Miller seeks to put Caymanians in control

| 02/06/2017 | 122 Comments

(CNS): The new opposition leader, Ezzard Miller, has committed to leading the opposition benches by example and said he would seek consensus in decision-making. He also committed to working with the premier to ensure Caymanians could participate fully in the economy and put them back in control, as he pledged that his opposition would be respectful and constructive. “We will not always agree on what is best for Caymanians but I pledge to carry out my duty with full respect,” Miller told Premier Alden McLaughlin, as he congratulated him on his achievement in becoming premier for the second time.

Miller struck a conciliatory note during the afternoon session in the Legislative Assembly Wednesday, as he led the first speeches of the new parliament in the adjournment debate usually reserved for newcomers. However, he also spelled out his policy position in seeking to put Caymanians back in control of the local economy.

He said there were many lessons coming out of the elections, as Caymanians were demanding something different. The North Side representative made it clear his views and policy position remained the same when he said he could remember a time when Caymanians owned everything. It was time to re-commit to restoring “the Christian values, ethics and morals that delivered the Cayman economic miracle,” Miller told his colleagues in his first address as the opposition leader. 

“It is time to break the shackles of the mighty dollar, relieve our oppressed people of the heavy burdens and restore hope, justice and opportunity for Caymanians,” he said, as he asked everyone to do the right things for the right reasons.

Miller scraped through to the LA this time by just 20 votes after two previous terms of taking more than 60% of the vote in the North Side race, but he is likely to be a formidable opponent for McLaughlin on the floor of the LA. Known for being one of the more articulate and succinct speakers, he also pays attention to detail and rarely opposes without having a some kind of considered alternative to offer.

Likely to be his last term before he retires from politics, Miller may have taken a conciliatory note for the Swearing-in Day but he could prove to be an effective check on the executive, and given the precarious nature of the government coalition, he will be looking for chinks to exploit in the line-up. 

Although he leads an opposition bench made up of three of his colleagues from the ‘eastern alliance’ independents, Kenneth Bryan and Chris Saunders both ran on different policy platforms to that group. It will now be up to Miller to bring those two along to create a united front if he is to successfully undermine government policy or even bring down the coalition.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Tags: ,

Category: Politics

Comments (122)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Anonymous says:

    Thing is, everyone has always been in control.

    7
    1
  2. Anonymous says:

    OK, just show me the money.

    1
    1
  3. Anonymous says:

    Ezzard will continue to do as he always did, screw everything up. What both him and Arden should do is to get to hell off Cayman and migrate to Cuba where they could dictate for a price. Signed East Ender

    24
    14
  4. Anonymous says:

    Some people will never be “Caymanian enough” for the xenophobes still living in the late 1990s when only a handful of people, their mugs published in the paper, would qualify for “Paper Status”. We will never go back to those times because it was cruel (and now un-Constitutional) to prevent law-abiding and contributing people, regardless of their birth nationality, a path to legal inclusion.

    20
    12
    • Anonymous says:

      Not so sure what was so wrong with a country picking a few to assimilate into the society unlike what is happening now where Caymanians are being overwhelmed by forgien interests.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Caymanians are already in control because there are 19 extremely powerful ones in the LA that make all the laws in the land and spend 700 million each year however they wish. But look how they screwed the country. It’s all their fault for standing by and letting it happen. Don’t blame foreigners blame politicians

    32
    6
  6. Anonymous says:

    I think Mr Miller will make a good Leader of Opposition. Giving credit where credit is due, even though he opposes everything without fail he does come around to a point where he provides very valuable contribution in the committee stage discussion of bills.

    That being said, as a Caymanian much younger than Mr Miller he really does not provide any evidence of his success in his life to aspire. People my age have achieved the same success as Mr Miller at his. He does convince me that he knows what it takes to put me in control or to reap the rewards of the Caymanian dream. We all know there are two approaches to achieve things in life: the carrot or the stick. No doubt Mr Miller will take the stick approach, which will reap mere peanuts for us Caymanians.

