Bush implies tall tower has green light
(CNS): McKeeva Bush, the speaker of the Legislative Assembly and former premier, has told the Jamaican press that his idea for skyscrapers in the Cayman Islands has been agreed by the current premier, Alden McLaughlin, and that the way would be cleared for high-rise buildings to attract the wealthiest people in the world. While the premier has said publicly that the issue is only at the discussion level, Bush appeared to imply that it already has the government green light.
Bush spoke to The Sunday Gleaner on his recent trip to Jamaica for Edward Seaga’s funeral, but it is not clear if he was speaking on his own behalf or on that of the premier and the Unity government. However, in addition to taking credit for pushing up building heights with the legislation he passed as premier, he implied that going as high as 80 storeys was his idea.
“When I went into government and became minister of tourism and development, the height you could go then with buildings was three storeys, maybe five – no further. So I took it from that to 10. There was a big hullabaloo. All sorts of things were thrown at me, and all sorts of things were said, but I said, ‘This is the best thing for the country’, so I push for heights,” Bush told the Gleaner’s reporter.
Bush had continued to speak about skyscrapers in his 2018 New Year’s message, for which, he said, he was also criticised but remained undeterred.
“I espoused it in my New Year’s message, and it blew up again. But I said we have to do this. We are short on land and we have to go up because there is no worry up there,” he said, according to the Gleaner. “So I told them that I want to go up to 50 storeys and then I want to go to 80 storeys and they came after me. I said I wanted Cayman to look like Singapore and Dubai.”
Bush said he believes Cayman should have iconic buildings that the whole world is going to see “and where the wealthiest of the wealthiest will come and shop”.
He said that he had received political support for his grand vision for Cayman from the current premier, Alden McLaughlin, who, in his 2019 State of the Nation address, announced plans for a massive building that would become a symbol of sorts for Cayman.
“The Chamber (of Commerce) had a forum, and the company, Dart Enterprises, said they are going to build it, and that’s just the start. We are going to draw the wealthiest of the wealthiest, and Caymanians are going to benefit because that money spreads,” Bush added.
The idea has continued to raise concern. After its recent Economic Forum the Chamber declared its opposition to the project, and so far government appears to be some way off from winning over the the broader public on this. But if Bush is to be believed, it appears that the first of what could be a skyline of high-rise buildings has been green-lit.
See full interview here.
Category: development, Local News
CNS Didn’t Mr. Bush say the proposed zTower of Bush “has”political approval? Just asking, for implyingnis a weak word.
As an expat I remember a conversation I had with a local around 2001 in which I quipped “we each have our Bush to bear”. Perhaps it is time for term limits in Cayman as our Bush exited the scene over 11 years ago and you are still stuck with yours.
A petition is circulating to remove Bush as Speaker please sign it people enough is enough.
The wealthiest of the wealthy. Wow, I can’t wait to see their HIGH CLASS prostitutes and gambling casinos that will follow them to keep them entertained. Mac will love the slot machines. Oh yeah, I almost forgot the recreational drugs that will come in on their private jets. What a good idea! Way to go Mac. Thanks a billion.
People, you are not listening to what the Leader is saying. He said that he wanted to build a place where the very wealthiest can come and shop (he got it in Camana Bay), so he did that, and now he’s saying that he wants to go 50-80-100 stories into the sky. He’s talking about the continued ascension of Mount Trashmore. Soon come.
Before we get a sky scraper, can we get an aircraft or two that can actually get into the sky – 7 hour delay on Cayman Airways yesterday from Miami for a 70 minute flight. Can’t see that pleasing all these billionaires… they don’t all have private boy toy jets
5 hr delay on Monday. What is going on?
in a word, incompetence.
Well, you see, they spent hundreds of millions on an updated 70 year old design as their new aircraft. It turns out the redesign made the new aircraft tend to pitch up in certain conditions, resulting in the manufacturer compensating with a crap automated safety system that seems to take over the aircraft and crash it. The aircraft are grounded and the manufacturers reputation in tatters. Cayman Airways is yet to receive any compensation, and cannot give the planes back.
That leaves them flying old planes that they planned to have replaced. That creates increased maintenance issues and delays.
Added to that, the airline is hardly a model of efficiency (unlike, for example, Ryanair) and so the problems are compounded.
If they get some nice new A220’s now, they may be able to recover, but time is running out.
Mac’s new friends will not fly commercial.
CAL needs to send the planes back for refund and do something else before Boeing goes into receivership. Let’s beat the mad-rush from leasing co’s, airlines, pilots and family victim lawyers that might end Boeing. My family won’t fly again on a Max, even if they tell us they’ve fixed them. Simple as that, and we aren’t alone. Nil bid. See any L-1011’s around?
Better try fix walkers road, the worse piece of road between the gas station and catholic school . Fix that ,da wa unna do .
They cancelled my flight outright before without explanation or even refunding my ticket – had to fight for a good 4 months to get refund of ticket they cancelled
Somebody anybody please shut that clap trap mouth man before it’s too late for these Islands. We have had enough of him. Bayerswake up nah, ona see busha taking and taking but just a little in giving. Do you hear him talk about your children’s education, do you hear him talking about the claysterfuekil of the dump, do you hear him?
No doubt Mr Bush also implied that the Pope is Catholic, and that bears favour woods-based toilet solutions.
We all know this is a done deal, and that a careful PR strategy is being played out.
