do not like to be categorized and will say, “I am liberal when it comes to social issues, but fiscally, I am conservative.” Be that as it may, this “independent” person can nevertheless be categorized as a liberal or conservative. And usually, it’s how you view things socially and /or how you vote. We can hide from labels all we want, but the truth is you can be categorized. You are either on the “left” or on the “right.”
Now why exactly is the two-party system inherent in human nature, and what are its benefits? There seems to be a simple answer. Generally speaking, liberal minded people are concerned more with the future, progress. Conservatives are usually concerned more with the past, tradition. (I said “generally speaking.”) A balance is needed between these two viewpoints. If all one did was focus on the future, without sufficient attention to the past, there would be danger of cutting oneself off from continuity. A tree without roots becomes unplanted very quickly. On the other hand, the danger of focusing on the past, without sufficient attention to the future, is that it would stunt growth. What good are the roots of a tree that bear no fruit?
The future mustbe balanced by the past, and the past must be balanced by the future. In other words, liberals and conservatives both need each other. Both parties are necessary for the advancement of society. We learn this concept of balance in debate class where two opposing viewpoints are formed to argue a topic. One side argues in favour of one perspective, and the other side argues in favour of the opposite. The reason this is done is so that a higher understanding of the topic can be achieved. If everyone believed the same thing, how would we advance in knowledge? It takes opposite viewpoints to advance human knowledge and society. This is called “dialectic.” It’s what we mean when we say “looking at both sides of the coin” or “putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.” And so there is no such thing as one viewpoint being more correct than the other. If you subscribe to the UDP, this does not mean that the PPM is wrong. And if you subscribe to the PPM, this does not mean that the UDP is wrong.
And so it is useless to call for the de-establishment of the two-party system. What is really important is to establish a proper playing field so that both parties can properly expound their viewpoint with the necessary counter-balance. We must realize that members of the opposition are integral to the advancement of Cayman’s society. People with different political viewpoints from you deserve your respect. It is very likely that you can, and will, learn something from a viewpoint you do not subscribe to.
As always, there is religious confirmation of this. In Israel 2000 years ago, the Pharisees were liberals and Sadducees conservatives. The Pharisees were more lax on Jewish customs, whereas the Sadducees held tight to Jewish law. Jesus’ apostles were also divided between liberal and conservative. St Paul and St Peter fought bitterly about their opposite viewpoints. When Christianity began to spread to the Gentile world, St Peter (the conservative) did not want to do away with Jewish customs. St Paul (the liberal) said that those traditions were no longer necessary (Galatians 2: 11 – 14.) Jesus Himself chose both liberals and conservatives to spread His Church. Surely this confirms for us the necessity of having two parties in Cayman. Christ, in whom all things converge, is both conservative and liberal, which is why He could break the law if He wanted (Mark 2: 23 – 28), while at the same time recommend his followers to adhere to it (Matthew 23: 2 – 3).
I am not in the LA on a day-to-day basis, so I cannot say for sure, but from the outside it often seems that the two parties lack respect for each other, and for the most part seem intent on destroying one another’s personalities. This shows a lack of respect and understanding of the raison d’être of the two party system. From such derisive division, how can we expect unity in the Cayman Islands?
There must be acceptance and open communication between both sides. Recognize that both parties are necessary for the advancement of the Cayman Islands. St Peter and St Paul did not share the same views, but they came to an agreement because they had the same common goal: Christ. In the same way, PPM and UDP do not have to share the same views, but they must come to agreements from time to time for sake of their common goal: Cayman.
How Many More Victims?
Violent repeat offenders terrorise women in our community and violent robberies have become almost a weekly occurrence. Despite this the government has so far not brought forward legislation that will keep violent criminals off our streets.
A proposal for very minor amendments to the Penal Code has been published in the past few days. While there are a few welcome changes, there is nothing in the proposals that will curb violent crime. Not only that, but rather than toughing sentences for gang activity, the proposed legislation seeks to eliminate the current minimum sentences for gang involvement and therefore to permit much more lenient punishment for gang activity. Who is the government trying to please by doing that?
There is nothing complex in what needs to be done and there is no need to re-invent the wheel. Examples of the types of very simple legislative provisions we need to keep our community safer can be easily found by anyone taking 5 minutes to look for them.
By way of example, the British government which also has problems with violent repeat offenders, has introduced draft changes to their criminal law. In contrast to what is being proposed for Cayman, the draft British legislation actually appears to be aimed at keeping violent offenders off the street.
Under the changes proposed in the UK there will be a "two strikes and you're out" mandatory life sentence for anyone convicted of a second very serious sexual or violent offence. I am sure that the vast majority of the electorate would support this type of approach.
