Where is Cayman heading?
Depressed Young Caymanian writes: This government is hellbent on wasting public funds on the most ridiculous projects, and for what reason, I honestly don’t know. With this kind of spending, aren’t we headed for bankruptcy at some point? So many of the proposals, especially during this election season, seem like they’re trying to destroy the main pillar of our economy — the financial services industry or, at least from my understanding, from the articles/comments I’ve read, especially with immigration.
As for Mr Kenneth Bryan’s take on how tourism is such a major contributor to our economy, that’s just nonsense. It’s becoming incredibly hard to live here — housing is unaffordable, the cost of living is sky-high, and there are so few opportunities.
If we ever enter into a deal like the one his team is proposing, I genuinely feel it will financially cripple my generation and those that follow. Let me not even get started on the CI$1 billion road either, lmao. There are so many more areas in this country where people are genuinely suffering and need attention and fighting for than some damn cruise port. Like seriously? KMT
I’m really asking: at this point, is this country even worth living in anymore? I’m 25, I have no kids, I got my undergrad and grad degrees abroad from two first-world countries, and I came back home to work. I have no debt or other financial commitments/restraints. Should I just pack it up and try to build a life abroad if the future of Cayman is heading toward bankruptcy?
Our government is starting to remind me of corrupt African dictators, and look where that got them. We don’t even have to look that far, as within our own region, in the Caribbean, we can see how corrupt governments have completely destroyed other islands. Is that what’s next on the ballot for the future of the Cayman Islands?
Honestly, I’m just looking for some real advice: is it worth staying here and settling down? Do you think things will get better, or are my generation and younger just screwed? I feel like I’m hitting a breaking point, and the news and comments I read every day are just depressing. I’d really appreciate some genuine guidance from those of you who are older and have more experience than I do.
I’ve grown up here my whole life — this place is all I’ve known until I went abroad for my studies — but genuinely, how much longer can my generation call this place home when we can no longer afford to live here?
Depressed Young Caymanian.
This comment was posted in response to More road works to come as GT revamp nears end.
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Category: Viewpoint
Your observations and concerns are valid. They have been applicable for as long as I can remember, and that is decades. The direction in which we have been headed for those decades is the vector that got us where we are now.
Who is to blame? The politicians? It goes higher than that.
The answer to “Who is to blame?” can be found by looking around you on your next visit to the polls to vote. Caymanians control who is chosen to govern us. We have had that power all along, but—seduced and outsmarted by slick campaign rhetoric (and maybe a nice fridge or paved parking lot)—we all too often squander our power on crafty, over-promising, under-performing, self-aggrandising, self-absorbed, self-serving, meatheads.
So look in the mirror before you leave to vote and ask yourself: Are you deciding on your vote according to facts and the candidate’s record, or are you among those who will experience the ultimate outcome of a successful seduction, which is…
…getting screwed by your own choice.
AML & CTF, KYC & Due Diligence
It would be really nice and very beneficial to our country and our elected officials in the Cayman Islands if the Customs, Immigration & Border Control would consider creating an additional internal screening branch, unit or division to conduct the following when issuing Work Permits, Permanent Residency and issuing Caymanian Status:
• Employment Entry & Exit Interviews
• International Background Checks
• Employment Verification
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/12/us/politics/state-dept-terrorist-designation.html
AML & CTF, KYC & Due Diligence
It would also be really nice and very beneficial to our country and our elected officials in the Cayman Islands if the Cayman Islands Department of Commerce & Investments would consider creating an additional internal screening branch, unit or division to conduct the following easily accessable AML & CTF Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Compliance, KYC Know Your Customer & Due Diligence Corporate Screening Digital Forms and Checks before Issuing and Renewing Trade & Business License:
• Corporate Entry & Exit Interviews
• Corporate Background Checks
• KYC & Due Diligence Compliance
https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/02/17/pr-25038
One of the most siginificant steps the IMF has taken in support of enhancing the international AML, CTF, KYC & Due Deligence gaps in policies, and financial compliance needs, was a recent evaluation and diagnostic analysist in the Middle East
Hence, our government need to stay abreast of the challenging financial changes and continue to grow, develop and evolve
https://www.jotform.com/form-templates/exit-interview-form
Matinique takes a huge step to join Caricom
Hope that we here in the Cayman Islands do not follow there example and choose to stay with the US & UK
https://caymanmarlroad.com/2025/02/21/martinique-takes-historic-step-toward-caricom-membership/
The whole Wold’s debt
he debt crisis that has emerged over the past couple of years is happening in countries all around the world, and release valves, “meaning available funding from the World Bank and the IMF” to vent the pressure are scarce
Those are not my words, those are the words of Global Economist who wrote this article
https://www.dollarsandsense.org/archives/2023/0323breger-bush.html
We were and still are in the worse global ressescion since the 1930’s Great Deprecission
It will take more than $50b that is needed to rebuild Gaza according to the World Bank
Following 15 months of Israeli attacks, a joint report by the World Bank, United Nations and European Union has found that reconstructing Gaza will take around $53 billion, with the largest portion needed to rebuild people’s homes.
