Guest Writer

Open letter to the premier

I don’t want to come across as complaining about my situation or not being empathetic toward unemployed Caymanians. I believe everyone, everywhere has the right to work a job, should they be qualified and should they commit to the requirements set by the employer to fulfill a position.

That being said, having been a law abiding, gainfully employed resident  in the Cayman Islands since 2005, I feel I am not getting a fair shake at what I have worked for while here. I knew the rules when I came to live here my second time around and played them to the letter of the law. I did my community service, I trained Caymanians, and I opened a small business. I also purchased property, all the while never taking anything for granted.

I refused to sign a  Term Limit Exemption Permit, believing I was taking the more difficult path, and as I did not want to sign my legal rights away as those choosing sign the TLEP, I applied for and was awarded a Key Employee designation.

Fast forward to this year, this new government. I feel as though the rug has been pulled out from under my feet. I am in the home stretch and the law is to change with the finish line in view. It raises the bar beyond my middle class capabilities, just as our business was beginning to grow and our future was looking bright. If we are not here to run our business it will wither and die, period. Nobody can run a small business from offshore and expect it to thrive. Small businesses are the cornerstone of the economy along with middle class society.

So, ultimately, I really want to know why the government is persecuting those who took the harder path to Key Employee and did not sign their rights away as those signing TLEP have done. Why would you not hold TLEP holders and their employers to the contract they chose, in some cases on behalf of both parties? Everyone on every side knew the day would come. Why is this a large, shocking issue to them now? It was destined.

I guess this is written in frustration. I, for the life of me, cannot figure why someone would be granted a designation and have the rules that apply to it change in the middle of the program. Why would you not give people the chance to finish what they started on the same playing field? If you want to abolish Key Employee, abolish it. However, would it not be decent and fair to create changes to the Permanent Residency requirements applicable to the next wave, not those on the one breaking on the shore?

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Immigration reform

After a period of post-election downtime to allow the new government to settle in, the Coalition for Cayman is continuing its advocacy and public awareness role between now and the next election. We have established committees to correspond with each of the portfolios established by the new government. Our intention is, from time to time, to review the actions which are proposed or have been taken by the government and compare those to the promises made in the PPM manifesto.

We will report on any disparity as between what was promised and what is proposed or has been done. Our intention is also to study the issues of the day and provide each ministry with reasoned possible solutions to our country's problems crafted byprivate sector individuals who have knowledge in each specific area. The intention is to advocate for effective governance, to make the public aware of the policies (and their impact) being implemented and provide suggestions where appropriate.

Whilst we fully intend to hold government accountable to the promises they made, we have no intention of simply criticising the government for political point scoring. We believe this is an excellent way for government to get productive coordinated input from individuals and not simply from  private sector business driven organisations.

We have been reviewing immigration more generally as part of the portfolio it compromises. We will be publishing our views more generally at a later date. However, the urgent pace and scope of the current Immigration Bill has meant we needed to look at that in isolation as we have some strong concerns. To try and understand the rationale for the current Bill, we have taken a step back to consider what we think should be the overriding concerns.

1. Economic growth

The primary objective for any economic growth in the Cayman Islands should be to benefit Caymanians. This is achieved by working with true business partners to ensure the effective creation of direct employment and business ownership opportunities that benefit Caymanians. This is quite different than looking at economic growth simply to increase the country's GDP and economic activity. Unfocused growth which is not managed to provide the maximum benefit to the citizens can result in those citizens becoming increasingly left out. This will eventually lead to social disharmony.

2. Guest workers

In a perfectly planned economy there would be a national plan which forecasted the jobs of tomorrow and informed the schools and colleges of the exact category, number and timing of new jobs becoming available so these could be matched to school leavers/graduates of all levels, unskilled, skilled and professional. Once Caymanians were employed, employers would have comprehensive plans under which the necessary training was delivered and maintained by experienced staff (brought in on work permits if needed). This training would go hand in hand with a succession plan under which most guest workers were replaced by the Caymanian staff as and when they reached the acceptable level of experience. To be fair to the current government, we think that is where they are trying to go with the national workforce development department and acknowledge that they are essentially starting from scratch.

