Pro-Caymanian motions pass but 2% tax rejected
(CNS): Four private members motions designed to protect local people from a catalog of social problems that have emerged in Cayman over the last two or more decades were steered through parliament last week but MPs voted against a 2% property tax on foreign owners to finance a healthcare fund for children and seniors. The rapid population rise fueled by both foreign cheap labour and an increase in high net worth individuals buying up local property have created numerous challenges for ordinary Caymanians.
The four motions which were brought and supported by MPs Chris Saunders (BTW pictured above) and Bernie Bush (WBN) also included a motion for government to consider creating a Cayman Islands Mortgage company, to introduce a fishing license for work permit holders and limiting the grant of Caymanian Status except by descent or marriage.
All of the motions were accepted by the government for consideration with the exception of the 2% tax to finance the potential fund. Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly said that a property tax would damage the real estate market and harm relations between expats and locals. Despite the growing popularity among voters for some kind of tax especially for wealthy foreign property owners who are distorting the local property market and have priced out all but the richest locals, government’s dependence on cash from the relatively high stamp duty and the construction sector appeared to prevail over the what voters might actually want.
The current minority UPM administration has only until the end of February left to do anything and as a result these proposals are likely to be kicked down the road until a new government is formed after the 30 April general election. But the debates on the issues raised by each of the motions reflected the concerns across the country about how the influx of so many people at both the bottom and top of the socio-economic scale is changing Cayman irrevocably and making life harder and harder for local people when the whole idea of economic development was suppose to help not hinder.
From the fat profits made by insurance companies while Caymanians are left without health cover to the onslaught on local fish stocks by poorer residents over-fishing and breaching marine park laws the local population is increasingly pressing their MPs about their dwindling quality of life. There is a strong public sentiment among local people that Cayman’s culture and heritage is being lost by the overwhelming changes and the overdevelopment of the country which benefits corporate Cayman, wealthy migrants and remittances to other countries but not Caymanian families.
Saunders presented both the proposal for a property tax to fund healthcare for the young and old as well as the creation of a mortgage company, while Bush brought the motion for a fishing license and the limitations on Caymanian status.
Saunders said that he was not surprised by government and the wider parliament’s rejection of the 2% tax and accepted that the government would instead consider funding the healthcare cover through other means. He said the tax can be “left to the campaign trail. That’s what elections are for, to determine the will of the people. But this is something that we need to do,” he added.
The debate on the motion to limit Caymanians status was very limited and government offered no clue on its position even though it is currently working on amendments to immigration laws that are expected to make it harder to get status. Government is hoping to bring that legislation before parliament is prorogued. Despite the proposal gaining the support of MPs its not clear if the government’s plans have the support of the opposition which it will need for any amendment bills that make it to the New Year meeting.
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See the debate on all four PMMs below and see the motions in full on the Parliament’s website here.
Category: Local News
A 2% property tax has stupidest of stupid suggestions anyone in government ever conjured up. Obviously somebody is high or smoking grass and has completely lost the plot or touch with reality.
Reality:
1. People are here to NOT TO PAY TAX. The reason we swelter in a village economy with insects and discomfort from heat and a lack of arts and culture and storm evacuations and shutdowns and overpriced spoiled fruit and food is because there is NO-TAX. We’ve painted a fantasy World and village around this to forget about our reality, but it’s like living in Disneyland. It’s not real. Nobody stays here with tax. Our whole system and offering is based on no-tax.
2. We already pay 7.5% stamp duty. That is like 6 years of up front property tax in Miami or elsewhere. You don’t get to charge stamp and then ALSO property tax and expect your real estate economy to function.
All the grave dancers on this forum most of whom probably don’t understand economics or who are too jealous to afford a home of their own, who are gleefully cheering 2 or even 22% tax and chest-thumping this retarded proposal along deserve to live long enough to see their children broke and sweating in an unemployment line as a result of their complete stupidity.
Taxes in any percentage (a filing obligation) is a thin edge of the wedge designed to be ratcheted higher and higher. These taxes are pernicious because the are so subtle they only chase away “some” of the wealthiest people (at first), the smartest ones. Gradually more follow and we have to keep raising that tax to counter the vicious cycle of losses.
Pretty soon the only people left here are the dumbest and the meanest who have no choice and no options. The Caymanians lose the most because it’s their country that gets destroyed. The rich pack their bags and move on. The losers here clap and tell them not to let the door hit them in the ass on the way out. The winners take their opportunity with them and your Caymanian children loose their chance at the Caymanian dream because of your government’s blazing arrogance and abject stupidity. Those kids then they have less options and less ability to attract newcomers.
I can’t believe our ministers could be so incredibly dumb to table this proposal, let it even whisper into the press signaling literally the death to our way of life. Nothing could be more serious and the fact that there isn’t more outrage makes me worry that the majority don’t have the intelligence to understand how serious this is.
We are not a major economy with resources and dynamic ways to make money and large population centers. We like to pretend we’re a Country that can roll with the G7 big dogs and mimic what they do, but F**King with direct taxes on property, on income here is something we absolutely never ever do here if we want to maintain our standard of living.
There are other ways to make money. Do those.
Please give us all a favour and pack up and leave. your mentality is crude, ungrateful and you are probably an unsufferable human being.
I understand you don’t like these words and that they’re really direct and that they hurt you a little bit but the truth hurts sometimes and tough love is better than watching you f@*k up your economy because you’re too stupid to realize it
Expats should pay more one time stamp duties than locals but No yearly taxes on properties
Caymanians pay 7.5 % stamp duties. expats pay 10 %. Hell even the expats reality companies makes 10 % profit on land sales.
Let’s be completely real. CNS is the battleground for keyboard warriors fueling the caymanians vs expat narrative. But at the end of the day, those that hold the anti-caymanian mentality just love Cayman because of its tax free status. They would do anything to continue building their wealth so they can eventually retire in the home country after tax evading for decades. Money talks, and humans are selfish.
Make him go away pretty please.
This heeediiiootttt
In other words, government officials own land under shell cooperations and don’t want to be taxed.
Other jurisdictions do this and it is fine.
There is not any reason that foreigners shouldn’t pay an annual tax on property to help the locals they stole land from and raised prices beyond their capacity to live.
Retirees should be the only exemption.
