CIG retaining local newspaper ad ban
David Legge in his Jaguar with security detail (Photo from Facebook)
(CNS): Premier Alden McLaughlin has stated that the government is continuing with the policy, as adopted in Finance Committee last month, not to spend public cash advertising with the islands’ oldest daily newspaper and that he was still looking for an apology from its publisher. Despite a letter that has been sent by David Legge’s lawyers to government threatening to sue over the loss of what was said to be half a million dollars worth of taxpayers’ money spent annually by CIG on advertising, the ban remains in place.
McLaughlin said the adverts that appeared in The Cayman Compass after 1 July, when the policy was adopted, would be ones already paid for when MLAs voted to withdraw the revenue it previously spent with the newspaper and redistribute with other media houses.
As many of the advertisements that government places with the paper are required by law to be in a print newspaper, the bulk of this new revenue spending is expected to go to The Cayman Reporter, which has enlarged its operation on the promise of the government dollar and has indicated it will be printing a daily edition, up from its former weekly publication.
Legge lost the lucrative government revenue after he wrote an editorial, in the wake of the FIFA scandal, implying that all Caymanians and the entire country was inherently corrupt. Finance Committee was deliberating the budget at the time and during the proceedings the premier delivered a speech lambasting the publisher and criticising the direction the paper had taken since Legge and his wife allegedly bought it, accusing him of treason.
Following this speech, East End MLA Arden McLean suggested the ban. With a few notable exceptions, including the opposition leader, the motion was passed, directing government not to spend cash on advertising in the Compass until Legge retracts his editorial criticising the country and its people.
McLaughlin told CNS that government had received a letter from Legge threatening to take legal action because, he claims, the ban interferes with his freedom of expression. McLaughlin told CNS that the matter was in the hands of the attorney general, who would be responding to the threats, but the ban remained in place.
Following the premier’s speech and before the ban, Legge demanded police protection and then fled to the US, where he did the media rounds in an attempt to draw the world’s attention to the criticisms he had received, suggesting the premier had “put a target” on his back when he accused him of treason. After a week or so, however, Legge returned, and although he was seen with a security detail for a few days, more recently the publisher appears to be taking his chances alone on the streets of Grand Cayman.
The paper, formerly The Caymanian Compass, was founded more than four decades ago but the Legges recently renamed it The Cayman Compass. It remains to be seen if the $500,000 loss of revenue will impact the publishing firm or if the ban will remain in place for any significant period.
What could be a far more serious threat to the bottom line, however, is the removal of the requirement by employers to advertise their jobs in a printed newspaper before they can seek a work permit. Once government amends the immigration regulations to give equal parity to online advertising and shift the mandatory placement from print adverts to the National Workforce Development Agency’s site, the revenue losses may be far more significant.
With news and information now available 24/7 from all corners of the globe online, the media industry generally is struggling to cover the cost of professional reporting, as the only meaningful source of revenue for the news business remains the advertising dollar. But as that global spend shrinks and is distributed over a wider and wider marketplace, the battle to finance quality journalism is one that is being lost the world over, and not just in Cayman.
Category: Government Finance, Politics
And you said yes and gave the number to the police, along with the name of your thoughtful friend, right? Of course you did!
So basically what the CIG has done is put a different New Paper in play that will be more sensitive to what the CIG wants them to print. Having enlarged its operation on the promise of the government dollar The Reporter will now be completely dependent on the revenue from the CIG in order to sustain their new status. Which means that they will answer to them. No matter how you look at it this is a direct attempt to control the flow of news to the public.
To anonymous of 18:07 at 5:46 am: CNS is merely doing what the Compass should be doing — reporting the news. Whichever side of the debate you are on, this is big news. I am appalled but not surprised that the Compass has seen fit to ignore this news simply because it is inconvenient. A news organisation that chooses to avoid reporting news because it has a personal interest becomes suspect in my mind.
A proper news organisation, founded on the pursuit of truth cost it what it will, would report the news however uncomfortable. I wonder how Compass journalists whose instincts should be to report the news feel when they are thus bridled by their organisation? And where will that posture end — where else will they feel constrained from reporting the news?