3. Permanent rights

There will always be some guest workers who would be invited to remain permanently in Cayman but these individuals should be limited to persons who:

• are able to financially support themselves and their dependents;
• are integral to the success of the business that employs them;
• are integral to the national plan (including by creating direct employment and business ownership opportunities that benefit Caymanians);
• are integral to the establishment of a new industry;
• have a positive impact on society

A number of factors over the last 10 years appear to have contributed to the belief that guest workers should have a right to receive citizenship. This simply is not the case. Citizenship in Cayman has always been something that a small proportion of guest workers have earned the privilege to apply for and there are good reasons why this should be the case.

When a work permit holder receives permanent residency with the right to work, the job they hold is generally permanently removed from the pool of job opportunities available to Caymanians. If it is not so removed, it is normally because that person has used their new status to move jobs or start their own business and compete with their original employer, usually a Caymanian.

The grant of permanent residency almost always then leads to citizenship. The granting of citizenship to a person permanently removes the job they occupy from the pool available to the other Caymanians. In addition, granting citizenship results not only in one person receiving citizenship, but generally results in that person and all of their current and future dependents receiving citizenship and therefore taking on the preferential treatment, together with other Caymanians, to direct employment and business ownership opportunities.

4. Term Limit Extension Permits (TLEP)

Approximately 1,500 work permits expired during the previous government administration. These guest workers were not key employees. The last government made a political decision to extend theses work permits for up to 2 years with the express condition that the additional 2 years could not be used to apply for permanent residency.

The employers of these guest workers, previously knew for 7 years that other persons would need to be hired to replace those guest workers. They were then given an additional two years to find replacement employees.

The current government is considering allowing the 1,500 employees to use their extended time to now allow them all to apply for permanent residency. The rationale appears to be that the impact of this number of workers leaving would cause hardship for their employers and the economy.

5. C4C's position

Does the current Government's proposal in dealing with these 1,500 guest workers ensure the effective creation of direct employment and business ownership opportunities that benefit Caymanians? The answer must be no, in fact there are a number of potential negative repercussions.

• It will create an administrative burden to process applications and appeals. The cost of this to the Government should not be underestimated.
• It will not provide any incentive for employers to become true business partners for Cayman by properly providing employment, training, development and progression opportunities for Caymanians.
• Removing those jobs for an even longer period of time (perhaps permanently) from the pool of jobs available to Caymanians.
• Potentially creating a much larger pool of new citizens than the mass status grants  of 2004. The Bill would inflate the current pool of around 600 key employees to potentially around 20,000 individuals entitled to apply for permanent residency.

C4C would encourage the current government to adopt the following approach in dealing with the current issue.

• Final extension of 3 to 6 months for the current 1,500 guest workers who would not be given the right to apply for permanent residency.
• Employers to use the final 3 to 6 months extension to recruit replacement employees with qualified Caymanians being given priority.
• The only provisions in the Bill that need to be dealt with right now are the provisions to deal with the TLEPs. There is no urgency on the remaining provisions. We think the government should re-consider the current proposed approach to immigration reform to one which again puts the primary objective of economic growth being to ensure the effective creation of direct employment and business ownership opportunities that benefit Caymanians.

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World Mental Health Day

Each year, as we celebrate World Mental Health Day in the Cayman Islands, we are reminded of shocking numbers produced by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO). On average mental disorders account for some 24% of diseases in our region. Of these, depression is by far the most prevalent.

Many still perceive mental health issues to be on the border of health care, particularly since they feel that the numbers involved are limited to only a small percentage of the total population. Yet the PAHO findings should dispel that myth and at the same time serve as a wake up call to make mental healthcare more accessible to everyone.

This year’s theme: Mental Health and Older Adults could not have been more appropriate as we also celebrate our seniors throughout this month. The contribution that these persons have already made to our society highlights the value to them, and to us, of ensuring that as they age their minds are agile and able to work towards the betterment of this country and its people.

