Legge: Premier put a target on my back
David Legge
(CNS): The editor of The Cayman Compass has said that he is not sure when he can return to Cayman because of the “hate speech” and “vitriol” against him after the premier “put a target on my back”, when he “named me by name” and had some pointed things to say. As David Legge did the media rounds in the US Tuesday describing the alleged threats, the governor was denying that she had anything to do with the police detail that had been given to the Legges before they fled Cayman in fear at the weekend.
A spokesperson for the governor’s office told the local television news channel, Cayman 27, yesterday, “The governor does not make operational police decisions. These are a matter for the commissioner of police.”
On Monday CoP David Baines told CNS that the RCIPS would not comment on details of any security operation.
Meanwhile, government sources have told CNS that the Legges had approached the governor on Friday, directly after the premier’s statement criticizing the editor, and demanded protection. Legge himself has said that he had a meeting with the governor to discuss the “impending threat”.
Sources close to the events have told CNS that the UK’s representative reportedly advised Legge to talk to the commissioner, who, in the face of Legge’s claims and his alleged state of fear, assigned a police detail. CNS understands that on Saturday the RCIPS made an assessment that there was no real threat to Legge’s safety and, as a result, the security cover could not be justified. An officer then reportedly accompanied the couple to the airport, where they left for Florida on a regular commercial flight.
Given enquiries received by CNS about the story from news houses in the US Tuesday, it appeared that Legge was giving interviews regarding his dramatic exit. The Washington Post blog section and CBC radio in Canada (skip to 20:28 minutes into the recording) were reporting the flight in the face of the treason allegations. In his interview with CBS Legge told the reporter that he was astonished by the premier’s response, and although he had plans to return home, he did not know when.
“This is causing an enormous commotion in the Cayman Islands,” the editor stated. “We are getting a lot … if not direct threats … just hate speech … I’ve never seen this kind of vitriol,” he added.
The commotion that Legge refers to began when Premier Alden McLaughlin took aim at him for an editorial in which the premier suggested the editor had accused all Caymanians of being culturally corrupt. He said that, while he expected as a politician the media to take swipes at him or the government, Legge’s his allegations against all Caymanians were “treasonous”.
The legislators voted to stop spending public funds with the paper and put government advertisements and notices elsewhere.
Legge then fled claiming that he had been driven off the island in fear for his life because he was exposing corruption.
Category: Local News, Media
The Natives are Coming… The Natives are Coming…
Wait! Whats that on my back?
It’s a Dart Board Dear… He turned you into a target…
Wait! What’s that big thing on my face?
It’s Just your nose Dear… It’s just your nose…
The Natives are Coming… The Natives are coming…
The smart people are leaving Cayman in droves that is a fact I did not realize it but ask any of the shipping companies about the demand for space in cargo containers.
and to make matters worse the people at customs basically stopped people from taking their goods out of the country Just look at ecay it is full of stuff for sale at firestorm prices
The realestate companies wont say it but homes are getting very inexpensive just look at the trends Home prices being cut 200, 300k+ just to dump them before they cant be dumped…
and crime is out of control people are not even reporting it anymore.
Sink Cayman sink so you can rise again
Why are people leaving on cargo ships? Its scary that you will probably answer. That said your post is nonsense. As long as Cayman remains a tax haven where money can be hidden it will remain an important place.
I will respond to you.
Cayman lost its tax haven status years ago. Your brain is in the70/ 80,s when your economy was fueled with cocaine money coming out of The US.
Cargo is attempting to go out on cargo ships, not people and the demand for sea containers is at an all time high people are attempting to bring in personal containers from the states as their are none available locally that are seaworthy. The collector of customs will not let personal goods be loaded at private homes anymore and the items that go out the owner must provide documentation even if it has been owned for 20 years.
History repeats its self many times thru out history governments felt that the goods owned by people were actually property of the state and if the people want t go they may only leave with what they can carry, Ever wonder why Jews hold gold its because they can carry it.
And what I said about real estate is very true just pick up a booklet at the store and read it.
OMG Cayman 27 reported that Deputy Governor reported that the cost of the protection afforded to the Legges was…….. Drum Roll……..$300…….. Send in the auditors at once…..cost to audit……..$3,0000 ??? What a farce.