And, as an aside, I see nothing glib in this news report — just the facts.
Plus he looks so pretty in pink…
you said this place should have been wiped out by ivan,well i guess you was not here when ivan blew through,because he should have taken you with him when he left.you made your millions ,so stay away forever.people like you cayman do not need. for6.33pm.
So he fears for his life, and drives around with the top down? This man just loves to get attention and should be ignored.
Actually it’s your compass that’s broken dude. And clearly some of your other faculties.
This action proves just how petty this government really is. The reason anonymous is required to post it that they will punish anyone who disagrees with them.
How many of the thumbs down responders post under anonymous to protect their identities?
Actually, I think people post anonymously not because they fear retribution from government but more because they worry that publishing might affect their employability. I couldn’t care less what anyone thinks of my views per se, but I would have a concern that my employer, present and future, might view comments as some sort of conflict interest, re their standing with customers, etc. this is an unfortunate disadvantage of living in a small community.
IThe MLAs did the right thing in trying to bring Legge in line. It was necessary in the interest of keeping the peace and preventing public unrest;that’s good governance.You know it is really ironic that Legge sees this place and its people as corrupt but has no qualms about fighting to get (more than) his fair share of that ‘corrupt’ money.
I suppose you may have returned to either of the following: US, UK, Europe or maybe Asia? I fail to see where any of these uphold the moral compass you seem to be living in right now. These places are no different than what you have described us as in case you haven’t noticed.
Cayman is not for everyone, and its apparent it didn’t work for you. Take care, go far and stay long.
Public spending should be properly tendered and not used as a means of trying to infringe freedom of the press. What has been done is corrupt.
Says you………Legge?
No, says anybody who can see beyond petty nationalistic pandering by an over-his-head inexperienced politician (McLaughlin), who blustered himself into a trap that a wiley old bastard (McLean) could not resist springing.
Legge’s one day, one half page opinion would have long faded into obscurity were it not for McLaughlin’s extreme over-reaction, and naive support of McLean’s cunnining motion.
While we in Cayman are in the spotlight due to accusations of deep-rooted corruption, (brought about by the FIFA scandal, not Legge), our Premier has diverted masses of government funds to a rival publication of the Compass, based on political whim, and has alerted the world to that fact.
Who is the traitor now?
To anonymous of 18/07 @ 9;44 pm, quoting you: “We in Cayman are in the spotlight due to accusations of deep rooted corruption (brought about by the FIFA scandal, not Legge)” — what utter rot. Cayman is not in the spotlight internationally because of “accusations of deep seated corruption”.
And by the way, one Caymanian, Webb, has been involved in the FIFA scandal, and no one internationally is besmirching all Caymanians with those alleged wrong doings. Thinking people do not throw a whole country under the bus because of one man. When you do that, that becomes racism. That kind of thinking is precisely what Legge and his runaway train are guilty of.
As stated, the “accusations of deep rooted corruption” to which I refer are with FIFA, and Cayman is in the spotlight because of the Webb connection, (Webb (a Caymanian) is in front pagenews today).
I am not sure how to take your “racism” comment. Caymanians come in all hues and ethnic origins.
“What utter rot?” You seem to be rather intolerant of views which don’t quite align with your own.
If you think the allegations of deep seated corruption are based on FIFA, you are continuing to reflect falsehoods. It was Legge who
Accused Caymanians of “deep seated corruption” and he was not claiming that because of FIFA — which would be an entirely reasonable conclusion when it concerns one man. Instead, Legge had a list of stupid allegations passed as evidence, such as dilapidated housing and cars with tinted windows.
As for you, get your facts right. You reek of confused thinking. And, yes, I am not too patient with that when you wade in with unfounded assertions.
