Premier defends need for immigration

| 06/11/2017 | 98 Comments
Cayman News Service

Premier Alden McLaughlin in the LA, 6 November 2017

(CNS): The premier has made it very clear that he believes immigration in Cayman has been an important and positive factor that has contributed to the growth of the islands. As he closed the budget debate Monday, Alden McLaughlin took aim at the sentiments expressed by the opposition benches in their contributions about refusing work permits and stopping the grant of status. He said the jurisdiction was the envy of the region because it had not been a victim of “insular thinking and prejudice” and that Cayman owed its success to immigration.

“I know it’s a bad word in some quarters …but it is immigration that has allowed these islands and all of us to develop the way we have,” he told his parliamentary colleagues. While he agreed that the situation had to be properly managed, he said “cussing the foreigners” and saying that nobody should be granted status was the kind of thinking that had set other places in the region, such as the Bahamas, far behind.

“Properly managed, immigration provides opportunities for our people,” the premier stated, adding that this belief was the major difference between his administration and the policy position of the opposition. The premier said he believed that immigration has provided the current economic foundation that Cayman now enjoys.

He said he had the very best interests of young people and their futures at heart and ensuring there would be opportunities for them. But he said there was no future in isolationist policies and over-protectionism or in “constantly hammering the source of Cayman’s prosperity”.

McLaughlin pointed out that people go into business to make a profit, not to help people. Government has to have the necessary legislation and the ability to enforce it while creating a culture where businesses understand that when locals do well, they also will do well. But they are not charities, he warned.

He spoke about the problem of entitlement and accused the opposition and local talk-shows of promoting the idea that people are automatically entitled to something just by being Caymanian, calling this a “disservice”.

“That is an incredibly dangerous mindset,” he said. “It is going to undermine the ability of Caymanians to truly aspire and truly achieve in their own country.”

However, McLaughlin stressed the fact that there are challenges to Caymanians getting opportunities and not all employers are prepared to give locals opportunities, saying this was “the other side of the coin”.

Government was therefore striving to make the work permit system more transparent and would penalize abuses, he said, but emphasized the need for balance and “not killing the incentives for business”. His government, he said, would foster an environment where businesses want to operate.

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Category: Government Finance, Policy, Politics

Comments (98)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    same people complaining about the expats are the same ones who didn’t finish high school lol.

    • Anonymous says:

      You said “same people complaining about the expats are the same ones who didn’t
      finish high school lol” Well, I wish to inform you that they are numerous expats working in the Cayman Islands who cannot even read or speak our English language! yet they have “jobs” at least the majority of Caymanians “without jobs”, can read! So the problem isn’t about not finishing high school!!!

  2. Anonymous says:

    Yes, thank you Sir. I’m Caymanian.

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  3. Proud Caymanian says:

    The Premier is correct, some people need to stop and think for a minute and stop shooting off their mouth like ignorant, xenophobic idiots, politicians included.

    To prove the Premier’s point would be simple.

    If all the expats left and no more work permits were issued, many businesses would fail/close because Cayman at this time does not have the expertise from Caymanians (born here, or otherwise recognized by Immigration) required in those businesses so all those politicians who are foolishly riling up Caymanians about the putting Caymanians first are in fact promoting the entitlement attitude that they should get a job because they are Caymanian.

    While I am completely for Caymanians given first priority, I absolutely insist on Caymanians being qualified for the job they are applying for and was not put in the job because of “who their mama or daddy is” or “who they know”.

    Look around people! Caymanians complain about Jamaicans and Filipinos, those same Jamaicans are the ones riding the garbage trucks every morning to pick up our garbage, those same Jamaicans and Filipinos are the ones hired to look after their children, clean their toilets, wash their clothes and cook their food! How many Caymanians are willing to do these jobs?

    From a situation I am personally aware of, a Caymanian was offered a job as a domestic engineer (better known as “helpers”), she was given $12 per hour, plus given meals. The person walked off the job, no notice or discussion after about 3 weeks.
    This person expected to be paid more than $100 for doing one day a week for between 5-7 hours! Why? What she was being paid didn’t cover her electricity or Foster’s bill. What people need to realize is that employers pay you according to your skill and the work being done, not by the cost of your living expenses.