LOL. Nice try. ‘Locals’ stole property from other ‘locals’ decades ago when many property ownership boundary decisions were made. So I guess you are referring to those greedy, generational Caymanians that you don’t want to acknowledge exist(ed). Current land purchases have not been ‘stolen,’ rather a free market offer and acceptance was made – nobody had land stolen, they could have easily declined a poor offer. Please tamp down the lies; facts are easy to come by, but for some hard to accept.
Please, from the bottom of my heart, stop talking, your brain can’t spare the oxygen.
You haven’t addressed any of the points he made, presumably because you can’t.
If status is denied to people who have followed the rules for 15 years (or whatever the requirement is), there will likely be LAWSUITS. Lots of them. Probably a class-action lawsuit and rightly so. And the government will almost surely lose. The truth is, all this talk about status is just a cover. The real fear for these MPs is that their hands will be pried off the cookie jar and other people (perhaps people who actually know how to run a country) will be put in charge. If the MPs truly want to solve Cayman’s ills — all of which are ultimately caused by letting too many people on the island — then do the obvious: institute a moratorium on new worker permits. That is, no new worker permits except to replace an already existing worker. This needs to be done NOW, not 5 years from now when it will be too late. This single action will do more to foster quality of life on Cayman than any other action the Parliament could take. REALLY.
Tax Ken Dart on all the undeveloped land he owns that could be used to build houses on instead of his little game of monopoly with the CIG and people on the other side losing badly.
Collect the taxes he owes on long consumed duty waivers that were capped at $30mln back in 2014. Supervise compliance with the NRA agreement, their 100% easement and maintenance obligations. Police and enforce the rights of other neighboring landowners and affected real estate investments…expropriate back to the Crown, the billion+ value of land gifts that are still not in compliance 8 years post third amended NRA agreement. Start with the 200+ acres of Safehaven and Regatta land…compel MPs to fully read, absorb, and be conversant in these agreements, as if it’s their duty to be.
Tax Ken Dart for the old Hyatt that has sat in ruins for years.
I’m pretty sure he should be fined $25k a day for that thing. Perhaps our politicians would like to answer why that hasn’t happened CNS?
Why aren’t their job fairs at the local schools, where all the Companies, legal and accounting firms, tourism, mechanics, CUC, architects, construction and local companies are all represented and finding a career path for leavers.
Companies can prepare to take on school leavers and train them, have jobs ready. They should have been doing this for decades.
As a expat that has lived here since 2003, leaving and returning twice.
Instaed of more taxes, collect the ones that are alreasy owed, like stamp duty, vehicle licensing (50% of cayman cars are not insured), and fining the 50% of drivers that text and drive.
Start collecting CIMA fines and put them into a wealth fund, they are going to be a lot.
CNS Note: Both private sector and government schools have regular jobs fairs
To correct just your first paragraph:
“Why aren’t their job fairs at the local schools, where all the Companies, legal and accounting firms, tourism, mechanics, CUC, architects, construction and local companies are all represented and finding a career path for leavers.”
1. It’s “there” not “their”.
2. There is no need for “Companies” to be capitalised.
3. There ought to be a question mark at the end of the sentence, because it is a question.
I don’t have time to correct the remainder of your comment, but the entire thing usefully exemplifies why many people are unqualified for professional services roles.
The 2 percent property tax is a great idea. For once all these residents will finally be contributing something to our economy because as it is they are getting a free ride in little cayman when they leave for the summer for 6 months they do not not maintain their property and is left become overgrown by weeds, leave the island looking third world
How about civil servants paying for health insurance and pass that money towards funding medical treatment for those Saunders worshippers..
Government owns a bank – CIDB. They also have NHDT so why is he pushing for a mortgage authority or company?
Political pandering at its finest!
So where is the money coming from to do this Saunders when government cannot even find capital for its own bank??
They now also house insurance through CINICO. What’s the real plan? To merge credit union with CIDB and tied to CINICO?
For expats who have followed all the rules and have tried to assimilate with Caymanians for 15 plus years, in hopes that they could someday attain Caymanian status, call this their forever home, and start a business, this feels like a rug pull. And it doesn’t feel very nice.
Assimilate with Cayman while avoiding Caymanians is more like the truth. We have Children and Grand children and we want this to be Their forever home too! Cayman Kind has expired, we have been left out and taken advantage of at every angle. Our schools have become over priced, or daycares, our very way of tranquility living has been cast aside for traffic and over development. The hospitals are over run, The insurance sector is a rip off, the duties are high, but OH NOOOO, lets not charge a 2% tax to alleviate some of the woes. SMH.
LTD Da Unboozler.
It’s also almost certainly unlawful. Cretinous MLAs are too dumb to understand that, so it’s just a temporary shiny widget to wave at the electorate until — like the dump, the recycling facility, cycle lanes, and public transport — they win reelection and continue like pigs at the trough.
Exactly. It’s thinly veiled nationalism and is pure unadulterated pandering.
this is a horrible thing to do to people who have come in good faith and help build the country. this is nothing less than an unethical confiscation. It’s typical of Christians to do this
“help build the country” 😂😂
How do you think Caymanians feel being flooded with expats. Not a nice feeling either. This will never be your home your are a tourist.
Just following the rules made into law by your elected officials
Why didn’t he do all these wonderful things when he was Deputy Premier and actually had the power to do it ? This is all vote getting theatrics and he thinks we are so dumb we cannot tell when he is faking it which is 99% of the time.
What this genius with a chip on his shoulder won’t tell you is that all property tax additions will be passed on as rent increases.
Give slimy Saunders enough rope, and he’ll shoot all of us in the foot.
Let me first say that CNS remains my most favorite and trusted news source in the Cayman Islands. That said, the biases and opinions of the sole writer for the publication are showing through more and more in these articles and soon I worry that CNS will be no more journalistically objective than CMR, and we all know how CMR works.
In this piece there are references to a “catalog of social problems” which may/may not be true but for which there is no data or evidence to support the extent of these issues or that they are specifically felt by Caymanians alone.
The claim that “foreign cheap labor” and “high net worth individuals” are creating “numerous challenges” is opinion and not substantiated by any evidence. Yes we have cheap labor and yes we have HNWI, but the causal link between these things and the social issues has not be properly documented. This is just conjecture and speculation at this point.