More than ever before, mental well-being is vital to persons of all ages. Just as we guard our physical health, we must also be mindful of our mental health—and that of other people.

I commend our local mental health practitioners who are already working towards integrating mental and physical treatments, to the benefit of all patients.

Yet there are no quick fixes, and mental illness will continue to be a challenge for individuals, society and government.

The truth is that for too long, the associated stigma and stereotyping has seriously undermined effective management and recovery for persons living with this illness. This has even led to deficiencies in treatment.

The newly appointed Mental Health Taskforce is made up of educators, psychologists, social workers, nurses, police and physicians, along with other partnering individuals and agencies. With the help of public education – and by extension community participation– it will work towards a Cayman Islands that enjoys increased physical and mental health.

Even as health officials and others work towards introducing dynamic solutions, members of the public too can help to curb the negative impact of mental illness. Whether you help a friend get through depression, start a conversation with an older person or just take some quiet time for yourself, make mental health your business. In the year ahead, the benefits you reap in terms of your well-being and that of the wider community will be immeasurable. 

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Investment & infrastructure fund

Cayman’s economic survival is on the line and in order for us to provide any opportunities for the next generation a new economic model must be crafted now. For the past 40+ years Cayman has been providing a variety of Investment vehicles to enhance the business and create wealth for the offshore clients. These vehicles have taken many formats, from exempt companies, trusts, re-insurance, to the latest hedge fund craze.

There is no question that these services have brought a significant improvement in the standard of living of all who live here. It has provided hundreds of millions of dollars into the government treasury over the years and it has made millionaires of many of theprofessionals who operate the financial services firms. But despite these successes, this industry has operated as an invisible hand in the lives of many of our people. And there has been no attempt to bring these tools from the boardrooms to the living rooms to help enrich individuals who may not be direct participants in the financial services industry.

We brag to the world about our rankings in the funds business and we have some of the best expertise; so my question is why this is so difficult for us to do for ourselves some of the things we have been doing for others for years?

Until I am proven wrong, I am convinced that the economic model that brought us the 40 year miracle, of which I was fortunate to be a part of, has expired and must be retired. The actions and results of the previous administration’s tenure clearly demonstrate this; they wasted 4 years of time and millions of dollars trying to resuscitate this dead model with zero results and the FFR.

In our mental conditioning over this 40 year period, we have been led to believe that all investors must come from outside and the Caymanian people must simply be the workers. This was the old economic model and it worked for a time, but as we all can see even this option is being denied many of our people. This trend is not good and will lead to more serious issues down the road.

When we consider the global economic changes since the 2008 crash, as well as some major developments in the local commerce, whereby small and medium businesses are closing their doors, assets are being foreclosed, etc, and there are few, if any, areas of new commerce, we face a startling dilemma. To keep hoping and praying that the same actions which got us into this mess will take us out is only comfort to a fool. Therefore, the only logical conclusion one can makeat this time is the upgrades and installation of the infrastructure needs we should have implemented when we were rolling in the dollars but failed to do.

The rate of development over the past forty years far outpaced the investment in the infrastructure necessary to support it. To compound the issue the impact fees from development were not sufficient nor were they used sensibly.

Our economy is now at a crawl’s pace, thus allowing us time to catch up and remedy the situation. However, due to a lack of prudent management government has no funds and no options to borrow. The reality is that government agencies are so constrained they can’t meet their responsibilities to operate and maintain existing, much less build new-public infrastructures.

Investment in infrastructure now is critical to support existing and future development, to put our people back to work and to protect our fragile environment. This presents not just a challenge but an opportunity for us to look to ourselves first to invest in our country, our people and our future. This is the goal of the Cayman Islands Investment & Infrastructure Fund, which I proposed during the recent election campaign.

Infrastructure funds are being established in many countries faced with similar challenges and is commonly referred to as PPPs (public, private partnerships). I suggest our model should add an additional “P”, representing our “People”.