    A lot of the plumbers, electricians, carpenters and masons are expatriates but how many encourage their children in this line of work? What is primarily being promoted are doctors, lawyers, banking & accountants. Not every person was born to sit behind a desk or work in an office.

    When I talk to business owners, who have given Caymanians a chance, only for the Caymanian to walk off the job, just because they can, for the Caymanian to put in half the effort but expect double the pay, for the Caymanian to call in sick two days out of the week, every other week.

    I am for Caymanians 100% but fellow Caymanians (and yes I born and bred here) stop this ignorant way of thinking, encourage your children at a young age to be the best they can be, strive to get an education and have a good work ethic. Expatriates would not be able to “take away your jobs” if you had qualified Caymanians with a good work ethic who could do those jobs.

    Encourage your children to dream big, think big and “do” big.

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  4. Anonymous says:

    The premiere is correct, we just don’t need to bring in any more of the bored-with -themsleves-crime-causing-punks-bass-thumping-losers-tinted-windows-drug-dealer-wanna be from a certain culture. We have enough of those lazy parasites on the islands…. they have destroyed the peace for which this island once was world wide famous.

    Can’t get 2 seconds of peace on this islands without hearing some low-life-rapper-legend-in their-own-mind polluting the natural island sounds and spinning the wheels on their cheeky modded out cars made of parts from stolen vehicles. That aint the Cayman I grew up with 30 years ago.

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  5. Casey says:

    I am sadden by the Premier’s comments and whilst I appreciate we are in the business to make money but I ask you mr. Premier at what cost? You can’t even walk the streets without being robbed, Park your car before it’s stolen, women being raped and yes unemployment for Caymanians. Profits before people? I guarantee you, if you keep this philosophy I give you 10 years and not even your paper Caymanians are going to want to live here.

    I ask you sir, if you are aware businesses do not want to hire Caymanians, what are going to do about this? What are your people going to do?

    A very disappointed voter on your comments here sir. Yes, Caymanians should have some sense of entitlement in their country. Where else are they go? As bad as President Trump might be, he is looking out for his people first before profits.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Entitlement works nowhere. Get your head out your a$$ and think for a minute.

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      • Casey says:

        You drinking the same kool aide as the premier? In America you have a SS number which entitles you to certain government initiatives, same in the U.K. and Canada that is called an entitlement by virtue being an American or Canadian or British National – idiot!

    • Anonymous says:

      Trump is looking out for ‘his’ people, but by no means all of the American people.

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  6. Anonymous says:

    Good job Alden. Not easy to stand up against ghetto politics.

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    • West bay Premier says:

      Bad job Alden you’re standing in the ghetto politics. You shouldn’t be praisiing the Immigration so highly. Just look at how you and Immigration has over populated the Island and everything is out of control and doesn’t know where to find people like criminals .

      i think that the Premier need to know when he over populate the Island, that the stress level goes up on everything and everyone . How he talks about work permits and the population he must think that Cayman is a 100×50 mile Island .

  7. Anonymous says:

    It takes a brave man to stand up and say the right thing. That cannot have been easy for him to do, criticizing his fellow Caymanians. It indicates to me that he has seen the issues in a minority group that are causing Caymanians problems. He has further seen that those people who also comment on here, just don’t get that unless you get the right education (at college, University, school or trade School) and work hard without the entitlement attitude, then Cayman is really lost. You can see the ire he has drawn in comments previous to mine, and in those comments you can see the hatred he refers to.

    The message is one you will hear throughout the “free” world. No one gets a free ride. No one has a right to a job. No one gets a job because they are Caymanian or English or American. By the same hand, no employer has the right to abuse their employment policies either.

    There is not one person who likes hearing ugly truths about themselves, instead of considering that he might be right, the automatic reaction from those it hurts most is defense. The issue is, the people his remarks caused offense to, and who wrote vitriol on here, are the ones that need to listen the most. I say well done Alden. You cannot have a proper discussion until the subject has been put on the table officially. He has now done it. Some will not like it, however it is actually the right thing to do for the future of Cayman.

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    • Anonymous says:

      The law requires preferences for Caymanians in training, opportunity, employment, and business ownership. Let him change the law if he thinks it is wrong. He won’t, and so seems content to encourage others to act inconsistently with it. He cannot have it both ways.