In addition, under the UK proposals all dangerous criminals convicted of serious and violent sexual crimes will be required to serve at least two-thirds of their sentence before being considered for parole. Further, parole of the most serious offenders will require “the approval of the parole board and those paroled will be under a recall licence for at least 10 years”. I am sure that the vast majority of the electorate would prefer that approach over the “slap on the wrist and out the door” policy that is in place here in Cayman. Why is our government proposing to maintain the current revolving door policy for violent criminals?
The UK is also criminalising the activities of the middle men who handle or conceal guns on behalf of other criminals. The UK will have a new offence of possession of an illegal firearm with intent to supply, with a maximum sentence of life in prison. This new offence will be in addition to the existing but harder to prove charge of possession of a gun with intent to endanger life. The penalty for the offence of importing a weapon without a license will increase under British proposals to 14 years. Why has the government not proposed similar changes?
It is not suggested that what the UK is proposing is sufficient to make our streets safer, but it is far better than the current soft on violent crime approach. In my view, the discretion of judges to impose “slaps on the wrist” should be constrained by legislated minimal sentences for all violent crimes, subject to only extremely limited exceptions. Concurrent sentences for violent and gang related crimes should be prohibited in all but very exceptional circumstances as concurrent sentences provide no deterrence. At present, a violent criminal may get the same soft sentence for 20 violent robberies as for one. A person who rapes 20 women may only be punished for the first rape, if at all. Where is the justice in that? Why is the government proposing to maintain that injustice?
It is only the elected government that can give us the legislation we need to make our streets safer and we need such legislation now. No matter what the government may say to suggest that they have no role in reducing crime in our country, only they can pass the laws we need, and they must be held accountable when they fail to act.
We must also be aware that only rarely is time taken in the LA to even consider fixing what is wrong with our law relating to the sentencing of violent criminals. We need to demand that our politicians abandon the current soft on violent crime approach and instead immediately bring in legislation that will keep violent criminals off our streets. This can be done by introducing amendments to the recently proposed legislation as it goes through the LA. Perhaps that is what the government has been planning to do all along. If not, I hope one of the opposition MLAs will move the required amendments so that the government can clearly be seen to be opposed to making our community safer.
Russia and China come bottom of bribe-paying survey
(BBC): Companies from Russia and China are most likely to pay bribes when doing business abroad, a new survey suggests.The two scored worst out of 28 countries in a poll of 3,000 business executives conducted by anti-corruption group Transparency International (TI). The Netherlands and Switzerland came top, while the UK ranked eighth, just ahead of the US and France. Bribery was reportedly most common to win public sector works and construction contracts. "It is of particular concern that China and Russia are at the bottom of the index," said TI in its report. "Given the increasing global presence of businesses from the countries, bribery and corruption are likely to have a substantial impact on societies in which they operate and on the ability of companies to compete fairly in these markets."
Caring for our kids
Holidays can prove challenging for parents, particularly those with work commitments and limited vacation days. A lack of school environment means they have to find alternative child care, so that they can continue to work, while simultaneously know that their children are safe. I get it – I am a parent.
I am fortunate because I am able to afford summer camps and my son has many friends whose parents I can turn to when camp finishes. Others have less disposable money for such services but are blessed with supportive families and friends … there are always ways and there are always solutions if you look hard enough for them.
Having opened with the problem, I feel compelled to highlight what I consider to NOT be an option. Neglect, essentially. This week I found a 7 year old boy in the kitchen at work. He was parked in front of the TV watching Cartoon Network. Employees were carrying on as normal, basically ignoring him. I noticed his arms pulled into his t-shirt and engaged in a conversation, asking if he was cold. He was. I found a snuggly chair for him to curl up in and headed to HR to find a t-shirt he could put on over his own clothes. I asked if he was hungry – he was. No food or drink had been left for him. Did he know whether his father was coming for him? He said he was but didn’t know when. This is a parent who decided that leaving his child in the kitchen all day with nothing to do, eat or drink, nor warm clothes to protect his skinny little frame from the frigid a/c was ok.
I asked if he knew where his father sat so he could go to him if he needed him – he did not. So I set about printing off dot-to-dots, mazes, pictures to colour, found a stack of paper, and coloured pens. I gathered my own snacks – an apple, some cheese and crackers and poured him a glass of water. I checked that he knew where the bathroom was and showed him where I sat if he needed anything. The child never smiled, barely spoke above a whisper, but ate his apple, andgot busy drawing some very creative pictures.
His father eventually took him out to lunch at 1:30pm, having failed to check on him once over the course of the morning.