Quite the opposite of care or strategy, because this is Bush. SIPL is coming. DECCO and several MLAs might have their shredders going in overdrive, but there are decades of documents, emails, and recorded conversations that will be discovered at their hearings.
@10:37 am
Since you love NYC, Seattle and San Francisco skyscrapers.
I assume you know that an island is a relatively small area of land that is completely surrounded by water. Islands can be divided into two types: continental or oceanic.
Continental islands are parts of the continental shelves—the submerged, gradually sloping ledges of continents.
Oceanic islands arise from volcanic activity on the ocean floor. Over time, the cooled lava forms mountains, the tops of which rise above the surface of the ocean as islands. They do not sit on continental shelves.
Grand Cayman is an oceanic island. Foundation is the key for a skyscraper to stay up. True that many skyscrapers around the world are not built on solid ground. Yet, I am not aware of any skyscraper built on oceanic islands.
Barbados is a continental island. The tallest building is 11 floors high.
Excellent comment and input. I’m wondering about Hurricanes! At those heights it’s already stormy wind wise, as at 30+ stories much less 80. I understand about earthquake proofing, but not sure ‘wind pushing’ can be safely achieved at such high ceilings.
Earthquake proofing would skyrocket the construction and maintenance cost that even Dart wouldn’t be able to afford it.
But the point of the above comment is that a skyscraper can’t be practically built in Grand Cayman. Theoretically yes, but it would cost so much that even Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum would not proceed with the projects.
Driving standards here show that even a red light means go.
Why do we continue to do things backwards here? The future isn’t going anywhere, its coming whether we like it or not, but can’t we prepare for it first by ensuring we’ve got a plan to incorporate such a structure not only into it’s immediate location (probably near Camana Bay) but also into the country – airport expansion; land laws; road infrastructures; the dump(s); low income housing; healthcare (we may have with health city) – but getting to health city in an emergency? good luck); water supply; sewage; and so on
Perhaps going up will make sense, but quite so high and in such an apparent rush? And without the obvious demand? I understand the Dart group are the Kevin Costners of the world (build it and they’ll come), but that was fiction and the reality is much of their developments sit idle and empty. They have a lot of money, and a lot of really big visions, but they don’t seem to have much success (if success is to be measured by normal indicators of sales and traffic and such like). Of course, they seem to operate within an orbit of their own, so normal economics and measures may not apply to them by choice, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be enforced. If Joe Blow arrived and said, we’re going to build 100 storey tower, we’d all ask what you know about building and how successful are you in sales? Why wouldnt that be asked of Dart? Or of anyone – who are you selling this to? The last thing you want is a massive phallus shooting blanks (trust me)
BTW, I wonder what a gleaming 80-100 story tower would cost to build, lets guess $750M and that’s probably not enough. But imagine if instead of seeking a legacy by going up, the Dart Group sought one for $750M by going out – out into the community, funding all education, all teachers, creating in one generational swoop a highly educated workforce. If they did that, the legacy would be far more inspiring than any concrete tower and the country would never again seek to complain about the concessions or tunnels or land grabs the group continue to seek and garner.
anyway, just a thought
@2:54 pm- I love your idea… But imagine if instead of seeking a legacy by going up, the Dart Group sought one for $750M by going out – out into the community, funding all education, all teachers, creating in one generational swoop a highly educated workforce.
that deserves a million thumbs up! Anyone who doesn’t agree is just a troll!
Interesting train of thought, however, it is missing the most important question the answer to which would eliminate ALL discussions about building a 50 stores high building in Grand Cayman.
– Who, in their right mind would assume responsibility for building a tower on 2×4 oceanic rock in a hurricane zone, in a seismically active area in complete absence of highly skilled expertise in maintenance of high-rise residential buildings and support infrastructure?
The answer is: no architects, designers or engineers in the world would even entertain the idea.
End of discussion.
And no fire department equipped to handle a structure that high.
If you throw enough money at it it will be possible to engineer a tower here.
The real question is not wether a tower can be built, the question is SHOULD a
50 story tower be allowed.
It will destroy what’s left of the low rise panorama that we take for granted.
it can’t be built. Eliminates “SHOULD a 50 story tower be allowed.”
Except, it seems, the architects, designers and engineers in Honolulu, a volcanic/oceanic island where there are at least 18 buildings over 40 stories tall – several built in the 70s – none of which has fallen down despite earthquakes and hurricanes.
I think i follow you, sort Cayman for the future not with a single tower but with a generation upon generational investment in education, that’s a phenomenal idea. We could outwit the Chinese in one generation, maybe tell everyone they have to work or Dart for at least 2 years post college, but who would argue against that? I wonder if Dart read this. If Dart did this, they could have any incentive/duty reduction they want…the future is Cayman’s youth, they just need help…$750M worth.
caymanians ..vote them out. they only care about the rich and themselves…cost of living up again…pay attention to prices in stores.. sad!😢
if the tower gets built the dump gets moved. book it.
Where you moving it to? From your backyard to mine?
Yup!
Which is why it ain’t moving. You moved next to the dump. Your choice, your consequences.
“Bush said he believes Cayman should have iconic buildings that the whole world is going to see “and where the wealthiest of the wealthiest will come and shop”.”…
ummmm why on earth would people come here to shop, where everything is much more expensive (except a watch and maybe some cameras). Get your friggin priorities straight Mac! Education, the Dump to name a few~
what a jackass!
Bush has no education and therefore cannot see its value.
I come to Cayman for your iconic 7mb not a skyscraper. I have those in my own neighborhood and they aren’t that impressive.