    • West bay Premier says:

      Anonymous 5:00 pm . i have to somewhat agree with your comment . Yes the Premier has put it on the table , but he didn’t put it all there .
      Did you read his biggest concerns ? Work permits and Immigration PR .

      i don’t know how long you have lived or even live on Cayman Islands . The Government has always used Education as a political football on Caymanians now they has turned that into a money machine , work permits and PR with Laws that benefits the employer and work permits. And not future Caymanian employees.
      In the maine time i think that he and Immigration has made a mistake by over population of the Island .

    • Anonymous says:

      Yo get your nose out of you know where…every country in the “free” tries to provide the best standard of living possible for their citizens…every country except Cayman for the last 4.5 years. Immigration restrictions are a big part of that and all else being equal the citizen should get the job in their country over a foreigner …. again no longer the case Cayman

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      • Anonymous says:

        8.10, you probably actually need to visit those countries before commenting. Cos. damn, pretty obvious the furthest you been is the Brac.

  8. Anonymous says:

    I think that the question is whether native born Caymanians will be able to chart their course in the future or not. How that can happen if the island is flooded with outsiders who have no sense of Cayman values and culture, and have not been vetted to stay out of Cayman affairs. Before the 1980s the islands were protected by the circumstance of being difficult to reach and somewhat “backward”, while having the advantage of having well educated experienced employed seamen who brought the best of the world back to the islands. That began ending when the first jet landed. Now the islands have the misfortune of attracting many undesirable aliens to a life that is much easier than what they left behind. One can’t blame them for wanting to escape the miserable places that they came from, but as they say, you can take the boy out of his town, but you can’t take his town out of the boy. These aliens will inevitably bring their home cultures with them. When that happens you can say goodbye to the the distinctive and worthwhile Cayman culture.

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  9. Bertie :B says:

    The powerful E.U . America and others are about to eliminate business in offshore countries , the proverbial s%%t is about to hit the fan , in fact they are meeting to develop laws now concerning these jurisdictions , Then What ?

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  10. Anonymous says:

    loser!!!?

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  11. Anonymous says:

    On the Premier’s logic, we should allow immigrants to be voted in as members of the Legislative Assembly itself because it will provide even more benefits for Caymanians and show we’re not a xenophobic British overseas territory in the Caribbean.

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    • Anonymous says:

      bravo….bravo…we’re not in the business of charity either..we want value for money and profit in our votes!!!

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    • Anonymous says:

      You all need to read the report in the Jamaica gleaner on the Premier’s speech. Reading it from that perspective is more freightening than hearing him say it or reading it on CNS. He has discredited all of our efforts in one fell swoop.

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  12. Anonymous says:

    I am a voter in his district where he sent a couple of girls to my living room with a glossy pamphlet . I did not vote for him for he is too proud to walk the streets. OMOV worked well for Alden as he won easily against 2 incompetents. Now how do we stop this wily yet ignorant premier from destroying this country. The harm he is doing is obvious to everyone- how can we put aside our smartphone distractions and actually agitate to remove this government. Demonstrations work very well Alden knows too many Caymanians are afraid to openly oppose. How do we find a true nationalist who is not in the LODGE is unafraid and cares for Cayman?

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    • Anonymous says:

      wait a min, smart phone. Expat implemented and supported. (ya, these are your engineers you don’t see, that fix things in the back ground)
      Banking, gas stations, your childrens education, who checks out your food, basically everything you take for granted.

      But Aldens wrong, right? I think you don’t realise how much the expat community supports your everyday way of living.

      give your head a shake

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      • Anonymous says:

        Can you imagine caymana bay, or any other restaurant for that matter. If Xpats were not allowed to work in cayman. Only allowed here as tourists. 99 percent of Caymanians do not want these jobs. You would with one pen stroke kill the restaurant and any other service industry. Gone, Not coming back. J micheals closed. Basically everything would be closed. As a caymanian. You would not even be able to get gas. Because the entire gas station is run by expats. Imagine that kind of Cayman?!

        Go right back to having 2 gas stations. A few family run restaurants. And that’s all you would have. MASSIVE unemployment. I really think anyone bashing Alden. Does not have a common sense bone in their body.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I am one and not afraid to march,let’s get going.

