Some petitioners are fed up PPM supporters
(CNS): Johann Moxam, one of the activists behind the petition to trigger a people-initiated referendum on the cruise berthing facility, has said that many people supporting it are disgruntled PPM supporters. Moxam told CNS that the signators are not all political opponents of the premier but regular voters, many of whom voted for government members. He said the public’s response to the petition is a wake-up call and showed that voters have lost faith over how this project has been handled.
Moxam said that much of the information that he has managed to reveal to the public was leaked “from inside their shop” by people working in government or even the “party faithful”, as many people no longer trust the current administration.
“It is senior party affiliates who have become disillusioned with government because of a lot of major decisions and the lack of consultation on them that are willing to lift the lid on what they think is wrong,” he said. “Not only that but the decision of the premier to form a government with McKeeva Bush has angered many people.
“For almost two decades the premier has repeatedly told the public that the UDP, now CDP, leader was the worst thing to ever happen to the country,” he said. “But now the premier and his deputy are following the same projects he had promoted, from the NRA agreement to the cruise dock.”
Moxam said the government’s claims that the cruise project is to support Cayman businesses is disingenuous and one of the reasons why PPM voters are backing the referendum. They are concerned because government is prepared to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to support some sectors of the Caymanian business community while making life difficult for others, in some cases, if the project goes ahead, put them out of business altogether, he warned.
“Why is government willing to spend so much protecting some tour operators and downtown retailers but not other businesses?” he asked. “The problem with corporate welfare is that only a handful of people really benefit, and in this case it appears to be a small number of George Town duty free merchants who are going to get government assistance, while others struggle to survive in the world’s most expensive jurisdiction.”
Moxam questioned on what basis government has decided to give up the tax collected from the cruise fees to support the downtown merchants, who seem unable to make a living, despite cruise passenger numbers soaring to more than 1.9 million passengers last year.
“What is the matrix used by the government that says looking out for duty free merchants is more important than any other sector of our economy or programmes that would help those not taking part in the economic boom that the government is taking credit for?” he questioned. “If government wants to support local tourism businesses, it should be putting pressure on and negotiating with the cruise lines over the revenue share local operators now get on the tours they conduct that cruise ships sell.”
In some cases, local operators say they are getting less than half the share they got on trip sales just fifteen years ago. One operator recently told CNS that last year the share he now gets from Carnival for a trip to Stingray City is just $7 per head, when before Hurricane Ivan the cut was $15, which is a serious cut given the inflationary pressures since then.
“It’s disingenuous for government to claim that the cruise facility is helping taxi or tour operators when they are failing to negotiate with cruise lines to ensure operators get a fair cut of the tours they sell,” Moxam added, as he urged people to support the campaign for a referendum, register to vote and then come out on polling day.
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Category: development, Local News, Politics
This is not rocket science;
The port is a matter of National Importance.
Whenever possible, the nation in question should be responsible (and accountable) for decisions regarding issues of National Importance.
A referendum on the proposed port will put the debate to rest, once and for all.
Ffs people, put the politics and personal grievances to the side for a moment; let us make history and take this crucial decision into our own hands and set the precedent.
– Whodatis
*Personally, I am not in support of this particular proposed port, however, if the referendum comes and the country votes in favour thereof, I will happily respect and support the decision made by my country – as a unit.
**Clearly, our government is VERY concerned that the majority of the people also DO NOT WANT their proposed port.
I struggle to find any other reason for their strong resistance to the calls for a referendum.
This has nothing to do with who supports what political party. Nor does it have anything to do with the political ambitions of individuals who support the referendum. This whole port fiasco has everything to do with the smell of money overwhelming our political leaders’ smell of risk.
Had it been a UDP project, would have to agree with you.
FYI – PPM has become the old UDP. Alden McLaughlin and McKeeva Bush as leaders of each party are the Co-leadership of the coalition Unity Government.
It’s bizarre to me that this has anything to do with which party you did or didn’t vote for previously. The government wants to destroy some of our underwater environment to jam tens of thousands more $5 tourists into our already crowded attractions and destroy the above water environment too. It’s short sighted foolishness at it’s finest. The only people who will make any money at all are the cruise lines and those XXXXX.
I think you are right. And if you read the report here, it is in fact being touted as persons being fed up with their ‘party’! This is why some do not want to engage because, in spite of the merits of the argument, it is becoming a political weapon!