    9
    6
  7. Anonymous says:

    Time to break the shackles of almighty ignorance and lack of a real education and culture and how to stand in line and take your turn. If you want to come across as a smart ass you should first make sure your smart enough or else your just an ass.

    6
    4
    • Anonymous says:

      Yeah; except you can’t talk down to people about literacy when you don’t know which “your”/”you’re” to use.

      Should be you’re, not “yours” which is possessive.

  8. Anonymous says:

    In charge like in charge of Immigration? In charge of doing something about the dump? Cruise piers? Schools? The road that just goes to some ones house? It would be fine if they didn’t spend all the money just pretending.

    15
    1
  9. Anonymous says:

    ” the Christian values, ethics and morals that delivered the Cayman economic miracle,”…yes, like rope weaving, turtle butchering and running from mosquitos. Those that have read Cayman history will know it was the collective efforts of many nations and expats that built the dynamic economy we enjoy today.

    18
    3
  10. Anonymous says:

    Ezzard will try to steal from the rich to give to “his” poor. Hard to do without breaking a law or pissing off those who have by giving it to those who don’t deserve. He is tenacious I’ll give him that. Can’t wait to see how he do his next Robin Hood.

    35
    26
    • Observer says:

      Listen to me idiot, Ezzard can be accused of many but you don’t ever ever call him a thief, you don’t know the man so shut your darn mouth

      14
      9
    • Anonymous says:

      I cannot believe the negativity and the poor use of language.

      Mr. Miller, congratulations on your positive outlook. All is certainly not doom and gloom.

      I look forward to your well researched, people centred leadership.

      11
      7
    • Sharkey says:

      I think that it’s disgracefully impeccable that Ezzard can see now and want to do so much for the Islands and Caymanians after all these years.

      The only thing that I can say for him is that he see today that there’s many lessons coming from this past Election, and the People has changed.

      I hope that before he opens his mouth again that he looks at all those lessons learned from this past Election and fix them before next Election, so he can retire. That would be his legacy.

      4
      6
    • david miller says:

      The Miller’s are not poor people. “HIS” is our country’s people who are not all indigenous who live here . It is the right thing to do as a representative of the people. Northside as a whole have very few criminals or poor old people because most families take care of their own. That is not to say that a representative of the Cayman Islands should treat anyone any different because of where they live.
      But to be fair most of these problems we are talking about has to do with greed from people who live here. The cost of living have people going poor here. It really affects the elderly. Can they retire? Can they afford medical insurance that changes with age? Why not drop the premium to equate what the rest of Latin America pays? Does a Dentist have to make CI$50,000 per month? Why are eyeglasses $300-400?
      Is it not economics principle of supply and demand? Why not give work permits to Cuban doctors and dentists or anyone else from our region at their pay rate ? Wouldn’t that help ? Noooo of course not lets continue with this farce that some are better then another. I deserve $500 per hour to do whatever no matter what. Lets keep on doing what we’re doing . There will be a price to pay,

      4
      6
    • Anonymous says:

      What about the Caymanian Tycoons living in their palaces making fistfuls of cash from every consumptive transaction on these islands…what are they asked to do to help their country folk? Where is their generosity? Yet it’s always the expats painted as the enemy…on a consumption basis we are all getting schillacked equally by the same Caymanian Families.

      15
      4
    • Heart Sick says:

      Caymanisation is an extremely difficult thing — if you hire competent expats with the proviso that they train a Caymanian–even when that person has been identified– to replace them, it never happens.
      — then the Caymanian pool to select from lack the administrative experience and other relevant skills to step directly into these top jobs.

      It really is a serious problem.

      Where do you find the expatriates with the goodwill to work themselves out of a job? I am personally not very optimistic based on what I have seen do far.

      And what I have seen on the Caymanians side is not very hopeful either. Those who have been given opportunities have by and large seemed to be mainly focused on the status, money and climbing farther up the ladder rather than on doing a good job where they are — and that means hard work and self-sacrifice.