8:13 @11/6: are you implying that since it only cost $300 it was ok? Ever heard of principle?
So long as an expat is involved you will deflect from the real issue.
Did anyone think that this may be a strategy on his part? His paper is not doing well (business wise). No one is going to buy his paper (he paid 12 million) .But he could sue for defamation ta-da
Anyone with half a brain cell can smell the only too evident corruption in local politics and CS. Lack of accounts, lack of accountability, failed projects, failed court cases. How many more examples do you need?
I tend to agree with the poster above who said we have exhausted the topic and can move on. 7:16 pm, for instance….
Losing a billion dollars from Government funds and not giving a flying monkeys helmet in cares as to where or who it went!
Hey Mr. Legge if rebranding is your next move here’s a fitting name; “Dartainian Chronicle”.
Answer to his question in the first sentence about when he can return to Cayman – don’t return is the simple answer I think.
Yea keep Leggn it moron.
Let this be the last post on the subject. And no thumbs up or down please. David Legge has had his 15 minutes of fame and it is now time for the story to move to page 2 so the rest of us can get on with our lives. Any more comments will just serve to encourage him to continue to seek the spotlight and subject all and sundry to his monster loony raving conspiracy theories. Once he has been properly medicated he can come back home and we will all carry on as normal and pretend that nothing ever happened. Next year during Batabano we can get a group dressed up in tin foil hats and wear t-shirts with a bulls eye on the back to see if that sets him off again.
Mr. Legge, if and when you wake up from your dreamy sleep, you should realize that there is no target on your back, and if you PERCEIVE that there is one, then your sub-concious maybe put it there! Caymanians are peaceful people who do not target people who maybe upset them, they simply ignore you!
Peaceful Westbay gangs..
Good journalists simply tell the truth. Poor journalists are corrupted by their own tunnel vision and personal agendas
It is a very rare thing in this world for journalists to dig as deep as is necessary to get to bedrock.
If the Cayman media had the fortitude to explore the true level of corruption in Cayman, they would probably be fish food somewhere off 60 mile bank wearing a pair of concrete boots.
No, journalism has a long way to go in this world. Just look at Honduras. All the honest journos are dead.
If we want our favourite paper/blog to stand up for the truth we’ll need to start putting our names to the articles that we write.
Unfortunately when I have done this, I have been ridiculed by the very press that claim to want to be transparent.
Anyway, one day, all will be made clear and petty opinions won’t matter.
After I read to the end of the comment above, I went back and was a little surprised to find “Anonymous”.
But I do understand. You will see “anonymous ” at the end of this one too. Why is that? Not because I don’t have the courage of my convictions, but because I am not of independent means and worry, for example, that my boss may think that the business will suffer if clients and others associate my views with the business itself. That is really one of the key reasons that names are not being put at the end of these comments. I wish it were otherwise, but it is perhaps a by-product of our small size.
It is also a by-product of unsophisticated minds — as soon as we disagree, we reach for a label to apply to the other person. We cannot accept that we are both entitled to our views.
But there are persons out there who are of independent means or to whom recognition would simply not matter and I did see a few voicing opinions. I hope we can see more.
I recognised one of the names, for instance, and I happen to know that he has no strings anywhere that would prohibit him from speaking out. He said that he had noticed the slide of the Compass into this sanctimonious rag mag, but he was critical of the Premier because he classed the issue as a freedom of the press issue (I suppose that meant that the Premier does not have a voice.)
I respect his right to those views. I just wondered why that person had not spoken out through some fora so that the Premier did not have to run the risk of accusations in the freedom of the press arena. We never heard a word from him before the you-know-what hit the fan.
To his credit, the Premier rose to the challenge, at some personal and other costs, and now this previously silent voices appear to criticise the Premier.
Pity he could not have spoken before. Hindsight, as they say, is 20-20.
I actually don’t see it as a freedom of the press issue. The Premier has a right to his views, and he was speaking out not because he felt the governemnt was being attacked. Others think differently and draw parallels to the Nor’wester’s issues with the Haig and Jim Bodden government. The magazine was banned from CAL, etc. I believe there have been other instances that rightly raise concerns for a repetition.