Has anyone noticed from the pictures of what the dock it supposed to be that the cargo side is virtually unchanged yet it would spouted that it was in need of massive upgrades? Another lie by the unholy TriniUDP.
Rubbish 10.57.
The proposed cargo area is considerably larger. Suggest you get glasses or learn to read plans.
What CNS needs to talk about is how many of these “opposition” leaders will make it in the next election.
PPM stronger than ever.
PPM is balancing budgets, creating surpluses, paying off debts and leading the country in the right direction. Are they perfect? No. But I have NEVER in my 40 plus years on this planet seen a perfect government BUT what I am not seeing is hearing about oil refineries in North Sound, big boat dock in East End and people collecting payouts while the country struggling to get electricity after being hit by a CAT 4 borderline CAT 5 Huricane. We have projects thay go through proper channels unlike in the past where things would bypass proper checks and balances and threats to fire the auditor general. How short a damn memory we have. I forgot about the sending of threats to the UK.
As I said they are not perfect but they are light years ahead of what we had.
So far we have upgraded Airport. Yes we have issues but they will be fixed. They are tackling the cruise berthing which is another kick the can down the road item. Soon we will tackle the dump.
As for people leaving PPM why don’t you talk about people leaving opposition. I have and I know of about 15 to 20 others personally that have also. People are seeing these darn people for who they are. Bitchers and moaners.
Looking forward to another public holiday
Lets see how much those CAL tickets going be
You think there will still be a CAL by then?
still nothing from mr. Guy , world renown Harvey???……
Guy is wisely avoiding commenting for a number of reasons that I can guess at. He doesn’t want to break a good relationship with government that he needs for the research projects, and the retail businesses. There isn’t enough information to make a sound and fact supported comment. Yes, when you have large responsibilities, or big ideas, you don’t go around flapping your gums with half assed information.
How does Dwayne Seymour quietly get approval to put out for tender a dock at Coe-Wood Beach, of unknown size, and budget, without an EIA or a peep from media? It sure would be nice if the governor would compel enactment of the Standards in Public Life Law.
Hopefully we get this much needed dock built and the smoke and mirrors campaign of special interest lobbyists masquerading as environmentalists don’t fool everyone.
You are full of it, Anonymous 1:36!
The dock is not “much needed”.
The only “smoke and mirrors” here come from our politicians.
No one is “masquerading” except those same politicians.
Why don’t you use your name?
Blow it out your ballast hole, anonymous 1:36 pm. Why are you afraid to use your name?
ppm disgruntled supporters.. it simple…vote them out in 2021…i certainly will cast my vote for change…compkete change…no udp or ppm or nobody there now! full stop😉
SAME HERE TOO THEY MUST GO!
Nobody voted for the Unity ticket or their redactive administration. CDP and PPM lost so many seats they were not in any majority to assemble a government. The Independents who prevailed, went about forming a coalition, but due to delays and infighting, were cast aside as Alden pretended he/PPM had won, and formed the unholy alliance with the scraps of the CDP. The way our flawed system works, there needs to be a new party (maybe comprised of some of the independents) with some kind of middle of the road, level-headed mandate people can agree on, and a leader. Before that can happen, we urgently need enactment of Standards in Public Life Law (subsequent arrests) and Constitutional amendment to open the field and allow legit dual citizens to serve the public as MLAs. The Speaker should be impartial and not a sitting member of Cabinet. High School would be a plus. It would be a much more transparent environment with criminal consequences for some of what we have grown numb to over the years. The Governor could press these issues, but won’t, and our Attorney General is also happy with the way things are.
Huh?
That’s a headline and a story?
Many of us are also tired of hearing from these childish petitioners.
This is politics worldwide.
Get used to it or move on!
Go home, troll!
A troll to make you roll
to the poll
to find your payroll
in a brown ….
Love it 😍
It’s too bad the government was so slow in getting the real information out there. The CPR and Save Cayman Groups have been allowe3d to talk so much made up garbage. If the real info was out there they wouldn’t have gotten half as much signatures.
Don’t be making things up, 11:46.
Don’t tell lies, 11:45.
Trying to explain to some people that dredging up 27 acres of seabed and pouring an enormous concrete slab in GT harbor will result in an ecological disaster for this island, is like trying to explain to some people how Trump’s rhetoric led to the mass shooting in El Paso. They cannot see the connection, because they refuse to see it.
Clearly you need a tin foil hat.