https://www.dezeen.com/2025/02/20/world-bank-gaza-reconstruction-report/
I haven’t heard or seen any of our Cayman Islands political candidates speach of distributing any Manifestos, but i hope and i trust that they are wise enough to understand that when the World Bank and the IMF International Moneytary Funds monies run low or become scarce, that the interest rates will return to what they were in the 1980’s and 1990’s; and when that happens, we will witness a huge influx of Home Foreclosurers
Therefore, i hope and trust that our future leaders have or are making arrangements for our Cayman Islands Development Bank to do the following:
1 Offer Loans & Mortgages with a Fixed Interest Rate
2 Prepare and arrange for a huge Reserve Fund to prevent Caymanians from losing there homes
Recovery in the Middle East’s Conflict-Affected Economies
https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/02/17/pr-25038
• A Continuous Diagnosticof the challenges and economic and social context facing each conflict-affected country, including an assessment of humanitarian and reconstruction needs. Such a diagnostic should identify institution-building priorities, gaps in policies, and financing needs.
• Enhanced Capacity Development (CD) aimed at rapidly scaling up IMF and World Bank CD initiatives to help strengthen and, as needed, build new institutions. Support would need to be tailored to strengthen essential functions of fiscal, monetary and banking institutions.
• Mobilization of financial assistance from the international community . Financial support—coordinated with international and regional development partners—will be needed to fund comprehensive reform programs, including reconstruction and humanitarian aid.
A young Caymanian here. I’ll be packing up and leaving never to return. Why live with my parents when I can get pay $800 on rent, mind you this would be for a 1 bed 1 bath, in the UK? I’m not talking about central London.
I mean I would rather settle for something decent in the boonies than stay here and grow crazy.
Before you say, ‘stay and make the change’, just remember that you’re the same ones complaining about how poisoned our generation is. Well, rest assured, our generation will slowly disappear and you’ll just have yourselves to blame! You speak of this entitled mindset we have, and yet, you expect US to be the change? You had 25 years.
Stay and get involved in politics and change it.
I was at a political meeting last night where they were asking for people with a passion to change the country to join their various think tanks.
@3:24:
You have been seduced by the same lame ploy successive governments have been using for decades to get the hungry dogs to be quiet: they throw them a meatless bone. In this case the bone is to form a committee and invite the loudest dogs to be on the committee. They are so impressed and honoured to be chosen to be a member of the exclusive group, that for the time being, they stop their barking and commit to the purpose of the committee. By the time the committee has finished its work and submitted a final report, most of that political term has gone by. The report ends up getting only token attention, that is if it does not simply get tossed into a corner to collect dust like so many government initiatives involving citizen committees. The problem remains but the crafty politicians have kicked the can down the road, yet again.
Do not be seduced into the oft-repeated folly of thinking that being part of a committee formed by political edict will have any real impact. Perhaps if the group was a grass-roots movement it might have an impact. (Think of the group that pushed for the port referendum.) However, on closer scrutiny we see that even the port referendum ended up with the can being kicked down the road.
“Think tank” is just another word for a meatless bone nammed on by hungry, toothless, barking dogs. The sad irony is that Caymanians still fall for that clever ploy. Why? Because it works!
No damn “think tank” is needed, we already know what the problems are. Numerous “Throw the Dog a Meatless Bone” “think tanks” have focused on identifying the most significant problems. A fundamental responsibility of those we elect is to come up with solutions to the problems. A plan to introduce a “think tank” is planning to plan. It is high time we cease electing those who propose planning to plan and demand that our leaders solve, say three, of the most pressing problems during their four year term. Now THAT would be novel!
Why come to Cayman and why buy property when at the drop of a hat the government cab seize your land. This place has become a joke after all the useless politicians.
That is a bit of over-dramatising.
Should government use its powers of compulsive purchase, it is required by law to pay the prevailing market value for the property. From what I can see in checking out Government’s purchase of land, they usually pay top dollar. I should be so lucky as to get government to offer to buy all my property holdings.
I hear your frustration, and you’re not alone in feeling this way. The cost of living, lack of opportunities, and government spending priorities are major concerns for many Caymanians, especially younger generations trying to build a future here.
Rather than abandoning hope, we need to push for smarter policies and real solutions:
1. Demand Transparency – Hold the government accountable for public spending. Push for clear justifications and audits on major projects, especially those that don’t seem to benefit the majority.
2. Support Sustainable Development – Advocate for policies that prioritize Caymanians, such as incentives for local homeownership, rent control measures, and responsible development that doesn’t price locals out.
3. **Strengthen the Financial Services Industry** – If that’s the backbone of our economy, we need to ensure policies don’t drive business away. Engage with industry experts, attend forums, and voice concerns over harmful regulations.
4. Diversify the Economy – Relying too heavily on tourism is risky. We should push for investment in tech, education, and industries that create high-paying jobs for Caymanians, not just low-wage positions in hospitality.