For allegation of “racism”: these are based on the Compass’s attempt to besmirch the whole population. If you look up the definition of “race” you will see, courtesy of the Free Online Dictionary, a number of definitions. 1. a “group of people identified from other groups because of supposed physical OR genetic taits shared by members of the group.” The dictionary further expands: “Most biologists and anthropologists do not recognise race as a biologically valid classification, in part because there is more variation within groups than between them.” 2. A second definition: “A group of people united or classified together on the basis of common history, nationality, or geographic distribution” . So your definition of race as based solely on colour is much too simplistic.
Next, let us define “racism”: “The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially do as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race.”
I rest my case.
That should have been “entirely UNreasonable conclusion”
Sorry, you must be reading a different Compass editorial than I am. The one I see, published 3 June 2015, in the lead paragraph, specifically refers to “Page One headlines on the FIFA scandal in newspapers across the globe”.
I did not define “race”. In the context of your use of the term “racism”, I offered that Caymanians are of mixed colour AND ethnicity. I could have said ” mixed race” and saved you the trouble of publishing a dictionary.
And by the way, 10:16 pm at 19/07: I am not intolerant with views, as you say, that do not align with mine. I am intolerant of views that are not aligned with truth and facts.
WaYaSay is a narrow minded nationalist.
18/7@ 10:46 am: I am not sure there is any way to put the advertising budget out to tender. How it works is that the laws require publishing of certain notices and most of these laws were pre-Internet , so that the laws stipulated print. In our local situation with little choice of print publication (though we now have the Cayman Reporter gearing up), the budget goes to Compass by default.
I am glad to hear that there is a move to change the laws so that these notices can be published on a central government website, saving these funds for better uses.
After all government did not contract with the Compass, so it cannot claim breach of contract. And, by the way, that would have been totally inappropriate for government to select one media through which to do all its advertising business.
So we have now arrived at a good place — no inference can be made that Compass’s independence has been in anyway compromised and government gets to re-allocate these funds to a good cause — hopefully!
The Government pulled Government advertising. How can you say there is no contract?
To 19/07 @ 1:32 pm: I don’t think that governemnt “pulled” advertising. If you recall, a number of ads appeared after the so-called ban on advertising with the Compass. Those ads were already placed, so obviously were not “pulled.” I could stand corrected, but I am thinking that all that happened here is that no further ads were placed — not that ads were “pulled”.
The requirement to advertise in print media is based on law and policy, and presumably government can change its law at any time — and the Compass should have been aware that they were banking on shaky ground.
Rather than a contractual agreement, I suspect that all that happened here is that the Conpass had an expectation. While I am not a lawyer, I suspect that won’t stand up in court as a withdrawal of contract.
I am quite sure you are right, regarding contractual obligations of the Government to the Compass. What is at stake though is something entirely different, the awarding of Government business, based on political directive, rather than commercial best practice.
Imagine that McLaughlin had directed all government advertising to go to a company owned by a well-known PPM supporter, and not with a company headed by a Caymanian known to be critical of the PPM.
It is perhaps a bit less blatant in this case, but the principal is the same. No responsible, ethical political administration has any business forbidding government departments from spending their advertising dollars with any entity, based on political considerations.
You make some good points, and I was almost convinced, but I don’t see things as clear cut as you do.
And that is because the Compass’ publisher has brought to light questions about the efficacy of spending scarce public money on advertising that can be otherwise published free of cost. Isn’t it time that we modernize and put technology to work? After all, that what was we were told that the invention of computers and the Internet would do.
Another major concern that has been raised and which cannot be ignored is the propriety of government injecting such huge amounts of money into private enterprise, running the risk of that one newspaper sacrificing its independence. Especially now that we know the extent of the injection, it may very well raise concerns about conflict of interests — and it should.
So under ordinary circumstances, I buy your argument, but the Compass has now let the genie out of the bottle and I am not sure there can be any turning back.
So even if I accepted your points — and I actually do understand them — and even if I could stomach the publisher’s shenanigans — which I can’t — the freedom of expression argument is simply flogging a dead horse.
Funny, no one here misses you! Get over it.
Don’t worry about him/ her – probably got PR application turned down. Good riddance. Molested once – I sympathize, got molested several times- probably -.you are probably lying or was hanging with the wrong crowd.