Oh stop it with your devious garbage. These two situations have nothing in common. Trying to bring Trump and El Paso into the Port project smacks of a corrupt moral compass. Fix yourself before you spout more bullshit.
@12:51pm
———————————>you
•<—-the point
Clearly you have no idea as to what is being done. You are basically clueless.
It is now clear to many voters that the current PPM leadership is not focused on making their priorities the priorities of the people.
Has it ever?
Is the cruise port (not cargo port) a matter of national importance? Is the cruise port needed to save the tourism industry in cayman? Based on what evidence or information?
If the Govts answer is yes that the cruise port is needed to save the tourism industry, then the Govt need to admit that the referendum is of national importance too.
You cant have it both ways.
Save tourism…. hah.
Record number of arrivals by both land and sea.
Stayover thriving.
Cruise tourist businesses surviving on life support.
It doesn’t take a ‘rocket surgeon’ to get the drift of where the future lies.
Vocational training is what needed. Not cruise berthing facilities. People with marketable skills would get and create real jobs. Start training full size public bus drivers and mechanics NOW. Public bus transit system would need lots of people. From dispatchers to drivers and mechanics. Start looking at it now. Bermuda can teach Cayman how to do that.
Hit the nail on the head. Not only that but if another serious hurricane were to hit then it would be beneficial for us to have a skilled local workforce to help rebuild and keep going. Tourism would cease for a prolonged amount of time and a lot of the expat workforce would return home leaving us in a difficult position.
Exactly!
What good is vocational training if there are no jobs to fill…which is exactly what will happen if the piers are not built.
So how do you explain that we have record cruise arrivals without spending 200+ million dollars?
If you try and blame that on the fact other destinations have been disrupted by hurricanes and whatnot you are just blowing smoke. It is more likely that they have been disrupted by putting docks in for the cruise ships and the result has been an unpleasant environment for both the tourist and the local.
Earth to Kirkbot, come in Kirkbot. Please proceed on your mission to Uranus.
BS
And when the cruise dock is not built. And the cost of living gets so high the staycationers stop coming. And suddenly the water front collapses because cruise ships stop coming to cayman because of no dock. Then and only then, will these idiots think “hmmm maybe we should have built the dock”. Building the dock does nothing but insure that future caymanians and the government can make money off the cruise industry. That is the worst thing that will happen. The whole scare mongering about it’s going to “destroy the corals” shocking discovery. Cayman is an entire three islands. Not just george town. And the main island is 12 miles by 4 miles. Which I can guarentee you, and I am not a marine biologist. That the dock WILL NOT destroy all the coral around 98% of the island. Fact.
so really, ask yourself. Scare mongering. Or will a dock destroy 98% of the coral around the island. Common sense, people. Use it.
I love how the first half of your post is pure scaremongering and then you accuse others of it
Is scaremongering worse than lying? The build-a-dock trolls will try anything!
So how will 200,000 more thrift spending tourists affect the cost of living and no the waterfront retail zone will NOT collapse because if the pier is not built the cruise lines will STILL come to Cayman. These mega ships are 1 in 6 or 1 in 8 new boats being built. And that is easily verifiable by looking up the docket of new boats being built.
And as for the destruction of the coral, etc? Yes Cayman is 3 islands but the most pristine and tourist attracting area just happens to be down wind of the new docks. No one ever said it would destroy 98% of all the coral around the island just the coral in GT and SMB area and you don’t have to be a marine biologist to see that, so please stop your scare mongering… FACT and start using that common sense you claim needs to be used.
Dumbass were you not at the meeting when the cruise reps said the boats will still come to Cayman just not the megs? F’n Muppet
Muppet “head” Hunter
You’re the Muppet Bounty Hunter!
But the cruise ships will NOT stop coming if this is not built. This is a purely fictitious statement validated by the cruise lines themselves. They even said this was NOT the case.
You are a perfect example of the ill-informed propaganda machine. It is ONLY the ignorant, uninformed and ill-informed that will believe your comments.
@7:26am your sentiments at the end are absolutely hilarious. Telling us to use our common sense, while spitting assumptions and stating it is FACT. You obviously do not know what these words mean.
How is telling people that messing with the environment and ecosystem fear mongering, but the govt telling people that if we don’t build the docks the cruise ships will stop coming here and our economy will collapse is not fear mongering??
We already heard the statistics that less than 25% of the cruise ships will be these mega ships. Secondly, a couple of months ago when one of those mega ships had some sort of emergency, didn’t it have to stop to Cayman. Doesn’t that contradict exactly what the govt was saying?!