5. Advocate for Fair Immigration Policies – Immigration should support economic growth without disadvantaging Caymanians. More needs to be done to ensure locals have first access to opportunities.
6. Community-Led Initiatives – Sometimes, change starts at the grassroots level. Support or start initiatives that help locals thrive—affordable housing cooperatives, mentorship programs, or business incubators for young Caymanians.
If you’re considering leaving, weigh your long-term goals carefully. Other places may offer affordability but come with their own challenges. Cayman still has potential, but it will take engaged and vocal citizens to steer it in the right direction.
A Minority & Out Numbered
Ezzard Miller wrote about the De-Caymanianization of the Cayman Islands and Cayman Islands that many blamed him and his colleagues for the extreme difficulty we are all experiencing today by being out numbered and finding ourselves as a minority in our own country which is true and factual
However the younger generation maybe unaware of the pressures that Mr Miller and his collauges in Parliment experienced because of directives or by our Island working along with both the United States and the United Kingdom to fight AML & CTF Money Laundering Cases
How many of you remember this?
https://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/14/business/cayman-islands-closes-a-bank.html
A word to the wise, please remember that people in the United States and the United Kingdom are also finding themselves out numbered and a minority in there own country
To the younger generation i encourage you to not leave the Cayman Islands and move overseas; and please, please, please vote wisely
https://www.caymancompass.com/2012/12/12/why-mr-bush-resigned-in-97/
To Depressed Young Caymanian – please do leave. You have no student debt, because your country pays your fees – no other country does that. Go elsewhere and realise that no one is paying the level of wages in the financial services sector that rank average employees receive in Cayman. Go to another country and see the competition for jobs at all levels, it’s more fierce than in Cayman. Do go overseas and get a taste of the real world, then come back here and thank your lucky stars you were born Caymanian.
It’s even better for Caymanians than you argue. The financial services industry here pays Caymanians $$$$ as a bribe to WORC to be allowed to operate here.
In my home country, secretaries were paid literally 5-6 times less than the actual professionals who bring the work in, and do that work. Here, the difference is less that half. Our Caymanian secretaries are literally being paid 3-4 times more than the equivalent back home.
Further, we employ far more support staff than we need, again to keep WORC happy.
“The country I’m from exploits their own people far more than the Cayman Islands are willing to allow, which is why I left.”
There are people who seem to think that the world owes them an awful lot, but who feel no need to explain what they have contributed to the world that led to this great debt
I had similar feelings to the writer when I was that age, now im 43. The truth is the only constant in life is change and you either adapt or get left behind.
Decide what you want in life, make a plan of how to get it and execute purposefully. Some of us make it others do not, life is funny like that.
Seek happiness in the journey instead of the destination !
Stay.
Bottom line is that MLAs for the last 10-20 years have completely forgotten about you and only care about the dollar bill for themselves, their circle and their families. Completely blinded by greed and corruption.
Until the big money aren’t pulling the strings of the ill-educated, morally and ethically corrupt MLA’s we seem to recycle year on year, I would say go to be honest.
It seems that all MLAs just can’t help but be completely infatuated by the lure of bad money at whatever cost to the country they are trying to promote and work for.
Preaching doom and gloom has been beneficial to the political class. They use it to gain more power and control
Time to call the waaaaaaambulance.
Advice to you: put on your adult clothes, get a jpb, work hard and do not let the entitled attitude become pervasive in you.
A college degree nowadays is like a diaper. Every baby has one.
Cayman was duped by a bunch of independants in the last election who campaigned as independent and then flip flopped over the course of one evening to become unified.
We wasted 4 years of Cayman’s history achieving nothing. We need a party that will actually get things done.
We have a garbage dump that is literally spilling over into one of Cayman’s largest schools
We have a beach that is slowly eroding from South to North
We have a huge focus on tourism when all our money actually comes from Financial Services
Speaking of tourism we built an airport that is entirely too small
We wasted 4 years and we can’t waste another 4 or young Caymanians will end up with little opportunity.
Your Catron led government failed epically and most predictably.
If there is no equality of outcomes among people born to the same parents and raised under the same roof, why should quality of outcomes by expected- or assumed- when conditions are not nearly as comparable
Jamaica 2.0 mi seh! Na matta, alaweh a move Scotland!
Dinnae bother yersel mate! Too cauld fur ye here.
The person don’t recognize the good smell of the jasmine flower which is in his yard, but the people come to visit him, always smell the good of the jasmine flower.
This is exactly what is happening in the Cayman Islands.
When you look back, things will be always look cheaper and affordable. It will be same in next 10-15 years down the road, you will tell 2025 more affordable. Otherwise, next generation will tell, we are more fortunate to get affordable things.
Cayman Islands is way better than any other part of the world… all young people buy anything you can afford now and wait for 10-15 years… you will be fine.
Why dont you all stop smiling with the politicians and treat them as we should. We are their bosses, and last time i checked, when the boss is upset its not a good thing. They walk around all laughs and smiles and handshakes, they should have been properly scolded and made known to them their bosses are not happy!