Personally, I would not at all have supported the Premier if he had been rattled by criticisms of the Compass of his government’s policies, actions, etc. That comes with the territory and is a part of the role of a free press. But I did not see this happening.
What I saw was a Premier disturbed about the racist posture of the Compass in black balling a whole population group and the core values that Caymanians have traditionally stood for. I thank him for speaking up for the defenseless.
No, the speech was not perfect. I would have left some words out. But his heart was in the right place and it was necessary for someone to pull the plug to bring release to the building pressure.
As for the advertising vote motion, you know what, I see no reason that government should support racism, and with the scarcity of money, let Legge get his wealthy buddies to make up the shortfall. They can afford it more than the people, who are hurting badly in these difficulty economic times.
His wealthy clients will likely benefit from the varnishing of their images — or so the theory goes.
Truth be told, Legge deserves an Oscar. To discerning eyes though, his intentions are as clear as the editorial stance of ‘his’ paper – defend his friend and patron McKeeva Bush and try to discredit Alden and the Government at every turn. This man, by his behavior, is now truly a threat to our islands.
Hoping that the sentiments of Watchin’ and Waitin’ about the de sure owners cutting their losses comes true. We can do without his sort.
Hey David,
This is Helen. I got a call from David and Vicki and they are concerned about their safety in light of recent developments in the L.A. Please see to it……….. but remember in my position; I don’t make any “operational decisions” of what goes on in the RCIPS. That’s your portfolio.
No problem, I’ll get on it right away and I’ll see you later for some quiet bubbly.
LMAO !!
If I was you Mr. Grey Poupon, I would sell the Cayman Compass, pocket some change and retreat into your more private glossy magazines or something else. It now becomes increasingly aware, that the main reason you or whoever purchased the Compass was to fulfil your biased agendas. This is not the United States media my friend. Its a small island where everybody knows everybody. The people of these islands deserve better journalism that that. At the rate you are going, you will run this newspaper brand into the ground. Do it now!!!
“Hate speech” and “vitriol” Legge? That about describes most of your editorials not just the latest attack on the Cayman Islands people but the many personal, sanctimonious attacks on civil servants. I guess it feels different when you are on the receiving end. The writing was on the wall when you changed the newspaper’s name from the Caymanian Compass to Cayman Compass. To you, Legge, Cayman is just a destination. To us it is our home. Please do us a favour and don’t return.
And that’s why he had to leave.
Why? Because someone else exercised their freedom of speech?
I am sickened that anyone should believe that Caymanians support corruption or are bringing any pressure to bear on the publisher or anyone else at the Compass because of news reports or editorials related to the Jeffrey Webb affair. (By the way, I have not heard of anyone else at the Compass jumping ship — they feel quite safe, it appears — and so they should).
It makes me heart sick that the outside world might have that impression because of Legge’s stupid media circus (listen to the CBC interview).
He simply cannot speak with any authority about Caymanians and Caymanian society. Shame on him for not even being honest enough to recognise his own limitations.
For once and for all, as a people we stand for law and the pursuit of justice for anyone who is or may have been involved in crime, whether friend, foe, relative.
Alden totally over reacted and came off sounding like Big Mac and Chavez had a love child. It was beyond foolish to use such inflammatory language, aka ‘treason’. It only makes him look like he has something to hide, and as if we are a backwards dictatorship. An intellegent, and saavy statesman would have tempered his words. He could have protested what were clearly awful opinions by the Compass, without attacking freedom of speach.
Would Obama try to crush Fox News? Would George W. Try to destroy SNL with an executive order? I do not think so. Freedom of the press is central to any functioning democracy. Without freedom of the press there is no freedom of speach, there is, frankly, no freedom at all. This is a dark time for Cayman.