Look person, economic benefit can not out way ecosystem and habitat. We depend on it, we live off it. we need it.
The fact that we as a people even need to have a petition against the government WE elected in a democracy is a crying shame. They should all be kicked out of the house!
Hey, Anonymous 7:26 am…. You shouldn’t call people “idiots”, you idiot!
Hey, 7:26 am, Having a $300,000,000 dock will prevent the cost of living in the Caymans from going up???? Are you nuts? You should stop smoking that stuff!
When will anti corruption committee finish investigation of Ms.O”Connor-Connoly expenses submitted by the Auditor General several years ago? Who has oversight over anti corruption committee ? This is ridiculous!
Speaker may face ACC probe.
https://caymannewsservice.com/2015/07/speaker-may-face-acc-probe/
“Swarbrick said at a press briefing this week that all of his reports go before the ACC, of which he is a member, and this report would be reviewed when the commission next meets. However, with no independent members on the ACC at present, he said he was unsure when the next meeting would take place.
Noting that OAG staff members are not lawyers or criminal investigators and their objective is to highlight red flags and concerns about infractions and the potential unlawful actions of officials, he said it was up to law enforcement agencies to decide if a criminal act has been committed.”
The Public Accounts Committee must also be accountable to the public. It is the “protector of the public purse,” which is supposed to look after how CI government is spending your money.
PAC’s nonperformance has been abysmal for years.
PAC meeting was convened [2015] to investigate the Cayman Islands auditor general’s outstanding, and astounding, report on government’s “travel and hospitality” spending, which totaled $8.6 million over three years.
In that report the most interesting items were the expenditures of then-Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly.
The auditor general revealed in his report that Ms. O’Connor-Connolly somehow managed to spend $34,000 in hotel charges on Cayman Brac, where she lives and has a home. He also raised questions when he referred to Ms. O’Connor-Connolly’s trip to Qatar to attend a postal conference where Cayman received a bronze award for the excellence of its postal service.
Ms. O’Connor-Connolly hasn’t been ever called before Mr. McTaggart’s committee to explain these expenditures.
Why do we have an influx of foreigners in govt positions and have an able-bodied educated cat and available and will to work
My cat is able-bodied and educated, but sadly, not willing to work.
It’s a shame permanent residents could not take part. I’ve not met a single one, not one, in favour of this environmenal and economic disaster of an idea.
They should apply for status as soon as possible and register to vote!
ppm going down! Not even the grand Pooopa Kurt can help them now!
Build the port! Once it’s built all this retoric will be over.
The port is needed for our fair Isles future!
Troll!…. Can’t you do better than that?
Alden and the PPM have again miscalculated the mood and views of the people they swore to protect. Arrogance will choke them all because Caymanians now realize they must stand together to fight the tyranny of this Unity team led by Alden and McKeeva.
Distress Signal when the next elections come around and the parties are trying to form a Government like last time you better hope that PPM is there to bail us out from a Government led by Johann and Co. Like I said in an earlier comment, this opposition to the Piers is being driven by persons with political ambitions such as Johann and Mario and a couple others. Wait for the grand announcement when Cruise Port Referendum becomes something like C4C ( remember them?) or maybe The Green Party or maybe “Wake up Cayman”.
What is your point? Even if they have political ambitions, they are spearheading a worthy cause. They’ve done more as civilians, than this unity government we currently have, has ever done.
Really now. This Government and the last put us back on the road to financial and economic recovery. Decreased unemployment by half. Enlarged the airport. Is completing major needed roadworks. Tackled the EU head on to protect our financial services industry. Increased payments to those in need. Increased civil servant salaries that were dormant for years. Put schools inspectorate back in place and is working at improving education. Paying teachers more. No increase in taxes for two terms but instead some taxes were reduced. Working toward finalizing a solution for the dump. Infrastructure works being paid from cash and not new debt. In fact debt has been dramatically reduced. I could go on but you should get the point. So exactly what has the CPR group done that can compare to these accomplishments.
Isn’t it strange that a person who writes about all these wonderful things won’t sign their name? Could it be a paid troll?
You are joking………. right?
None of it was earned by PPM, it was Dart and PPM cashed in.