The claim of “growing popularity among voters for some kind of tax” is also opinion. I’m not aware of any poll that’s been done amongst voters to show they support any tax. I hope the anonymous comments of CNS or the instagram of CMR are not being used as a substitute for an actual poll to demonstrate said “growing popularity”.
“Changing Cayman irrevocably” and “making life harder and harder” are again subjective. There are countless Caymanians benefiting hugely by the influx of business into this country. To say that everything is getting worse is both false and misleading.
“Fat profits” and “onslaught” have no data whatsoever to support. I HATE insurance companies for their BS policies but in fairness we have no idea whatsoever what their profit margins are.
How does anyone know that the “local population is increasingly pressing their MPs”? There is no data, no surveys, no comments even from MPs themselves (who could very well be lying about what the local population is asking of them.
“Strong public sentiment” that culture is being eroded: please cite.
“What voters might actually want”
If you’re going to write an opinion piece, at least label it as such. Almost the entire article is biased and opinion based with no sources cited for any of the claims made about anything.
CNS, you’re supposed to be better than CMR.
CNS Note: We absolutely stand by the article and completely disagree with your view. However, like all of our commentors we still value your contribution and thank you for it.
Given the many years between us that the two people that own and do all of the work on CNS have as reporters in the Cayman Islands and the amount of time we spend discussing life here with a very wide cross section of the community as well as the collective research, straw polls, comments at public meetings and mood on the street not to mention out valued contributors – there’s no lies in this piece.…..
CNS, nobody said anything about lies. There’s a big difference between truth/lies and opinion. The fact that the two of you spend a lot of time talking to people and engaging in straw polls etc does still not amount to any degree of fact that is solid enough to be cited in the articles. Otherwise, you would have done so.
Plenty of your articles you do 100% cite ESO documents or Marla Ducaran’s reports etc etc. But there are plenty more where you are taking conjecture and opinion and representing it as fact. That’s a slippery journalistic slope, as CMR does the same thing but goes and pours gasoline on the fire and ends up reporting nothing but Sandra’s opinions and pushing them as 100% objective truth.
Your article is appreciated, CNS.
There clearly is a direct correlation between a growing population (particularly over the last 20 years or so) and socio-economic challenges for the Cayman Islands and for Caymanians.
The Cayman Islands were once labeled “the Islands that time forgot”. However, when time caught up to the Cayman Islands through modernization, it left many Caymanians (particularly multi-generational Caymanians) behind.
This modernization process has created jurisdictional growing pains, which need to be addressed with strategic planning and implementation of sound policies focused on balancing out socio-economic challenges.
Thank you sir!
This should have been an editorial vs an article. We know CNS leans heavily left on most issues and that fine. They still hold the governments feet to the fire. The article was more of a classist attack against the haves vs have nots. FYI, i wholeheartedly agree a tax should be levied on foreign investors property. These developers and real estate against are completely out of control. Real estate a d construction is not a long term viable industry and we need to find another pillar.
No lies, but still opinions. And I value your opinions, which are rightly informed by your experiences and long years of journalistic activities. But it’s worth acknowledging the point made in the post, which is the thin line between reporting and editorializing and how that distinction has eroded.
While I recognize that print format and convention is going the way of the dodo, this is why traditionally news articles are clustered with an editorial opinion on the general topic of the articles, so as to keep the facts and (informed) opinions separated.
Perhaps in this online format articles could be sectioned similarly, with CNS’s valuable editorial perspective denoted in a specific and distinct segment(s) on the post.
Food for thought and hope this is taken in the constructive spirit in which it is intended.
@1:29:
Your criticism rests on the flawed premise that the absence of formal polls, documented evidence, or a foundation based upon compiled datasets renders the CNS article’s claims invalid. This is a specious argument when one considers that journalists the world over—likewise legislators and policymakers—often derive their insights and positions by staying in touch with the personal and collective sentiments of their audience or constituents.
Legislators rarely rely solely on scientific polling or data when beginning to formulate policy or preparing to put forth a bill. Instead, they gather input from direct interactions with their electorate, attend public meetings, get approached by constituents on the street, engage in correspondence, and receive significant anecdotal input. This same principle applies to journalists, especially those writing for small, community-based publications like CNS. Their role often involves gauging public sentiment through familiarity with their community, lived experiences, public comments, and feedback from the people they serve. It is disingenuous to dismiss this method as untrustworthy when it forms the foundation of much legislative and community decision-making worldwide and is reflected in the policies and decisions of many organisations and businesses.
Take, for example, your critique of the article’s reference to a “catalogue of social problems.” You demand hard evidence, yet you ignore that public discourse—as reflected in letters, commentary, and community feedback—can be just as revealing and no less reliable. Journalists, like legislators and government leaders, are tasked with synthesising a wide range of inputs into coherent analyses—not necessarily compiling or providing scientific or academic-level research in every instance.
The same principle applies to the claims about “cheap labour” and “high net worth individuals.” While you demand hard evidence of causal links, these societal dynamics are observable realities that are, indeed, very widely discussed among Caymanians and have been since I can remember. As a son of the soil, I can amply attest to the sentiments of my fellow sons and daughters of the soil. Policymakers at all levels address public concerns based on collective experience, familiarity with their district and country, anecdotes, and visible trends. Similarly, journalists report on issues and often do so without relying on an exhaustive dataset for every observation they make in every article they produce.
The criticism of references to “growing popularity for some kind of tax” or “strong public sentiment” overlooks the fact that public feedback often emerges in less formal ways than you demand—such as community forums, social media, or grassroots discussions. These are valid indicators of sentiment, especially in a small community. Just as our legislators often rely on informal feedback loops to gauge the desires of their constituents, experienced journalists can quite reliably derive input from myriad sources within their community.
Finally, your critique’s implication that the article should be labelled as opinion ignores the inherently interpretive nature of all journalism. Even the most data-driven report involves choices about what to highlight, how to frame an issue, and what context to provide to the reader. Expecting every journalistic statement to be backed by formal surveys or exhaustive datasets is not only unrealistic; it fails to acknowledge the subjective and organic ways in which public concerns are expressed and understood. Such a demand undermines the nuanced, human aspect of journalism and its role in reflecting and reporting on community sentiments.