But the brain dead of George town will vote in Kenneth again and the brain dead of Bodden town will vote in John John again. Thing is one day those same voters will be the ones breaking into their houses to steal a TV.
And with Saunders, they will steal your Country.
Here are 9 ways to stimulate the Cayman Islands Economy & Create Jobs
Tax Free Cayman Islands Treasury Bonds
https://www.captive.com/news/cayman-captive-insurance-sector-sees-record-growth-in-2024#:~:text=The%20Cayman%20Islands%20Monetary%20Authority,Class%20D%20open%2Dmarket%20reinsurer.
With the recent re-insurance news of 40 additional captive insurance companies being added to CIMA’s list of companies to manage as at December 31st 2024, collectively writing $41b in Premiums and bringing the the total number of insurance companirs registered in the Cayman Islands to 697, holding total assets that is valued at $153b
At a crucial time in our islands hostory, how do you feel about the Cayman Islands issuing a Government Treasury Bond like the US do to develop the following local infrastructure by encouraging some of the locally registered insurance and financial institutions to invest locally in a Cayman Islands Treasury Bond for future long term develooment over the next 30 and 40 years
1 Build New Roads
2 Expand the Turtle Center to create new jobs & start farming
• Lobster
• Shrimp
• Snapper & Parrot Fish
3 Build 500 Multi-Store 2b/3b Affordable Homes in each district
4 Expand the CIDB CI Development Bank services to create corporate jobs, offer Fixed Interest Rate Loans to develop undeveloped property along the East West Arterial Road & create businesses and jobs
5 Expand the local Stock Exchange to start issuing Local Treasury Bonds and create jobs
6 Expand the Treasury Department to start issuing local Treasury Bonds & create jobs
7 Create new Coast line Maritime Jobs for Customs & Police Services
8 Create jobs with a new Government Uniforms Department making uniforms for government employees & School Kids
9 Introduce daily Senior Citizen Community Center Programs
😂😂🤣
U need DOGE
GO,GO,GO! We are already at peak Cayman.
If you feel you have to leave, I understand and can’t think of an argument that might change your mind.
But, please, don’t leave before the election, and please vote for someone who has never held office before.
The only way forward for Cayman is to turf out the corrupt, incompetent gang who have infested our politics for far too long.
Over the last 60 years or so, when has voting ever helped the common man?
yeah… we get new roads to drive on.
I’m genuinely just staying long enough to hopefully vote Kenneth out.
Don’t just vote for anyone that hasn’t held office before, can’t just put any one in office of power. We need someone credible and capable of leadership and understanding. Someone who looks up to God and is for the PEOPLE.
Same age / background as the poster and its actually hilarious that it felt like i wrote that. Feel the exact same.
Only difference with me is that i work in financial services – going abroad will mean a hefty tax bill that makes it not worth it. In the UK i’d already be in the top tax bracket + COL in London – yikes :].
Definitely, it’s not worth it. Outside of the very rare top tier finance role at the upper levels in London there is nothing that pays enough in the UK to justify the tax. And as you said, London is expensive enough there is likely no CoL savings vs Cayman (unless perhaps you are willing to commute, which isn’t great).
Case in point, I just ran a quick calc via the UK tax website and I’d have to make double what I’m making to even make the same as I am in Cayman, purely due to taxes.
Realistically there are no jobs that pay that, aside from maybe a CEO at a reasonably large firm, or working 75 to 100 hours a week at a top investment bank at the mid-upper level (vs the 30 to 35 hours I work here – entirely from home). To put this into perspective, it would be the top 0.50% of earners in the UK (which are mostly business owners, etc.).
I may be an outlier in that I own my own company (to be vague it’s roughly financial services oriented) but my background was pure finance here in Cayman (although somewhat non-traditional) – so the argument still stands. It’s the main reason I came back to Cayman upon completing my grad degree in the UK a few years ago / starting my company – it just didn’t make sense to stay in the UK or move to the US (replace London with New York) – and owning a business there was actually worse than simply earning that salary from a tax perspective.
But you know what? As much as I love Cayman if the tax situation wasn’t so favorable I’m not sure I’d stay here either. Worrying thought should we ever bring in taxes.
100% agree. It sounds like we are in a very similar position although I’m a decade older. if you have the drive and ambition to work for yourself or start your own firm there is no question Cayman or somewhere like Dubai are light years ahead of the UK where you get strangled to death by taxes. If you just want to work for someone else in a regular job, outside of law or accounting Cayman is extremely limited.
100%… and to make matters worse I was in Scotland for my grad degree, so the taxes were even higher than the rest of the UK.
Now we know why you lot don’t want to ever leave Cayman, at the expense of our young people whose birthright is theirs and theirs alone.
No wonder the are considering alternatives.
Emotions neither prove nor disprove facts. There was a time when any rational adult understood this. But years of dumbed-down education and emphasis on how people ‘feel’ have left too many people unable to see through this media gimmick.
I am also a Thomas Sowell fan. On this occasion however, that quote is inapposite. The situation in Cayman is indeed very bad (due entirely and exclusively to corrupt Caymanian politicians, not expats, lest it be inferred otherwise).