“She was asking for it” – that sort of caveman attitude is aligned with too many.
You should be thankful for your friends of convenience as I don’t think anyone would talk to you otherwise.
For someone that has so many properties to worry about you sure do have time to keep responding to posters response to your clearly bitter and angry comment.
Poor you….we really don’t care whether you come and suck all you can from our country as wealth and possessions ARE NOT everything.
Clearly as in your case you seem to have a lot but the one thing you don’t have is PEACE and JOY by the tone in your comments…so suck away all the money you can while you can; but along the way try to find peace so you don’t feel so compelled to keep posting bitterness on the blog of the little island you wished had been wiped out by Ivan. If you respond to this it will confirm what I’ve just said. 🙂
It is shocking that you are attempting to silence someone who has raised the widespread nature of sexual assaults on “the little island”.
Thank you so very much for leaving.
a little glib from cns….be careful of karma….
i ask again….what was said in the article that was inaccurate?….
please respond with quotations not reworded generalisations…..
It was not damning enough about the extent of corruption and cronyism.
You can’t be that dumb………. Why should I try to explain to you again troll?
WaYaSay, the question was asked politely enough. You responded with an attack against the poster’s intelligence (dumb), and motivation (troll). Perhaps, if you are so sure of your moral and intellectual high ground, you might care to enlighten the rest of us, without resorting to ad-hominem attacks?
5:45 am, I asked the same question weeks ago and can’t get a response. Can someone please quote the exact statement legge published. So far I see nothing that warrants the hollabollu by our people. I’m shooked at some hypocrites that condemned legge,s statements.. They are now confirming that we (cayman) is full of corruption. “Village people mentality”
To 19/06 at 8:56 pm: I am perplexed that you are having such difficulty in discerning what was offensive or inaccurate in the editorial. You are either rather lame brained or are simply baiting commenters. Even you must admit that all you have to do is to go back and read the extensive numerous postings to previous articles. So I tend to agree that there is no need to respond to what Is most likely be a provocative rhetorical question.
And to the poster who is trying to twist another poster’s acknowledgement that Cayman has problems like everywhere else to be a recognition that we are all corrupt — again, this is hardly worth responding to.
However, let me try once more: as a country we apparently have our problems — like everywhere else, unfortunately. But when you start labeling the entire country as being corrupt, you will need to have statistics that can extrapolated to the whole country.
And that we do not have — which coms as no surprise. To suggest that Caymanians as a whole — an entire population group — have corruption in their DNA defies logic and can be nothing short of racism!
This is what was wrong with the editorial — and that is what is wrong with Trump’s comments about Mexicans as a whole. With all the corrupt segments in other populations such as in the US or Britain, for example, both of which undoubtedly have their fair share, can you imagine the outrage that would be triggered if a newspaper in either country asserted that the entire populations of each were endemically corrupt?!
Okay, this is one : we don’t have “inspection stickers” on our vehicles here in the Cayman Islands. We have a licensing coupon displayed on the lower left corner of the windshield, the procurement of which may or may not have involved the vehicle having been tested for for tyres, brakes etc. An “inspection sticker” system is used in various U.S. states, including Texas, and is attached to the vehicle’s number plate, apparently. Evidently whoever wrote that editorial hadn’t got a clue about the Cayman Islands or its people and culture, and didn’t give a hoot to boot, the cheeky beggar. Probably the same swaggering dimwit who wrote a while back in another editorial about how any custom’s officer challenging the premier “would probably be a former customs officer”. People like that should at least try and get their facts right before spewing their nonsense upon us from that rag of a publication. Enough quotations, friend?
Somebody asked me the other day if I wanted the number of someone to “print my inspection sticker for me”
CIG and Legge did Legge a big favour.
Clearly he feels our country is thoroughly corrupt, so we removed the inconvenience and moral dilemma of him amassing personal wealth from such an unsavoury source.
You’re welcome Legge.
– Whodatis
I believe we’re going to have a bad hurricane season; I just gave Whodatis a thumbs up!
