National lottery not on Progressive agenda
(CNS): Sports and Community Affairs Minister Osbourne Bodden has said that the Progressives are not campaigning for a national lottery, despite comments he made to a reporter from the Bahamas. The minister told CNS that while he personally looks favourably on a lottery to help boost government coffers, it’s not a party position and he has no plans to promote the idea when he hits the election trail for the 2017 poll. He said that a lottery is not a government position but merely a view he holds that might be something the country could entertain in the future.
“I believe that a national lottery could be devised to attract local and primarily overseas participation, and it could serve to alleviate some of the pressures on our budget for more and more services, especially as it relates to education,” Bodden said. “We have had an illegal numbers game here for many years, which could also be legalized and it could add the fees charged to our coffers.”
Speaking to CNS after an article appeared in the Bahamas-based Freeport News, he said that he had no idea that he was being interviewed by a reporter when he chatted with Fred Sturrup, who he believed was involved in sports management. “The gentleman did not interview me and he took what was a simple personal conversation and made a story of it for his own selfish reasons and personal gain.”
Bodden had told the reporter that he had long believed a lottery could help support sports funding but “the religious sector has so much influence” in Cayman that it was unlikely to be a reality anytime soon.
Speaking to CNS, he agreed that there would still be kick-back from the church if government was to consider a lottery and it would not happen without the support of the people.
“Of course we know that we will have strong objection by our large Christian community and therefore it would be something that would have to be a referendum issue, otherwise any government would run the risk of paying at the polls for trying to do so,” he said.
But Bodden pointed out that a lottery could be the answer to the reducing the pressure on the public purse for many things that need more cash.
“The truth is more and more services are demanded of government — education, healthcare, sports and social services — and with our current tax base, outside of direct taxation, alternatives have to be found,” the minister said, stressing that it was not on the PPM “radar” at present.
Category: Local News
Allow gambling on the cruise ships in port. They will pay you for the privilege.
National voting system first; then the lottery.
Every eligible voter should have 6 votes; one in each district and one for the sister islands.
One man, one vote is capitalism not democracy!!
I completely agree with the comments about Jim Bodden; that statue is an offence to all honest people.
A Cayman national lottery could not work, there are simply not enough potential participants. You can’t compare the rampant ‘numbers game’ based on either the Jamaican or Honduran lotteries with a theoretical Caymanian version. The Jamaican, Honduran, Florida, UK, or wherever lotteries have a large customer base to sustain them, regardless of whether anyone outside those countries takes part either legitimately or through touts. No-one outside the C.I. is likely to take part in a local version, hence the prize fund will be extremely limited and the operating costs will make it impracticable.
No-where in the bible is there a prohibition of gambling; so far as I can tell the ‘church’ objection is based only upon the roman soldiers ‘casting lots’ for Jesus’ clothes, such as they were. Perhaps ‘casting lots’ does not include raffles???
You just join one of the other lotteries and get a cut based on your sales. It would be easy.
Whilst I am against casinos and the ills that follow them, I do believe that these islands need a national lottery.
The casinos bring with it several draw backs but a national lottery would help once it is managed properly and without being corrupted.
The only issue with the national lottery is that there are several highly placed powerful individuals (including churches), with a lot of influence, that do not want a national lottery as it would take away alot of bussiness from their numbers game.
Everyone knows who the local numbers people are, everyone knows who wins ( just last week someone won huge). These same people are against a national lottery because they wouldnt get the money anymore (for the big house in Redbay for example).
Come on think about it. If you running numbers and collecting alot of money you get to keep, and Govt want to do a national lottery, what are you gonna do? Let them or do everything you can to stop them.
I believe these islands should do a national lottery. I could stop buying the Fla Lottery then (I spend 20US every month for a chance to win, over 5 draws, at least 5 million) I’d rather spend that here if i had the same chance. But i aint buying numbers locally, everyone knows they cheat it alot by switching the winning number at the last minute.
YEs we do have a National Lottery for Permanent Residence. Apply for it, get it, but do NOT pay the PR fees – but now get to benefit from getting Status and ALL rights as a Caymamian.
Yessah.. who run tings now
Hell why would we have a national lottery when we can continue to raise fees on small businesses, increase taxes on the middle class and spend wastefully on so-called needed government projects. Ozzie, is a clueless guy and should donate his $10K monthly salary to help the NCVO and other charities. The churches have too much influence and trust me if they got $1million from the lottery they’ll turn a blind eye, bunch of hypocrites dressed up like disciples. I support legalising the lottery and ganja, I predict that $50 million a year would be made and probably 200 new jobs created. Wake up Cayman, Switzerland and Luxembourg have national lotteries and they are rich, safe and great places to live.