In one word: RUN
Sad but true. This is what happens when politicians like Kenny, Julie, Mac and that fool Jon Jon focus on lining their own pockets and their own egos and don’t give a flying fig about our country and our people.
Short term gain (theirs) over long term pain (ours).
And be very clear. Dan Scott is cut from this very same cloth. What has he ever done for our country that hasn’t lined his pockets or fed his ego?
Talking about ego, he has one of the largest I’ve ever witnessed. We certainly don’t need arrogance and aloofness as defining traits for any of our political leaders.
This is why you all have the schmucks in office that you have now. You vote based on personality not competence.
Nonsense. Utter nonsense. I was recently back in Cayman on holiday after living there for 5 years and was appalled at how awful public beach now is with cruise passengers. Ludicrously overcrowded, cheap higglers flogging obvious death trap waverunner hire and the stink of weed was incredible. Cayman has killed the goose that layed the golden egg.
Young Caymanian, your politicians are destroying your island at an ever growing rate. Get off the rock, see some of the world and come back when this current crop have been emptied pit of office. Good luck.
This might sound corny to you, but people like you are our hope, and our future. It’s not going to be easy for you. It wasn’t easy for us either, but I think things made more sense back then. Most of the electors are up in age. That doesn’t make us suspect, because we see and feel the same things you do. We remember a time not so very long ago where there was a togetherness, and a sense of unity. I have nothing against all the expats — they are just trying to make their way in life just like us. When I came to the Cayman Islands 35 years ago, all the hospitality services, bartenders, store clerks, dive operations, taxi drivers were Caymanians. The minimum wage is killing the progression of young Caymanians. Yes, raising the minimum wage will temporarily cause a rise in the costs of goods at a time where everything is already too expensive. However, it will allow Caymanians to get off NAU and become gainfully employed, and as a glorious by-product, those jobs which replace expats with Caymanians will result in less cars on the road.
You are on the right track, and if you ran, I would vote for you if I could, purely on the truth that you see and can clearly articulate that which is wrong and adrift with our beloved Cayman. Thank you.
I feel for you, as a Caymanian born in the late 1950s and seen the changes. My children are just a bit older than you are and yours is their story..
young, qualified, ambitious Caymanians questioning their future in Cayman.
One good thing I gather from the Commentatator and many posters, is the recognition of the waste and mismanagement of public funds. Young voters, please don’t be like your parents and vote for the handout or favour from a candidate. Please get away from that mentality.
That is NOT how good politics are supposed to work. Not the Jim Bodden/McKeeva Bush style of Caymanian politics! It shouldn’t be about specifically satisfying the portion of electorate who are known supporters but aim to benefit the larger community, the islands and interests of the people at large. One example, NS sports courts near the launching ramp. What’s the benefit thereof? Anyone seen anyone playing there? Waste.
Voters, ensure your choices are educationally capable, ethical, strong and determined for positive change for Caymanians!
Candidates and potential candidates, please stop the political vote buying!!. You all live here with us, you all see and know the reality for the average Caymanian. What has vote buying and sell-out politics got US? US Caymanians? Got us third class in our own islands! WTH??
The waste of public funds is supported by the ineptness of most of the public service….CS and SAGC’s. Gross wastage on mis-managed projects, projects having to be done more than once (Ritz roundabout on ETH, NS speed bumps, numerous others), and oh, excessive Xmas parties, travel jaunts, and so on.
So people, first-time voters, it is past time for ACCOUNTABILITY in both the political and administrative branches of our Government. This is the time to establish our RED LINE in the white sand and demand accountability for US, Caymanians! And don’t back down like Obama, when they waste and mismanage OUR money,file a Class Action lawsuit against those two branches of Government!
Wake up people, do not vote for any more uneducated, slick n sleazy, broke n greedy, excon, spineless or unethical person to represent us, EVER!
When government start seizing private property the writing is in the wall. All potential investors should take note.
You could be the next.
If you are referring to Red Spot (the Fish Market), for its cultural and heritage significance, subsequent administrations have offered to pay even more than market price to no avail, so at this stage I would support any administration’s decision to seize it.
Some argue that Cayman should focus solely on stayover tourism, claiming cruise ships don’t bring enough value. However, the reality is that Cayman does not have the natural resources or excursion capacity to sustain itself on stayover visitors alone. Cruise tourism is essential because it supports businesses that rely on high daily foot traffic, such as retailers, restaurants, and tour operators.
Why Cayman Needs Both Cruise & Stayover Tourism
1. Limited Excursion Capacity – Unlike larger Caribbean destinations with vast land-based attractions, Cayman’s main draws (beaches, diving, and Stingray City) have a natural limit on how many visitors they can accommodate for extended stays. Cruises provide volume without overwhelming our infrastructure long-term.
2. Economic Balance – Cruise tourism helps small businesses thrive by providing a steady stream of customers. Meanwhile, stayover visitors bring higher per-trip spending, but in lower overall numbers. Removing cruise ships would create an economic gap that stayover tourism alone can’t fill.
