Struggling locals concern for backbencher
Alva Suckoo, Bodden Town MLA (Photo by Dennie Warren Jr)
(CNS): Alva Suckoo, the government’s backbench Bodden Town MLA, said he still had concerns about the difficulties Caymanians were having finding opportunities and the high cost of living for those that are working. Speaking during the budget debate last week, Suckoo said that although the unemployment rate was down, government still had to do more to help those who they all knew were suffering.
Praising the government front bench for its work on the budget, which he said was not easy, Suckoo pointed to the impact of the Framework for Fiscal Responsibility, which made it difficult for government to deliver on the promises to help those in need.
“It is hard to be financially conservative and still deliver what you promise people,” he said, adding that the inability to spend was a concern as government could not provide meaningful tax cuts because of tight restrictions.
“Ratios are insignificant to people facing real-life scenarios,” he said, noting that because government had met the requirements in the FFR it would soon be able to help people who are hurting.
He said the rate of foreclosures and the numbers of people living without electricity and water was alarming. Suckoo also said the size of the social services budget, which was still under resourced, illustrated the struggles that local people were facing because they were not able to get work in the face of cheap labour and the high cost of living.
But he warned that government could not continue the welfare policies of the past, which are discretionary, as he spoke about the need to be more responsible when offering assistance to those in need.
The Bodden Town representative has gone out on a limb on a number of occasions criticizing employers and government systems in an effort to try and help his constituents fight the barriers to work and cheap imported labour. He said he was was encouraged that unemployment was falling but there was more to be done and government had to clamp down on immigration infractions. Without unions, he said, the labour law had to protect employees as they have no representation.
He stressed the continued importance of government offering training and opportunities for those who cannot find work to develop the skills they need so they can enjoy the benefits of the economy.
With the cost of living still high, he noted that fuel costs impacted everyone and said that government would soon be revealing its plans to tackle the high prices because that impacts people in work too.
Suckoo said health insurance costs coupled with the high cost of living made it difficult for some people to manage to meet the payments for the mandatory cover. He said there was a need for government to explore problems relating to health cover and questioned if there were too many providers and whether CINICO could be utilized to address the problem, as he committed to advocating for change.
He spoke about the need for unity, however, and for the parliament to get behind what was a sensible and affordable budget. Until the situation with unemployment and poverty was addressed, everyone needed to help, and while he heard criticisms about doling out social assistance, government had to help the people, he said.
Being concerned does nothing, it cant pay light or water bill or feed a persons damily. So until mr. Suckoo comes up with an idea to get ppl working he needs to be quite.
If we could get the rest of the PPM and C4C to think like him, things might just change…but wait pigs don’t fly, do they?
The Cayman Islands government must be one of the smallest parliaments in the world, and with a majority sitting PPM party no one can yet put their heads together to pass (and enforce) legislature for the greater good of its people. Every significant development and every discussion encompasses economic growth via FDI; but, whom does it truly benefit? There are so many businesses, increasing job creation, and still no opportunities for Caymanians. Why are our politicians so hell-bent on FDI and imported labor when our people are suffering? I am sure the FDIs or existing multinationals have all figured out why the Cayman Islands is such an attractive destination. Our white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters are one of their (most coveted) reasons, as well as our geographic convenience to emerging & developed markets, but it is also because they can reside and conduct business on our islands without having to do anything for our locals or local communities. Why? Because our policies allow for it. Our laws are orchestrated and postured to wholly benefit the expatriate. Mr. Suckoo and his PPM entourage need to think about why so many sitting officials can’t effect change/laws that benefits their people. Granted that the Opposition is only a 3-man army, the PPM’s inaction to implement meaningful “local-oriented” policies is inexcusable. Mr. Kenneth Darts, 40-year beautification project does very little for Caymanians, especially when it was established for the enjoyment of the wealthy! And, to my wealthy Caymanians, you are not pardoned from our local exposure to high risk FDI, economic disadvantages, and poverty issues; as you are very much an integral part of our problems. Until our political environment changes and politicians begin to see local prosperity as a way [plan] forward, our struggles will persist. Cayman has too much expatriate impediments*. Tighten-up local policies that will provide long-term, opportunities to your people.
A country’s people should always by a priority, even amidst political push for economic growth and development.
If you want to live in Cuba or Venezuela then go!