      When people don’t have to work hard hard to realize their goals we tend to have complacency and lack of drive.

      I really wish Ezzard well, but it makes me heart sick to seek the performance of some Caymanians who have been handed positions without the experiences that the job requires and who then sit back — not even realizing that they are deficient in what the job demands.

      9
      2
    • Anonymous says:

      Anon 4:28 maybe you can tell us the times Ezzard took from the rich to give to the poor.

      4
      2
    • Reb says:

      The plutocrats will never allow that to happen!!! They will send in a faith full Caymanian to tear him down!

      1
      4
    • Anonymous says:

      Really Mr Miller? How come the planning department to name one department has to advertise for a job that we all know is for a work permit holder. The people who pick up garbage, work permit holders. Stop talking crap if Caymanians could or would do the job than they would. Fast food restaurants, work permit holders, majority of hotel workers, work permit holders, bank managers, work permit holders. The list is endless…so don’t think that will happen!!!

      13
      3
    • Anonymous says:

      Robin Hood was not real Ezzard is and the Caymanian need this power move from big poppa…we’ll always love big poppa.

      1
      7
  11. Tynee Kanga-Roudowne says:

    Mr Miller may be a patriot, but he will not be able to effect any meaningful change. There is too much inertia built into the system.

    Democracy is mere illusion. There will be no change, only a steady plod towards the New World Order and our individual microchips.

    Everyone one of us has a date with a microchipping machine. I say no.

    15
    36
  12. Rp says:

    Ezzard would like to break the shackles of the mighty dollar. However, he needs 700m a year of it to run the 50k people territory.

    So significant government spending cuts? So please reply to my post and let me know from where Ezzard?

    34
    9
  13. Anonymous says:

    Ezzard will do an excellent job, OMOV is testament to his conviction to implement equality in the Caymanian political system …. You couldn’t move forward as a people on a system which had its foundation of democracy favour one man/women over the other with such a privilege as a vote. Perhaps if Americans or the British feel he will somehow cause their expat life to rock a little why not return home and help Trump or May or Corbin sort out your own country. Ezzard has been called many things by those who dislike his commitment to put Caymanians first, but one thing you can’t accuse him of is deserting his country for another. American has Americans first, the British with Brexit are putting the British first … so what’s wrong with Ezzard championing the advancement of Caymanians first …

    44
    28
    • Anonymous says:

      If Ezzard was really interested in equality of voting, East End and North Side would be one district. But then his job might be in jeopardy. He is just a politician like any other.

      11
      5
  14. Anon says:

    “the Christian values, ethics and morals that delivered the Cayman economic miracle,”

    What delivered the economic miracle? Money laundering and tax evasion.

    41
    32
    • Anonymous says:

      And don’t forget the hippochristian values

      3
      4
    • Anonymous says:

      Ha

      1
      2
    • Anonymous says:

      Now we know what attracted YOU here.

    • Richard Wadd says:

      Go and educate yourself with the facts before spewing your BS rhetoric. There is, was and always will be FAR less Money Laundering or Tax Evasion in these islands than almost everywhere else on the planet. Our Financial sector was not modelled to facilitate these sorts of transactions. WALL STREET, DELAWARE, and LONDON are the largest money laundering centres in the world. A non-US resident can open a bank account in the US in 20mins with $10k cash, but it takes us weeks in our own country. Clean-up your own damn house before criticizing ours.

      10
      3
      • Jotnar says:

        Perhaps you should take your own advice before calling someone else BS. Caymans very tight AML standards in the present day bear no relation to what happened back in the early days of the financial sector, or even as late as the Eurobank scandal. There is a damn good reason that the Confidential Relationships Preservation Law was first put in place.

        2
        1
    • Anonymous says:

      Wow. Jealousy is really something. What has your country done to clean up it’s act? I’ll wait…. waiting……………… oh never mind.