3. Strategic Tourism Mix – Many cruise passengers return as stayover guests after experiencing Cayman for the first time. Rather than choosing one over the other, we should be maximizing the benefits of both.
Instead of eliminating cruise tourism, Cayman should focus on managing its impact while improving the stayover experience. Additionally, exploring new industries, such as a stronger tech sector, sports tourism, or cannabis cafes could diversify our economy beyond just visitors.
We are fortunate to be in a destination that attracts both types of tourists—we should embrace that, not limit ourselves.
The world is theoretical to the young. They know how things ought to be. Life, aging, teaches us how things actually are.
Get this propaganda BS out of here, ACT bot.
Agree on stay over tourism. Disagree on cruise tourism. Nothing absolutely nothing is good about cruise tourism. How much trash, gray water and blackwater cruise tourism generates while in land? What is the cost of managing waste generated by cruise tourism while on land?
Thank you for the ChatGPT effluent. /s
dont worry- Chatgpt will take your job soon enough
Marla Dukharan at the recent Economic Forum questioned the logic of spending the sum needed to build a cruise berth and how long it would take for that cost to be recovered. The Auditor General’s recent report assessed tourism to be only the fourth largest contributor to the economy at 9% of GDP, contributing $149m to Government revenues (compared to 31% of GDP and at least $1.5b to Government revenues for financial services). So there doesn’t seem to be an economic argument for the cruise berth, there can’t be an environmental one and so what exactly are the social benefits?
I know that this was not written as a Viewpoint but it is still a very important Viewpoint for our entire community to understand. Thank you to the person who made this post.
FWIW – I went abroad for university and also gained work experience overseas. The work experience was valuable work but it also showed me that the grass is not always greener in the long term. Cayman still has opportunities for young Caymanians particularly if young Caymanians can organise themselves into a political force that can create many more opportunities for young Caymanians.
One final point, IMHO it is important to be informed in relation to the issues facing our country and the mainstream media help in that regard. As for comments about media articles, the whining can be ignored but pay attention to the comments that identify specific problems and also offer ways to make the country better. Pay attention to the good ideas and if you are able, act on them. It is our future. We should shape it into what we want..
yes, CNS made a good call shifting this to a viewpoint we could discuss.
Stay. You won’t find anywhere better. But be prepared to look out for yourself.
Cayman still has sound financial & social underpinnings. Wherever else you go the economy will be doing not much better and will have its ups and downs over the next 75 years (giving you a 100 year lifespan.)
Anywhere else you go you’ll (probably) find the same political angst. The two major western economies I’m familiar with if you ask the political supporters of the party not in power then their country is being shortsightedly sold down the river. The same as we say about Cayman.
And the less said about Cayman’s, and every other country’s, lack of social peace and cohesion between groups of residents the better. That topic is just depressing. (Again I’ve got a narrow pool of expertise but I haven’t heard of anywhere that’s really found a solution, especially for migrants.)
Sure you could go somewhere else and divorce yourself from the social-politics of the place. But you could equally check out here in Cayman and let the rest of us try to solve the problems. But if you see problems here that you want fixed you’ll see them wherever you are and (rightly) want them fixed. So no difference. Except maybe how much you can make a difference. (More here than there, I’d warrant, as given Cayman’s size one person can make more of a difference more easily. Though that’s a double-edged sword of course in that if you do live here you almost have to be part of the solution or you become part of the problem. No coasting along.)
So wherever you are you’re going to need to look out for yourself (and the place where you are):
– Be politically / socially involved trying to fix problems.
– Be economically savvy to insulate yourself from external economic shocks (pandemics, etc.) and internal ones (like health care & pension).
– Climate Change – Yes its going to impact your generation worse (I hope, no disrespect but I hope I’m dead before we see the worst of it) but the idea of communities that are naturally safe from climate change looks less and less likely with each disaster. So lets assume wherever you go you’ll have to weather that storm. Which is mainly an economic one. (Like everything its going to impact poor people worser. Don’t be poor if you can help it. And if you can, make sure to help the poor people in your community. Because often times people can’t help it.)
– Refugee – Yes, here or almost anywhere things could get so bad that you decide your best recourse is to flee. But this brings us back to being economically savvy.
So, with politics-economy-society-climatology in mind, can you find somewhere better than Cayman for the foreseeable future? No, I don’t think so. Sure, maybe you can find somewhere like Cayman in the 1980s. (Taking that as a ‘golden age’ for the sake of discussion.) But if you were 25 & moved to Cayman in 1985 you’d be 65 in Cayman now and looking to retire and worried about how your pension is going to hold up given the rising cost of health and home insurance. Nowhere is perfect.
So, rather than rolling the dice somewhere else you might as well stay here and try to make your life, and Cayman, as good as you can. You’re going to have to do that no matter where you go.