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  13. Anonymous says:

    All the people of red bay that voted this man in should never open their mouth about poverty or lack of jobs! People of redbay hold this L !

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    • Diogenes says:

      Red Bay isn’t the only constituency on the island that is subject to his policies good or bad, if you think this is an L then all the islands are getting Ls

      Diogenes

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    • Anonymous says:

      Look here…I am going to tell you a story which won’t sound relevant at first but bear with me…once upon a time in LA a bunch of poor Korean immigrants moved in, lived with each other, lived low and saved their pennies. Eventually with support of family and friends some of them were able to open a little corner store in a poor neighbourhood. Soon in time the corner store got busier and busier and eventually not just Koreans but Americans were buying from them. In more time the Korean became wealthy and opened more corner stores but also became the target of xenophobic Americans, black and white who say they shouldn’t be there and they taking advantage of them with the store prices and so forth. Well guess what bobo? It was their country they were there first so what the hell stopped them from opening the corner store? Why did the Koreans get the opportunity? I will tell you why, cause they ain’t crabs in a bucket. Wake up Cayman this is happening right here.

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  14. Anonymous says:

    The Appleby hackers and Brexit have pretty much made immigration a short term issue.

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    • Anonymous says:

      The hackers maybe. But Brexit? Why?

      • Anonymous says:

        Now the UK is not lobbying in the EU expect absolute jurisdiction based blacklists and that these include the Cayman Islands. The UK always worked very hard on these issues for the BOTs (albeit it mainly to protect City workstreams).

  15. Anonymous says:

    It is not enough that Alden succeed but his countrymen must fail…..hail BMOC (Big Man on Cayman)

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  16. Anonymous says:

    Yes, immigration is needed but where does it end? What is the population size this Island can sustain ? Schools are at maximum capacity, roads are at maximum capacity, don’t try to go to a super market on a Friday or Saturday because they seem to be at maximum capacity also. There is no proper public transportation system, no proper waste water facility agreement throughout the entire Island and we are years away from getting the dump situation solved.

    I don’t dispute that immigration is needed but we need someone at Government telling us that they have a plan in regards to the above issues raised. More importantly, we need Government to strictly enforce the immigration legislation which continuously appears to be circumvented by many employers and employees. The lack of enforce which is a slap in the face of Caymanians is what gets most people frustrated.

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    • Wishing I was 30 again says:

      Exactly anonymous @7:51. I don’t think anyone out there thinks that we don’t need foreign workers but we don’t need a foreign worker for many of the jobs I see being advertised. The Premier is talking really silly and I thought he could grasp what the opposition and others had to say on immigration but apparently he doesn’t so I won’t waste time and energy to repeat it. He is showing every one who he supports and sure don’t look like he is supporting Caymanians. I guess we will have to grin and bear the PPM/ Unity government for another three and a half years. God have mercy on us and these beloved Cayman Islands.

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      • Anonymous says:

        100,000 population appears to be the aim…at whatever the cost. Why? Growth for growth’s sake.

        • Anonymous says:

          Not growth for growths sake, 1:08,but rather growth for Dart and other mega developers sake!

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  17. Anonymous says:

    Bring back the rollover and increase the citizenship requirements to 25 years. Solves the problem of keeping government WP revenues healthy while keeping the population somewhat under control. Otherwise, the current policy will lead to exponential increase in population while WP revenues start dropping.

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  18. Anonymous says:

    The problem is the system has been mismanaged since Alden the Weak became leader. There is a balance but citizens of a country SHOULD have priority in government policies and yes a certain amount of entitlement over guests. This is no longer the case in Cayman. Companies have returned with impunity to their obvious slimy permit process machinations to circumvent the laws. Once granted the permit is effectively secure until the guest ultimately applies for and will be granted permanent residency and ultimately status.
    Every day he is in power Alden continues to permanently give away the futures of Caymanians with his incredibly half-witted economic understanding and associated idiotic policies. A new coalition must be formed before there is nothing left.

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    • Anonymous says:

      The greatest abusers of permit laws and regulations are Caymanians whether as actual employers or the Human Resource Uncle Tom’s.