At an Infrastructure conference held in Nassau Bahamas in June of this year, courtesy of CIBC/FCIB, it was very clear that other Caribbean countries are adopting this model for solving their infrastructure needs and the Bank is very keen to support these initiatives. In the major developed countries of the world PPP’s have been in operation in many formats covering various types of projects for years. However, what we are proposing is a slight expansion of this model to include our people as investors/owners.

The status quo:-

• Cayman’s Infrastructure: wastewater, landfill, airport, seaport and roads have not kept up with the Country’s growth.
• Waste management in particular: both garbage and wastewater have been long neglected to the detriment of our environment which impacts our tourism product, our health and quality of life.
• There has never been a clear consistent mechanism of funding for the provision, expansion or upkeep of Cayman’s infrastructure needs.
• Development and infrastructure while they should have worked hand in hand somehow got divorced.
• Government has no money and cannot borrow any; thus the FFR.
• Our government owns and operates some 26 companies and authorities, the great majority of which are losing money (note recent auditor general’s reports), this is a far bigger share of the economy than is necessary, particularly when the private sector is gasping for economic air.

Public-private partnerships (PPPP) are the ideal solution for the fiscal problems plaguing this country. In this situation private sector brings the capital, expertise, efficiencies of business and takes the risk while government grants licenses and concessions for operations and perform the regulatory functions.

So why then has it taken us so long to seriously consider this option? We are a reactionary society — only acting when forced to and no government in recent memory has displayed the vision or the creative thinking to act outside the box. When you combine this with the knee-jerk aversion to allowing private enterprise to manage traditional public works, political grudges and fear mongering by those who are more interested in protecting their fiefdoms than protecting the public, your get the answer.

But there is one big elephant in the room: government is broke and cannot borrow. Thus change must come and we the people must drive and own that change. We cannot afford to give these infrastructure projects away as these are all we have left and we should not expect others to take a chance on us when we fail to take a chance on ourselves. The Caymanian people will be the payers of these services, e.g. sewage collection and treatment and garbage collection, etc. So why shouldn’t the people own these entities (this can include the government) and reap the financial rewards when they are profitable? This formula will not only create jobs it will create wealth as every person on this island will be given the opportunity to invest directly via cash or by sweat equity.

Ownership should be the overriding goal, a sense of belonging will result and a psychological change in attitudes will transform this country and create an economic bonanza, at the end of which our people can have an investment in the form of shares in the fund. It is time we believed in ourselves and not just sit around waiting on the foreign investor, many of whom we subsidize while they reap the rewards.

These entities will never be financially viable and efficient while under direct government control and operations, so I trust no policy maker will use this excuse not to support necessary change.

Funding is available from several sources:-

• Individual investors
• Allocating a portion of our $1 billion pension fund ( say 10-20%) for local investments
• Bridging financing from local banks
• Attracting a portion of the $10 billion dollars sitting in Cayman’s banks, much of which is earning little or no return at present
• Institutional and other funding options exist.

Benefits of the Fund:-

• It will create hundreds of new jobs
• It will create ownership by our people
• It will put in place the necessary infrastructure to support future development
• It will protect our fragile environment and bring Cayman up to the highest international standards to truly boast that we are “green”
• It will empower our people giving them ownership and commitment to the long term sustainability of their country
• It will free the government from having to borrow and they can concentrate on core government services, thus reducing operational costs and hopefully the cost of living which is killing all of us.
• It will provide a local economic block which can be the foundation for other business opportunities in the medium to long term.

By pooling our resources-vision, capital, talent and management we will all have skin in the game and there is no better way to unite people. Cayman should be the shining example of environmental protection and efficiencies; instead we are still arguing over where to put a 50 year old pile of garbage.

It is said that opportunity only knocks once. This is a golden opportunity to fix some things and do them correctly; we may not get another chance as other events like crime and hopelessness could overtake and control the agenda. Economist John Maynard Keynes said, “The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from the old.” It is time to escape from the old Cayman or we are heading for national bankruptcy and our own government shutdown. The financial trajectory of this country is simply not sustainable.

