UPM continued additional spending at 11th hour
(CNS): Just three weeks before the elections and a week after the Pre-Election Economic and Financial Update report was published by the finance ministry, the minority UPM government continued to rack up more public spending. Even when then-premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, then-deputy premier Kenneth Bryan, and ministers Dwayne Seymour, Jay Ebanks and Isaac Rankine knew the public purse was on track for a deficit, they added CI$6.4million to the budget appropriations.
On 8 April, the Cabinet approved an extra $5million in spending on secondary education for last year and an additional $1.4 million for the home affairs ministry to buy equipment, which may have a negative impact on the government’s cash reserves. According to the brief summary of the Cabinet meeting, the approval was for additional expenditure as there are no equivalent reductions elsewhere.
The Pre-Election Economic and Financial Update, which predicts a deficit of more than $26 million in 2025, became a last-minute hot topic on the election campaign trail. It emerged that almost all of the spending, which had pushed the prediction for public accounts to move into the red by the end of this year, had occurred in the last few months of the UPM minority government, which had been propped up by the opposition Progressives.
While most of those responsible for what could be a significant deficit this year are now in opposition, two of the current Cabinet members are now, along with their colleagues, under pressure to help turn this revised deficit prediction around before the year-end — a job given to Rolston Anglin, the new finance minister.
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Category: Government Finance, Politics
Look at Jay and Juliana. Guilty as charged.
JCC, KB and heehaw DS learned to spend at last minute from their PPM cronies, less we forget who were guilty of this their last time at bat. sickos.
The next time the house meets, pay attention. They ministers will bring all the statements from the last administration and all will have “clean opinions” yet the UPM vultures almost picked the public carcass clean.
Let’s see.
I recall this infamous incident in the UK 2010 national elections: On leaving his position as Chief Secretary to the Treasury following the change of British Government in May 2010, Liam Byrne left a note to his successor David Laws saying: “Dear Chief Secretary, I’m afraid there is no money. Kind regards – and good luck! Liam” This note became a major political embarrassment for the outgoing Labour Party and a stick which they were beaten with for many years. I hope the current administration also expose this and it’s not just left to the press.
Not just spending, have a close look at all of the favours granted in the last few cabinet meetings pre election. You have to peel back the layers of the onion to see who benefits.
and ppm welcomed them in with open arms!…and then wondered why they can’t form a government???/
ppm ..forever aloof and out of touch.
Um, you forgetting Jay and Isaac were part of the UPM as well? How convenient.
@11:16am: There we no more independent candidates so…
So you cut your nose off to spite your face to pick a candidate who had a part in running up our debt, to keep a party out who reduced our debt 2 consecutive terms. Well done.
any comment joey/ppm????
No thanks!! Move on!
On what? They didn’t spend it. They picked up 60% of that Cabinet to run with them, but the other 40% are in the new government now.
And don’t forget that they picked up 100% of Juju, who was the Finance Minister during that time in question.
She was the one holding the purse and was also the person in charge of the whole show. Isaac and Jay weren’t the leader – she was and the blame falls squarely on her.
Wayne Panton was finance minister when our debt doubled with Andre as his deputy. This was before UPM took over but we don’t hear any crying about that now that they are both in government. They conned you all out and you took it hook, line and sinker.
?..they propped up a lame duck government and let them spend us into bankruptcy…
JuJu spent more on her “gardens” than everyone combined. It’s a shame no one is going Brac to see what is happening. She was even naming roads for votes.
CBE must be addicted to her bull manure
She did a WHOLE LOAD OF CORRUPTION FOR VOTES 🤦🏽♀️BUYING VOTES LIKE THEY WERE GOING OUT OF STOCK
She had government employees setting up for her meetings and using the government vehicles to do so.
She placed her political signs on government property and also placed majority of her signs 5ft or less to the edge of the road knowing full well what the law said.
Take that BACKBENCH JUJU AND ALL THE PPM REJECTS sit there 4yrs and watch what a Good Clean Government is all about
I ❤️ my new ministers
This is a scale of negligence that we have grown conditioned to seeing go unanswered by the judiciary. The Nolan Principles prescribe a duty of care to the people of the Cayman Islands, stewardship that has been disregarded, for which there can be no blanket indemnity. Voters and stakeholders should seek to test those self-conferred indemnities in court, and seek penalties against those that authored these breaches of trust.
That’s the problem, who would do it and would any lawyer assist pro bono….
Surely misconduct / corruption/ fraud in public office, particularly involving blatant abuse of the public purse is an offence that the Governor, as head of the CS should step up to address, and bring to the attention of the UK? It’s a damn shame our auditor general only gets to call out bad behaviour and can’t prosecute their backsides.
No, it is what happens when you put a bunch of politicians in a room with a collective IQ of 68.
LOL and an ego pass Mensa!