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  19. Anonymous says:

    Yes, whilst I agree that Immigrants have contributed greatly to the Cayman we have today- many of them have also benefited by having the opportunity to provide for their families overseas and many others have been given the chance to live in Cayman through PR & Status. The problem is what we have today and for the past few years is that many qualified Caymanians are overlooked and discriminated against in trying to get employment. Permits cannot and should not continue to be granted when there are local people that can and are willing to work. So, Mr. Premier, your government will collect revenue from work permits, increasing the population, limiting opportunities for locals, and then having to turn around and continue to pay more through NAU to the same unemployed and poor people. My suggestion, Mr. Premier, is to think or look back when unemployment was lowest, what then was the state of Social Services in terms of funding and how many work permits did we have. They are all interrelated……

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    • Anonymous says:

      The Premier prefers the applause of foreign interests over the cries of his people….3 more devastating years of Alden the Weak.

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    • Anonymous says:

      caymanian discrimination????…..total myth.
      if this happens there is a myriad of legal solutions.

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    • Anonymous says:

      9.51, are you suggesting they come here, work hard and then give all their cash to Cayman? Maybe you should do the same? If people earned it, you don’t get to tell them where to spend it or how to live. They are here legally, doing what they came here to do.

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      • Anonymous says:

        No, actually. But the Premier and government should be thinking that if a Caymanian had that job the money would continue to circulate within the local economy. The economy would be sustainable. Whereas with an expatriate worker the money has to constantly be generated and attracted to the islands in order to allow more money to be sent out of the islands every month. Without that content generation of new business from external sources the local economy will be depleted – whether it happens slowly or quickly is anyone’s guess.

      • Anonymous says:

        Point taken but foreigners need to stop acting like they are here doing Cayman and Caymanians a favor. Firstly, they come here to work and make money. Everything else comes after that. So stop pretending like they have Cayman’s best interest at heart before their own interests.

  20. Anonymous says:

    With 25000 work permits, there shouldn’t be a single caymanian without a job.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Here we go again. A blanket statement based on an entitlement mindset. You don’t get a job because you are Caymanian. You get a job if you can help a company make a profit.

      Having a certain nationality does not make you better qualified for a position. If you try and force a company to hire someone less qualified, then the company will eventually move, restructure the position or make the person redundant.

      There will always be some people that go through times of being unemployed, until they can find a position where they are well suited and help generate profits.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Every country has immigration policies which are greatly to protect and enhance the quality of life it their citizens…if you don’t like the policies of the country don’t do business there.

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        • Anonymous says:

          and every country with immigration policies still have unemployment.

          Unless youcan name one???

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          • Anonymous says:

            wow you’re kind of all over the place….first if you are a qualified Caymanian you are indeed “better qualified” for the position all else being equal. Currently with Alden the Weak employers are allowed to abuse the all else being equal with obscure and irrelevant skills or requirements…”Must speak Greek” as my buddy speaks Greek.

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        • Anonymous says:

          and with that mind set, less business. Less jobs, Food costs more. The cost of living rises.
          No one see’s that expats bring the cost of living down. Because all stores can buy more, which makes it cheaper for their costs, and it allows them to bring their cost savings to the consumer.

          BUT NOPE. get rid of expats, drive up unemployment because jobs leave. Cost of living skyrockets and then we are left complaining how it costs too much to live even more than before, and government should fix it.

          guess what.You drove away the cash cow, privately run business with the xenophobia.

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  21. Anonymous says:

    Alden,

    Please take the time one evening to park your car at the junction of Eastern Avenue and Shedden Road at 5:45 pm.
    Thereafter, spend the next 3 hours walking around in a 3 mile radius and carefully observe what your policies are doing to this society.

    Never have we seen such displays of poverty, hardship, and struggle in the Cayman Islands – much of which has been imported.

    Bear in mind, a Kenneth Bryan won the seat over a Marco Archer in GEORGE TOWN CENTRAL.
    In case you’ve missed it, this is clear evidence that YOUR OWN demographic is SHRINKING under YOUR leadership.
    I.e. Your group is self-destructing.

    Kindly advise how and why we should continue to support your government?