I am part of a local group that is structuring the CIIF. Anyone who has interest please contact your MLA to lobby their support. We can be contacted at: ciifund @gmail.com.

We can do this Cayman. Let’s all work together.

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Start talking with sense

Good leadership in any country must be by persons with the persistence to create the future they dream of and a rational capacity to avoid reactionary decisions while believing that the result of rational and pragmatic management will always be the closest approximation to democracy that is ever achievable. 

Unfortunately for the Cayman Islands and its people, reactions rather than rational thinking and planning is well established as the status quo. There should therefore be no wonder than the PPM, after having won the May elections by encouraging anti-foreigner sentiments for several years as a way of unseating Hon. McKeeva, is now being burnt by the very fire they started.

Tara Rivers won in West Bay not because she was a part of the C4C but because she is a West Bayer, like Mac.  And Mac is in all his politics nothing more than a village chief, who will oust or crown as it suits himself, but more so his constituency upon whom he depends for his control of the votes. What is wrong with giving up one seat to gain three? Tara would have joined Mac anyway if the UDP had won the majority nationally.

Are three seats not the majority, signifying he is still village chief, in spite of his being accused of selling out to Dart and the foreigners? How importance must these issues have been in his village?

Please explain to me how important the public beach and the ForCayman Investment Alliance issues were if Mac got three of the four seats in West Bay and the third went to someone who can play on any side at any time and perhaps next time on Mac’s side.

Face it, Mac has long searched for his successor and perhaps after the PPM’s immigration bill, set to come before the House, he might very well find his successor. She will play with the issue until she finds a chance to walk across to the village fold, and he will be there waiting with open arms too. Not saying she walking now, but next time. Mac will give her that space to learn and develop and so will the other villagers. She will not be like Rollie or CG; she will be more like Julie, and we knowfor a fact that Mac can deal with that.

Forgive me Mac and Alden, but this every four years changing the party we don’t trust for the party we don’t like is destroying governance more so than any lack of transparency or lack of accountability or corruption ever could. Alden knows what a hot seat is. Power is fire and I am sure that the power he has is well worth the heat he feels, so Arden or somebody, say: “To Hell to ambition!” and bring in our Labor Party.  

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Lemons and apples

The recent headlines in regards to the airport authorities HR boss work permit denial has struck a nerve with a lot of people. I must say that I have been completely shocked by the pure hatred and insults that were printed when it comes to the Cayman immigration laws and Caymanians in the workforce. I am an Expat and consider myself a guest in this country.

The laws and regulations of the Cayman Islands are not hidden. Yes, they are subject to change, which may be frustrating, but this is the case for the laws of any country. Therefore, one would assume that everyone who comes to Cayman (whether to work or to set up a business) would know what the immigration laws dictate and any potential risk and/or lack of guarantees involved. Having worked in two other places before coming to Cayman (Europe and USA), I find it baffling that people working or operating  their business in Cayman feel that they have the right to demand and dictate what the laws should be. I wish they would try to have the same attitude in Europe and in the USA.

When I worked in the USA (where, by the way, the company I worked for had to hire an immigration lawyer to get through the maze of the immigration laws), I always knew that my time in the USA may be limited, not by my own choice, but because of the immigration laws which were obviously subject to change. The renewal of my work permit was never guaranteed. It was a risk I was willing to take. Nobody forced me take up a job in the USA and I never claimed that the USA has become a better place because of me living there and contributing to their economy, nor did I carry the attitude that no American could be potentially better suited for the position I held. I did move to the USA for my own selfish reason and not because I wanted to make the USA a better place.

Honestly, I can’t believe the blatant lies of expats in Cayman when they claim that they came to Cayman to help build it back, help build it up, and Cayman would be nothing without them. Every single expat I have met in Cayman who moved here has come to Cayman because of better job opportunities, shorter working hours, shorter commutes, an easy place to raise a family … the list goes on and on. NOBODY I have encountered throughout my years in Cayman has relocated to the Islands despite having had a better job and a better life from wherever they came. Anyone who claims otherwise is a moron.