Most of what you said was sage advice, however it is my guess that you got thumbs down for the climate change nonsense, and it IS nonsense insofar as these three islands are concerned. Listen, we obviously need to mitigate the dump, and learn to manage our waste, and recycle, and clean up everthing, otherwise known as CONSERVATIONISM. We can gradually move toward an electric car economy, as it becomes feasibile to do so.
The sea isn’t rising. It isn’t coming for you or for me.
The sea is rising, Climate change is rapidly reshaping a region of the world that’s home to millions of people. In the next 30 years, Pacific Island nations such as Tuvalu, Kiribati, and Fiji will experience at least 6 inches (15 centimeters) of sea level rise, according to an analysis by NASA’s sea level change science team. It may not be coming for us right now, but generations from now it will.
To 7:39 pm. We live in a bubble, agreed? When glaciers melt, all that water has to go somewhere, hence the oceans are rising, simple as that — and you cannot deny that all over the world, glaciers and snow peaks are melting.
Glaciers have been melting since the end of the Ice age… how do you think we have the Fiords ..?
So, in your unscientific confirmation-biased world, you believe it possible for “regional sea level rise” to occur. Please think about that, and employ critical thinking. You don’t have to explain anything to anyone, but please for the love of everything pure and true, do you own research and stop parroting the globalist controllers. Thinking for yourself can be fun for the whole family.
CNS: Sadly, “do your own research” usually means “watch a bunch of nitwits on YouTube” and “critical thinking” means “I don’t have any scientific knowledge but I’ve thought really hard for about three seconds and it just doesn’t make sense to me”.
I’m assuming you believe that the scientists at NOAA are part of the “globalist controllers”, but just in case your mind is not completely averse to knowledge, try reading this explanation: Are sea levels rising the same all over the world, as if we’re filling a giant bathtub?
THUMBS UP to the CNS clap back
“As the land-based ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica continue to unload their mass (lose ice) from far above sea level and far from the tropics, that mass reaches the sea in the form of meltwater”. What I said, but in more scientific lingo.
it’ is heading off a cliff 🆘⛔️
Pack it up. For Pete’s sake even your beaches or whatever is left of it are for visitors and private property owners. That leaves you with what? The Dump? It will just grow bigger and taller. Leave these Cancer Cluster Islands, they have no future.
Well expressed frustration of your generation of educated Caymanians.
My heart goes out to you as you watch the promise that was Cayman, being eroded by the uneducated self serving Kenneth’s of this world.
I beg you stay and fight those who are unraveling the fabric of Cayman.
Saunders is using his openly racist dislike of white Caymanians.
Mac forgets he is no longer God of West Bay.
Seymour is just too dumb to know the difference between right and wrong.
Juliana believes she has a Divine right to act as she pleases.
Kenneth is lurking in the shadows waiting to strike where he will gain the most.
Their $200Million dollar new prison,and the $300Million dollar cruise pier alone will bankrupt Cayman. You can be a part of stopping these wastes which YOUR generation will pay for….$500million for 25 or 30 years.
Ganja and Gambling will round off the demise of Cayman.
The five above are your watchlist of those who will destroy what’s left of Cayman as they strive for independence. They will be joined on their journey by others who will believe independence will pave the streets with gold.
Good luck, Vote Carefully, and remember that every Jamaican wants to escape to Cayman….for a reason.
Dear candidates in the 2025 election
THIS is how your youth feel.
THIS is why they have no interest in voting.
THIS is our reality as young Caymanians.
But we should register and vote, right?
Why?
For a leader that gets their seat from 1% of the voters in the nation?
For career politicians who are above the law?
To continue to be excluded from the group of people constantly referred to as “our stakeholders”?
As per the great and relevant Kendrick Lamar, “the revolution will be televised. Right time, wrong guy.”
I can’t tell you if you should stay or go. It sounds like you’ve got education, and therefore opportunities, either way. What I can tell you is to stop reading the “news and comments.” Take it from an old guy, it’s never as bad as the media and the whiners tell you it is. Your life will be what you make it, whether here or elsewhere. And I wish you well. I hope you make it glorious.
SMB is gone. The Dump is a major health hazard and keeps growing. Overdevelopment and traffic congestion. These things take away quality of life in Grand Cayman. You might as well live in Miami.
The next direct hit Cat.5 will create hell in Cayman.
well said and there is little hope for young caymanians i’m afraid.
always remember this administration has wasted $4-5bn with nothing to show for it.
that is the real crime.
will ppm be any different…not based on their previous performance.
another raft inexperienced independents???…don’t make me laugh.
very depressing state of affairs.
Feel you. I’m also an under 30 Caymanian voter with a degree. I make way above average wage, but don’t want kids either. Cayman just doesn’t feel like it’s for Caymanians anymore. I get one shot to enjoy this life and I’m not about to make myself 10x more miserable, for what??
We’re outnumbered 1:4, yet striving for more immigration.
The road is gridlocked at bottlenecks, yet we want to funnel more people there.
Our finite land is traded for residency, so high school leavers have to compete with foreign millionaires to get on the housing ladder.
Who are we building for?
Do you hear the Caymanian accent at all anymore when you go to the grocery store?