      2
      2
    • Anonymous says:

      Drug money, the proceeds of corruption and theft from the world’s poor. Jesus was big on all of these. So I am told.

      3
      3
    • Anonymous says:

      Well, they prayed over it first.

      2
      1
  15. NWDA. Straight Outta Georgetown says:

    You go Big Ezzy-E. It is about time that Caymanians were given back control of the legislative assembly, the civil service, immigration board, work permit board, trade and business license board, and afforded protected majority control of businesses.

    For too long they have had no say in the running of this country.

    39
    31
    • jotnar says:

      How exactly do Caymanians not have control of any of those entities?

      8
      3
    • Anonymous says:

      NWDA – What world do you live in. Who do you think is in control of the entities you mention.Are you aware of the mess the Immigration dept is in, rotten to the core with so many arrests and the suspension of high level employees. This has been condoned for years and the only way out is to employ some arms length expatiate managers.

      9
      3
    • Anonymous says:

      Hey. You forgot planning.

      2
      1
    • Anonymous says:

      How is it that according to you Caymanians are not in charge of the Legislative Assembly? Looks pure Caymanian to me.

      8
      1
  16. Anonymous says:

    Ezzard get them! Our hospital are full of jamaicans.

    42
    29
    • Anonymous says:

      Past time to drain that swamp.

    • anonymous says:

      1:08pm, the hospital is full of not just Jamaicans but other nationalities too,wannna know why? Your unwilling caymanians dont want to do that kind of work. Get them to become nurses and porters and pharmacists and so on and they WILL get those jobs. Until then keep up your anti-foreigner rant and there will be no change.One more thing,holidays, week-ends and nights, work goes on as well,get it?

      11
      5
    • Anonymous says:

      The whole country is full of Jamaicans.

      9
      1
    • Anonymous says:

      True. I thought it was only me who sees that. and the lower care standards recently.

      5
      2
  17. Anonymous says:

    Caymanians SOLD their country. They are still doing it Ezzy. How will you stop it?

    44
    10
  18. Anonymous says:

    articulate and succinct ? Ezzard and these words do not belong in the same sentence!

    Long winded and whinger – Now we are talking

    35
    22
  19. Anonymous says:

    The “Shackles”, what an instigating no-accountability gas bag…

    27
    15
  20. copshaun@hotmail.com says:

    Ezzard and the other Opposition Members can bark and holler until the rosters crow teeth – but as long as you have politicians giving away “hand outs” to able bodied Caymanins for political votes, who don’t want to work, all of this talk about CHANGE will be nothing more but the same old…… same old.

    Every year these group of wutless women are knocked up and their baby father(S) are seen along the roadside with a 345 in one hand and a spliff in the other. Is it really that hard to swallow a pill at night or get a jab in your ass to last 3 – 6 months from getting knocked up ONCE AGAIN ?

    NAU pays their rent, free health care, free groceries, free utilities but religiously every day, you will see them begging money in the various parking lot’s for drugs, alcohol and cigarettes.

    Politicians stop giving away “hand outs” under the premise that we have to do this to help “the children and the elderly” which we all know 70% of the time it’s a FARCE, especially here in West Bay.

    Why do you think we have silent politicians here in West Bay getting into the LA election after election and yet they haven’t even brought “one private members motion” before the house in over a decade and a half ?

    It’s pure Unadulterated Fu$%#ry going on here in the Cayman Islands and it has to STOP and STOP NOW !!

    76
    6
  21. Anonymous says:

    Spoiled maybe, not oppressed. The only shackles are those Caymanians put on themselves by having kids as teenagers and not finishing high school. No legislative affirmative action will undo recurring stupidity.

    58
    13
  22. Anonymous says:

    Oh my God. Yes, it’s Ezzard Miller vs the Economy. Awesome, saddle up the donkey.

    Thanks be to God this man didn’t get any power or it would have been our own small handed, small minded Donald Trump. On a mission to help the common man by destroying the economy.