What do you expect from the mouth of a hopelessly conflicted construction company lobbyist / real estate sales agency owner?
Shop? Amazon even sells Rolex Watches.
Rich folks do price check ‘ya know.
Dubai also has thousands of imported, indentured slave workers building the glitzy facade, yet living in squalor out of sight and out of mind.
Aiming to be like Dubai is an awful path to take.
We’re already there.
Build the Skyscraper in Mr. Bush yard so we can all be in on the secret!
Skyscrapers should be fought with another people’s referendum, plus use the U.S. method of tying everything up in court. In other words, sue, sue, sue to block it. Skyscrapers aren’t needed in Grand Cayman, and they would ruin an otherwise beautiful island. As with the issue of a new dock for ships, one can’t help but wonder who is on the take? Because, what other reason is there for pushing such disastrous policies???
Current laws and regulations do not allow buildings to go higher than 10 storeys. Therefore, the elected officials will have to make changes that only they can make to faciliate the skyscrapers.
Did you not see where iMcKeewa states that this is in the process of happening? Did you read McKeewa’s statements in the Gleaner?
McKeewa can chat but he cannot change laws unilaterally. Do not be distracted by Big Mac.
The Premier’s and Deputy Premier’s silence speaks volumes. They use McK to shock and scare people (doing their dirty work) all the while fully agreeing with his comments.
At least allow 20 story buildings
No 10 storeys is enough. We don’t need South Miami Beach here.
Why not?
They already allowed the Kimpton to exceed its agreed limit. Mr Bush obviously knows that rich people so what to fly to cayman to sit in a skyscraper, NOT
The same person who has been on the take for many many years, is who is on the take.
We all know who, but without proof all we can do is shake our heads in dismay.
Those that know and have the proof keep quiet , either because they are involved, or threatened.
How do they ruin the island? It’s just a building, it’s actually a better use of the space.
I like tall buildings. There are lots of beautiful skylines with tall buildings; New York, Vancouver, Seattle etc.
People on this board automatically hate everything.
If it takes 80 stories to bring the billionaires, I am all for it. They spend money and money is good for the island.
But is it good for the Islanders?
How is it bad?
When raw sewage is running down the street, you will have your answer. We simply don’t have the infrastructure or any ability to develop it (see the dump)!
Gee, lets see….if wealthier people will pay $25 for a burger, what do the rest of us do who can only afford $12??? You think the restaurants wint charge what the wealthier people are willing to pay? Case in point, check current restaurant prices
Many, myself including, keep saying FIX THE DUMP. But “fixing” means correcting something that is broken. Nothing is broken here.
Fully integrated and sustainable waste management system that meets and exceeds the demands of the society for a high quality, efficient and effective waste management services has never existed in The Cayman Islands.
The Dump is here to stay for decades to come, even if it stops accepting the garbage today. Nothing could be done to “fix” its poisonous and toxic “nature”. It could be covered and made pretty, but it would remain toxic and poisonous and hazardous. You can’t burn it without turning Grand Cayman into Chernobyl. It would take billions to attract the world’s brightest minds with its innovative ideas to really FIX the Dump. So it is YOURS, with makeup or without.
“And I don’t care
If you don’t want me
I’m yours right now”
(Nina Simone, I put a spell on you)
Quit talking trash and fix the damn dump!
But the next Ivan will take care of The Dump and cause a massive environmental disaster on the west side of Grand Cayman.
Sinnerman might be a more appropriate song from Nina or even Do not let me be misunderstood .
LOL
Here is more about Dubai. They don’t just build towers.
I bet you would gasp in awe.
Smart and Sustainable Waste Management in Dubai.
“Rapid growth of industry, trade and urbanization, a result of a booming prosperous economy. Dubai a city like no other, has now challenged the consequences of its prosperity which are mainly cleanliness and safety. In an attempt to steer the city to a zero-waste scenario, Dubai Municipality has developed from its simple cleaning cadre, to today a fully integrated and sustainable waste management system.
Faced with unique challenges such as the transitory population, tourists and a multinational resident population, Dubai Municipality implemented and enforced innovative legislations, policies and strategies. Thru a unified approach and putting emphasis on sustainability, Dubai Municipality continues to meet and exceed the demands of the society for a high quality, efficient and effective waste management services.”
http://en.envirocitiesmag.com/articles/generating_economic_development_through_integrated_waste_management/smart_and_sustainable_waste_management_in_dubai.php
Dubai has crude oil, we have sun tan oil covered tourists, big difference.
We really haven’t checked. Time to frack!
Dubai has very little oil left and soaring debts. Remember they couldn’t finish the Burj Khalifa and had to borrow money to do so?
Many talk about Dubai here. While it is laughable, to say the least, to even compare Dubai to The Cayman islands on any level, from geography, geology, economics and brain power,
here is the latest news from Dubai:
UAE to invest $408 million in ‘new generation’ schools
“The United Arab Emirates plans to build the first set of “new generation” schools, for which the government has allocated 1.5 billion UAE dirhams ($408.4 million)… The new schools will include laboratories for design, robotics, and artificial intelligence as well as health, environmental, and sports facilities…”
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-emirates-education/uae-to-invest-408-million-in-new-generation-schools-idUSKCN1QM0IT
That amount in Cayman might build one pre-school….
Yes, and here is more news about Dubai: https://www.smartertravel.com/tips-dubai-warnings-dangers-stay-safe/
I found the slave labour camps on the city’s outskirts to be particularly interesting, along with the seemingly normal behaviours that can get a person arrested.
