MLAs must listen to their constituents

| 18/11/2019 | 34 Comments

Allison Lovinggood writes: Having attended in person at the Legislative Assembly, and watched on television and on the CIG channel on YouTube the live debates regarding the cruise berthing facility, my heart is broken, broken beyond repair. I only gathered from a few elected officials that they surveyed their constituents to find out their views on this much heated debate. To those minority elected officials who did reach out to their constituents, a heart-felt thank you, and I am sorry I do not live in your electoral district.  

Regardless of the topic at hand, I am extremely disappointed at the lack of dialogue between the majority of the elected representatives and their constituents, especially in my particular electoral district of West Bay South. For the weeks leading up to the debate never did the elected official nor any “party representatives” knock on my door and ask me or other registered voters that live in my house our opinion on the upcoming debate. 

I am confident I am speaking for the majority of those registered voters in my same electoral district. However, the elected representative for my electoral district along with several other elected representatives, debated stating their position based on their thoughts (perhaps as a registered voter themselves), their agendas but NOT those of the people that put them in their positions and that actually pay their salaries. 

The purpose of the elected officials is to represent the people that elected them, not ignore them.  How many people now feel like they hired the wrong person? How I wish there was a “probationary period”!   

Registered voters of the Cayman Islands, I encourage us to all to wake up! Never forget this special debate, especially in 2021. Let the recency effect remain at the forefront of our minds when election time comes.   Like any good boss, if you have to do the work of your employee, why would you need to keep them?

I do not recall hearing in the opening remarks that there were dialogues between the government and the local shipping companies that concurred that we need to bring in bigger ships. Did they have such meeting with the local shipping companies? And if so, did they agree that this route would lower the cost of shipping?

In my common-sense mind (not an expert of the shipping industry) this would be quite the opposite; bigger ships, means more crew, more fuel and overall more operating costs. Did government think to consult with our local shipping companies? If they did, perhaps I missed that consultation report, and someone could clarify.

The government has an arm called the Department of Environment. Has our Cabinet ever thought of using our own local DoE to carry out an environmental impact assessment, once again utilizing our own local resources? It surely would be more cost effective, and the plethora of experience and knowledge under that department is astounding. I would not underestimate the director, Gina Ebanks-Petrie, and her team’s ability to produce such an assessment. 

Typically, it is the way of the registered voters to stand by quietly and observe, but we must educate ourselves, not for us, “but for our children and our grandchildren”, as Bernie Bush said.

Like Ezzard Miller said, “Go speak with master mariners in your family; see what they have to say; do not take it from any foreign expert; take it from our local experts.” If you are fortunate enough to still have them alive, give them the time they are due and educate yourselves on this matter of national importance.

Let us all turn our bark into an intense bite and get passionate about this issue of national importance that will have a major impact on our beautiful island.

Grand Cayman will be ‘An Island that Time will Forget’ if this cruise berthing facility deal goes through. Go out on the 19th of December and vote no!

Do not sit at home and think that your vote does not count – registered voters matter! Take back our island! We do not live in a communist country where dictatorship rules. We have a voice, let’s use it. 


Share your vote!


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Category: development, Local News, Viewpoint

Comments (34)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Also in west bay south and have not been contacted by my representative.

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  2. Anonymous says:

    Did it cross your mind to simply send them an email?

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  3. Anonymous says:

    I have not heard from my East End MLA either. But then again, that is not a surprise..no one usually does until election time.

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  4. None says:

    Melodrama aside, which leaves little, the writer has no concept of how Westminster style parliaments work. MLAs are not delegates.

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  5. Jimmy Badlovin says:

    You’ll get to express your opinion on Dec 19th. Chill.

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  6. Tricia Thompson says:

    I agree with you 100% Allison. Well put! All we do is pay these so called experts millions of dollars to tell us how to do everything and it usually all boils down to how much they’re gaining financially out of the deal. Totally agree, why not use our own experts. Yes, we have experts here too!

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  7. Anonymous says:

    I hope they realize that there is now seven + one sitting across from them.

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  8. Anonymous says:

    Presumably the electors read the manifestos prior to casting their votes?

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    • Anonymous says:

      Was NOT part of a manifesto. Talking about it does not make it part of a manifesto

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    • Anonymous says:

      The PPM Party were eviscerated in the last election. Voters soundly rejected their manifesto, and no PPM-faithful voted for an unholy Unity alliance with their arch-nemesis. Additionally, nobody knows what terms they agreed to install the second worst showing CDP party leader as the Speaker. There were only two parties and they BOTH lost!