    30
    18
  23. John Downer says:

    It was the American dollar that brought and brings the tourist to our shores.
    Stop trashing Americans!!!!
    All of the food and gas mostly come from America.
    You are all hypocrites.
    Lazy people here is the problem not any thing else.

    50
    16
    • Fabian thomass says:

      That maybe so but its us Jamaicans who really help build up these islands Americans love to take credit for what we done..

      3
      5
    • Chris Johnson says:

      Mr Downer. Please show respect to the Caymanian people. Your blog is totally out of order and unacceptable. An apology would be welcome.

      5
      5
    • Anonymous says:

      Speaking of Lazy people. Thanks Obaba!! (intentional non sic)

      1
      3
  24. Anonymous says:

    Take the money and property from the select group of families who sold out Cayman and distribute it to the electorate. Being there is no property tax or income tax there needs to be a way redistribute the cash and property hoarded over the generations.

    13
    26
    • Anonymous says:

      Ah yes 11.16, why bother working when you can steal from people who worked and earned their money? That, Ladies and Gentlemen, is why certain elements of Cayman society are getting themselves a bad name. They want to be given everything or steal it, no-one wants to earn it. Until you do, you won’t earn or deserve any respect either.

      8
      2
    • Anonymous says:

      Take as in steal?

  25. Anonymous says:

    It’s clear that the legal definition of who is a Caymanian is not sufficient for many sentimentalists that fear inclusion and progression into the future. Despite disproportionate community contributions, and an exhaustive and expensive re-qualifying process taking many years, there are expat/paper/driftwood Caymanians that aren’t treated as equal Caymanians by born-Caymanians and CIG departments! There are born-Caymanians that didn’t apply at 18, and are now “Ghost Caymanians”. The path to citizenship has been on ice for four years and the lawsuits are here. So, which Caymanians are this gov’t advocating for? Certainly not all equally. Let’s start there.

    30
    7
    • Anonymous says:

      Wrong. Born Caymanians do not have to apply for continuation. Only those who become Caymanian by entitlement lose it at 18.

      3
      1
    • Anonymous says:

      11.09am Unfortunately the system is neither fair nor equal.First of all people who obtain status by grant also have a home in another country that they can count on as a back up in case they change their minds about living here.Caymanians as a rule do not enjoy that option.Yes some of us can move to the UK, but it is not our home, so we would be leaving home.Secondly most of the late arriving Grant recipients do not respect Caymanians or their way of life, In fact many of them actually despise us in spite of the fact that they have come here and are enjoying a better way of life than they ever had at home.So no things are not equal, and they are certainly not favourable to locals.

      3
      4
  26. Anonymous says:

    It wasn’t stolen from Caymanians, we sold out Ezzy. With hard work and dedication hopefully the younger generations can EARN it back!

    67
    11
    • Anonymous says:

      We may have sold our property – it takes money to make money and we certainly could not build up the West Bay road ourselves, but we gave away all the other things we lost. Its time to take control of our islands, and the people we put on our boards and committees must be willing to stand by government policies. For instance, who was it that allowed our right of access to the beach to be compromised and in some instances lost?

      14
      11
    • Anonymous says:

      You dont earn back somthing that somebody purchased from you in the past if they dont want to sell it back. The subtle entitlement is getting very, very old.

      34
      10
      • Anonymous says:

        Maybe you (and your’likers’) need to re-read, more carefully this time, the post to which you are replying.

        3
        1
  27. Anonymous says:

    It WAS all yours till you embraced the devil dollar and sold yourselves to Capitalism. Good luck returning Cayman to its christian values as I have only experienced a lot of religion but not much christian values. Your most vulnerable, those with mental illness, the sick, the young and the old are sidelined. What sort of country allows private healthcare to be a barrier to medical treatment for its own people?