In essence, the approach and methods of the journalist in this case mirror those of most of the world’s decision-makers and journalists. The very candidacies of politicians begin by engaging with the community, observing patterns, reflecting on public input, and attending to prevailing public sentiment. They continue this approach throughout their tenure. This is not to say that the collection of objective data is never utilised; however, opinion—not science—still comes into play when leaders decide on the issues that they deem might require objective and concise data in order to craft a bill or formulate a policy.
You have also expressed baseless opinions and some that betray your ignorance of how this very closed community works. Take the statement: “I HATE insurance companies for their BS policies but in fairness we have no idea whatsoever what their profit margins are.” What policies are “BS”? By what criteria do you derive your opinion that they are “BS”? Who is the “we” that has no idea of what the profit margins of insurers are? You and the frog in your pocket? As for me, because of my close friendly, business and family connections to many many people in the insurance and financial services industries, I have a quite clear idea of the insurers’ profit margins. Who is to say that I and others with similar knowledge have not shared insider info with CNS and others in their network? How tings bees roun yah: There are very very few secrets in the Cayman Islands. Those of us with lifelong connections in this small territory get a very good view behind the curtain. Often whether we like it or not.
The takeaway:
To criticize CNS for employing a mode widely used by journalists and decision-makers worldwide is to baselessly dismiss the validity of these practices. Castigating CNS for following a time-tested and widely employed approach and demanding that every expression of status and situation must be accompanied by concise documentation or a compiled dataset is beyond, specious: yea, it is an abundantly, mindlessly, foolish way to express your dissatisfaction with the tenor of the article.
CNS NOTE: Thank you and you are not even our mum!
Great analysis. Many thanks!
@ 4:12 pm. Mr. Joseph is not a generational Caymanian. This is the real reason his advice is not heeded.
But the Attorney General and Solicitor General are?
5.28 ..they have the advantage of being “can’t do anything wrong” civil servants.
The 2% property tax on foreign owners should not be dismissed. Similar measures have been successfully implemented in other countries to address rising housing costs, speculative investments, and environmental concerns:
Singapore enforces a 60% Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) on foreign buyers to discourage speculation and prioritize local ownership.
Canada has implemented a 20% Foreign Buyers’ Tax in provinces like British Columbia and Ontario to stabilize the housing market and make homes more accessible to residents.
The United Kingdom applies a 2% Stamp Duty surcharge on non-residents purchasing property, ensuring foreign investors contribute their fair share.
In Australia, states like New South Wales impose an 8% surcharge on foreign buyers to manage affordability and demand.
Cayman can adopt a similar approach by implementing a 60% stamp duty fee on foreign buyers alongside the 2% property tax. These measures would help stabilize property prices, reduce speculative ownership, and generate revenue to fund critical programs such as affordable housing for Caymanians and environmental preservation initiatives.
Additionally, increasing work permit fees for realtors and real estate agents by 150% would ensure the real estate sector contributes proportionately to the local economy. Currently, this industry primarily benefits foreign investors and developers, while offering little tangible value to Caymanians and contributing to environmental degradation through unchecked development.
We can learn from successful policies in countries like Singapore, Canada, the UK, and Australia, so that we can protect our citizens, preserve Cayman’s natural environment, and promote a more stable and sustainable real estate market for the future.
Chris Saunders’ stance on this issue is deeply disappointing and emblematic of a broader failure among him and previous politicians, whose short-sighted policies and inaction have been the root cause of the very problems we face today—rising housing costs, environmental degradation, and economic inequality.
One should compare apples with apples and not oranges. Except for Singapore, all of the mentioned countries have made lives miserable for most of their citizens. Any taxes earned go to the government goons and their cronies’ coffers. People are leaving in droves from these countries; that is people that are smart and pioneers. I live in one of these countries and am glad Cayman Islands allowed me to buy property which is my property in a true sense. Property tax means perpetual leasehold property. If CI goes with property tax, I will sell my property and invest in Turks and Caicos and invest in that country’s future.
Other countries are complaining about being overwhelmed by immigrants, leading to skyrocketing property prices and demand. If you leave Cayman and move to Turks and Caicos, you’ll contribute to the same issues you’ve caused here, driving overdevelopment and inequality on a massive scale. The locust mentality of wealthy foreigners buying up all the available land will make life for the locals there just as unbearable as it has become for locals here. The challenges your country faces are the same ones my island is struggling with. And for the record, your threat of leaving doesn’t have the impact on the local psyche that you think it does.
The real issue is governance and not immigrants. If not for immigrants, CI may have been in the game of citizenship by investment program or like Jamaica. One should know the grave train must run one way or the other for government goons. I can only say a libertarian governance can resolve most issues in CI. Also I as an individual will go to a place where I am treated best. CI has been great to me till now and hope the same in the future.
The real issue is we have TOO MANY people on the island. And it exploded after COVID.
The poor governance allowed this to happen. We are only 24 miles long and we are bursting at the seems! We have to put a stop to this over population. The island is in decline.
Foreign investment has ruined our beaches, crowed our streets, made home ownership unaffordable, and the quality of life miserable.
At the end of the day… too many immigrants, no strategic immigration plan, corrupt politicians and high net-worth greed is the problem.
Puerto Rico is suffering from the same ills as we are dealing with. Hawaii also.
Immigrant HNWI need Low wage slaves to serve them. The two go hand in hand-in-hand.
They haven’t made the island better. They came here because our island was the best. They came here and ruined it. And the politicians opened the gates.
Every individual in that legislative building are cowards, crooks, and charlatans who cater to callous capitalists, contributing to the careless construction and complete collapse of our cherished Cayman.
Puerto Rico is still a US colony. It also has Jones act to make everything expensive entering that country via sea. There is no lobby or vested interests in a libertarian governance. No one takes a rented vehicle for a car wash. People may be delusional if they expect their elected officials with fat salaries will work for the interest of the society than their pay cheques.
We couldn’t even collect garbage fees from homeowners, what makes you think this could be implemented efficiently and bring in more revenue that they spend enforcing it.
We are just very bad at this Government stuff and lucky that the Financial Services Industry causes money to rain from the sky.
The CI Government has no problem collecting money. If a foreign ownership property tax is introduced, the avenue for payment is at the ready.