I have talked to staff in the George Town library who commented that they hate seeing kids dropped off and left for the entire day with not enough food or drink, only to be picked up at the end of the day. Children need more than to just be in a safe environment (under the watchful eye of people who are not employed to watch them). They need stimulation (and no the Cartoon Network and Nintendo DS do not count), they need conversation, regular feeding with healthy food and water, exercise and care.
I believe that this little boy’s father failed him today – a little thought and no extra cost would have meant that this boy had food, drink, a sense of security that he could find his Dad, warmth, brain stimulating entertainment and a notion that his Dad COULD be bothered to make the effort, even if he couldn’t sit with him.
From a community perspective, I was equally perturbed that so many people walked past without so much as acknowledging this little boy or checking that he was OK. I believe in community. When we find ourselves lacking parenting skills, the community can pick up the slack, to show the neglected or loved but poorly parented children that someone cares, wants to help and takes an interest in them. Each one of us can set an example to a child, which may inspire him or her to make decisions on what or who they want to be as they grow up. With no role models, what does their future hold?
I am not a perfect parent, I don’t pretend to be, but I do know that kids are our responsibility to nurture, guide and raise, so that they have a strong foundation onto which to develop and build their character, ethics and future. We must listen to them, answer their wide-eyed questions, explain why some things are right and others are wrong, be consistent in our teachings and help them to learn that choices lead to consequences – and that we should all be accountable for the decisions that we make.
It costs nothing to care, nor to lead by example, nor to talk to a child and really listen to what they have to say. But with our youth turning to crime in the most alarming way, surely it is the very least contribution we could make to our society … and costs not a dime.
A 3rd Way for Cayman
In a little more than 18 months there will be an election that will determine the future of Cayman. Pre-election positioning is already underway. Part of the current discussion focuses on the alternatives of Cayman reverting to electing independent MLAs and forming a new 3rd political alliance. Recent (unscientific) polls suggest that something like 75% of the populace view the current government as being somewhere between less than competent and disastrous.
Something like another 10% have a slightly higher view of the current government, but still would not vote for them in the next election.
Satisfaction with the official opposition, which seems content to lackadaisically sit back and watch the current government destroy the country, is not that much better. Something like 35% of the population would prefer the somnolent PPM to the UDP, but then again the polls leave open the conclusion that about the same percentage would prefer to elect a box of frozen squid rather than the UDP.
The electorate’s views on independent candidates are mixed. Some point to “the good old days” when unpaid community leaders with no party affiliation were elected to represent their districts. Alliances among these old time politicians came and went on specific subjects as a path forward for the country was negotiated among people who actually had Cayman’s interests at heart. In those days MLAs were not obliged to support the actions of a single party leader, even when the actions of that supreme politician suggested some total derangement.
There is a considerable appeal in a return to those days. Needed legislation was passed and Cayman prospered. Sadly, a return to those days is unlikely any time soon simply because a return to those days would almost certainly require a change in the Constitution and neither of the current political parties would ever vote to limit their own power. The current Constitution simply gives far too much power over other MLAs to the premier and the party in power. It has also allowed the premier to assume excessive powers without implementing any meaningful safeguards to prevent the abuse of power.
The political architects of the new Constitution tipped the balance in favour of highly paid and often completely useless populist politicians who respond to the demands of the party and party bosses rather than the electorate. Those who designed the party system, and are dependent on it rather than the will of the people to stay in power, know this. That is not to say that those who designed the new Constitution did so out of malice. It is more likely that they saw the transfer of power from the people to party bosses and backers as a way of getting things done their way. I doubt that any of them had the foresight to see how far wrong things could go if the wrong person was made premier and the wrong party given such great power.
What then are the arguments being debated? Sensible arguments coming from UDP supporters on the subject of maximising democracy in Cayman unfortunately seem less common than parrot’s teeth. The main argument that is trotted out by PPM supporters for supporting the PPM over independent candidates is a scare tactic to the effect that if people don’t vote for the PPM, then the drone masses of the UDP will block vote and the result will be that the UDP will be re-elected. PPM supporters point to the last election, in which many good independent candidates split the vote in several districts allowingthe UDP candidates to be elected despite having far less than 50% of the votes cast.
PPM supporters also point to the integrity of their leadership and argue that a political party is necessary to secure the votes necessary to carry forward an agenda in the LA. It is no doubt the case that party organisations assist somebody’s agenda to be moved forward. Sadly there is little democracy in this approach as there are no meaningful manifestos presented to the people at election time. It is therefore the case that the agenda that is moved forward by the current party system is not necessarily what the people want.