Or, the current gang that are against the dock will use it as a political platform to gain power and then they will build it. If you think Alden and Moses are bad then wait for that gang to get in charge. A sizable minority of US citizens thought they were voting to drain the swamp and the English and Welsh listened to the Brexit piper and they are still in denial while their respective nations go to hell.
That may be so, but I am still against the cruise dock and it has nothing to do with want-to-be-politician activists. I am of my own reasoned opinion that the cruise dock will be quite bad for Cayman in the long run for reasons besides Moxam’s argument, though I think he makes at least one good point when he asks why one segment of the business community should be catered to at the expense of others.
10.45pm You state ” I think he makes at least one good point when he asks why one segment of the business community should be catered to at the expense of other” . That is exactly what a number of persons have asked about CPR and the Tenders Operators.
Fair enough, but “whataboutism” isn’t a good argument basis for the dock I’m afraid.
I would think that any expenditure for a large capital project should really be focused on the dump. Spending all this energy to bring more trash here without anywhere sensible to dump it is kind of stupid. Spending on the dock benefits few and hurts many. Spending on the dump hurts no one and helps many. Ask yourself why the dock is more important that fixing the dump that is a serious hazard to you and your families health and damages tourism.
I agree!
@ 4:46 PM, I like your comment, Mr. Anonymous 4:46 pm. It boggles my mind how anyone would think spending money for a dock that we don’t need instead of taking action to get rid of a monstrous mountain of stinking waste and filth… and who knows what else beside the rats and flies! Anyone with any thought of the future would never put money ahead of health!
Government can buy the tender business from the current owners or provide tendering services to compete and keep the monies the cruise lines pay for tendering services.
Either option will be cheaper than a 400m Cruise Port Berthing project.
More devious bullshit comments trying to unsuccessfully tie unrelated events together.
Assuming you also posted four minutes previously, at 12:51, I’d say you should use a thesaurus because your profanity is too limited in scope.
To be clear, the Unity regime has represented their belief (without credible support) that building the cruise berthing is of vital importance to retaining all future cruise tourism, and have also equated a “No vote” to being unpatriotic, and against all (the few) locally-owned or locally-employing businesses (claiming to be) fully reliant on cruise tourism. All publicly available data to the contrary.
The money will be pocketed just as with the airport and will be another complete engineering disaster
As a supporter of the port redevelopment, I signed the petition. I signed because I believe there is more support than nonsupport for this to go through, and I want it to be unequivocally approved and never used as a political football ever again!
Although I am against, you strike the nail on the head, this voter collection is not for a decision for or against the port, only a referendum on the matter. That fact is so lost in all this debate.
You are both incredibly right. The MAIN importance is that the will of the People is honoured. Regardless of how the PIR vote goes, the primary thing is that a PIR was initiated. Our future history rides on the PIR being observed and enforced.
Afterward, we can nail down the process so there are no surprises in the future. ALL important issues that aren’t handled by CIG should be decided by a PIR. It is probably the only true representation we are afforded.
Certain people who stand to make millions of $$$$$ from building the dock know that the people of the Cayman Islands will not support the dock if they have a chance to vote on it, therefore they will do anything to get it built without the Cayman people voting on it! They DO NOT want the people to vote!
The issue is not the port but rather how much contempt the government we have elected have for us!
The port was always going to be a decisive issue. The government should have therefore been mature enough to say let’s put it to the people to decide, especially as it will be the largest infrastructure project in our lifetime.
Instead they have decided we must have it all cost – even if it means pushing it down our throats and consistently spinning the story that conflicts with what the real facts are. Cayman will not cruise tourism if it does not have berthing this has been confirmed by Brian Candib of Carnival Cruise lines.
If this is not contempt I don’t know what is!
person doesn’t understand how government works. When you elect a governing body. You are giving them the power to make choices for the country, for you. That’s how it works. And sometimes they will make choices you do not like. But assuming they have more information about that issue than you. You have to just have faith.
Thankfully s.70 of the Constitution gives the people a voice for a People’s Initiated Referendum when the politicians do not listen to them and it is a matter of national importance. That is how democracy works.
Can you please tell me where I can get a copy or more information.
And thank you for your comment this is the same section we need to know and learn before 2021 if We are not satisfied with whom is running for election ✅ can we demand someone else or we will not vote?
Who doesn’t understand how government works? You are a big part of the problem! This is democracy, and this is how democracy works! Faith has no place in democracy, the people need to make their voices heard, not hope that they are heard!
Yes, I voted for them and ‘had faith’ they would equally address the needs of the people. But they didn’t.