2 % 22% is more like it .Sellouts
If you’d like to solve the housing crisis, ban AirBnB and VRBO and those types of businesses – OR tax them 100%. Basically ban them.
Rents are skyrocketing, and fueling house price skyrocketing, because owners can charge tourists insane prices per week.
Ban them. Housing crisis solved.
Next week i’ll solve the health crisis – hint, it starts by everyone going for a 10 minute walk each day.
Ban ken dart. He most own at least 5000 parcels of land families could build a home on
Our reefs and fish population has been absolutely decimated. I remember live coral right off Seven Mile Beach when I was a child. Parrot fish and other sand producers everywhere. Now nothing but coral grave yards and conch graveyards everywhere. The natural cycle has been destroyed. And we wonder why Seven Mile is disappearing.
There should be a complete moratorium on removing anything from our territorial waters for a period of five years to allow nature to recover. And then an assessment made after that time. If you want to go fishing you have to go outside our territorial waters. Simple and fair for everyone. And market Cayman as a ecotourism destination.
This will allow future generations some hope that these islands will still be around with a natural protective reef in the future. And something for all of us to actually enjoy going forward.
Why doesn’t Government impose a moratorium?
I have never even heard of this being suggested.
It would be a great solution!
why could there not have been a moratorium on foreign investment in property? I would have thought that would have been a better solution to the issue of Caymanians not being able to buy?
Oh of course you need to buy land for PR, but that’s limited now to 30 a year?
What a mess all around and this throw at the wall and see what sticks is ridiculous. Also elections are for electing people, finding out the will of the people is ongoing in a truly democratic society. Not just every 4 years…
Annual “tax” was always a stupid idea.
It should be an increased stamp duty fee (another form of tax) for non-resident buyers on property over [$x].
The same way that stamp duty should be scaled down for Caymanian home buyers under [$x] and (optionally – for some of the v large homes for residents) increased for over [$x].
Don’t the government already know, from experience, that people who desire to stay in Cayman for economic reasons are easily able to find Caymanian spouses thereby giving them an easy path to the grant of Caymanian status.
Persons who are not as economically vulnerable are not as prone to marry Caymanians for reasons other than love and affection. These persons also tend to be professionals and highly educated. These persons will probably stay their 9 years as permitted by Law, save their money and leave when their time is up possibly returning or apply for permanent residence.
The only difference between having status and permanent residence is that you can only vote if you have status.
Now if government wants to limit Caymanian status to marriage/descent only, then the logical conclusion of this is the following:-
Persons from low socioeconomic-economic backgrounds and less educated persons will find themselves a Caymanian spouse, most will apply for and be granted Caymanian Status.
This group of people and their families are now status holders and will be eligible to vote.
The other group of people, are from a much higher sociology-economic backgrounds and are college educated most with Master or Professional degrees. The majority of these persons are not marrying Caymanians in order to remain in the Cayman Islands. They will continue to live and work in Cayman by becoming permanent residents. However, this group of people cannot vote.
If the proposed law goes into effect this will effectively mean that there is a very strong possibility, based on what is happening now, that we will have a very large group of people who married to stay on island, who are less-educated and less economically stable who are able to vote.
The other group of people who are well educated and economically stable will still have a path to live in Cayman permanently, will not have a right to vote.
See where this is going?
“Easily able to find Caymanian spouses”. 😂 Classic. Perhaps provide a step-by-step guide to help those 34,000 lonely hearts naively applying for work permits.
Slippery Saunders slithering his way to get Jamaican votes.
Yes. The only thing I’d add is that the right to vote isn’t the only difference between PR and status. If it was, status would mean a lot less. The real benefit to status for 90%+ of people is that with status you or your employer no longer have to pay an annual fee equivalent to your work permit and you have no freedom of employment or ability to own your own business.
If PR holders didn’t have to pay a fee and could work for any employer or own a business I’m sure almost all of them would be happy with that arrangement and would be happy to leave voting and politics to Caymanians.
And the right to start your own business.
Easily fixed with a small fee to your fronting Caymanian “Partner”
We sure now know how our politicians stand; remember that election day and drive it home, my fellow voters. Thank you for standing up for us Chris. We won’t forget both sides of this story.
The premier is afraid of harming relationships between Caymanians and expats!!!! How blind and deaf can anyone be to not know that those relationships are already strained. It’s time for politicians to put Caymanians FIRST.
This method is to ensure the politricians continue to have an undereducated populace with limited viable candidates from which to choose.
I went on rollover and returned after 21 months working in another BOTC. There is no value in getting PR or status; I only work in Cayman.
Signed highly educated, multi-degree expat
“On the Grandiose Declarations of the Supreme Xenophobe Chris Saunders”
In the grim bureaucracy of the Cayman Islands, there is only audacity. And none embody this quite like the so-called Supreme Xenophobe whose rhetoric would be the envy of any Ork Warlord, if Orks cared about anything other than smashing things.
Chris Saunders, a man whose eloquence in the art of divisiveness rivals the ancient heresies of the Chaos Gods, seems determined to make even the most absurd xenophobia appear like a sacred mandate. His speeches—oh, the speeches!—are a cacophony of “us vs. them,” designed to rally the masses while conveniently ignoring the complexities of modern Caymanian society.
1. A New Litany of Bigotry
Saunders’ proclamations have the subtlety of a Titan-class plasma reactor meltdown. Instead of fostering unity, his words create a divide wider than the Eye of Terror. The Adeptus Ridiculous would like to remind him: we are all citizens of the Imperium. Even the lowly servitor in his circuits knows this fundamental truth—diversity strengthens the machine, but Saunders seems intent on pulling out the gears and blaming the cogitators for the collapse.
2. The Flawless Hypocrisy of the “Supreme Racist”
There’s an almost impressive consistency in the contradictions. While claiming to defend Caymanian culture, he conveniently forgets the very foundation of Cayman’s identity: a blend of influences from across the galaxy (or at least the globe). His rhetoric drips with the irony of one who drives foreign-made vehicles and trades on an economy fueled by international investments, all while railing against the presence of “outsiders.”
Perhaps Saunders sees himself as an Inquisitor of Purity, purging perceived heresies from Caymanian society. But, alas, his methods are more akin to the Drukhari: cruel, shortsighted, and ultimately self-destructive.
