Speaker calls port opponents ‘rascals’

| 23/10/2019 | 154 Comments
Cayman News Service
McKeeva Bush, Speaker of the House

(CNS): The Legislative Assembly Speaker has again weighed in on a sensitive political issue, despite the impartiality that is supposed to come with the job as the referee between government and opposition. Posting on social media Wednesday, McKeeva Bush said that some of the “mean ones” that don’t support the cruise port project were “rascals”, as he engaged in a comment exchange about the government’s proposal and next week’s job fair.

A long time supporter of cruise piers, Bush has, however, often said that he believes that the North Sound would provide a better safe harbour for a port. But with many of his constituents in West Bay opposed to that idea during the last election, he campaigned against the original proposal, which government is now pursuing with some design changes.

Bush, who now backs the project, said that the cruise opponents who have criticised government for not creating jobs were now criticising the job fair. He said that if the public votes ‘no’ in the referendum, the opportunities associated with this project that he believes are on offer would be lost.

“Surely if voters say no to the improved facilities then there won’t be those opportunities there,” he wrote. “But why can anyone complain that the developer is making the public aware that here are the benefits which they ask for and some say will not exist. I support the proposed enhanced facilities. It is needed now it will be good for Cayman when and if completed and it will enhance our tourism product in the future.”

Despite his previous positions, he went on to say that to do it anywhere else there would be “much more damage and impact on the marine environment”, as he pointed to George Town being Cayman’s only harbour. “It is the harbour of Grand Cayman. It is not a marine park,” he said.

Cayman News Service
The marine park in George Town Harbour

However parts of the harbour are, indeed, designated as a marine park.

Home to multiple acres of coral reef, including endangered species, twenty acres of which is under threat from the project, the harbour also has a number of historic and culturally significant wrecks.

In his interaction Bush admitted that “at the end of the day there will be cost to the country but the value to Caymanians over the years will outstrip cost”, he said, adding that those opposing the project wanted to be elected. The speaker accused the anti-port campaign of “throwing very conceivable red herring” in their efforts to persuade people not to support the project.

Bush repeatedly said that Cayman must upgrade the port but offered no facts or substantial justification for that position.


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Category: development, Local News

Comments (154)

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  1. Your match ! says:

    Mr. Speaker you are a disgrace to the Honorable House, just like your fake docktorat. I only wish we could impeach you and declare you not fit to wear your wig. Out of respect for my grandchildren I will not sign my name but understand that you don’t scare me with your bullying tactics. I hope that our West Bay friends will take your hand out and vote you out for good. Birds of a feather flock together.

  2. Anonymous says:

    I agree with the concerns of the environmentalist, but why can’t we have both the dock and be number one in showing the rest of the world how this can be safely done, with more money being spent on prevention of poor water quality from investment in the ports?

    This seems to be a technical issue of whether the quality of the environment can be sustained(even enhanced), while still having more ports.

    Is this more of a “we don’t trust ourselves” to take on that technical challenge?

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  3. Bob Mead says:

    We are going to visit GC for the 8th or 9th time this Christmas. Each time we go we spend about $20k for two week stay. Why? Because it is worth it. There are four reasons we go here: no crime, crystal clear waters of SMB, the best diving in the Caribbean, and kiting on Barkers beach. Over time we have introduced several other families to GC, who now visit GC regularly.
    If water quality on SMB drops because of coral clearing for cruse terminal we will be forced to find other places.

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  4. Anonymous says:

    well, if they are rascals, they are educated rascals and they have a grip on what it means when God’s handiwork is deliberately destroyed.

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  5. Anonymous says:

    Thank you Honorable Speaker you are a Caymanian hero, not afraid to speak your mind or cow-tow to these anti port weirdo’s.

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    • Anonymous says:

      We are Caymanians and have a right to free speech last time I checked, hence the reason that people like this “so called” leader can denigrate us publicly. If this is what defines him as a “Caymanian hero” in your mind, one can see why education continues to be suppressed.

      My mother told me to get as much education as possible because that is something no one can ever take away from you. When you have education, you have better knowledge and skills. You can make decisions for yourselves and not have to listen to uneducated people like the Speaker to speak for or make those decisions for you.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Good for you, just go and vote as we don’t need you spewing hate and disruption in our community!

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        • BeaumontZodecloun says:

          You will hopefully pardon me for intruding in your conversation. If not, so it goes. Most of us support the Speaker’s right to free speech, even while disagreeing with him. It’s the founding tenet of freedom of speech.

          What some of us don’t care for is his abrasive ego to dare to label those who disagree with him as “rascals”. He, who has intentionally thwarted the rules of Procurement, as well as several other laws. Are we a land of laws, or do we romanticise rogues? He is no Robin Hood. At best, you may sup from his crumbs.

          Further, there is nothing in the words of the person you are responding to that could ever be characterised as “hate and disruption”. Ever.

          I support Mr. Bush’s right as a citizen to speak his mind. I disdain his continual disobeying the rules of his office, to wear his judicial wig and represent his opinion as that of his office. THAT is the sin.

      • Anonymous says:

        Wish I could give 1000 thumbs up. This is spot on and to the point. Well, when we see some of the Caymanian heros, I can understand why the writer at 1:22pm is so confused. Poor thing, don’t have much sense, so let them be.

    • Anonymous says:

      Perhaps you too can use the gov credit card for some gambling?

  6. Anonymous says:

    Diving the robust beauty that is our natural harbour yesterday, I can relay with renewed confidence that the millions of voiceless “death zone” indigenous residents inhabitants of these active reef zones would strongly oppose their own smothering deaths if they could. We are going to have to vote for them.

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  7. Anonymous says:

    funny! the biggest and boldest rascal is the Speaker himself.

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  8. Anonymous says:

    Isn’t that like the pot calling the kettle black!!!!

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  9. T Trott says:

    I have never, ever seen a parliament speaker in the British Commonwealth who gives his/her opinion on political matters. It is extremely bizarre. -Bermuda

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    • Anonymous says:

      In any other country the legislature would have declared a lack of confidence in a speaker behaving in this manner.

      But this is Cayman.

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  10. SKEPTICAL says:

    Doesn’t he ever get his wig cleaned – looks like he uses it to wash his car….

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