Hey! Dubai makes Cayman seem almost……….. progressive!!! weeeee!
Mac – check. AlDart – check. Mo$e$ – check. could go on and on, but with the three biggest names associated with our current government on “their” side – the tall building will come (sorry Queen of Watering Place, I would have put a check mark next to your name, but know you will vote however the majority of the day votes – and this needs to happen quickly as election soon come).
Queenie is far more likely to support the tower(s) than Moses. He is for tourism and growth, but not cray-cray growth.
Hmmn – let me see if I got this straight. Mr. Mac, a very influential and the longest serving current politician, is basically telling it like it is. He is often criticized for his positions, but with him owning a real estate company, I am sure he is privy to a lot of talk and discussion about development and building restrictions.
Yes, Cayman can continue down its current path, but the future is in building upwards and Mr. Mac is very correct that the mega-wealthy or rich will buy into that concept. Us Caymanians will bitch and complain about expats, and when one of our well-known people gets involved with them spending millions upon millions of dollars, we immediately cry collusion, corruption and greed. It is not the expats fault that they find opportunity to invest money in Cayman – very few Caymanians invest in projects of any significance.
I agree with all the bloggers about the multitude of issues that government continues to neglect and/or not provide solutions, especially when it comes to garbage collection. And when a certain expat offers a solution, our government goes back to the building where 18 politicians sit down in seats and do absolutely nothing about it.
The good ol’ days of a simpler time in the 60’s and 70’s are gone. Greed, avarice, love of money, love of power/recognition are common traits nowadays.
Mr. Mac, I don’t agree with you on a lot of things, but you are “spot on” about high-rise buildings – it is a concept with a well-proven track record. It will succeed, but the public will complain about the lack of opportunities for Caymanians, and they will complain about whatever nationalities are hired to work in any manner/way/shape or form with any high-rise building, that seems to be our nature, bitch and complain, but not provide any solutions.
The naysayers will need to start their referendum from now, because high-rise buildings WILL be part of Cayman’s skyline in the future (think of it, we could have giant man-made structure incorporated as part of any building – ie. turtle, catboat, conch shell, an old lady plaiting thatch basket, caboose, caymanite, lobster, caymankind).
Until politics is cleaned up by the younger generation, ideas this bold/expensive/out of keeping with the island we currently know will be extremely controversial and fought head on. It may be the future but I for one do not trust any of our current politicians with it. They are not smart and not trustworthy. They have no credibility and cannot make a convincing case even for good ideas. It’s not what but who, at the moment, that should cause us to reflect on where we already are and pause before doing anything else.
This isn’t a blog dude. And you are not a blogger because you posted a comment.
How do people make up in their own head what words mean?
CNS: In the early days of CNS, McKeeva Bush started using the word “blog” for this site and “bloggers” for the commenters (“dem bloggas!”). His use of the words was wrong then, but I think it’s possible that over time they have crept into the local lexicon to mean something different than in other English speaking locations. I don’t know what the litmus test for this would be, perhaps if most people here understand what is meant.
Yeah let’s just make up new meanings for world verbiage for an island that is 3miles x 28 miles that only a handful of people know what they mean. Like a wee secret language because we are special.
Just because McKeewa says it incorrectly doesn’t mean we have to go along with it. He doesn’t have that much power! Pulease!
CNS – your news site demands a better description than a blog… Unless that’s what you also consider yourself as. Your call. But I am still NOT a blogger.
CNS is a news forum. “Forum implies comments from viewers. That’s my take on it.
Thanks 4:39pm
A blog is written on someone(s) opinion mostly by an individual. Hence CNS is not a blog.
So, yes, news forum is a better definition. And all news forums take comments from viewers. That does not make the commenters bloggers. LOL
Yes, let concrete the limited free space that is left for high rise towers.
ooh I can just imagine it now, here I am stressed out in New York, where can I go to destress, oh I know, The skyscraper paradise of Cayman, said no one!
I think the Kimpton ruins the view of the beach now. I can’t imagine just how much I would dislike a 50 story tower in my view.
“Bloggers”. Lol
…but wouldn’t your school-leaving charlatan insist we address him as Dr? He has zero credibility.
If McKeeva say so, who is Alden to say no.
When Alden wearing his black UnderArmour cap sat down with McKeeva in his aqua shirt just after 5 o’clock on the Friday evening, 26 May 2017, with Graham Rankine as the witness, and prostituted himself politically to retain the Premiership, McKeeva became the leader of this so-called Unity government. McKeeva calls the shots, Alden just fills in the dots.
Who gave Kenneth Dart is initial book of discounts slips with the so-called NRA agreement? McKeeva. You think Dart dealing with Alden? No; he dealing with McKeeva.
McKeeva, for all of his claiming to be for the ‘little man’, is a merchant. His trade is real estate. The more that is built, the more he gets to sell. And when he controls whether it gets to be built or not, you can expect that he will be in on the selling. That’s how it goes folks; that’s why we don’t have a Standards in Public Life law in force 5 years after it was unanimously approved by the LA. No law could condone how these people behave and want to continue to behave.
So what if West Bay has needed a decent police station for 20 years, so what if West Bay doesn’t have a hurricane shelter, so what . . . You don’t hear McKeeva using his position to get one damn thing for West Bay do you. But West Bayers keep electing him because he will see that they get on this list and that list and get the handouts. This has always been McKeeva’s modus operandi.