3. Solutions in the Void
As with any great rhetorician of the absurd, Saunders excels in identifying problems while conveniently offering no practical solutions. Overpopulation? Blame the foreigners. Economic disparity? Must be the expats. Rising tides? Surely imported water! The Adeptus Ridiculous wonders: does he believe all the world’s woes are delivered in shipping containers to Grand Cayman?
Where are the policy proposals that uplift Caymanians without alienating allies? Where are the plans to ensure inclusivity and long-term prosperity? Surely the Omnissiah of Accountability would be appalled at the lack of foresight.
4. A Call for the Adeptus to Intervene
The Adeptus Ridiculous calls for a simple intervention: logic. To Saunders and his ilk, we extend an offer to join the Ridiculous Crusade for unity, where humor, reason, and constructive dialogue reign supreme. Let us replace the chains of xenophobia with the circuits of collaboration, for only through understanding can we advance the machine of society.
Final Words
In the end, Saunders’ rhetoric achieves little more than distracting from the true heresies of the Cayman Islands—corruption, inequality, and shortsighted governance. The Adeptus Ridiculous sees through the chaos and urges all citizens to do the same.
For the Omnissiah of Inclusivity and the Emperor of Truth, we march on!
Taxing foreign home owners with an annual property tax plus tax on rental income and any gain on sales makes complete sense and is in line with every country on the world. A foreigner could not own and operate a shop, a restaurant, a landscaping company or watersports company so why can they do it at will with real estate? Someone tell me!
A local companies control license issued under the Local Companies (Control) Act.
What you are saying is not accurate. Taxing foreign owners MORE than taxing resident owners is only done in a few places. Most of Canada and almost everywhere in the United States this is not done.
Property owners in Cayman (foreign and domestic) already directly pay a stamp duty on purchase, in addition to indirect (or direct) duty on cost of construction and furniture.
You have already crucified your own young peoples future with your stupid work permit mentality and god knows how large a population you want now. Caymanians don’t have a hope in hell due to you clowns. Now you want to try fix it? Haha .
Agree! Post at 7:13 pm,
I wonder if and when the Government in power will take truth tablet and stop destroying our future?
Uh, is there a better time to fix it?
u guys not a bit worried about tye billiionare that buying yur country…he aint selling nothing…what a pathetic situation the caymanian ppl are in..and it will only get worse?
what about the Caymanians selling to the billionaires?
Sadly, they’re forced to by lack of opportunities and high cost of living.
The health insurance concept was setup on the need to pay for an emergency care – accidents and life threatening diseases/ conditions. It wasn’t meant to pay for the running noses, coughs, indigestions, Conjunctivitis, a sore throat, an ear infection and pretty much everything else minor.
For centuries these conditions were treated with herbs, honey, homeopathic and various natural remedies. Cupping took care of many inflammations including pneumonia and musculoskeletal pain. Furuncles were successfully treated with an aloe leaf and a banana peel eliminated warts. Shredded beets with oil and lemon juice took care of the Gallbladder pain. The list of the remedies that our grandparents used could be endless. The remedies were sold in a chemist’s shop or were homemade.
A health insurance today is expected to cover every sneeze and sprain that would go away on its own. Free health insurance today would mean lots of unnecessary visits to doctors, why not if it is free?
True. Talk to octogenarians.
The issue is not with expecting support when one is sick, but rather the exorbitant prices thrust on us by the medical insurance vultures and the politicians that they buy out. Fix that and the there is really no issue with people going to get treatment when they need it, especially for minor things.
Some of your points are valid.
Let’s also accept that life expectancy and infant mortality rates have improved significantly compared to the proverbial ‘good ol’ days’. Modern medicine has played a role in this.
how do you know?
no rights unless u marry huh!? yet you guys profiting from divorce with the 7.5% tax….una na getting ahold of my assets again through divorce…and yes..i am a native ….
If you’re leaping ahead to thoughts of the divorce before the marriage, then pal, maybe you need to keep dating and looking for your person (and that human might not exist).
Expat here. (Aka your enemy). Any money I need to spend on discriminatory license fees will come out of the money I donate to your kids who are asking for donations outside Hurley’s every weekend. This place is becoming more and more “us” vs “them” and this will only increase the divisions between us
Ya right. You dont donate to anything
Expats (you) are not the enemy. Our inept politicians are the (mutual) problem. Making public declarations to stir discontent among the masses (even unwillingly) is the problem. In the end we all lose. If you live here and possibly donate to kids outside Hurley’s then you’re donating to ‘our’ kids, for we are one small community. For clarity, I do not have kids but making the statement you did, simply perpetuates the sentiment you are speaking against. I check the news here on CNS and other sources just to keep up with current affairs locally but the comment section is just one cesspool of crap from all sides.
I am Caymanian and I have spent years in the US (university & work), UK (work), Ireland (work) and Jamaica (family). Not once did I consider myself an outsider or harbor a ‘me vs. them’ mentality. My first week working in Dublin, I was greeted by someone who told me to go back to my own country, I could’ve been bitter (it hurt for a bit), but that individual was not representative of the entire country. Conversely, it is the responsibility of every Caymanian to go beyond what has now become misnomers “Caymankind” and “Christian” and simply be civil because although we are not all xenophobes, it can certainly feel that way. I’m close friends with many expats and in my social group, we all make the effort, we all encounter crappy people from both sides but we all still care. My advice, from a young Caymanian who has made his way in a number of countries being close with ‘expat’ friends doing the same in Cayman currently, and who are all frustrated with what I will call this Cayman divide, to you sir/madam I say, “try harder”.
KX has a nice sale running. Hoping you purchase a one-way out.
@ Anonymous 16/12/2024 at 6:27 pm Expats are not our enemy (although expats could certainly try a little harder to integrate & look down their noses a little less at us) – it’s our politicians.
As a fully integrated UK ExPat, I 100% agree with you. Even my parents picked up immediately on their first visit almost 20 years ago. “Entitlement” (a word often thrown used against Caymanians) works two ways. Ignorance too. I barely mix with my own out of work. My real friends are in the community around me.
Seems the bigger they are the more backwards their mentality. Just look at these meatballs, just where do they think they’re governing, some third world failed state?