Yet, like so many others, you keep such close tabs on this horrible place.
Move on and stop living in your deluded perception of your past.
– youknowWho
Wow what lucky country stole you from us?
I am indeed from one of the countries you “rescued” by aiding the murder of many of our civilian people..men women and children. Your rescue was of course driven by your own fiscal self- interests under the guise of humanitarian efforts and was so brutal and blatantly wrong that you didn’t stop but found it prudent to continue it covertly. Bet that’s not enough for you to guess the country.
One can only imagine what is going through the mind of that unarmed “security guard” assigned to “guard” Mr.Legge. I mean, being driven around by none other than the one being “protected”, in an open top car for crying out loud, and in the tropical sun. Who the heck drives round in a convertible in the tropical sun? (And he ‘ain’t even English!)
Hey, sportsfan, why don’t you tell us what you really think about Cayman and quit with all this implying and hinting stuff? Let’s get some clarity going here, okay?
Blimey, hasn’t it occurred to Mr.Legge that anyone “in fear of his life” just doesn’t , I mean, just doesn’t, drive around in an open top car? This is decidedly weird.
You didn’t like my comment about him not having a leg to stand on, or in his case a Legge to run on with the lawsuit?
Glad your gone! Lol! The beach was amazing today!
Alden, I am telling you, if you go back on your word on this, I will be out there campaigning against you in 2017.
XXXXXXX
You waited until you were “molested many times” before leaving? Why?
Our “moral compass is broken” but you wish “Ivan had done a better job of wiping this rock out”? Really Mr. Morality Personified?
Our “Churches preach distorted views of the Bible”? ,,,,,,, I so hope you have found a church that satisfies your version of interpreting the Bible darling!
You sound like someone who were only here to suck out as much money as you could; someone broke up your dollhouse, sent your ass home and collected their refund on your work permit.
Get a life and sod off you creepy TROLL, posting from under a rock, somewhere half way around the world………I, for one, am sure glad you are gone, back to your hole, in your Utopia, you bitter SOB.
Go ahead, invite Legge to join you as soon as you get back on your feet!
And just like that……you have proudly displayed your ignorance and rudeness. Can you not express your views and frustrations without resorting to rudeness and name calling? Something that is seen quite commonly in children who don’t have the vocabulary and skills to express themselves without resorting to such behavior.
Such language is not becoming of a ‘lady’.
And we are glad you left!
Hang on. Wasn’t this man held in such high esteem he was granted status by Cabinet? What has changed?
Guess he’s shown his true colours (or is that “colors”?).
Legge is proving over and over he does not have a clue! As publisher it is his job to play the role of diplomat and smooth over these problems for his paper. After his absolutely stupid move to claim there was a “target” on his back, he demands protection at the cost of the public purse, then goes on this dirty-linen-washing-in-international-public media circus. Mishandling of the crisis of his own making, one misstep after the other, he has been compounding his own pitiful mess.
Now he has the nerve to threaten to sue to get the corruption-tainted money to keep his paper going! A total moronic bull in a china shop charging around in a panic. Unbelievable! And what leadership for his paper! I am sure that the most juvenile on his staff could have done better.
I have not one ounce of sympathy for his plight. If he is so dumb that he cannot find his way out of his own mess with a little finesse, he does not deserve to call himself publisher. Obviously he has had the mantle of “greatness” thrust upon him way beyond his capacity to even grow into it.
Government should make haste and change the immigration laws requiring print publication of ads and place all ads online. Put the saving to good use. There is much good that can come from that money for the public good. Let Legge cut his coat to fit his income.
And I hope those lawyers who are giving him what I am sure is going to turn out to be bad legal advice will milk him for all they can get.
I don’t see the point of work permit adverts. The crony business staffing board and chamber businessmen hire whoever the hell they want anyhow. Ask any certified healthcare professional or local IT expert and even though a local has the degree and post degree certifications, an expat can always walk into the job unchallenged!! NO enforcement and this goes all the way to Franz. The corruption is true and sad. Our white collar rulers have no moral compass and the cronyism is the country’s anchor dragging us down.
legge has obviously been overcome by his over inflated sense of importance and place. If you stick your nose ever farther in the air, you will eventually topple over — and make a fool of yourself in the process.