A good primary and secondary education is only available to the people who can afford private school.
Furthermore, for tertiary education, PPM continues to give $20,000 pa to their supporters’ children to go overseas; same supporters who drive fancy cars worth as much as 2 years tuition and own homes worth over a million dollars. People who had the money to send their children to private school.
Poor families have to send their children to UCCI and then employers tell them they are not good enough, lacking skills.
PPM care about the business elite (and wealthy supporters), about getting more PR holders to become Caymanians. In the meantime, multi-generational Caymanians and poor Caymanians are ignored.
Faith didn’t serve me or hundreds of others.
Going to college isn’t a guarantee that you will get a job, nor does it qualify anyone as having equal experience, nor the a company HAVE to hire someone straight out of college.
This is true in the entire world, and Caymanians are not exempt from this reality. The USA is filled with disillusioned MBA’s that thought they automatically get hired just because the got their MBA. Sorry, the world don’t work that way. You are not OWED anything.
Let me rewrite that for you; CPr represents the elite and ‘care about the business elite (and wealthy supporters), about getting more PR holders to become Caymanians. In the meantime, multi-generational Caymanians and poor Caymanians are ignored’. and these two posts on this article provide proof: Anonymous says:
07/08/2019 at 2:58 am
It’s a shame permanent residents could not take part. I’ve not met a single one, not one, in favour of this environmenal and economic disaster of an idea.
44 41
reply
Anonymous says:
07/08/2019 at 9:10 am
They should apply for status as soon as possible and register to vote!
9 5
Earth to Kirkbot, come in Kirkbot. Please proceed on your mission to Uranus.
And we call that ‘democracy’?? Where the people have no say in matters of national importance???
Nobody elected the Unity monster that was assembled hastily by the two loosing parties last election! There is no mandate. Helen should not have approved this corrupt regime.
I guess you forgot when 4000 people signed a petition about the west bay road? Because they were experts? The same thing with Camana Bay? Never going there? Do you all remember those statements? People hate change, but its necessary and it will continue to happen. We need a cruise ship facility and a cargo dock end of story. If we perchance don’t get one you deniers will be paying a lot more for elderly people who have lost their businesses.
Did you also forget how long we have been promised a cruise ship facility? We already took it to a vote.The cruise ship execs told everybody who came to the meeting in the family center to try to explain why they were willing to pay for the dock and pay for the loan by bringing their bigger ships. Without that we would be losing ships as the smaller ships would eventually be sold. 40 cruise ships are for sale right now. So I don’t know where you are getting your facts from? https://youtu.be/8jHz-x5lTXI
9:29 pm, I assume you are a paid troll or someone who will get a windfall of big money if a dock gets built. Your “facts” are not 100% truth. You infer that “smaller ships will be sold”, like they would be replaced with monster cruisers immediately. You speak very misleading words. Some people might even say you are lying…..
pot calling kettle black… we don’t know who is really being paid as trolls
We need to accept there is no difference amongst the current Premier and his predecessors McKeeva Bush and Juliana O’Connor-Connolly.
How can anyone come to expect any better from Alden McLaughlin who has a track record of expensive failures. Look at the facts starting with:
1. His most expensive failure the clifton hunter high school that costs double the original budget.
2. Look at the john gray that sat derelict for over a decade
3. The new leaking airport
4. Next up is white elephant cruise dock and the inevitable cost overruns
5. His partnership with McKeeva Bush to guarantee his position as premier in 2017. This decision cost him his integrity and the moral high ground while destroying both the PPM and UDP as political parties.
The above are all monuments to his ego, leadership and political legacy.
Emptor the cave must indeed be empty for you to repeat the same points over and over as if you are trying to convince yourself. First of all their is no “leaking airport” so please stop the lies.And just because you don’t like Alden doesn’t mean you have to try to destroy him.
So you disagree the airport built during McLaughlin’s tenure as premier does not leak or flood in your opinion. Do you agree with the other points?
It is very difficult to dismiss the other points made by Caveat who has stated well known facts about the premier’s political life. These views are held by many others so I guess in your world everyone who holds a similar opinion having watched Alden’s political decisions and had to live with the fallout must be out to destroy him as well. SMH
An accurate summary of Premier McLaughlin’s political career and his legacy.
After reading this the petition makes perfect sense.