It seems like the only solution to our woes of unemployment (at all ages) and all the aspects of life that it affects, is to talk about the soon come reduction in fuel costs and the increase in tourism accommodations and all of the eloquent sound bites which no one is better at than the present Government. There does not seem to be an awareness that food prices do not go down but are always on the rise; that a $6 dollar minimum hourly wage does not provide for a sustainable diet, that increased hotel accommodations involves importation of more and more foreign labor and while there are some minor Increases in caymanians in hospitality the effort is paltry to say the least is Sorely lacking if you consider the stated time frames of construction.
Come on, how progressive can you be when food imported to our country is grown in the south shipped to the north and then brought down back to these shores, with all the external tariffs added to our own import taxes. How progressive can you be when there is no consideration of the pricing of food that is so high and you consider that your people at the lower end of the labor market can survive on a sustainable basis paying insurance, pension, mortgage, food, clothing, transportation, etc on Aminimum hourly wage of $6.00 an hour( in a country that is considered one of the top financial centers in the world).
How progressive can you be when there is no effective dialogue and unequivocal policy on the training of Caymanians for the Hotel industry in a proper setting ( forgive me Your Majesty, but, the Governors beach mansion would certainly be a useful start to a training school) and partnering with a recognized Hospitality school the likes of Johnson @ Wales. How progressive are you going to continue to be when there is not a proper facility and trade school program in place, it being a part of your speeches for years. The list goes on and on, of unprogessiveness of a Government who eschews an understanding of the issues but is short on empathy towards its people and certainly on the mechanics of implementation of policies that benefit all and not just some of the people.
John Henry, it’s called “Status Quo”. The word “progressive” is a misnomer.
I was warming to Alva as he has shown that he is willing to buck his party at times and I am still willing to cut him some slack as it seems like he is adopting his party talking points here but he should be very careful as BT is not WB and Boddentowners are free-thinkers they will even vote their own bloodline out of office even their own and the country’s National Hero.
While we must have a social conscience this can’t be in perpetuity; moreover, it’s not like a sum is deducted from employees’ salaries to cover unemployment benefits. If you think the comments about Greece and Jamaica are a joke then continue along the same lines. Sure I wish that we had more independence over our budget but until we are able to seriously tackle wasteful spending then dear UK keep these controls in place.
What I would say is where are the jobs? How do you plan to create jobs or opportunities for investments and to be competitive?
Handouts don’t create jobs it breeds laziness and social decay, including crime.
And to the poster about unions bankrupting the US, I disagree to some extent, as without unions, workplace safety and fair pay, among other employment rights, would not exist. What has damaged the US manufacturing market is free-trade agreements that send jobs overseas where there is cheap labour and no workplace safety rules – not to mention a living wage aka a minimum wage.
I think that Mr. Suckoo is doing a very good job considering that he is backbench. I know that He is passionate about helping his people and if you had listen to his debate you would have to agree. He is articulate and mild mannered so perhaps some of you can only understand the sniping, screaming and derogatory remarks. Keep up the good work Al- some of us in Bodden Town are proud of you.
$59,000,000 a year (a year!!) on public healthcare. And $80,000,000 in unpaid uncollected fees.
Want to help the budget and have money by the barrow load for social welfare programmes? Try sorting out that mess instead of whinging about the FFR.
Without the FFR our politicians (ALL if them) will spend us into a Greek-Jamaican scale mess.
At least Mr Suckoo is still standing up for the people. The FFR is nothing more than another FCO tool designed to limit this Government from doing its job. The person that posted, “Without the FFR our politicians (ALL if them) will spend us into a Greek-Jamaican scale mess.” knows absolutely nothing about economics, thank God Mr Suckoo gets it!
On the contrary he knows a little about economics and a lot about the character of those sitting in the MLA
Amen
Typical political vote pandering diatribe. Never willing to make any hard political decision. Keep the finger pointing, promote entitlements politicians don’t ever have to fund themselves, divide people, and coast yourself into another election fueled by blistering ignorance…..As the poster above said, AKA Greece Style, and Jamaica style… Spending increases (especially Union driven) doesn’t have to make any economical sense in the politicians world… they only have to *sound good* and appealing to the takers, especially when its always eternally free of cost to the entitled ones. Especially without any cost to the politician pushing those idiotic polices.
Union have virtually bankrupted a large facet of the US private sector. Remember PanAm? Eastern Airlines? GM? and the list goes on. The only reason they haven’t bankrupted the public sector is because the public sector never runs of tax dollars to throw on top of that disaster! The GM bailout was nothing more than a campaign money laundering scheme to buy votes from the Union workers….This is what you want you install in the Cayman political landscape?