I tell ya what tho, I will starve here than give up and move away from my beloved isle(s) Cayman like the rest of unna who jumped ship. Sorry for the bluntness.
And yes Karen from Crystal Harbour, “unna” is a word. The day that someone commented to me not to say that word here I knew we were finished.
What does unna mean, please?
Serious question: I have no idea.
The Caymanian accent is a rich blend of British, Irish, African, and Caribbean influences, shaped by centuries of migration and cultural exchange. One clear example of African influence is the word “unna”, meaning “you (plural),” which likely originates from the Igbo word “unu” with the same meaning. This linguistic connection is found across the Caribbean in dialects like Jamaican Patois (“unu”) and Bahamian English (“unna”), reflecting the lasting impact of African languages on the region’s speech patterns.
Referring to locals as “riff raff” was one social issue, but to move here and demand that we stop using the word “unna” is exponentially more disrespectful to Cayman’s origins and ancestral roots. I plead that people respect that.
you all
Very real concerns! many of the issues go beyond just the government. Hospitality is a huge influence on the island, but the issue is the owner who must be 60% Caymanian are willing to treat our own like they are unimportant by offering wages no one can live off- not even the imported staff. it is blatantly obvious the government is taking care of the rich prominent Caymanians who own these businesses by not willing to move on the minimum wage. this kills any chance of a Caymanian to be willing to start from the ground up to try to work in hospitality. the belief that we should be this high net worth destination without the appropriate training is insane. But when the government is run by high school drop outs and people who have never had a job, what do you expect.
the other issue is if you leave, no country is any better at the moment. the rich are getting rich and the poor are struggling- be it USA, England or Canada, no place is any better.
I feel your pain!
I’m sure there will be much wiser advise from others. Unfortunately, I’m not sure how much you can rally your fellow Caymanians to “see the light”, this latest crop of politicians certainly feel that the money will never run out and am certain they would never manage their own personal finances they way they ruin the country’s. I never really felt that blatant corruption existed until recently. CHANGE IS NECESSARY!
At your young age, I think it’s wise to go abroad and get real, 1st world work experience for a few years, and should you wish to return, you will be highly sought out with your world experience. I don’t think things are great in the 1st world at the moment either though unfortunately. From what I’ve seen in my travels, its so expensive EVERYWHERE and then with the shock of having to pay taxes on a salary that would likely be far less than what is usually available here, if you are in a professional field.
Of course there is a tremendous amount of experiences out there in the real world, but if you love Cayman as I do, you’ll likely want to return.
I’m sure others will tell you that despite the lower wage and the tax shock they are better off, but I always wonder then why are they on the Cayman sites commenting if there life is so wonderful where they are. We all know many people who leave yet seem to return as soon as they can and if they can’t, they want to.
Being Caymanian truly has privileges, use them wisely and you’ll be just fine! Wishing you the best!
It is not expensive in Florida. And it has jobs and beaches. Last checked, everyone dies from cancer in Cayman before they even turn even 60. children are born with cancer and congenital abnormalities. Grand Cayman is trashed literally and figuratively beyond of point of no return.
FLORIDA? Nothing more needs to be said.
$hithole of the USA. Well actually all of the US is a $hithole now.
Start by regulating AirBnBs so that we get back affordable places to live for our own!
ha as if anyone can afford SMB even without air bnbs.
People who own those will keep it as vacation homes not offer them up to long term renters
ha as if anyone can afford SMB even without air bnbs.
People who own those will keep it as vacation homes not offer them up to long term renters, plus government NEEDS the taxes
hundreds doing it and not paying taxes too
Start by changing the voting system
I understand you and empathize with you. The biggest challenge we face, is that people (both young and older) just want someone else to address the issues and solve the problems. It doesn’t work that way. Voters need to learn the data so they can ask the right questions and lobby MPs for solutions. I encourage you to explain that your friends. Get involved. You and all your peers deserve to build your life, your career, your family here. These are our islands, and if we leave, we will leave them unprotected from people who only care about money
Well written. You are absolutely right that younger voters acting together have an opportunity to change things for better. They can do that by insisting that wanna-be politicians produce manifestos that addess in detail how they will deal with the many problems facing Caymanians. They can also do it by a referendum to force the government to address the many issues one at a time, whether that is banning AirBNB and similar businesses that make housing almost impossible to significantly restricting immigration to raising the minimum wage to something that ordinary Caymanians can live on. Get involved – make things change.
Agreed stay and fight to save Cayman from the short term greed of the likes of Mac Kenneth and Saunders.
The future is yours , don’t let them put you in debt to keep it.
Fight? And what about simply living?
We fight against cancer, other diseases, drunk driving, teenage pregnancies, crime, global warming, racism, corruption, animal cruelty, human trafficking, child abuse, domestic abuse, actual wars, … the list can go on for pages. Did we win any war?
To 7:06pm: Look at other countries, and you will see the answer to your question. As bad as things are here, our children can still play in the front yard or the beach (with supervision) with relative safety. Stop fighting and see what happens.