The sad part, the really revolting part, is that Alden knows what he’s doing. His ego and his own greed for perceived status makes him do what he does – without losing sleep. He is now a total waste. He, and those who cloak and support him, all have to go.
Cayman needs a Conservative Party!
We need prudent progress not unrestrained progressivism.
Cayman Green Party
We already have the Monster Raving Loony party…just not by that name.
For the whole world to see? Let me tell you, they see us, smell us and are laughing at us. The recent airport issues are laden with incompetent consultants and management. The dump you can now see from the seven mile beach and north sound. Missed garbage collection from residential and commercial properties. Should I continue?
Mr Speaker you are out of Order in this matter. Who gave you the right to boast wabout something which cabinet seemingly has not approved as yet . Or did you do so knowing that it has and all the floors and stipends there from have already been assigned .
Well my dear all I’m hearing ya people saying is “ Mama look a booboo de” “shut ya mouth go away”.
Mr. Bush will go the way of the same “wealthy” people he has engendered to serve. Make no fuss of his utterance.
I can’t beleive what I’m reading. So we can look like Dubai 50 to 80 storey blgs. And the Premier has already agreed, claims the Speaker of the House !! Who are we building for and what is the plan for we the people?? What about the dump ? The trafic congestions? The scale is tilting work permit holders vs local population already. Mr. McKeeva are you serious?
Um, hello? This is getting out of hand.
Cayman is a microcosm of the world. It’s the same story: Greedy, uninformed, arrogant people degrading and destroying ecosystems.
Four billion years of evolution gifted us a beautiful and healthy biosphere. And what do we do? Kill, poison, and exploit with no thought of tomorrow.
#lame
GOD gave us sir. If it’s just “evolution” why not just let the building industry “evolve”? It’s hypocrisy to stop the flow of human endeavor, if everything is ramdom as the Speaker is Speaking, re: 80 floor building.
However, because GOD created EVERYTHING and designed it beautifully. He expects us to be good Steward. , We have a moral abligation (not just some random, next generation thing), to look after the earth. He said he will destroy those who destroyed the earth. That’s sure.
No real GOD fearing envirinmental responsibility under so called “evolution”, will only lead to human demise.
Idiot!!
I didn’t bother to read either comment but I do find when I scroll thru and see god in uppercase letters I know it’s been written by a really gem of a person.
Don’t you get it? You two are saying the same thing, but describing the world in different terms. You’ve focused on one word — evolution — which apparently a sore spot for you.
It’s not a bad word. It means “change” or “transform”.
You view and that of the poster you were responding to have more in common than differences.
” because GOD created EVERYTHING and designed it beautifully”
Mosquitoes na beautiful
Cancer na beautiful
Diabetic or genetically deformed babies na beautiful.
But all part of his perfect creation, right? Which engineer places a flaw in their bridge?
Your God gave us Mac.
Money always talks the loudest. What a shame, they always want more!
I know I will get thumbs down ,but the more I read the bible is the more I relise what’s happening, first I’m surprised at Mr Bush ,,’,,we are living in evening times ,,,build ,build ,build,,spend ,spend ,spend ,live it up,,every day there’s a young man sitting by the Anderson square bldg asking for food , and believe me he has a mental problem ,one hangs out by Kentucky by Merren shops also with mental problems ,,,,,,these guys are not on drugs ,but that’s the first thing people think. Get a decent place to put these people , go finish the high school .stop tearing up the roads , and for Gods sake ,stop putting down others , the next one might be yours ,,think of your tomorrow as it may never come for some of us . Make sure you can be at peace with yourself,,,God help us .
It is your naive believe in a god that let these people get away with everything.
They scare you about the gays coming and in the meantime do nothing about education and welfare.
It is your own fault.
That book has kept you dumb a d politicians take advantage of it.
Guess an English missionary shouldn’t have come here in the 1840s and handed them all out then.
Enact SIPL law.
Genuine question; What is SIPL?
Standards in Public Life. Meant to make MLAs and people in positions of public authority like board directors of entities like CIAA or the Port Authority declare their financial interests so their is transparency on whether they have a financial interest in public projects and expenditure. Now you know why it’s not been enacted.
Do you live in Cayman?
He’s such a vigilante.
I’m starting to see more and more why people dislike westbayers…
One in particular.
@4:07 You’re an idiot. I’m a West Bayer and McKeeva does NOT represent my views as well as many others!
Yeah, but your neighbors consistently vote him in which says a lot about West Bay.
Where they exist, billies aren’t spending their days searching for longer elevator rides, 3 star services, traffic jams, or 110’F shopping as envisaged by backwater politicians.
The truth is, for Billionaires, we don’t offer anything of greater interest than our submarine attractions which this regime is determined to degrade unnecessarily.
Permanent yacht moorings would be a better bet, or even a submarine hotel at the 12 mile bank or the Mysteriosa tablemount.
Mac has been relatively quiet while the CHEC deal is being hussled through. Is it only me or whenever he makes a statement about some development or project does anyone else wonder “What’s in it for him?”
It’s not just you; he has demonstrated to my and many other people’s satisfaction that he is willing to sell out his country for personal profit.
Laughable that Bush says the tower was “his idea”.
He is merely Dart’s step an fetch it repeating what he is told to say.
When he was in power just what did he do to remedy the dump problem. Well I can tell you ZILCH. His record as a politician could not be worse. He wrongly used government credit cards and abused the fairer sex playing snap in a casino.His track record over twenty years is appalling and he gets an MBE for it all. As a speaker of the house he cannot speak so why is he there? How soon we all forget. Oops I forgot First Cayman Bank.