Are you living in total denial? This is a tiny country. The Compass has been on a campaign to discredit and undermine the institutions of it since Mr.Legge took control. This is totally different to the U.S or any large country, for obvious (for most of us) reasons. Where he blew himself out of the water was when he attempted to discredit the Caymanian people as a whole. Alden had the audacity to object to this, and Mr.Legge couldn’t take it – a typical bully. So he ran off spinning some garbage about his life being in danger, how cowardly. His colleagues (both here and abroad) must be appalled. Worldwide, real journalist are being (actually) threatened and in fear of their lives for reporting the truth. Many, sadly, have paid the ultimate price for reporting the truth. Mr.Legge gets called out for reporting that the Caymanian people are endemically corrupt, and his response? He makes up a cock and bull story and takes off on a private jet, no doubt sipping champagne. Some journalist. Some man.
Thank you for helping me to understand. Democracy is only for larger countries. We are small so, lord of the flies is the way to go.
A couple reports on how your friend Obama is dealing with the press:
New York Times: “[the Obama White House is] turning out to be the administration of unprecedented secrecy and of unprecedented attacks on a free press. The ability of the press to report freely on its government is a cornerstone of American democracy. That ability is, by any reasonable assessment, under siege.”
Washington Post: The Obama DOJ is “treat[ing] a reporter as a criminal for doing his job” and is thus “as flagrant an assault on civil liberties as anything done by George W. Bush’s administration, and it uses technology to silence critics in a way Richard Nixon could only have dreamed of.”
But, hey, you believe whatever you want to believe.
I am a republican. I do no support Obama in any way. I think his policies have created a culture of laziness and entitlement. I, also, dislike Mr. Legge’s comments. I find them offensive. I none-the-less support his right to make critical and even inflamitory comments. The ability to speak freely is far more important than the content of said speach.
I am a Caymanian and I think that David Legge is a sanctimonious little A-hole. Maybe the person approving comments will allow my opinion to be posted on CNS, but I’m quite sure the Compass would not publish it. They would reject it as a personal attack, yet David Legge says that the entire Cayman Islands is culturally steeped in corruption. I concur with you on opinion that an individual has the right to say something wrong. However, a newspaper has a much higher responsibility to ensure that what they print, especially in an editorial, is the truth.
And what if it is true?
If it is true then we should take action to correct it. Unfortunately, once a country is culturally steeped in corruption it is very difficult to eliminate. Here are a few quick questions that a “yes” answer would be more indicative of culturally steeped corruption:
1. Has David Legge, you, or anyone you might know, ever been asked to pay an additional fee under (or over) the counter before a Custom’s Officer, Immigration Officer, Licensing Department Officer, any other Government Officer, or even a low-level clerk would perform their duty?
2. Has David Legge, you, or anyone you might know, ever been asked to pay a fee for any government officer NOT to do their duty?
3. Has David Legge, you, or anyone you might know, ever felt the necessity to “tip” someone to ensure the timely restoration of electricity, water, telephone, internet, TV, etc. or any other service that might have been interrupted in Cayman?
If we are steeped in corruption then we sure are missing out on a lot of ways to cash in.
A subset of this whole sotuation is questions about the state of journalism in the Cayman Isands.
In this regard, The problem with the Compass is that you almost get the impression that the Editorial Board has influences, whether it is Mr. Legge himself, that is diluting a strong journalistic base, possibly taking it towards more of the PR side of Pinnacle.
It could be difficult to keep the journalism ship sailing smoothly, with all its necessary ethical planking, when the PR side becomes too dominant; it could be that Mr. Legge himself may have lost his sensitivity to the delicate ethical demands of journalism, for example for the independence of his journalists, because of his foray into the PR business.
PR and journalism are two distinctly separate worlds. I know locally we seem to think that journalists can easily do the PR practitioner’s job, as all you need to be is a good writer. Certainly, a seasoned PR practitioner may not be the best choice for the sterner stuff of journalism, at least without some journalistic retraining, re-sensitizing, etc.
While the Premier may have made some errors, I think that some of the issues were set in motion by a shaky journalistic culture within the profession itself.
I can imagine this view will stick in the craw of some — but it may just be worth thinking about.
Pinnacle Media is definitely not distinguishing itself either in the way its PR crisis is being handled, err mishandled.
Rule 1 in crisis communications is to admit wrong and move on as soon as possible.
Instead we see blaming everyone else — including the people of the Islands — and highlighting the problems — not only locally but internationally — and dragging the crisis out, as long as possible, it seems.