    74
    13
    • anonymous says:

      I agree, it will be a formidable task to restore the country, but not an impossible one. Former minister Marco Archer did say something that got my attention (and gave me some hope!) in connection to healthcare when he alluded to the government adopting a practice that just about every developed country in the world has, namely making it compulsory for everyone to contribute to a government administered healthcare system. I paid 3% of my salary for universal healthcare in the U.K. That included everything including all prescription drugs. That’s $150 out of a $5,000 monthly paycheck, folks, leaving me with more than enough to buy private healthcare should I choose to. “Well, you’d sure need to because you’ll probably die awaiting that operation!” I can anticipate the frantic response. Don’t believe that baloney put out by the private sector, it’s absolute rubbish. They will perpetuate all manner of untruths to maintain their stranglehold on the populations healthcare spending, and if you don’t believe me, boy, have I got a great deal on a certain bridge in London (England)!

      45
      13
      • Anonymous says:

        I am an expat and would happily pay for universal healthcare in a tax rather than the shambolic rip off private system

        37
        6
        • jotnar says:

          Except the universal element will be confined to Caymanians. So everyone – or at least the law abiding and those that are not impoverished – contributes, but only Caymanians get the cover.

          2
          2
        • ReX says:

          A single payer system is better, especially for such a small country, but you must not be paying attention. I seriously doubt the governments ability to manage it without entirely destroying health care and raiding the cookie jar.

          3
          3
      • Anonymous says:

        Apologies, meant to give you an up vote, but hovered over the wrong bit of the screen!

        4
        4
      • Jotnar says:

        Of course, the fact that you paid 3% of your income does not mean it COST 3% of everyone’s pay packet to achieve universal healthcare, or even that YOU only paid 3%. It cost far more.

        The NHS costs 18% of the UK governments budget – so as a 20% tax payer you are right that a proportionate share of your income tax payment is roughly 3 to 4%. But the government charges some people far more – up to 45% of their salary – their share would be more like 8 to 9%.

        And that is before you consider that income tax makes up only 25% of government revenue – three quarters of the cost of the NHS is paid not from your 3% or the high paid’s 8%, but from corporation tax, national insurance and indirect taxation.

        The last two alone, which affect everyone, including you, are nearly 60% of revenue and by extension the NHS budget. Your 3% out of your pocket is way more than that, and even then is subsidised by the higher paid, higher spenders and by companies.

        The idea you can have universal healthcare for 3% of income is an illusion, I am afraid.

        1
        1
  28. Anonymous says:

    Miller is a true cayman hero. He will stop the dollar from its evil influence on Caymanians. He will stop Caymans from using US medical resouirces, US educational input, or having to travel to Miami for US products. Finally a person who will be able to provide higher quality subsititutes. I believe everything about Miller is caymanian. His house does not have one product that is from the US, he drives a car that is not from the US, and he never vacations in the US. His family relation do not mix blood with foreigners. Finally a true Cayman born who is not a parasite on other nations. Put caymanians in control, and we will build our own factories to produce everything we need without outside help.

    56
    82
    • Anonymous says:

      LOL to the 100th power.

      22
      4
    • Anonymous says:

      Your satire is lost on this audience.

      26
      8
    • Anonymous says:

      Unfortunately the reality is most of Cayman’s success has come from outside expertise. I am not a fan of Mr Miller, but I will say I was impressed that he has not jumped on the bandwagon like many of his fellow Caymanians and taken out a British passport.

      11
      9
    • P&L says:

      hahaha… right???

      8
      4
    • Anonymous says:

      Where is his car from, Cayman Brac?
      You are an absolute dimwit to think Cayman could survive on its own!!!

      24
      9
    • Anonymous says:

      What a bunch of stupid statements!

      – “His family relation do not mix blood with foreigners”. ? You do know that his current AND former wife were foreigners, right? You know he has kids with those wives, right? Try again.
      – There is not a soul around without a product from the US in their house. Besides, what in the world does that have to do with anything?!?
      – Do you REALLY think we can produce everything we need? If so, you are certainly detached from reality.