You forgot a lot more than First Cayman .
Oh it is to laugh. Of course something is in it for him. But all in West Bay know that Mac gives and gives and gives – we not stupid and he does look out for our district, that is why he keeps getting in, all the way back for years – tell me what other politician has served his community so long!
Is Mac perfect – no? Is he one of us – yes? Mac tells it like it is – and for that he gets criticized – oh and another whole thing I not gonna talk about – his skin colour a little darker than others – wonder if that aint got nothing to do wit it.
No, his skin colour has nothing to do with his consistently underhanded administrations. He may tell you what you want to hear, but that’s a far, far cry from the truth.
Don’t forget, this is the man who, as Premier, cancelled a vetted and accepted contract to build finger piers in George Town, and sole-sourced it to CHEC…….. or should I say soul-sourced it, because I believe he gave up his. Fortunately, the FCO stepped in and prevented him from giving George Town to the Chinese.
Mr. Bush is the antithesis of what Cayman needs as a representative, an MLA, and a human being.
They can’t even sell out the Kimpton, this will be a white elephant or just one man’s monument to himself.
that is not what ken is about….
Really, then please do tell or, better yet let the man come forward and tell the people of Cayman what he is about. That is, if he has any righteousness in this whole affair.
Why does he continually let his Cayman stooges do the talking for him? He’s just a man, but obviously not man enough to address the people directly!
Right, a man who has his name on everything but won’t show his face.
Who is really in charge of running the country Big Mac or Alldone?
Dart
Sad isn’t it ? Smh
Dart knew from the beginning how things work here. Two of their first employees at the Mirco centre were XXXXXX. Coincidence?
Remember back then (in the 90’s) Dart had less than 20 employees on island & no one had heard of him. He was busy buying loads of land and making plans. Remember we saw the Camana Bay plans during their ‘charabank’ talks & heard about the affordable homes that would be built…..ha!
I remember this but in no way was it said there would be affordable homes. It said things like;
Their own schools, shopping, post office, grocery, doctors, gyms, restaurants etc. I even think it said something about being ‘gated’ and everyone went bonzo about it. And now looky here. Dah wha ya got!
There were supposed to be affordable homes. We laughed at Mr VdeV when he told us the price.
CNS: Note to the poster – it’s not that you named MLAs, it’s that you pointed to their relatives. What you said may or may not have been true but we leave politicians’ family out of the political fray.
Mac still has power through his hand picked appointments to govt boards and playing kiss ass with wealthy Jamaicans, who ran from their country and now trying to turn us into the country they ran from.
The tone of the article would suggest that the tower is going ahead and that McKeewa reckons he can do whatever he wants to the country.
Absolutely shameful that this man has any governance
This is called Wagging the Dog. Slight of hand. Looky over here at this big shiny tower we want to build.
“I’ll pay the entire bill to fix your dump if you let me build my pp extension of an iconic tower named after me…”
Okay Dart.
I have been wondering how this would play out and here we have it. Trust me on this. Mark my words; The big D needs that dump fixed before the red CoO card is delivered for his new condos being built right next door.
Ammirite!!?!?!?!?!
You’re right. His plan for “fixing” the dump is a piss poor solution; it involved lined pit in a residential area. Lined pits are historically always a temporary fix. But it would get it out of his precious view, and most people that don’t live in Bodden Town would praise his name. Makes me want to puke.
No matter what kind of dump it is, the main priority is the need for it to be lined. Lining is not a temporary thing. This helps prevent seepage into your surrounding area. Like the one at present that is NOT lined and seeps into the North Sound (our golden egg laying goose). This is an ecological disaster waiting to happen. Has anyone noticed the color of the water in the N. Sound lately? Could be just seasonal runoff..
Especially since all they want to do is cap it. The cover (dirt/mulch/grass etc) preventing the methane to escape. That baby will blow like a volcano.
However, in saying that, I am sure there are ways to allow it to breathe.
Agree with you that lined is better than not, however I’ve been in haz-mat mitigation for 40 years. There are, to date, zero lined pits that have not leaked. Anywhere.
What we had before — a signed, vetted bid — was for mitigation in situ. To separate the recyclables and possibly even waste-to-energy on site for the rest. We simply can’t hide it in some residential area — our aquifer is far too high for that. What does anyone think happens when a lined, open pit of garbage gets rained on over and over? That’s right. It eventually rises and creates hydrostatic pressures which force a leak or several.
Yep. Look at any called dump in the states. Piped with vents to off gas the methane. Whether you like the idea or not the existing material isn’t going anywhere – too moist and degraded now to use for waste to energy quite apart from the gas problems in digging up all that rotting material. “Move the dump” is about the location of the new dump to deal with ongoing garbage. Best you can do with the current pile is cap and vent it, turf it over for cosmetics, and dig a lined berm to try and limit the leaching into the North Sound.
9:43pm Thank you for that explanation.
In my wee pea brain I always thought (hoped) maaaayybbeeeee it could be moved. After reading your comment I realize that was wishful thinking and a bit silly..
But what I do know is that Dart is waiting to make his move to exchange fixing it (as you state) with getting his tower.
No matter what, we must find a better way to deal with our refuse.
Do you have a source for this 3:41? Its been so long that I don’t recall what the proposal was for moving the dump. I only remember politicians jumping on the bandwagon for votes.