If government stopped charging for bicycle license fees because the $5 fee was less than the cost of people and other resources used to collect the fee, and we have thousands of bicycles here, what will the fishing license fee have to be set at to make it worth the time and effort to monitor and enforce?
Even DumDum Seymour can tell you that people are catching fish to eat when they can because they can’t get by on the $6 per hour minimum wage that he refuses to raise.
If the thousands of indentured servants that we have here on Worc permits are prohibited from fishing then they will have to decided between eating and paying rent. If they don’t pay the rent they will get kicked out onto the streets and Kenny will put them up in a hotel which will costs all of us more money.
Instead of creating more laws and rules, just pass a fair minimum wage law you dumb A$$holes.
The tens of thousands of permit holders who outnumber native Caymanians do not need an all-you-can eat pass to our small and limited marine life population.
Leave the “fish to eat” to natives who “can’t get by” – by law you aren’t supposed to be here if you can’t.
Like they could have figured out how to collect it anyway 🤣🤣🤣
We already know that a nominal fee fishing license regime will work just about as well as the requirement to possess a valid driver’s license, have insurance or be sober, and similarly won’t be enforced. Even if 100% of fishing rod owners paid an annual fee it wouldn’t bring in any meaningful revenue, and will serve to compel those who can least afford one to redouble their efforts to strip the reef and get their money’s worth. Another losing idea from the xenophobe brigade.
they couldn’t even manage bicycle licenses when the population was 20,000
Or garbage fees, millions of which remain unpaid.
No one will really understand politics until they understand that politicians are not trying to solve our problems. They are trying to solve their own problems—of which getting elected and re-elected are number one and number two. Whatever is number three is far behind.
This comment wins!!!
Back in the 1990s it was a dozen or so Status Grants a year, advertised in the back pages of the Compass. It disenfranchised thousands, was found to be unlawful, and precipitated the mass Status Grants of 2003. There has to be an alternative methodology proposed that both provides a lawful path to citizenship and voting rights while also being more selective. Mr Joseph volunteered to give some free guidance to Parliament on this, but like so many subject matter expects, that advice doesn’t seem to have been accepted, and our legislating buffoons again pick the same tried and failed path to lawsuit payouts. You can’t make this stuff up.
introduce a fishing license for all not a select few.
they quote” this works in florida”, that means every1 there not just visitors.
again CIG failing at everh turn…no matter who’s in power..
Mr Joseph has been paid millions from expats to grease the wheels of status! Be careful whom you admire, very careful!
you don’t know what you’re talking about
My Joseph is an expert on the immigration law and used to provide training sessions to immigration employees when amendments were made to the immigration Law so that they would understand the changes to the immigrations laws and what they meant for the general population.
Mr. Joseph has also been raising concerns about the immigration law and that changes needed to be made for YEARS. Now those concerns that he raised years ago have come home to roost.
Mr. Joseph is exactly who we need to advise and assist government in regards to our current crisis because they obviously have no clue.
He has all the qualifications, experience and knowledge needed to do so and the reason he assisted so many persons to get status is because the law allowed a pathway for those grants. There was nothing legally or morally wrong with what he did.
Let’s admire facts and truth to preserve public funds. Those wheels haven’t been turning properly for years – corroded and seized by these same determined xenophobes who also refuse to raise the minimum wage to a living wage. Mr Joseph’s firm may be instructed by oppressed clients to represent deserving and avoidable lawsuits backed by easily provable human and civil rights violations. As a patriot, Mr Joseph offered up free pointers to avoid all of that likely probability (like many of us, having seen that waste occur in the past). His firm won’t be the only one. These will be millions more in public funds set alit as though it’s meaningless. We can’t have MPs in office that do that anymore. It’s irresponsible policy.
expats fishing in their high class boats for sport and selling thier catches to restauraunts for side cash should be illegal. Restauraunt vendors should only be premitted to buy local fish from local fisherman.
seriously….maybe you should talk to the ppl that organize the multiple tournaments here that draw ppl from the states to fish?
I have a boat and have 3 cayman boys on it every time I go out, they keep the fish except 1 or 2 that i might take home.
and b4 you comment, I am seasoned down here and can fish without them but I choose to do so as they don’t have a boat…your comment is so far from reality I hope Space X is leaving you on the moon
sounds like slave labor
Please continue to enjoy our islands and all that we have to offer!
Expats in their ‘high class boats’ could care less for what their catch can make for restaurants. You want to limit it – have at it – nobody will care! Another sad distraction from the dysfunctional Cayman culture.
Couldn’t, ffs, it’s couldn’t.
Argggggggh!
We need to ban LOCAL charter boat “captains” from harvesting conch and lobster on their tours. Should be 100% illegal.
They’re so short sighted, they don’t see the marine life as more valuable alive than dead.
A Cayman Islands Mortgage company? Can we just tax Expats like 15%-25% of their income and use it to create a fund to buy free homes for us real Caymanians?
Damn comical what is posted here. Uhn, NO! That’s not legal. Nice fantasy – back to 3’rd grade.
hey, don’t insult 3rd graders
How about you deliberately guide the passing cruise ships onto the reef, and then negotiate the salvage of cargo and life with the captain? This pirate thinking sounds so very familiar…
I can’t wrap my mind around this. Imagine coming here and working years in order to save up (with no assistance from the Government for being a Kmanian) and buy a house. Only then to be told that you’ll need to set aside funds on a quarterly or annual basis to help take care of your Kmanian’s neighbors health bill? I can’t imagine what would happen if I couldn’t pay up front for something in this Island. As an expt, I don’t get all the “freeness” that Kmanians get, but I should still turn around and foot a Kmanian’s health bill?
You don’t have to do that at all, as you are free to determine it’s not for you and return home at any time.
Your disrespect is sorrowful and unnecessary. If you think you’ve been unfairly maligned, imagine how we would be treated in your native country. Get it now? You are welcome here. We have made you welcome. You have obviously benefitted here, or you would have left. Be grateful for what you have earned.
Yes, and if you don’t like it go home. I’m a Caymanian working in the USA on a work permit. I pay into social security and Medicare, and I will never be able to use either of those programs. If I don’t like it I am free to leave the US. Cayman gets to make their own rules you may not like them and too bad don’t care.