    – Whodatis
    (Child of an expat / immigrant)

    *Key difference was, back then, my parent was not imported to be exploited by a dysfunctional system and exist on a level slightly above modern slavery – at the expense and disenfranchisement of native Caymanians.

    ** How dare you refer to the historical role of immigration in Cayman and attempt to draw parallels to this shit-fest you have orchestrated?

    Your words are an insult to Caymanians, our history, and my family.
    Let the record show, you speak for yourself only and NOT me or anyone I deem politically astute and worthy of respect in this regard.

    ***Educate, train, invest in our people. Quit taking the cheapest and easiest way out – ffs have some self-respect, please!

    **** Worst (or perhaps best, I don’t even know) of all – I do not believe you are an economically corrupt man.
    Meaning, I sincerely doubt you are benefitting financially by the socioeconomically retarded nature of your policies.
    However that only makes the entire thing – and you – even more absurd.

    Why do you do it? What is the end game? Who is your master? What is the prize? Who are you trying to impress? Are you simply a “numbers guy” and believe stats can accurately represent the welfare of a society?

    Help me understand … because I truly do not.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Your frustration is understandable in the environment Alden the Weak has created…however he has shown an inability to grasp even the simplest economic concept so really the only solution is a change of coalition government relegating Aldumb to a position of impotency.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Agreed. He is beyond help or the ability to change – therefore change must come by way of the people.

        – Who

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    • PD says:

      He just does not give a rat’s as@ about the underprivileged like most of the have society. Just let them eat there cake while Cayman burns as once it is overrun it will be to late to get it back.

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      • Anonymous says:

        True. In fact, he must actually like underprivileged people as he continually creates more of them via his policies.

        – Who

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      • Anonymous says:

        You sold it so long ago, It is 2017 not 1970, those days are gone.

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    • Anonymous says:

      @9:25 – that chip on your shoulder is just getting bigger and bigger isn’t it? Aren’t you tired of carrying around all emotional baggage?

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      • Anonymous says:

        Please do not degrade this serious debate with the predictable cheap-shots toward Whodatis.

        – Who

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        • Savannah resident says:

          While I may not agree with what who says at times, I respect his right to free speech. Its truly disheartening to see people vote valid points down because of who writes a particular message. Stay classy people!!!

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          • Anonymous says:

            So you get to decide what is valid and therefore decide which comments shouldn’t be voted down?

            Now, let’s talk about free speech!

            • Anonymous says:

              No.
              Let’s talk about the issues at hand and my observations thereof – especially as you’ve taken the time to reply under my original post.

              – Whodatis

          • Anonymous says:

            Thank you. Much appreciated.

            – Who

        • Anonymous says:

          Who criticizing someone for taking cheap shots? Classic..pot-meet kettle.

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          • Anonymous says:

            Try to keep up … again, this is not about Whodatis or your hatred thereof.

            Either make a valuable contribution or stfu.

            – Who

  22. Anonymous says:

    Oh, do tell us about the “other side of the coin” having ignored it for so long that you have in the process actively participated in destroying the careers and livelihoods of hundreds if not thousands of your own people?

    Do you have any concept of the longstanding harm and divisions you have caused? Do you realize that by purposely letting a number of your own people be unfairly cheated of fair and legally mandated opportunity for employment, training, and advancement that any real prospect of them treating expatriates as partners in the building of their country is gone? Do you understand that even hard working and highly capable Caymanians now are even doubting their ability to even be able to afford to live in the country of their forefathers?

    Good luck explaining all that away with the ease of a hundred million dollar school overspend.

    Meanwhile thousands of us will continue to work hard to fix and even undo the damage you are causing.

    Enjoy Country and Western.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Well said but there is no way he is oblivious to the damage no matter how dim-witted he may be or which foreign interests have his ear. I am convinced there is a selfish benefit to his intentionally giving away the future of Caymanians.

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    • Anonymous says:

      My heart truly goes out to the young Caymanians experiencing the return slimy and often rude permit justifications of employers. It must be incredibly discouraging to have no priority in your own country.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Alden is not for Caymanians unless they are glorifying his ego. He has the power to promote and support pro-Caymanian policies but is not interested in doing so. He answers to the corporate and merchant classes while the average are left to figure it out.