And by sheer coincidence it will be a damn sight easier to sell condos on the 50th ( or is it the 80th) floor of the tower if the view of the dump is of a grass covered hill rather than a pile of rotting garbage.
Dubai was an empty, baron desert devoid of life before they started developing so anything was an improvement.
Cayman has pristine beaches, a marine environment that attracts divers from all over the globe and beautiful, native flora and fauna.
Spot the difference? What a clown.
Fix the Dump first !
Sorry, it is not fixable. Only cosmetic improvements could be done, but the toxic monster is here to stay and poison for decades to come. Even if you close it today.
Thank you Honorable Speaker, you are a stalwart of our country.
Stalwart: loyal, reliable and hard-working. Three words that could never be applied toward Bush.
Here’s another word just for you:
Suck up: (v) a person who behaves obsequiously, especially to earn approval or favoritism
Shut up twins .
Let’s fix the dump, the education system and help the people living in poverty first please. Why do we have people living in shanties with all of the money that has passed through these islands? Somebody missed a glorious opportunity to fix that problem a long time ago when greed crept in and politicians turned corrupt.
News flash…there WILL ALWAYS BE haves and have nots. I am not arguing the right and wrong of it. But give everyone a million dollars. There will be the same percentage of people that have much more than a million dollars. until the ones with a million dollars are considered have nots. You are not going to change this. EVER. Only hippies or wishful thinkers think that some how magically you can lift these people up to a median standard. The moment you tax more, give more, do more, ect. That median standard eventually becomes the bottom of the barrel standard. And that, folks is called inflationary economics. Is it sad, yes. I think the only thing the government can do is start a soup kitchen. That makes much more sense than anything else.
Leaving aside wealth differences, do you think that a society can lift ‘everyone’ (willing to work, not do drugs, have more than one child per two people, etc.) above a real poverty line? Yes they will be poor, probably living in socially subsidized basic housing, but not in leaking roof shanties without sanitation and not knowing where their next meal will come from?
Yes there will always be people who are better off than others but there should not be people living in shanties in a place like this. At a minimum they need to have a safe place to live. If the laws meant to protect the most vulnerable in our society were enforced there would not be people living in unsafe buildings. How many of these have to burn down before someone will at least acknowledge the issue?
To 1:11 where are you from .? I think you were reading my mind,,well said my friend ,they just don’t give a damn about the poorer class ,,but I’m sure they WILL answer one day ,God bless you poster .
Agree with you whole-heartedly. The problem is that the “iconic tower(s)” won’t be built by CIG, and therefore our funds are not in play here. Nope. Daddy Dart will build it and it won’t make even a tiny divot in his wealth.
The problem is that we — all of us that live here — must stand up and mandate that Dart will not be allowed to build this or any tower. It is perhaps one of the most important issues of the day.
Why do we have to copy Dubai?
The royal family has limitless funds to spend on that country………we do not. Fix the drainage on our water logged roads and concentrate on the new airport which has NOT lived up to expectations.
Dubai doesn’t give out citizenship to foreigners. Locals have been able to keep control
I don’t know much about Dubai but I doubt they have mountain high garbage dump and people living hand to mouth. If there is extra money in government coffers finish John .GrayHigh, fix the garbage situation, fix the HSA, fix social services, give our young people going off to university more scholarship money so more can go. etc. etc.
I have two questions – will the dump look like a mountain from 50/80 floors up. Will the Dart group remove all the styrofoam from the dump and up cyclic it to control the temperature in the tower suites. That would really be killing two birds with one stone!
Billionaires are not attracted to a place where greedy politicians have fouled their nation’a nest.
One big fly still seems to be feeding off Cayman’s slowly rotting corpse. Just as long as our greedy politicians keep the door open for him!
not sure what the big deal is with going high rise…it is actually better for the environment…
anyway there is no reasoning with the cave mentality…
I found the guy that knows it all!!
Have you considered the infrastructure that we DO NOT have for even our existing population?? And just where do you think all of the cars will be? You think these people will not be on the already overcrowded roads?
What part of what environment do you think will be better? We can’t even get these people to recycle nor fix the dump. And you want to increase both of those for saving the environment…
Sure can’t fix stupid. And that is all this tower idea is.
Nah, they won’t have cars. They’ll live on the top floors & bottom floors, depending on economic (not societal) importance, go to school and businesses & eat and shop and recreate in the middle floors, the utilities will be housed in the middle floors as well.
Water and wastewater will be desalination and wastewater recycling. Food and goods will mostly be brought in (you can grow veggies in the greenhouses in the middle floors, but the caviar is going to need some carbon miles on it to taste really good) so there’ll be a waste-to-energy plasma furnace in there somewhere to take care of that.
In fact, if you replace the windows with LED-TV screens you can project any picture you want as your view, so even during rainy season you’re seeing Seven Mile Beach’s crystal blue water and ivory white sand just like it used to be in the 1970s. I mean, you might not even be in Cayman at all for all you know. Because you will never leave your 80 story arcology. (Maternity ward floor 40, swimming pool and beach bar floor 46, crematorium floor 29.)
Sounds like a great dystopian movie plot. I would watch it.
Me too and I’ll enjoy watching it burn
Nah, build enough arcologies and you launch into space. The final frontier.
It’s quite simple if you think about it; high rises would ruin everything that is pure and wonderful about Cayman. People from Florida come here for the beauty and unfettered skylines and relatively simple living; the super rich (Dart excluded) tend toward places where aviation caters to them and allows limos to meet the plane, where they are whisked away to a fabricated paradise where nobody knows who they are.