Issued by a different administration.
It was Mac who gave status to his PR consultant.
Nonsense. If that were the reason it would be corrupt and Alden would have done something about it.
Is this political interference? Shouldn’t the gov have to tender the 500,000 advertising contract?
Er, probably not. But let us know if it’s otherwise.
But alas was the 500k “contract” tendered to go to the Compass in the first place? It actually isn’t one contract but many different departments individually advertising for positions etc… and if the requirement is that it needs to be in print then you just need to find a place to advertise… by all means if you want to open a daily paper I’m sure CIG would give you some ads as well 🙂
17:07, at 8:32 pm: there is no “contract” — the law requires the print publication of certain advertisements. Compass has up to now been the only daily, so they have automatically garnered this windfall.
However, it is actually an infringement of journalism integrity for a news organisation to bank so heavily on one organisation — particularly government — for its survival. That places it in a serious conflict of interest. It poses a threat to its journalistic independence.
One good thing that has come out of this debacle is that this journalism offence that has been flying below the radar has come to light.
Very interesting viewpoint. Did not think of this angle.
Legge is a silly little man but his editorial was -alas – not as inaccurate as these idiotic MLAs in their playpen throwing their toys around would like us to believe. In any case, the Premier’s -a lawyer! -response has been knee jerk lowest common denominator appealing to the bozo element of CNS and that is both depressing and worrying. He gets the Donald Trump award for short sighted idiocy.
A lot going on here in your post. Corruption goes on everywhere, including in Cayman, we all know that. But Mr.Legge’s portrayal of its pervasiveness in Cayman is a work of pure fiction to any sane thinking person resident here. Maybe too much sun? (It can happen..I once fell asleep on the beach – after a couple of beers – and dreamt I was driving a Porsche 911 on the autobahn. It was wonderful, but then i woke up!)
I am saddened by the reality and reluctant in my conclusion that corruption is indeed becoming pervasive in our society. Legge was right.
Anonymous at 7:58 pm — funny you should mention Donald Trump — Legge’s editorial was a mirror reflection of Trump’s demagoguery. It is Legge who is first in line for that award.
Maybe so, 8:55, but notice that in the US no one is retaliating against him for his admittedly nasty views other than a Spanish TV station which he can sue and NBC which will calm down eventually when they realize he is big news and therefore dollars for them. He is a major figure in the news right now and even although he is a jerk (in my view) he is allowed to say what he thinks without being accused of “treason”. (“treason”? Seriously Alden? Call yourself a lawyer?).
18/07 at 7:40 pm: I refer you to the following link where you can see the long list of companies that are severing ties with Trump, that now includes in addition to NBC, Macy’s, NASCAR, Serta, ESPN, PGA of America, PVH Corp., among others: abcnews.go/Sports/wireStory/companies-countries-cutting ties-Donald-Trump-32287166.
Trump will lose millions in actual money interminated contracts and in PR value because of his ill-advised words.
This is what should have happened in Cayman — just as how businesses in the US have made their voices heard. Sadly, we have not seen businesses come out in support of the people of these islands.
Further, if you listened to the talk shows on CNN today you would have heard that as long as is list is, the consensus is that they are not thought to be enough. They lamented that Trump’s comments about John McLean eclipsed the reaction to Trump’s comments on Mexicans.
Contrary to your beliefs, there are people who are motivated by more than money, and there are many people who can judge Trump’s — and Legge’s — words in the context of what is fair, just, and honest.
And I don’t think this will fade into oblivion. Trump will be hit hard in the pocket book, if that is all you think that matters.
18/07 at 7:40 pm: I would not call severing ties with a [man] who so cavalierly condemned all Caymanians “retaliation” : I would call that making your voice heard and standing up for the right.