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  23. Anonymous says:

    As a leader he is a sad joke who has sold out to special interests groups and DART

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    • Anonymous says:

      LIE!! Mac is the one who sold out to Dart, it all started with him and his infamous Status Grants! That was the beginning of the end for us (Caymanians) and the rise of the paper Caymanians who are fronting for expats right left and centre to allow them to progress. Mac and only Mac is responsible for the mess we in now!! All Alden’s administration has done is look the other way on certain coastal works permits and such….with the bigger picture in mind of getting tourists to the Island to spend money to benefit Cayman. I ask again – WHERE is the revenue going to come from to replace the WP income? Sales taxes? Income tax? Until we figure that out we are going to continue to have this problem. ONE&DONE

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      • Kuantum Leepe says:

        Yes, Mac sold out to Dart, and there has been no discernable change with the current Premier. Dart is doing whatever he wants and is 100% for himself. He is not concerned about the Cayman Islands. He is concerned about making more money and owning as much property here as possible. Having control of our leadership by a foreign entity is not in the best interest of the people. What we really need is strong, intelligent leadership that will put the Cayman Islands and Caymanians first. What I see on the horizon doesn’t look very promising.

      • Anonymous says:

        True evil is done and allowed to flourish when good men do nothing. Both are responsible.

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      • Anonymous says:

        WRONG. Alden also looked the other way on the cabinet status grants and their effects. He is now just as complicit as Mac. That is all in the past. Now that social services cannot keep up, and schools are overflowing, are any off them mature enough to finally admit they made a mistake and that tightly controlled immigration going forward which welcomes investors, the most skilled, and job creators is now the only possible way forward?

  24. Anonymous says:

    Like the high schools that are a disaster Alden knows nothing about a successful immigration plan. A bigger sellout you will not find in Cayman.

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  25. put Caymanians first 345 says:

    Bring back key employee with training and business placement for young Caymanians. We can not obsorb 25,000 work permit holders or is that your plan Mr. Premier?

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    • Anonymous says:

      At 300 a year it’ll only take 80 years

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    • Build a trade / vocational school and train up all those unemployed young Caymanians. Then shut up about expats taking all the jobs away from Caymanians.

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      • geof says:

        This is the best idea/comment I have read so far.

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      • Anonymous says:

        trade school is a silly buzzword. population too small and usual lack of interest from locals.
        apprenticeships and onsite training can achieve the same.

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        • 7:34 But the population is large enough to support 2 universities? Go figure?

          One must go to a trade / vocational school before one can have apprenticeships and onsite training. One needs to learn the basics of a trade first before one can start an apprenticeship or onsite training.

          If there is no interest by locals then don’t complain about all of the American, Canadian, Irish, English, plumbers, electricians, A/C technicians, etc, on island.

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          • Anonymous says:

            No, some expect private business to pay someone that knows nothing, to learn something. All the while, putting strain on their current employees because they have to pick up the slack of “trainee’s that can’t pull their weight”

            But try to explain to these people, that, this is not how business works.

            They just don’t get it. In other words. Give someone a job, that doesn’t know how to do it. And let everyone else shore up their inadequacies while being paid the same amount.

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          • Anonymous says:

            They are NOT universities, bobo, just low grade community colleges.

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        • Anonymous says:

          And these apprenticeships and onsite training are required by the immigration law which Alden refuses to enforce.

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        • Anonymous says:

          To learn a trade a person must be able to read, communicate in English, do simple math, (decimal to fractions, figure %) get out of bed, then you are ready to learn a trade.

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          • Savannah resident says:

            Right and there aren’t lazy persons in every society in the world. Feel better about yourself now? Apply your brain once in a while

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  26. Anonymous says:

    Long live Alden. #caymanentitled

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  27. Anonymous says:

    Ol’ sell-out.

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    • Anonymous says:

      8:17 It’s certainly an interesting turnaround by the architect of rollover. I can remember some of the xenophobic outbursts Alden was making 10 years ago slagging off ex-pats and promising to make life difficult fror them.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Alden has changed his mindset to satisfy McKeever who is the de-facto leader. It was the CDP who created roll-over not Alden or Kurt of the Progressives

      • Anonymous says:

        Believe me. I am an expat and he definitely don’t like us still. He’d rather cross a road or look the other way than bid us a good day…

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