The immigration laws of the Cayman Island read that where there is a qualified Caymanian available for a position, no work permit should be granted. It doesn’t read that the best qualified person recruited from all over the world should get the job.

It may not be what businesses like, but that law is pretty much the rule in every country. I have seen many companies here on Island filing a “key employee exemption” for one of their employees, which basically means that the company could no longer operate if that person was to leave the company. Funny enough, every single one of those “key employees” I knew has left the company they were so “key” to and moved on to another employer on Island. Guess what happened to those companies they worked for as a “key employee”? Absolutely nothing! Those companies are still functioning just fine!

There are many references to Caymanians being unprofessional, lazy and incompetent, yet, in my time on the Island I have worked with many expats who fit the same profile. However, we tend to be blinded by a flashy resume they often produce or when they talk a good talk! The colonial superior (or inferior) attitude is well alive and rampant. I alone had two bosses put in front of me (expats) who were hailed to be the answer to all prayers, but ironically, it was realized quickly that their resumes didn’t match their actual knowledge when put to the test and within a few month, each of them moved on. No further announcement was made to clarify what has happened to them.

I have observed expat staff showing up late for work and using extended lunch hours but no fuss was made because, guess what, their boss is an expat and just too willing to turn a blind eye when it suits. I could give countless examples, but really, what is the point of going tit for tat?

The hypocritical attitude displayed by so many expats and work permit holders is mind boggling. Where they are here in Cayman and are demanding jobs and laws that suits their businesses, they are the same ones who are getting themselves in quite a rage when back in their home country if a Pakistani gets a position over a Brit, or an Indian is hired as a CPA ahead of an American.

At the end of the day, one fact remains, as an expat (or work permit holder) you are a guest in the country (other than your homeland) where you chose to reside and work and should conduct yourself accordingly. Insulting an entire nation on a regular basis by way of childish generalizations and putting down demand after demand is hardly the right way to integrate into a society.

The way things are going here, it is the expats that expect the Caymanians to integrate themselves into the expat community and to be grateful that they (the expats and work permit holders) graced this Island with their presence. No matter what, it seems that Caymanians are never sufficiently qualified and there is always something more they should strive to. There is always an answer and always an excuse for why an expat was hired ahead of a Caymanian and after all of that, the Caymanian should sit down, be quiet and turn the other cheek! What utter Bullshit!

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Meals on Wheels

Recently the local press highlighted the very serious plight affecting the future of Meals on Wheels here in Grand Cayman – essentially there will be no future unless funding can be found. Although I’m not personally involved with Meals on Wheels, the recent coverage got me thinking. When you look at the figures as a whole it initially seems a little daunting from a fundraising perspective BUT, when you break the figures down, it’s really a paltry amount, given what Meals and Wheels can accomplish with this amount.

Total Annual Funding Needed – approximately CI$200,000 for 165 people to be fed. This breaks down further as follows:

To feed 1 person it costs:

• CI$ 1,212 per year
• CI$ 303 per quarter
• CI$ 101 per month
• CI$ 23 per week
• And to further break it down,
• CI$4 is the exact cost of each meal

If we had 165 companies willing to donate $1,212 per annum to sponsor an individual we’d have our funding. Alternatively, if we had 660 companies willing to donate just over $300 per year this would cover the funding and so on….

When you consider the above, this is certainly do-able. Yes, there are many needs here in Cayman and this may be just one of many but we absolutely cannot ignore the elderly and the infirm. What does that say about us as a society? Let’s not go there!

As for the administrative aspect of this, one of the problems for some of our charities and Meals and Wheels is no exception, is that it isn’t all that easy to donate, i.e. there is no website and the Facebook page is not maintained and therefore not up to date, and there is just a phone number and a cell phone in order to contact these lovely and generous people doing all this work. 