I’m just here to read the asinine rhetorics ,shake my head in disgust despair and disappointment, and ask one question. Did anyone think how the government ‘s boycott of the island’s only newspaper will affect us , not just David Legge???? How many Caymanians would be out of a job if they decide to lock shop?? Am I to believe that boycott was the only option? So many questions but everybody all emotional now and taking sides . Let good sense prevail. We need to have a daily publication and not just for placing ads for work permit renewals which we know most times the jobs aren’t even available. That’s corruption but who cares!!!
Both sides need to cut the crap and get on with it. The bad press will eventually affect us all. Whether you are an expat or from East End, West Bay , west End or Little Cayman. Some choose to relocate here , others born here . So why can’t we all co-exist without being so predatory and hypercritical.
If we’re gonna make international news, let it be for our beaches, our culture, our cuisine, our healthcare, our weather, our hospitality but not bickering and creating sensational division amongst ourselves.
David Legge opinion is his ; likewise Hon Premier Alden is entitled to his and both men will always justify their actions or reactions but why should the reputation of these islands suffer because these two gentlemen can’t have a discussion if one is needed?!!.
Unsure exactly how your sitting on the fence and telling the sides to “get on with it” addresses anything, least of all Mr.Legge’s reprehensible bahaviour in calling the Caymanian people as a whole corrupt.
You are trying to reduce an attack on Cayman and the people of the Cayman Islands as some personal spat between the Premier and Legge which we all know is nonsense. Perhaps a couple of Caymanians will be affected but that would be a small price to pay to maintain our dignity as a people and not allow ourselves to be abused in our own country.
I just don’t understand how anyone could say that all Caymanians are corrupt. Maybe most of the politicians, and big wheeler dealers…. but not ALL Caymanians. Well, maybe a few hundred who accept gifts or cash for votes… and a few dozen more who use government credit cards to steal, but it just isn’t fair to say all of us are corrupt…… is it?
Who said all Caymanians are corrupt? Legge didn’t. What he said seemed a fairly accurate summary of the many layers of corruption that do exist.
Legge very clearly said that we are so culturally steeped in corruption that we cannot recognise it and are likely to dismiss complaints against it as due to cultural differences. Our culture is a part of our identity. In essence he said that to be Caymanian is to be corrupt. So said Mr. 2003 status grant recipient. Important point to note the only time certain expats mention culture and Caymanians together is when they wish to be derogatory to Caymanians.
Legge no one has put a target on your back and if that’s the case then you will require round the clock armed police protection should you return to the island. You are plain and simply a narcissist and delusional.
When you landed on this rock and started palling around with the likes of McKeeva you thought you were more intelligent and better than the locals and so they should fall at the feet of your editorial sermons. I always suspected that you must have been a recipient of the disgraceful status giveaway why you didn’t include it in your catalogue of corrupt practices that we can’t recognize even if it is right there as a looking glass. What do your Cayman-hating supporters think of this as you don’t have the guts or courage to respond?
And to the poster regarding Ozzie’s statement that is post incident so it has no relevance and he likewise is a disgrace to his office and the country and Alden needs be cuatious how far he allow this unholy alliance drag him into areas where Legee wants him to go. Act very stateman and avoid rethoric that can be interpreted negatively. Your job is to present the best image of our country to the outside world that we do not condone corruption and will support international law enforcement partners in their investigations and Webb might as well head to the U.S. where is wife, son and mansions are and face the music because there is no safe haven here. Let the world know that Cayman is open to legitimate business and visitors. You need a communications director or international firm that can give you access to the international media because don’t think you can ride this horse to the next elections or detract from the lack of job creation and McKeeva like the status grants etc we will remember you for giving us Legge et al.
And Legge stop manupulating PM Cameron’s statement because he is late to the party the Europeans knew about this racket and did nothing so thank God for the Americans. And one thing about us, like most of the world, we love our footbal/soccer more than we love Webb et al so we are very glad to see them being called to account and we look forward to more arrests, including Webb’s other mentors. It is about time.