Proposed Cruise Berthing Facility, Grand Cayman Environmental and Engineering Consultancy Services Environmental Statement
http://doe.ky/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/CaymanCBFEnvironmentalStatementFinal.pd
Mr. Moxam is the only person to date who has asked that key question in this debate. Why hasn’t Minister Kirkconnell and government started negotiating or helping the operators in negotiations with the cruise lines that control the tour and water sports packages and take over seventy percent of the profit on tours.
If government is sincere that would be proof of their efforts to help Caymanian owned tour and water sports businesses that rely on cruise passengers.
This.
It really looks to me, an outsider, that government is selling its natural resources so that foreign cruise ship businesses can make more money. $7 per head? how do they even pay for the diesel and crew?
Maybe there is a method to their madness!!
Agree that everything Bush touches becomes toxic. I don’t know what choices Alden had when forming this government, but I would rather he held the formation hostage than made a coalition with Bush. I think that variable has very negatively influenced this administration.
I hope we never ever never again allow Mr. Bush back into elected service, primarily because I think he has long ago forgotten that he is supposed to work for us. He think us all naïve and unschooled in the ways of the world and the workings of government. He is a user. We need a giver.
Only difference between Alden and Big Mac is 100lbs, some tattoos and creaming his hair. Same personalities and tyrannical style of management.
Lol.dont forget the tight face. Not one wrinckle on Alden face.
Imagine what Cayman would be is Ezzard had become premier or Mac had got another turn. Now Alden doesn’t seem too bad.
Alden has become McKeeva with a perm!
Ezzard is not our only choice. Keeping Aldenn because he is the lesser of two evils?
Time for new candidates.
PPM are scaring business community, with handwringing and false worry about Arden or Ezzard becoming Premier. Roy McTaggart would make a fine Premier. Too bad he doesn’t have the spine and fire in the belly to stand up for the people.
Wayne Panton could return and be Premier.
Plus people I would like to see run for office
Suzanne Bothwell (nee LookLoy)
Marie Martin
Katherine Wilks
Marzeta Bodden
Angela Martins
Rolston Anglin
Gary Rutty (for East End)
Johann Moxam
Donnie Ebanks
Lee or Anthony Ramoon
Commenters add your ideas.
Ban politics. Period
People like me want the referendum because the government do not want to listen to the people. It is the best way to understand the will of the people. That is why I signed the petition and why many others signed it.
Alden McLaughlin and Moses Kirkconnell have turned the ppm into the new udp.
Very sad but very true
Moxam hits the nail on the head again
Johan thank you for speaking truth to power!
Well that’s 25% of the voting public who won’t be voting PPM again. Plus the other 25% in the civil service who were told not to sign the petition or lose their jobs. Plus everyone else ( the large majority) who can see no real use for the port, except for one or two already wealthy families.
Lol
After the dock is built those same people thats against it will be bragging about the good dock we have.
No, they won’t be bragging about anything as they will be moving overseas to make a living once the cruise lines become the dominant business force in the “new Cayman reality” once the port dock has been built. The sand travel on a seasonal basis will be impeded, causing the beautiful 7 Mile Beach to decline and degrade.
Those cruise line “partners” have already started to usurp local tourism vendors. The revenue share paid to local tour providers has already been squeezed and will continue to become more unsustainable. The back room dealing with this cruise port debacle will benefit only a few with their hands in the till, and a few choice merchants. The rest will likely fall by the wayside.
The number of small business owners who have shut down and migrated out is already considerable. It will only escalate once the cruise lines seize total control of the whole process and take over onshore operations. The proof will be forthcoming, but it will be too late for the majority eking out a marginal living in the already dwindling returns for the small to mid sized operator!
There should be NO influence on the finished project by any of the mega cruise lines! It is a recipe for disaster that the current administration is rushing headlong to implement without due concern for the small to mid-sized businesses that are the largest part of the basic local economy. Time to put the brakes on a re-assess this whole matter.
The question remains and has always been “Who is it we are developing for?” If the answer is not for a fair share of a “piece of the pie” for all, large and small then the answer is untenable.
Agreed. If people think Dart is scary, wait until the soulless cruise lines sink their teeth in Cayman.
10:49pm – Wait? Bobo dat been goin on for years now.
WAKE UP!!!!
Ask the tour operators how much they get per head and then look at how much the cruise lines are charging the passenger.
Amen!!!
10.38pm There is absolutely no proof of “The back room dealing with this cruise port debacle ” that you speak of. Stop spreading propaganda.