How then can we improve democracy in Cayman? It is obvious that there is a desperate need to elect intelligent, motivated, energetic and honest legislators who are committed to community service and who will fix what is broken at the level of our Constitution for a start. Such people exist, as is evident from some of the signed comments on CNS. Absent a one man one vote system and any clear unequivocal and time specific commitment from the PPM to fix what is broken, it will almost certainly be necessary for civic minded independents to be put forward in each district. In order to be successful, it will also be necessary for independents to have town hall meeting based mini-elections before the official election. At these town hall meetings, only the minimum number of the best independents necessary to secure the seats available in each district would be selected by each district to appear on the official ballot to contest seats with the UDP and PPM.
Ideally, independents would be selected on the basis of specific commitments to implement the legislation necessary to minimise crime and restore the economy, but I will save what the ideal independent candidate would commit to for another day.
Vote in the CNS online poll: Which party would you like to see form the next government?
Cruise berthing – Downtown or Red Bay?
I feel compelled to write to continue the public discussion on cruise berthing in Cayman. Once again, It seems that we are going forward with another major and costly project without the full knowledge of the pros and cons of all the options available to the country, obtained through intensive research and input from the populace.
For this reason a group of persons including myself have come together to obtain, collect and weigh all the possible factors, whether negative and positive, in an unbiased manner to hopefully identify the best solution for cruise berthing on Grand Cayman. For many years these islands have struggled with indecision and political posturing and we are now seeing the result of that, declining cruise arrivals and hence the closure of some downtown businesses.
We now have another opportunity to do the right thing and do it the right way. These decisions should not be rushed just because we have an election coming up. The correct solution for these islands going into the future should be the only concern. What is the future of Cruise Tourism and its relevance to the Cayman economy? Where is the best location for these cruise berths? What form should they take? What is acceptable environmental damage? Will an EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) be completed? What are the impacts onshore and how do we pay for those impacts? How many cruise passengers should we cater to? How should it be funded? Who should influence the decision of the politicians? Will it be good for30-50 years?
These are all questions that should not be from one political party or the other, but for all Caymanians to consider carefully and then influence the decision that will benefit the country for many years to come.
Our group, spearheaded by the leading Caymanian Seamen including the legendary Captain Arlin McCoy, has looked atsome of these questions to date and believe that Red Bay should certainly be considered when the other option is Hog Sty Bay. We understand that Red Bay was identified from as far back as the late 1960s as a great potential but was not selected due to the cost at the time. Time has now come again to make a decision not just for the next four years but for the next 40 years and to overlook the possibility of creating a fully protected, expandable safe harbour in Grand Cayman should not be missed.
While the Downtown site has some port infrastructure, existing reef damage on the deep reefs and the existing retail investment, these must be contrasted with the total disruption of traffic, the destruction of the shallow snorkeling reefs and Balboa shipwreck, the continued and increasing conflict with cargo, the potential damage to Seven Mile Beach, the closure during northwesters, the proximity to the drop-off and the difficulty of building in very deep water all bring into question whether we are making a good decision for the country’s future placing a dock there. None of these issues seem to be under consideration as we rush to build there. We think they all should be considered and a rational decision made prior to investing hundreds of millions of Government money.
Our group shall be presenting a paper to Government to ask that Red Bay location be given serious consideration before we make an irreversible decision that is not in the overall best interest of these islands. I ask that should anyone have input as to either side that you email info@caymancruiseport.com.
This is not about any one person or special interest. We have one chance to get this correct and I suggest that full consideration be given to Red Bay as well. It is the least we can do for our country’s future and our children and their children.
Maples hang on at the top in Rugby 7’s
(CRFU): The CRFU 7’s series continued on Saturday 8 October and produced yet more exciting, fast paced Rugby action for all to enjoy. Albeit for some tired folks who were up all night watching the Rugby World Cup quarter finals the quality of rugby had vastly improved from week 1 of the tournament, not least of all in the women’s division. The ladies, coached byCaroline Deegan, produced two thrillers on the day as the Eaglerays scraped past the Sharks to make it two wins from two games. (Photos by Caroline Deegan)
Bernadette Beckles impressed as usual with her hard hitting tackles and turn of pace with the ball in hand. Elsewhere in the ladies division the return of Olive McDonough to the Islands rugby scene has brought immediate dividends with her ability to spearhead her team’s attack and control the defense when necessary.
Eagle Rays 12-10 Sharks
Eagle Rays 20-19 Sharks
Men’s Premier Division
The Men’s premier division looked like it was set to turn on its head as the Maples Academy looked to be upset not once but twice on the day.