I am absolutely flabbergasted: the Publisher of the Compass is wandering sround the US, virtually routed out of his home and comfort and possibly even his job because of a dark threat by the Premier that has put a “mark on his back.” While the International ,media — some very formidable such as the Washington Post, no less, is lapping it up, his own newspaper does not think that is news? Not a word on the publisher who has to run in fear for his life?
Only in Cayman.
Then the Publisher himself tells the International media, not just once, that the Governor ordered his protection, and that is not news? In a campaign against corruption, they do not think that using public funds to provide protection even before the threat assessment is done (it proves non-existent, it seems), and that is not news to the Hot shot Compass editors looking to root corruption and official rot?
Only in Cayman!
Yes, I agree with 6:15 pm: the Compass should not be ignoring these two important stories — 1. the flight of the Publisher with a target on his back by the Islands’ Premier and 2. his protection order and the role he himself alleges that the Governor played .
These are explosive stories — at least its publisher thinks so.
If the Compass ignores these two stories it loses credibility as a fair, principled news organisation, making decisions about what it covers on the basis of newsworthiness and a commitment to the integrity of the profession.
Or is it already on this downward slide of favouritism and the benefits that brings?
On the requirement of the Compass to cover issues involving the Publisher: good journalists are defined by their ability to make decisions about the stories they cover independent of their personal connections and even opinions.
Not a wholly articulate and understandable post, alas. “Ozzie’s statement that is post incident” -what does that mean?
When the LA was discussing the motion to pull advertising from the Compass, Ozzie said (apparently) “Most times when this happens people are run out of town”.
Arden McLean, who brought the bill to motion (apparently) said something about tombstones: “We have to be careful how we plant them, and who’s name appears on them”.
The Premier DID NOT put a target on your back Mr. Legge. However, you do need a sign that says “beware – I am an over-reactor, attention seeker, drama queen, Editor of fictitious articles” that would accurately describe you.
Do you know when enough is enough? If you intended to make a name for yourself, one that people would never forget in months and years to come, you have done so…however only in a most negative way for your reputation. Your actions and words leave much room to question “why you ever wished to reside here in the Cayman Islands if you think so little of our people?”
You bit off more than you could chew when you wrote that “story” in 3 June edition of the Cayman Compass and did not expect the outburst and response that you received. Well just know that the press is not the only one that has the privilege of “free speech” as “We the Caymanians” do also. I think our message is loud and clear – we have spoken!
Saying goes “If you live in a glasshouse – don’t throw stones” and “don’t dish out more than you can chew” – Note to self (Legge) when writing articles in the future!
why don’t you print what ozzie bodden said???…then people might understand his concerns….
Mr. Legge is over-reacting (to say the least) to the extreme!
Obviously as a result of him realising that he was wrong in writing such a fictional and defamatory editorial on 3 June 2015 about the Caymanian people and it’s residents, followed by his choice to leave Cayman last Saturday, he now feels compelled to continue to dramatize the situation by making up stories in his head to try and justify 1) why he and his wife left Cayman last week and 2) displaying fear of returning to island (when in fact there is no need to be fearful) 3) trying to justify on the interational media stage, that what he is saying is true – to save himself embarrasment. Well… Mr. Legge, it’s too late for that. What you have done is an absolute shame – you should be embarrased! Might I also remind you that the article which appeared in the “Cayman Compass” on 3 June 2015 titled “Corruption: An insidious, creeping crime” is online for the entire world to read for themselves and they are quite capable of making their own conclusion as to whether or not the article was defamatory to the Cayman people and those who reside here.
What you should have written on the front page of the “Cayman Compass” on Monday 8 June 2015, was an apology to Caymanians and residents of the Cayman Islands instead of using the entire front page to write “In Memoriom Free Speech in the Cayman Islands 5 June 2015”. How unprofessional, unecessary and unethical!
4) Try apologising and you will feel much better… don’t be a coward and ignore your conscience, admit you were wrong and ask for forgiveness. May God guide you accordingly.
There is nothing fictional about corruption in Cayman, you all just can’t face the truth.
then move..go live with Legge in the States..Why would you want to live here..we are steeped culturally in corruption remember..Lots of planes leaving every day…Some I I think you love our milk and honey too much to leave though…
Errr, it’s only your milk and honey as long as you are taking it from us
now now kids behave. you know that the compass has always been a biased rag for a long time. Legge just was adding his two cents…he is like all Americans and Anglo-saxons they always crap where they live
yep…caymankind….