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  9. Anonymous says:

    I was never asked what I thought about the port I was just told what I should think. I dont feel like I have anyone who represents me in the LA. Where else in the world do yo have a referendum after the decision has already been made.

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    • Anonymous says:

      2:19, You don’t feel like you have anyone representing you because you DON’T ! Our Legislative Assembly seems to have only self-interest.

  10. It is madness says:

    There is something called the “Boutique Cruise” industry – smaller ships with higher-income passengers. If what we are trying to do is ensure income during the summer months, then why not reach out to travel agents and see if we can tap into that market. We have an awesome little product and we are breaking our necks to turn it into the same crap that every other island in the region is peddling? That na’ make no sense.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Those ships do NOT sail regularly, I would not rely on this as a way to maintain cruise tourism. The money is with the Oasis ships, the sheer number of passengers alone is what we’re missing out on.

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      • It is madness says:

        That sounds like plain out greed to me.

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      • Anonymous says:

        I would LOVE to miss out on the gridlock that comes with the big ships! It’s awful trying to get around when big ships come in…………. and it’s awful when the “regular” ships come in two or three at a time!

      • Anonymous says:

        Math lesson:

        Consider that 2018 was the best arrivals year ever with 1,921,057 arrivals. At $2.46 per passenger, that was just $4.7mln, which is about the same amount as what gets regularly farted away with NICE Christmas work and other vote buying. Cruise ships don’t bring in CIG revenue.

        Speaking of not sailing regularly, the Oasis of the Seas, with 5400 double occup capacity, is the only Oasis-class ship in our operating theatre for the next 10 years. Even then, it only “passes by” Cayman every other Wednesday during high season. That’s just 13 “missed” theoretical fair-weather visits of an additional theoretical 1400 passengers x an idealized 13 visits = 18,200 x $2.46 = $44,772 per year.

        But wait! We are also proposing to reduce arrivals from 6-8 ships a day (each with capacity ranging from 2500-4500) during high season down to just 4 berthed ships. That a reduction in theoretical passenger volume, vs total project costs (and irreversible damage) still estimated in the Billions.

        Tell me again what we are missing out on?

  11. Anonymous says:

    Plan of action:

    (1) expect government to win the referendum through the sketch AF voting population +1 loophole

    (2) given them enough latitude to force an appeal and tie them up in the courts and Privy counsel until at least election time.

    (3) put candidates up that oppose the port

    (4) elect said candidates on the majority rule voting principles.

    (5) have a farewell party for Alden and his cronnies that thought this was a good waste of $200m. Don’t invite them.

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  12. Anonymous says:

    Well said.

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  13. Jeanie Lovinggood says:

    I would like to know from voters IF they were contacted by any of their elected legislators in regards to any of this. I live in the Bodden Town East district and I know I wasn’t!
    And I’m very proud of my daughter for speaking her mind and will not sign anonymous!!
    Proud momma… Jeanie Lovinggood

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    • Anonymous says:

      I haven’t heard a peep from Barbara about anything, never mind the largest capital expenditure in our countries history. I only see her laughing at gaypril jokes in the LA.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Well said. I live in GTS for 40+ years and Barbara never asked me or anyone else that I know here what our opinion was. We are all voting No. It’s important we all vote smarter in 2021 for representatives that truly represent us not just their political party. It’s sad times when the peoples money is being used to fight the people. #VoteNo

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        • Anonymous says:

          My family and I never voted for her in the first place. We had no clue who she was when we found out she won. She has never contacted me or anyone in my household. All of us are voting no. All of us are voting for any new person who is against the port and who is pro environmental issues.

          I also don’t believe her lies that anyone in this electoral district wants the port. There is no one in this electoral district that works in the tourism industry who is stupid enough to think that destroying or moving the coral which would help their livelihood.

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    • Zak loves shoes says:

      From West Bay South- Our household hasn’t been asked for input in the 6/7 years on any of the major issues we are facing. Disappointed to say the least, but 2021 will soon be here, oh but that’s when I will get a visit.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Hi Proud Momma you should be very proud of your daughter who told it at it is. By the way no one ever came around our house to ask any questions. We live in West Bay. Allison you go girl. Thank you.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I have not heard from my representative.

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      • Anonymous says:

        I see mine at funerals. But….she ignores the Caymanians at the funerals because she doesn’t know our faces. Well lady you don’t know our faces because you’ve never visited us!

        I can’t wait to see the back of you gone! Clean sweep! Sweep them all out!

    • Anonymous says:

      I vote in West Bay South and I have not been contacted by my representative.

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