In my experience, many generous and charitably minded people have a passion for what they do but not necessarily the time to think about the administrative and fundraising side of things. I have found that in order to encourage people to give, it is vital that you make it incredibly easy for them to do so. Not to cause offense, I know there are many people out there who will go out of their way to find a worthy cause to support but there are equally many people out there who are happy to give, and when presented with an opportunity do give generously, but perhaps don’t have the time to track people down in order to do so.

Which brings me to my next point. We have many technologically savvy companies and individuals out there; perhaps there is someone who would like to donate (and perhaps even maintain/operate) a website for Meals on Wheels. It doesn’t have to be complicated; it simply needs to include the following:

• Who they are and what they do
• Contact details
• Any pertinent info such as the latest developments/statistics
• confirmation of number of people in the program
• where and if appropriate testimonials from some of those in the program and from some of the volunteers who cook and deliver and visit with these people in need

MOST IMPORTANTLY – the website should include a way to donate with the click of a button or at the very least the account name/details where people can make a transfer or deposit a cheque.

Another idea for one of our telecommunications companies (or both) – can they not add a ‘Donate to Meals on Wheels’ button on the top up machines around the island where people can feed in cash to donate at these machines, and the telecommunications companies can then make a monthly or quarterly payment to Meals on Wheels. Given each person can be fed for CI$4 per meal, this has got to be viable as a way to raise these much needed funds.

So I simply wanted to throw this out there and hope this generates some healthy donations and, equally, some productive discussions as to how we as a society might come together in order to ensure the future of Meals on Wheels here in Cayman. 

Please support Meals on Wheels and, of course, give thanks for the work that these dedicated volunteers do every day to improve the quality of the lives of these 165 people.

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Has there been a change?

The current government must not forget why the Caymanian people overwhelmingly voted the past UDP government out of power in the last elections. While Caymanians chose more PPM candidates than any other group, it was not a resounding win for the PPM but rather a resounding vote against UDP. Caymanians chose overwhelmingly 'anything that was not UDP'. The PPM needs to give serious consideration to what it was the Caymanian people were unhappy about and make every attempt to follow policies that are in keeping with what the people want for their country.

One of the main issues was how our representatives worked with the Dart Group. Caymanians were very concerned with what seemed to be the great 'Dart giveaway'.  It seemed as though every deal made was beneficial to Dart but with little concern as to what was best for Cayman. While we, the general public, have very little knowledge of what is contained in the deals made during the last administration, the little we do know is very one-sided in favour of Dart. Instead of the 'ForCayman Alliance', it should be more correctly called the 'ForDart Alliance'. 

Government closed the West bay Road, gave them unbelievable breaks in import duty concessions and hotel tax concessions and probably much more that we are not aware of. In return, they built a new road (opening up their valuable land). They have developed Camana Bay, but that is a business venture to commercially develop their land holdings and not a response to what is good for the Caymanian people.

If more evidence was needed that Dart shows no concern for what is in the best interest of Caymanians or even Cayman, we need look no further than their choice of hotel franchise. If they were truly interested in the feelings and opinions of Caymanians, they would surely know our history and would not bring a franchise such as the Kimpton Hotel Group to Cayman. With all the brands of hotel franchises they could have chosen, what a slap in our faces to choose one that is openly gay-friendly based in San Francisco. While no one questions the right of Kimpton to market to whatever demographic segment of the market they choose, why would Dart choose that franchise for Cayman? Most likely, either they are unaware of our culture or do not care. Caymanians are not trying to restrict anyone from visiting but simply asking those that visit to respect our culture and way of life. This choice is just one more demonstration of how much Dart really cares about Cayman and our culture. 

The new PPM government not only should but they have an obligation to redress any of the wrongs done by the past administration. Where a bad deal was made we should now be making every effort to cancel it for the good of the country. The excuse of 'it is already signed' is not being accepted by Caymanians. If these deals were made in bad faith they must be cancelled.