Still don’t understand why he is yapping away to US and Canadian media? Why not sit at home, calm down and contemplate what he himelf has created. What he is doing is making matters worse on an international basis. Is that what he hoped to accomplish? Sympathy? Empathy? Attention? Bad publicity for Cayman Islands? What corruption is he exactly revealing? Does he need to be extradited back to Cayman Islands to reveal his claims of corruption?
He is just a wuss looking for attention!
Where is the petition to revoke his status?
I did not and do not support the Premier’s and the MLAs’ over-the-top response to Legge’s admittedly insensitive and misleading editorial, but this latest nonsense from Mr Legge suggests that he has spent far too much time mingling with the Yacht Club/Vista del Mar cocktail party crowd, photographing them for that glossy elitist “magazine” that he produces, and therefore does not know that, for better or worse, Caymanian politicians (and some local callers to the talk shows) like to huff and puff about silliness like ‘treason”, “insulting a nation”, “tombstones” and “run him off the island” rather like kids in the playground. Real violence to people like Legge never happens in Cayman. Leaving aside the druggies and gangstas intent on wiping each other out over drugs and who the hell knows what else (certainly NOT this sort of issue which they couldn’t give a damn about if they even know about it), Caymanians are pretty tolerant and well behaved, even when riled up by this type of unsympathetic stuff in his editorials. I agree with those that say he has lost any credibility he had and, in fact, he is making an awful ass of himself. “Target on my back”?? Seriously, Mr Legge?
Driftwood of many contented years.
I agree entirely with your comment 1:20, but I particularly liked the “kids in the playground” bit. Unfortunately, it is spot on.
If Alden had any class he would make the allegations against Legge outside the LA where privilege won’t protect him. He won’t do that because he is spineless.
You sound like a friend of Legge’s trying to goad the Premier into letting Legge sue him in the courts. I think that is what his foreign media campaign is all about. But here’s something for you to think about: everyone here understands that “treasonous” simply meant that he had betrayed the country who had given him status and not that he had committed any criminal offence. And those same people he has insulted will be the jury to decide how those words should be understood and whether they were defamatory. Now knock of the nonsense so this country can focus on important issues rather than narcissistic Legge.
So you didn’t hear Alden on the talk show? That was definitely outside the LA!
Mr. Legge has lost all credibility.
So has Alden.
Quite to the contrary, Alden has gone up in the estimation of many.
Erm, maybe in the estimation of many if that means those who think saying Cayman is a paradise is all it takes. He has not gone up in the estimation of thinking people who look at Cayman’s global image and he should have had regard to that. Far from it. Many of us voted for him because he is actually educated and, until now, thoughtful, but he allowed himself to descend into the crowd pleasing little village sniping politics when a statesmanlike approach from a Premier of a jurisdiction that is trying to show itself to be a mature player on the world stage would have been far, far better.
He has plenty of thinking people onside, and many of us thinking people understand that this is for the greater, long-term good of these Islands beyond the immediate headlines. Try to see beyond them and don’t be so myopic. You remind me of Legge with your condescending words.
The real shame here is the level of maturity in the Premier and government of these Islands. Instead of playing defense the Premier engaged in direct verbal combat with a member of the public all behind the safety of Parliamentary privilege. Engaging in this behavior has now swirled out of control and is damaging the business of the country. Everyday somewhere in the world someone talks ill about these islands and this situation has justified their opinions. If you are looking for a place for international business Cayman certainly does not look like the stable country it professes itself to be. It looks like Banana Republic where the leaders in government engage with media and citizens to discredit them. This is not reflective of seasoned politicians but of backstreet bullys. We let nationalist fervor take over our thoughts and loss all rationalism while we only harm ourselves and our childrens future.
Government needs to get to work on dump, education, healthcare, and selling these islands as a business friendly jurisdiction. And not engage in such insignificant issues.