They should be able to work together to get us back on track! Thank God ppm is on the outside, they got so many rich supporters because that’s their main focus is catering to the rich. They should be shame of themselves, forget where they come from. Humble beginnings are long forgotten, people like KB for example, get couple $$$ and the Caymanian accent even disappear…fraud
KB never had the accent when he was peddling drugs to me
Rolston need to answer to where exactly that 2 mil went for West Bay school the last time he was minister which was given to his backup driver and lodge buddy a well know local loud mouth crook who never pays pension or health benefits.
If you got information and names, stop beating around the bush and step up.
McKeeva leaves and Rolston takes over. You couldn’t make it up.
Difference, Rolston can easily be gone if he puts a foot wrong as a wet wipe and replaced, no worries.
Unfortunately the MPs from NS and EE had to be a part of the new Govt. But let’s hope they can be guided in good fiscal principles and governance…and learn from it.
Internally, they won’t be able to brush it aside but no need for that to be public now.
Marl Road and many beat the crap out of PPM for taking JuJu, Kenneth and Seymour but at least they did this up front to avoid the horse trading.
Jay and Isaac were part of the 2 failed governments too but because they ran as “Independents” they got away unscathed. The people of North Side and East End did not educate themselves on the issues as the talk on the streets was the handouts were plentiful.
The new government will take licks for them as they try to wrestle with the budget.
The people of Northside and East End cant see beyond Northside and East End. And lets not start on the Brac. One man one vote and small constituencies =recipe for disaster.
@ 9:30 They did that up front is nothing to do with avoiding horse trading but political tactics to gain power because those three were more likely to be re-elected! I mean is politricks that hard to understand? ..geez
Talking nonsense. Jay and Isaac were just as likely to be voted in than any candidate. PPM actually ran somebody against both Jay AND Isaac so your argument is dead.
NS was literally only Jay or PPM. Not much of a choice!
Correction. The PPM candidate has a name – Justin Ebanks. Don’t confuse the party with the caliber of the person running. You cannot condemn the entire PPM, CINP or TCCP if you don’t like all of the candidates. Jay Ebanks cannot walk in Justin Ebanks’ shoes – figuratively or literally.
Justin messed when he ran with PPM! Next time, go independent Much better chances.
No need for a correction, the point was well made. It showed the stark choice available. A true show of caliber in this case would have been to run as an independent against Jay, rather than be on a hiding to nothing and getting tainted with vile PPM bedfellows.
Well right now Justin can’t even walk in his own shoes, cuz his ass has been sat down for another 4 years thanks to his decision to join PPM.
If he’s as good as you say, I genuinely hope he learns to make better decisions. We could use young, intelligent Caymanians to help run this country, but we won’t accept them under the PPM banner.
You guys are so hypocritical. PPM run a new promising candidate in NS against a member of the PACT and UPM governments responsible for our massive debt and you blame PPM for Jay being reelected?? You do realize had they not ran somebody against Jay he would have likely joined PPM after the election.
Coulda woulda shoulda. The facts are, he ran as a PPM member, and their wanton destruction of our islands, culture, and integrity of our people over the past couple of decades is unforgivable. They will never get my support again, and as long as he runs with them, he will not get my support. Let him know.
This is why young and intelligent Caymanians don’t run. This new government is not filled with young and intelligent Caymanians either it is a hybrid of 2 parties and independents. The same 2 independents that were part of 2 failed governments. This isn’t a PPM issue. We have a terrible vote buying problem that everyone knows about and nothing gets done about it. Many voters are only worried about what they can personally get from their politician and they don’t care about the bigger picture or what is best for the country.
Again, it is literally as simple as no longer supporting PPM. I’m a Caymanian in my 40s who has always lived in Cayman. I have seen firsthand what PPM has done to our islands, and I will no longer support them in any capacity. Feel free to let Justin know that if he runs independent and promises not to join with PPM, he’ll get my vote. IMO he won’t get in against Jay, but he’ll get my vote regardless.
Speaking of things that are illegal but apparently tolerated
I was wondering when the smiling faces on the very prominent ‘post-election’ signs bearing the ever so honourable faces of Kenny and and Dumb Dumb will be removed. I know that would require compliance with the law which does not seem to apply even after the election, but I was kind of hoping that things would be different now – you know with that vanishing rule of law thing……..
…and the sign above Kirk Motors.
Kenny’s by the roundabout could even have a speech bubble reminding idiots that although it’s a small roundabout, you still should be indicating your intentions, as it may help traffic move just a little bit smoother! Especially for those about to park up for the night at Mango Tree, get bladdered and then drive home.
One at lights near Flow still there today, illegal but what did they ever care about the law! Guess they put them up quick enough but beneath them to take them down or just want us to keep looking at KB’s ugly, arrogant face!