During the last UDP administration there were many issues that were highly contentious and the people felt were wrong. The issues that caused the most contention seemed to be the way developers were able to get planning permission for whatever they wanted, even if it was something the Caymanian people were against. 

Caymanians actually came out in large numbers and marched against such projects as the East End Port, the South Sound road and canal plans and the closing of the West Bay Road. The PPM government must make it clearthey will listen to the people when it comes to these types of major decisions. If not, the people will feel as though everything is the same as before, only the faces have changed and the PPM government will be a one term government, just as before.

The minister for planning has not helped the cause by appointing a number of key members from the previous planning board to the new board. This will almost ensure more of the same and the Caymanian people will not accept it. In all the government boards there should have been a complete change but most especially the planning board as that is where the most serious concerns and lack of trust were demonstrated.

This government is still new, but they are being watched carefully.

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September is Childhood Cancer Month

You have heard of the pink ribbon? Of course you have. Cayman will be a sea of pink in October, there will be gala dinners, events to raise awareness and to collect money. Our daughter Hannah will almost certainly not live long enough to have breasts, let alone have any chance of getting breast cancer. She will be six this month and has a less than 5% chance of living three years. (We say that to keep our sanity; the reality is more gloomy and this is likely to be her last birthday.)

She also has cancer, but it is a childhood brain cancer. Whereas 80% of breast cancer patients will survive, 80% of childhood brain cancer patients will die. Some childhood brain cancers have a 0% chance of survival.

That is just childhood brain cancer. There are many other childhood cancers such as various leukaemia's, neuroblastoma, Ewing's sarcoma and Wilm's tumour, and others. They are very different from adult cancers, and the risk factor for children's cancer is simply being a child, not lifestyle. Although their cancers are different, children have to make do with old drugs developed for adults which do them tremendous damage. Two thirds of kids who survive are left with disabilities and a high risk of secondary cancers later in life. The pharmaceutical companies contribute about 0% to childhood cancer research, but 60% to adult cancer research. The US government contributes only 4% of the National Cancer Institute funds to childhood cancer. Kids can't vote. Kids have no voice.

You probably do not know that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and the colour is gold. You can be excused for not knowing because no local news media has mentioned it, nor has the Cayman Islands Cancer Society. However, if you walk around Camana Bay at night it is gold as a result of efforts of friends on behalf of Hannah. Adults owe it to children to stand up for them and protect them and be their voice. In the cancer world this simply does not happen and is a shame on our society. People would like to pretend children do not get cancer, or only other people's children get cancer.

Hannah is not the only child in the Cayman Islands to have cancer. There are others we know have fought and won, others have fought and lost the battle, there others battling now. It affects 1 in 300 children and there are 12,500 children in the Cayman Islands aged 0-19. In a small society such as ours you will already know someone whose child has or has had cancer, or if not you probably will do in the future.

The difference between adult and children's cancers is stark:
– The average age of diagnosis for an adult is 67, and the average life years lost 15.
– The average age of diagnosis for a child is 6, and the average life years lost is 71.

"Curing childhood cancer is the equivalent of curing breast cancer in terms of productive life years saved." Dr Eugene Kleinerman, head of paediatrics at the Children's Cancer Center at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Yet for every research dollar spent on breast cancer, childhood cancer received only 30 cents.

A child will be diagnosed with cancer every 3 minutes. It is the leading cause of death by disease in the developed world, killing more children under 15 than diabetes, aids, asthma, cystic fibrosis and congenital abnormalities combined.

"You may choose to look the other way but you can never again say you did not know."  William Wilberforce.

Please help raise awareness in the Cayman Islands and go gold for September.

Gaylene and I will be shaving our heads in September to raise money for research for all childhood cancers and we will be joined by others. The event will be at the Wicket Bar, Cricket Square on Friday 20 September, from 5-7pm.  Please come and show your support.

We are on Facebook and our fundraising page is here —  click on the "donate" button.

Please go gold and spread the truth about childhood cancer because Awareness = Funding = Cures!

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