11:58 it seems as if you need to take flight like Legge. We have taken too much from Legge and many more of the calibre of Legge. He needs to tell the foreign press exactly what caused him to run, not that he was threatened. He doesn’t have the right to insult the people of the Cayman Islands, when the likes of him is claiming to be Caymanian.
His status should be revoked. His twisted tough has caused him to put his tail on his back and run, otherwise he has something to hide.
This is true. The other off-shore Caribbean islands are licking their chops in anticipation of the business that will come their way. This is unwanted attention both from the media and the politicians.
Give me a break! Which other Caribbean islands you are referring to? Cayman is and has always been the preferred financial centre. Please do not give peg legge any credit for our success story. He came here and found a robust financial centre and all of his screaming and prancing around will not change that. Some of you seem to think that he is important but let me remind you that he is irrelevant. He came here to help himself and except few people working for he I cannot really think of anything else that he has done. iI don’t know this for sure but some of the workers were probably there from Mr Uzzell’s time. XXXXX I am beginning to actually pity him. A real attention grabber at any cost.
Anguilla, BVI, Bermuda, Bahamas, the Channel Islands, there are a lot waiting in the weeds so don’t kid yourself into thinking Cayman is the one and only. I don’t live in Cayman and have no allegiance to Legge as I don’t know him but from what I have read, I do think he is a twerp for running away. I am just saying that these island will pounce, they would fools not to.
It doesn’t work that way and it doesn’t happen overnight. Cayman Islands entities are component parts of financial structures that are devised in London and New York. We are plugged into the network as it is. It would take some dramatic changes in circumstances, not just in Cayman, to alter that relationship. This is not to say that Cayman cannot lose its favored position and it must certainly be solicitous of the dangers posed by chest thumping nationalism and a variety of other factors. To be sure, we certainly do not need private individuals roaming the world stirring up negative publicity, be they corrupt soccer officials or hysterical newspaper publishers. Note to all, Brand Cayman is the important thing. Do not screw it up for the rest of us who are from here, come here, live here and work here.
I agree with you but there is nothing stopping companies from incorporating in these other jurisdictions right now. Some of these islands are also British Overseas Territories with London connections. Legislation can be changed fairly quickly and rats are always willing to jump to another ship. Cayman is getting a lot of negative publicity at the minute and some do not want attention drawn to their bank accounts or companies. I am not in any camp at all and wish Cayman no harm but the island should be careful. As it is, silly fictional TV shows always point to Cayman when there are money launderers, hiding money etc involved. It is certainly fiction but there it is and it does stick in people’s minds.
Last time I checked neither the Channel Islands nor Bermuda is in the Caribbean!, Bahamas, BVI and Anguilla , well they are nice places to visit but definitely no competition . Do you think that clients who are getting quality service here will up root their structures because of Daffy Duck flapping his wings. He came in like Puff the Magic Dragon and left like Pop goes the weasel . I do not have anything else to say on this subject.
You obviously we’re not about during the Lindon Pidling years in the Bahamas.
The financial and off shore business left the Bahamas as quick as the stability and security dropped. Some of which occurred literally overnight. Cayman inherited this for no other reason than it being the next politically stable, offshore jurisdiction.
There are a lot of “mirror” offices, alternative jurisdictions and head offices in other jurisdictions that are set up and can facilitate a move very quickly. How do you think trade is continued during hurricanes?
The business can go as quick as it arrived as the bottom line is making money.
When that decreases due to bureaucracy, inflated costs, the necessity to carry workers or the hesitation of investors using the Cayman Islands due to corruption, I would say that the curtain is closing.
Legge has only done what I see more and more people doing right now, found an exit plan and followed it through. It is only the method used that is questionable.
Most of the top law firms in Cayman have offices in a lot of the other off-shore islands so it would be quite simple for companies to “up-root” and move. Lawyers will get the money no matter where these companies are. And you are correct, I made a mistake when I said other off-shore Caribbean islands. I should have simply said other off-shore jurisdictions.
Now we know how to interpret the integrity of comments by the Commissioner — he won’t comment on “the details of a security operation,” all the while knowing there was no security threat or security operation.
Wow! From now on I know how to treat what comes out of the Commissioner’s mouth.
I wonder when the de jure owners of the Compass will cut their losses and move on.
Not looking good for business.