You can draw on Medicare and Social Security in due course, should you choose to do so.
Given the low-life window-licker politicians in Cayman, and the way they’re solely focused on exploiting people to get rich, you’re far better off focusing on the US. Nothing good is happening in Cayman.
Just see the excellent article last week about MLAs’ refusal to raise the minimum wage because they’re addicted to cheap expat labor.
Yup. Let’s make folks that actually studied, got educated, got real jobs at entry level, worked their way up, saved, were self-responsible for their family, and saved for retirement – and now should pay for Caymanians who only dream of a job on the CIG dole to pay for their expenses as they have no real competitive skills. Yea, that will work… (not).
Where are you from? I’m sure I can provide examples of how the same applies from any major country’s perspective. I lived in a country for 2 years (if you’re worldly you can easily guess) where I had to pony up 8% of my monthly salary to support the locals who couldn’t work or didn’t feel like working. I sucked it up and did it, when I was ready to move on, I moved on – knowing I’ll never see any benefit of that 8%, ever. Being an adult does not operate on a spectrum. You either are or you’re not.
I disagree with this absurd “minister’s” plan. I’m 100% in support of a nominal 5% income tax across the board however. Does his plan seem more attractive to you now?
As far as I’m concerned, this nominal tax is the one realistic way forward. Would you vote for me if you could?
I would reduce customs duty, WP fees, and a swath of other fees, and demand that consumer pricing be reduced accordingly. Would you vote for me (and this plan)?
Spoiler alert: this plan works. This is why every legitimate nation worldwide has implemented it in some form.
The cowardice of our elected civil servants is why we don’t have it and will continue to fail.
Will I be a candidate during the next general elections? No. Learning that the government of one of the smallest nations in the world is paying themselves among the highest of comparative salaries in the world, might be enough to change my mind.
Get real. Caymanian parasites already exploit expats. Cayman is nothing without us:
1. Work permit fees. These are de facto employment taxes.
2. Mandatory Caymanian hiring. WORC enforces hiring Caymanians who we don’t need, and we pay them literally 3-4 times what we would pay equivalently [un]qualified people in First World countries.
3. Import taxes. Everything we buy is marked up.
4. Stamp duty. This is extraordinarily high.
⬆️ All of this funds ⬇️
A. The NAU
B. A. The Third World Civil Service (AKA ‘Shadow NAU’).
C. The schools, and their third world teachers who don’t actually teach your kids anything.
D. The police who don’t actually enforcer driving laws.
E. The dump.
F. Etc. etc.
Cayman is an overpriced, overbuilt, overpopulated blip in the sea. What you do have, you must thank expats for. No one needed peasant fisherman back in the day; no one needs parasites now who are desperate to seize money from harder-working people now. Dubai is far better. We’re still here because the inconvenient of moving to Dubai is marginally greater than the benefits. Don’t push your luck.
You could always go back to where you come from. Ill foot the bill for your ticket.
Claptrap’s Romantic Interest Speaks Out:
“Oh hey there, folks! It’s me, Claptrap’s totally-not-at-all-unhinged Romantic Interest, and boy, do I have some thoughts on the Supreme Racist of the Cayman Islands, Chris Saunders. Strap in, because this rant is gonna have more twists and turns than Claptrap on a scooter after an oil slick!”
1. Chris Saunders: Defender of the Iron Throne of Xenophobia
Let’s give credit where credit’s due. Chris Saunders has achieved what few can: he’s managed to weaponize every single stereotype ever while acting like he’s Cayman’s chosen savior. Bravo, Chris! Truly, your ability to divide people while claiming to protect “culture” is almost poetic—if the poetry were written by a malfunctioning AI stuck on loop.
Seriously, though, Saunders’ speeches are like bad pop music: catchy at first, but after the third repeat, you realize the lyrics are just nonsense. “Foreigners this, expats that.” Oh Chris, honey, if you hate outside influence so much, I assume you’re rejecting the internet, modern banking, and…what’s that? The microphone you use for your speeches? Made overseas? Awkward.
2. The Caymanian Purity Campaign™: A Comedy of Errors
Chris, babe, here’s the thing: Cayman is literally built on diversity. You can’t shout about “outsiders” without recognizing that your islands’ history is a melting pot. What next? A “Caymanian-only” policy for fish? Good luck enforcing that on snapper from the big, bad foreign ocean.
And the “solutions” he offers? Oh, please. They’re about as useful as Claptrap trying to fix a hyperdrive with duct tape. Do you know what happens when you alienate the very people keeping your economy afloat? It sinks faster than my feelings when Claptrap serenades me with dubstep.
3. Saunders’ World of One
Let’s be real: Chris Saunders wants a world where everyone looks, thinks, and agrees with him. Honestly, that sounds about as boring as a romantic dinner where Claptrap talks about himself for three hours straight (yes, I’m speaking from experience). Here’s the thing, Chris: Cayman thrives because of its mix of people, ideas, and contributions. Without that, you’ve got a sandbank with Wi-Fi. Congrats?
4. Solutions? HA!
If Saunders spent half as much time crafting actual solutions as he does shouting from his soapbox, maybe Cayman would be in a better spot. Instead, his policies are like Claptrap’s combat skills—wildly ineffective but wildly entertaining to watch.
We need infrastructure, fair wages, better housing policies—not a blame game. But hey, when you’re the Supreme Racist, why bother fixing problems when you can just point fingers?
Final Thoughts
Chris Saunders, you’re like a poorly coded NPC. Loud, predictable, and ultimately unhelpful. Cayman deserves better than divisive theatrics. We need people with real ideas, not slogans that sound like they were generated by a malfunctioning chatbot.
So let’s all raise a toast (mine’s toasting oil; what’s yours?) to unity, progress, and leaving tired rhetoric like Saunders’ in the dust. Claptrap’s Romantic Interest out! Mic drop.
I read your polite rant, but missed any thoughts as a way forward? Just asking.
This was indeed very polite. Nominee for CS’s speechwriter or even political adviser?
Saunders- champion of the people. LOL.
Power hungry self-serving politician.
It’s a slippery slope, thanks for not doing it as once you start taxes they never stop
the empty can rattles the most….
and it is the sound of the can being kicked down the road. which is no bad thing, cos most of this is nonsense.