If Bush’s ever-open yap speaks of anything approaching truth, these MLAs will never again be reelected. Still, that isn’t much of an incentive to do the right thing, where millions of dollars are on the table for the taking. Bush et al can then go live like a king in a peaceful island paradise, once he’s finished screwing up this one.
nonsense….if that was the case , the brac would be booming with tourism.
both Sister Islands are “booming” as much as resources will allow. Neither island is for everyone — just those that want to get away from the rat race. How much more full must Grand Cayman be before we declare it done? Will such a situation ever exist? No, because we’re human and stupid and shortsighted.
….. and years from now, will we look back at this time as the beginning of the farewell of the island we once loved?
Read the article in the Gleaner on Sunday and I am wondering how the speaker is allowed to represent the Cayman Islands on these issues, I also wonder how any respectable patriotic Caymanian could appoint this individual as Speaker of our House. What this appointment represents to me, is the lack of respect for the Honourable House and the People of the Cayman Islands. Perhaps it is time for the Premier to bridle and halter and start leading. Perhaps they are all drinking from the same well now!
Since June 2017 the Premier Alden McLaughlin has answered to Speaker McKeeva Bush. Premier Alden is merely pawn. He’s a megalomaniac in love with titles and perception of power. He is owned and controlled now in lame duck status.
Make a note of this and put it in your pocket: “No respectable patriotic Caymanian appointed this individual as Speaker of our House.”
Simply Dumb. So when will the casinos be green lit for the wealthiest global shakers? I disagree with wanting to resemble Asian countries and Arab continents for island living.
My Grand Vision for Cayman is one without Bush.
The Grand vision of Cayman’s forefathers was an island whose shores would not look like Miami Beach. How right they were and sadly no one had the balls to take on the megalomaniac from West Bay. Cayman lost its identity many years ago after the departure of such stalwart figures as Mr Norman, Mr Benson, Mr Truman, Miss Annie, Mr Roy, Mr Gilbert and many others.
Until the island has a proper infrastrure such as transport, schools, a modern day garbage disposal system etc there is no point in thinking about attracting millionaires by building iconic towers. Let us first address and fix what is broken and develop a master plan encompassing all of the above before it is too late.
Lastly , one thing we do not need is to look like the concrete jungles of Dubai and Singapore.
Enacting SIPL would turn this spectacle upside down, introducing real world transparency and consequences. Eyes would instantly shift to the Attorney General to prosecute offenders and their patrons. Our MLAs are taking bigger and bolder gambles, believing that this will never happen.
What is SIPL?
The Standards in Public Life Law is far too intrusive as written. Why must I be forced to allow anybody to crawl around my dealings from far behind my time in public life?
You will if you have nothing to hide.
Standards in Public Life (SIPL)
You had me until “Attorney General”.
Take a look at an aerial photograph of Miami Beach. The hotels are set further back than Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach. The other side of the ‘road’ in fact. – I’m all for not looking like Miami Beach, but we have to talk about what that actually means, not just use it as a soundbite. (Miami beach does have high-rise buildings though. You can sit in the shade of their shadows on the beach. Maybe not something we want for SMB?)
Last time I was on Miami Beach most hotels were NOT on the other side of any road. Check out the map before opening mouth.
Those hotels on the other side of the road by the News Cafe are no more than about 120 feet high and cast a shadow after noon on the east of a similar size. Thus almost no one on the other side of the road will enjoy that shade if they are lying on the beach until maybe five pm.
It is important to record facts rather than speculate.
By the way I share Chris’s views.
Not even close to “the other side of the road.”
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Miami+Beach,+FL,+USA/@25.8262216,-80.1226905,278m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x88d9a6172bfeddb9:0x37be1741259463eb!8m2!3d25.790654!4d-80.1300455
Proving the point quite nicely. Compare their setback with say the Marriott. Or Westin. Or Ritz. Then tell me they’re not ‘close to the other side of the road’ (boardwalk).
Looks like McKeeva pulled another coup this time over Alden instead of KT
this 50 story building is to compete with the mountain of trash? You can’t solve the trash problem and education system sucks … but we can put or time and money into a 50 story building? to stare at the mountain of trash?? seriously. This island is turning out to be just like the “mountain” trashmore!
Govt. Is not building 50 storey buildings, so its not going to cost the tax payers.
No government will just have to pay for the infrastructure improvements to accommodate the tower and all the people that live in it.
1:43 don’t make that be a problem, Dart will continue to do that also!
It is going to cost all of us but of course some of you out there can only think in dollars and cents.
It is going to cost us, just not money but something more precious.
soon all this talk will be unremembered!
Really?? Will the users not require water supply lines, sewerage disposal, power, require garbage collection and further congest our already overburdened roads?
Because last time I checked, tax payers cover these costs especially since govt keeps giving concessions on the infrastructure fund to chosen developers and builders when those are the developments that require our infrastructure to be expanded the most!
This government will give a billionaire even more concessions that what was negotiated in the FCIA deal and NRA agreement. Stop the madness Cayman
Of course it probably has or is certainly inevitable – look at the pawns and the Grandmaster …
That’s it. Youse people will suffer the consequences of this idiot buffoon. I mean, you really already are.
Wealthy people want villas, not towers!
We know what McKeeva and Alden want.
Yes a hasty removal.
ok after all the smart talk, someone give a smart answer to where do Government get their millions be cautious!