      Ezzard is definitely pro-Caymanians and I love that about him. Your points however were ridiculous and largely irrelevant.

      21
      23
      • Anonymous says:

        You are not a real caymanian if do not follow cayman traditions. I dont remember reading about any american products in the history books. Those were real caymans that lived off the land and sea, and were not a servant to any dollar.

        We need to get back to our roots. Boycott american products. I know all our deeply patriotic MLAs shed a tear each time they are forced to use american products at the food markets. Only use Jamaican or Hondurans products. Get back to gardening and livestock, those are true cayman features we have lost.

        2
        3
      • 737 says:

        Anyone else hear a whoosh just then?

        2
        2
      • Anon. says:

        Ever heard of satire? The poster made a bunch a satirical statements which you hastily jumped on. Sad!

        2
        2
      • Anonymous says:

        It was satire.

      • Anonymous says:

        You see, some idiot actually didn’t get your satire.
        And that is why Caymanians will never make their way in the real world.
        It was a joke, stupid.

        3
        2
      • Anonymous says:

        You obviously do not recognize satire when you read it.

      • C'Mon Now! says:

        @ 3:08pm – Please step away from your keyboard and maybe think about the post for a few minutes.

        It was clearly written with satirical intent.

        2
        2
  29. Anonymous says:

    Everyone needs to try to find out how to get our people motivated to WORK and improve themselves. Gifting a job is not going to be sustainable. Take a job that you can do and work hard. Be consistent, improve and move up to better opportunities. There is no secret.

    76
    6
    • Anonymous says:

      Govt can provide the education that allows this to happen…this is still the missing link

      17
      6
      • Anonymous says:

        Not if children aren’t required to pass in order to advance to the next year. We used to be held accountable as children and now they get through based on attendance not grades!

        4
        1
      • Anonymous says:

        And parents could give the moral guidance that is sorely lacking. They could also support their children’s learning, apply basic discipline and manners, oh yes, and ensure they actually attend school and finish with basic qualifications.

        Nope, that’s not going to happen either.

        2
        2
      • Anonymous says:

        DOnt mentions “missing-link” to people who control the edumacation here, the earth is only 6000 years old an we dont need any more foo foo evolution speak at our harvard universities, especially when standards are so high to be on the prez’s list.

        2
        2
    • Anonymous says:

      9.51am Yes,but this should also be the case with non Caymanians.Unfortunately it is not always the case. A lot of it has to do with Immigration and recent arrests suggests that this is being addressed. So if you got your permit by the backdoor,or sidedoor..better keep your bags packed. Also do not be surprised if you get a strange knock on your door.May just be the anti-corruption cops.

  30. Anonymous says:

    Just enforce the Local Companies Control Law. It is easy. Get rid of fronting and confiscate the profits from those who have engaged in it. Ezzard, ask the Premier why there has been no prosecution for more than 20 years. Does he believe that Caymanians really own 60% of all the businesses?

    62
    8
    • Anonymous says:

      This is SO true….under the rug we go!

      22
      4
      • Anonymous says:

        So talk to Alva and bring a Private members motion calling for the investigation and prosecution of law firms, their clients and regulators who may be found to be actively conspiring to breach our laws. The evidence is not even hidden. It is lying openly all over the place.

        15
        6
    • Big Boss says:

      Totally agree with you. They do on paper but actually not in reality, sad but true!!!!!

      21
      4
      • Anonymous says:

        Which makes it a crime and fraud and money laundering but hey, what fun are laws if anyone has to follow them!

        11
        1
    • Anonymous says:

      Put more caymanians in charge and they will cower and waste money on trips to be leaders to see “how it is done” because they dont want to be caught in their own incompetency that they do not have clue.

      Enforce the 60% law and watch the businesses leave because they do not have to put up with a culture that is a legend in thier own collective minds and thinks thier trash dont smell to high heaven.

      15
      11
      • Anonymous says:

        So you are admitting that the widespread illegality exists, and is not a figment of the imaginations of a society that has been betrayed by its government and enforcement agencies.