And by the way, abc published a long list of companies and countries that spoke out against Trump’s despicable remarks — including New York City, which said It was reviewing contracts with Trump in light of his comments.
Both Trump and Legge have freedom of expression, no one is stopping either ( and no one has accused NBC of depriving Trump of his freedom of expression). However, by the same token that both men have the right to freedom of expression, companies and the respective countries have the right of response as to continued association and support. The Cayman Islands Government has said that it will no longer associate itself with or support such demogoguery and I support the government’s position.
I just don’t get why we feel that we should give support to either Legge or Trump’s racists comments — and we do that when we remain silent and do not react appropriately to withdraw our support.
Obviously the Legge (in his own mind) does not understand the meaning of do not bite the hand that feeds you. This is just the beginning of his road back to nowhere.
BUH-BYE LEGGE
Your ungrateful!
Personally, I’m not sure that Mr.Legge is capable of appreciating any reality outside of the confines of his native U.S.A. He appears completely out of his depth, poor fellow. Time to go home?
Totally agree with 7/17 at 5:53 pm. And that is one reason that it is ill advised journalistically for a publication to be banking on government to such a large degree — that dependence puts the publication in a serious conflict of interest.
Legge should now be happy that the government in its wisdom has seen fit to relieve him of that concern.
18/07 at 9:11 pm — “Legge is a wonderful man” : made me smile. I wonder how many people share that view. CNS was right that he is, instead, a true “doofus”.
I am also surprised to hear he is retired — he has been doing the same thing he has done since arriving here — trying to woo the rich and famous and winning friends through published pictures of people rubbing shoulders with the in-crowd.
But, if the press has to tow the line of the current Government or face economic failure, than they are nothing more than a Government propaganda machine. Govt. should be hands off when it comes to the press. Censored freedom is no freedom at all.
I think that some will die of old age , before Legge apologize. I wonder if the premier see how the people of Islands and the world looks at him as the LEADER OF GOVERNMENT. I think that Castro would do something like that .
Sharkey, we do not really want his belated apology, I want him to miss three payments on his financing and for the bank to foreclose on him. I hope it happens soon….one month done gone.
Sharkey, Mr.Legge’s reticence is neither here nor there. He has caused himself and his publication to be in a position of direct confrontation with the government of the Cayman islands. As the government is the duly elected representative body of the people of the Cayman islands, he is therefore confronting them. The silly fellow. Time to eat humble pie?
The Premier is above this. YES. That is why he and our fellow Caymanian Politians see it is vital to stand up to his distasteful remarks. United we stand and divided we fall. It is time we stop bending over backwards and stand as a people. Cayman has seen more than its fair share of critics since this FIFA scandal began a few months ago. But for this man who claims he has lived and loved Cayman to state that we are idiots and don’t know corruption, he should have his status revoked and be asked to leave the Island. He went on any news station abroad seeking his 5 minutes of fame and in a week he was back. I wonder why the target he supposedly has on his back has gone. The editor/owner of the paper has no good intentions for our Islands and it is people alike.
I agree 100%. Did anyone else pick up on the incredulity of the tone of the Canadian interviewer as she asked why Mr.Legge thought his life was in danger in the Cayman Islands? She seemed, to me, to be barely containing her laughter!
So stupid and undemocratic. Alden should be above this.
Heard Alden on the radio this morning…rounded on every subject. Not really sure what he was trying to say about anything. BABBLE BABBLE BABBLEa
Effectively he said things are running perfectly regardless of underemployment of caymanians so I am going to do nothing and hope it continues this way forever.
You really think Legge is about fairness and democracy? You think Legge telling the Government you must spend the public’s money with the Compass, is democracy and the Premier should be over this? I really hope you are not that “green”!!
I think the Premier and Government should bring a law suit against Legge and his paper for defaming the name and credibility of our Beloved Cayman Islands. He has no respect for us and should just leave this Rock. Mr. Premier some of us will be very upset with you if you give in to this man. ILet him go out and peddle the pavement to drum up business. How absurd- anyone who holds us in such disdain should nor be enjoying our money.