What do ACC actually do again ? Look at the annual reports and minutes of their last meeting’s for the past few years….. low hanging fruit to catch a few people trying to grab a bit of money to feed their families. How can you have an ACC that investigates corruption allegations but report to government and the blokehead in charge is on a contract – fearing if he will get the next one. Living off an investigation years old. Anyway, off for a game of golf now
Scranton is nicely filled for low-cost housing
I ask again: Why is Jefferson still the Financial Secretary? The man is a limp noodle who can’t stand up to these #$&# vultures and tell them “NO”. It is not as if they can fire him. 🤬
I think that you answered your own question
No, the MPs cannot fire him. Only the Governor (through Franz)
Naive – people have been massaged into various positions by politicians for decades – a certain too long serving politician from West Bay was a master and may still be a master.
Praise the lord they’re not in control anymore!
Two of them are Ministers, clown. 🤡
Which lord? Juju’s lord or Andre’s lord? Cause they seem to have two different plans.
My fairy godfather can beat up your fairy godfather.
Well some of them are. The new government just wants you to conveniently forget that Jay and Isaac were part of the group they slandered the whole election campaign.
Juju strikes again…
With her final curtains!! Bye!
First thing to do is put a hold on the Brac school and the Scranton park; then look at how cost savings can be made (maybe scale them back?) Also they need to look at any other pork barrel crap those slugs pushed through before they got run out. Could a scale back on MP pay be done? How about a scale back on the top paid civil servants? They also need to investigate Seymour’s businesses to see if they are all compliant with all labor laws, pension & health insurance.
Cost of Kenny park…32 affordable homes.
That’s real service to “my people” Kenneth.
Rolston Anglin, the new finance minister.?????? Really?
Did he not ditch a car near the Ritz while intoxicated, then leave the scene and shoplift from a store?
I’ll see your Rolston Anglin, and raise you a convicted drug dealer wrecking young Caymanian lives.
I remember the first bit, but not the second?
Kenny was an unsuccessful drug dealer.
He was a successful male model though.
LOL..successful male model..for little clothing stores in little Island, his handbags were successful too LOL
I was responding to the comment about Rolston: I remember him ditching car near Ritz intoxicated; but not this bit:
“… and shoplift from a store?”
The second bit refers to young Caymanians he sold drugs to , and has them either hooked, jailed or unemployed.
I know bout KB, but was responding to the comment about Rolston: I remember him ditching car near Ritz intoxicated; but not this bit:
“… and shoplift from a store?”
wasn’t this the one with a mystery woman in the vehicle, who went to a toilet and never reappeared? or am I getting my celebrity politicians mixed up?
your correct!
Buju was her name, or maybe it was Blacks? Who knows?
Why don’t Jay and Isaac explain it to us.
Or Kenneth, JOCC, Dwayne
Or, they could just appoint Kenny to the PAC that is supposed to scrutinize said spending…
My favorite was BrainDwayne getting added as a member of a board based around accountability. Leave it to PPM to put the fox in charge of the hen house. Maybe now we’ll get the results of his blood tests after one of his many accidents. 🙃
…in which language would you prefer, the multi international Covid linguist Tagalog, Spanish, French, Patois…no English as yet LOLOL
Cause they cant and east enders and north siders believed what those 2 dumb dumbs tell. More to come once audit results are revealed.
You think Jay and Isaac knew what they were doing?
No surprise there!
You won’t hear a peep from the new coalition government about this now since 2 of them are members.
2 Members-who obviously saw the light and came over from the Dark side..
Saw the light my a#@! Jay particularly was part of the lavish spending repaving roads in North Side except those roads where he knew people didn’t support him. It was rumored he was even handing out turkeys and hams he had left over from Christmas. Shameful! I don’t want to hear one single North Siders or East Ender complain about the cost of living cause you put these 2 dumb dumbs back.
Well there wasn’t much choice in North Side was there?
– North Side Voter
Will this govt give back the Big Payrise they got last time that “they weren’t responsible for”??
Yup and Jay Ebanks and Isaac Rankine who were part of the UPM Government got no criticism for their part in this as Catron went on the rampage against any PPM Candidate but left those 2 alone. Those same 2 were part of the government why Andre Ebanks et al quit but they took them right back to form the government.
Let’s see if Andre and Peanut can control them where Wayne failed.
I would put Slocum in charge before I would even allow Julie or anyone in the PPM to get their hands on our finances. Andre, will reign in the finances. He has his head screwed on right unlike the PPM who sold us out to line their own pockets..
Mac is gone, now we need to work on Julie, John John and the rest of the relics we call the PPM.
I doubt that Mac is gone – he will be there in the shadows as long as he is breathing I suspect
We know that, so much for being a ‘true’ disgusting Caymanian, where are all the bodies McKeewa!
Hearing Mac will be Jay’s new Political Assistant. Its Jay that has the power not Andre. FACT! Wayne can tell you.
too bad they can’t face some sort of traitorous charges for such stupidity