The CML Ama Tsotsi stormed to a 21 point lead in the first half of their game against the National team but some strong words from National Coach Grizz Adams put the Academy on the right track as 26 unanswered points in the 2nd half gave the National team a nervy win that wasn’t secure until the last play of the game.
CML Ama Tsotsi 21-26 Maples Academy
3rd placed Ecay Pigs Trotters slumped to heavy losses to the National Academy and a slim loss to the Peter O’Neil Wolfhounds but their performance on the day will leave much to be desired having nearly beaten the National Side in week 1 of the tournament series.
Maples Academy 35-7 Ecay Pigs Trotters
Peter O’Neil Wolfhounds 21-19 Ecay Pigs Trotters
The Wolfhounds almost caused the biggest upset of the day as they, like the Ama Tsotsi took an early lead against the Maples Academy but steady heads prevailed as a 2nd half comeback broke the Wolfhounds lead. The performance for the Wolfhounds was a big turnaround from week one when they could barely muster a win and were now giving the national side a run for their money!
Men’s Social Division
The Men’s Social division ticks away as usual with the DART U19’s squad maintaining their stranglehold on the division. The youngsters put last week’s tight contest against Maples to bed as they hammered the Lawyers
DART U19 43-5 Maples
The Heineken Clydesdales results, like that of the Knackers disappeared and both teams still share the bottom of the social table.
Fidelity Fun Run 2011 series winds up
(CNS): There was nothing anticlimactic about the finale of the 2011 Fidelity Fun Run series as several division titles and other podium positions were only determined in the final stages of the two mile struggle. From the start, capably administered by Olympic sprinter Cydonie Mothersill Stephens, until the final homestretch, there was great speculation as to whether anyone could upset Marius Acker, and also who would win the overall ladies title in the expected duel between Lauretta Bennett and Tracey Walker.
As it happened, no one could top Marius, and the overall men's awards went to the same trio who finished in one-two-three order over each of the three weeks, with Marius at the fore, followed by Conrad Proud, with Carl Grant next in line. On this occasion, times posted were 10:41, 11:06, and 11:09. Greg Meaker, on the scene for the first time in quite a while, placed fourth in 11:20, while Chadwick Webster was a step behind at 11:21, as he finished fifth for the second week in a row.
Among the ladies, Beth Schreader was triumphant as she duplicated her week one victory in 12:29, but a mid-event non-appearance left her shy of points for the overall title. Lauretta Bennett carried off the number one award with a 12:52 performance, as Tracey Walker gained runnerup honours (13:06). Emma Byrnes placed third overall, timed in 13:21 on this day.
There were 176 runner/walker finishers, with an additional group of pram passengers, and attendees on leash. Prior outings attracted 141 and 181 entries.
Weather on each occasion was sunny, and the favourable conditions contributed to the large turnout.
Representatives of the Fidelity group, who provided the sponsorship, expressed their satisfaction with the activity and organizers, the Phoenix Athletic Club, thanked the sponsors and all volunteers for their assistance.
DR powers the Caribbean’s biggest wind park
(Dominican Today): Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernandez headed the ribbon cutting Tuesday for the Caribbean’s biggest wind park, whose first stage will generate 33 megawatts. The complex Los Cocos and Quilvio Cabrera, located near the southwest towns of Juancho and Enriquillo, was built by the power companies EGE Haina and Punta Cana-Macao (CEPM) at a cost of US$100.0 million. According to the utilities, the facility -19 wind generators of 125 meters in height- will save the country 700,000 barrels of oil per year and prevent 1,700 tons of CO2 from being released to the atmosphere.
Pre-school teachers offered early years instruction
(CNS): Thirty-two early childhood practitioners are learning the basics of child development in an Early Childhood Care and Education Unit (ECCE) hosted early-years introduction course. Designed specifically for individuals working in the industry, it aims to teach practitioners about sociocultural theory and practice, child development milestones, communication and language development, as well as literacy and numeracy learning. Participants will also learn how to plan activities for infants, toddlers and young children, incorporating aspects of the new Cayman Islands Early Years Curriculum Framework that is being developed by the ECCE and which was recently shared with early childhood centre representatives.
Participants will present these, along with portfolios chronicling their six-week learning journey, during the final week.
”The need for an introductory course was indicated when unit staff gathered information on the professional development needs of early childhood care and education practitioners,” Early Childhood Care and Education Senior Policy Advisor Julie Madgwick explained. “The course is a prerequisite for participants to continue their studies with the unit.”
At the moment, two courses are being offered concurrently — each with 16 participants — from 4:00 p.m-6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the George Town Primary School.
Madgwick says another professional development