      • Anonymous says:

        Ummm. The 60% rule only applies to businesses competing in the domestic economy, so your suggestion that they can or would go somewhere else is absolutely artificial and confirms you are devoid of understanding of the issues.

        2
        2
    • Anonymous says:

      Brilliant idea, until you work out that the few that need jobs now will not be able to run those businesses, so they will go bankrupt, leaving less work. And the ones that are bright enough to front now and may have business skills to do something, will be in jail. Far more jobs would be created if the restriction was lifted. All you guys are thinking is that it would be great to steal someone elses livelihood without thinking through how it would work in reality. How about coming up with your own ideas?

      16
      10
    • Anonymous says:

      Two points to add here:

      1. The LCCL does not apply to partnerships, hence the reason why many professional firms (like accountants and lawyers) don’t have to comply with 60% Caymanian participation as the partnership laws do not expressly make it a requirement. This was one of the points of contention with the legal practitioners bill.

      2. Many companies are applying for exemptions from the requirements of the LCCL and being granted such exemptions. That is – 60% Caymanian participation is not required when an exemption is granted. How many there are is unclear but over two hundred licences have been granted if you check the reports on the DCI website.

      11
      4
      • Anonymous says:

        The LCCL does however apply to incorporated legal practices but it seems many of them and their clients lie anyway as to who really owns them.

  31. Anonymous says:

    We surely have Caymanians in control of the Immigration Dept., and what has happened?.

    72
    11
    • JTB says:

      They’re too busy being arrested for corruption, it seems

      32
      5
      • Anonymous says:

        Put J Scott in charge of Immigration. He is just and will see to it that the department is cleaned up. Or, maybe it is already.

        2
        2
      • Anonymous says:

        1.48pm When they start naming names and making deals, then the expats who have received the benefit of that corruption will be scurrying like rats from a sinking ship.

  32. Anonymous1 says:

    What a loss if Cayman loses Ezzard Miller’s representation. He and Arden Mclean were government’s best watchdogs ever! They would always bark when they smelt a rat. If Ezzard goes who knows what partisan mischief. Like its said, “when the cats away the mice will play” :/

    28
    51
  33. Way says:

    Ezzard Miller: “It is time to break the shackles of the mighty dollar, relieve our oppressed people of the heavy burdens and restore hope, justice and opportunity for Caymanians”

    In other words, Miller is a no- nonsense character. He will probably stand as one of Cayman’s best Opposition Leaders. I think he will represent average Caymanians well ?

    34
    48
    • Anonymous says:

      Ezzard will represent Caymanians well. It is unfortunate that he is not in a position to bring about the kind of changes necessary, starting with the repeal of the Public Management and Finance Law; and the Public Service Management and Regulations. Government must set the example.

      The Civil Service was once a place where Caymanians could rely on for a good career if he or she was dedicated and worked hard. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. One have to be on the bang wagon with the Chief Officers who MUST be a puppet for the Head of the Civil Servant or they will never excel in the service.

      It is extremely upsetting to me to hear the DG talk so much about selecting the best person for the job which include expats. If that principal was to be applied I can assure him that he would never be in the position he is in now. With the greatest respect to him – he is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. There are many, many other civil servants that are a lot more intelligent than he is.

      In fact, one only need to look at the disastrous position he left the Immigration Department in when he moved to the Portfolio of Internal and External Affairs, which was later renamed the Ministry of Home Affairs.

      Leading by example include the civil service giving opportunities to young Caymanians in particular who are released from prison for minor offenses. How can we expect the private sector to employ such persons after they are being rejected by the civil service. Moreover, government spends a lot of money on some of these people trying to rehabilitate them only to be rejected by those that should be reaching out to them.

      13
      10
      • Anonymous says:

        I would love to be on your “bang wagon”. Your post does no favors to your hero Ezzard as it is revealing of your own intellectual deficiencies.

Leave a Reply to Jotnar Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.