He is a Minister, its much more than $10k
12:32 Progressive to what?…. To a nation of gambling addicts and ALL the social ills that come with it? Enriching the Gov’t coffers is an illusion!!! The only ones that benefit from gambling, in the long run, is the casinos/ house- which is why they seek to expand their business to other territories. Do we really need another means of enslaving/addicting our people? Hasn’t crack cocaine done enough damage? Thanks to any Gov’t that has the vision to keep gambling off their agenda. A wise man once said, “Where there is no vision the people perish.”
How many things has this and previous governments done “without support of the people”?
Churches do not run this country, the Government does and the law does; as apparent in the recent situation with Mr Raznovich – logic must override hysterics !
If the Government sees that adding a national lottery can improve life on this island overall – it should not back down because of individuals misinterpreting the scriptures.
The Bible does not even speak directly about gambling but it does speak negatively about lending and borrowing – but I bet 4/5ths of any congregation (and the pastor) have a car loan, house loan, personal loan and/or credit card!
I am tired of this preach, preach and no practice thing that we have forced on us in this island – and the Minister has already told us what their primary concern is: “…otherwise any government would run the risk of paying at the polls for trying to do so”…
So, it is obvious that the primary concern of the PPM is reelection and NOT the love and/or progress of this country! Spoon-feed the voters just enough to have them voting, not enough to have them thinking!
Mess, absolute mess!
Nothing progressive is on the “Progressive” agenda… we get this already. Moving on.
“You are Fired” – I support your opinion on Ossie’s gullibility and lack of individuality but pleeeze do not use “Statesman” and Jim Bodden’s name in the same sentence and certainly do not relate the two! Jim Bodden’s arrogant, bullying, corrupt and xenophobic rhetoric and policies are the root cause of our present Cayman – lazy Caymanians with entitlement mentality, who depend on political hand-outs and hate foreigners, and politicians who use personal politics to control the lives of others. Not to mention his introduction of Lodge into the halls of Government!!!
I speet wiz deesgust at the sound of his name!!!
You speed eh, I bet if I could get a hold on you you won’t just spit, you would puke, shite and pee and spit at th same time. Didainful ill mannered no count sob who has the nerve to desecrate the name of our first National Hero. If ya think you man, reveal ya name.
After Driftwoodgate, any mention of his name should be prefaced by the words “angry racist”.
Osbourne, you’re fired!
this guy is a waste of space……bodden town electorate….shame on you!
PPM dont want this because they cant buy votes if the voters already have money.
4.57pm Obviously you do not have a clue as to how stupid you sound. Why don’t you do us all a favour and truthfully identify yourself as UDP supporter or at least as a ‘PPM Hater’.
Both 4.57 and 11.24, childish comments-do try to behave like grown ups.
PPM / UDP, same Kool-Aid, different coloring.
Keep your mouth shut and people think you are a dufus, open it and remove all doubt. Please do not lay this at the feet of churches and Christians.
1) Other countries, e.g., UK, where they instituted lotteries, etc., ‘to pay for additional social services’ are still begging poverty in paying for ‘social services’.
2) All a lottery is is a tax on the mathematically challenged. i.e., a fool and his money are soon parted and the lottery company (because any Government would farm this out on contract) will make a fine profit from your hopes and dreams and children’s tears. (But at least Ozzie could say that he got more of your money for sports through a regressive tax.)
3) A portion of the lottery proceeds would have to go to supporting Gamblers Anonymous (yes, its a real thing) and of course additional welfare spending to support those families where the breadwinner gambled away the bread. All in the name of supporting Ozzie’s sports programmes.
Now those useless peoplewho have Permanent Residence but refuse to pay the immigration fee need to PAY UP..or go back a yard. They WILL be named!
No employer, hospital or school should accept them or their kids until they present their RECEIPTS!
Ossie my boy, how many times are you going to put your foot in your mouth? You are a Public Servant, anything you say is for the record, regardless of where or to whom. You need to practice a little “think before you speak” sometimes. That is what got you in problems with your Chief Officer and the “driftwood” comment. now every one of those BT voters who came here by plane (or boat) is just waiting for the opportunity to vote against you. You need to stop being so gullible and easily duped my friend. I think you are out of your league and led around by the nose by your Premier as well.
How can you hope to fill the shoes of those great BT leaders who came before you when you can’t even handle a conversation with a reporter? What I see shaping up in BT is a long line of Statesmen (Jim, Bodden, Haig Bodden, Roy Bodden, Gilbert Mclean, Anthony Eden and young Suckoo).. all have been hated by some and loved by the majority, but all have left their mark and some continue to do so, you and your compadre Wayne however are lacking……In the words of Donald Trump, “You are both Fired”!!!!!
1.58pm You do not support PPM that is clear and your bias shows thus negating the impact of your post. People see it for what it is, putting down PPM and building up there opponents. Ozzie stated that he engaged in a private conversation which was later made public , he was not interviewed.How about giving some blame to someone who would pull such a trick. But you know how it “you laugh today, I laugh tomorrow>. Your day in the spotlight will come , let’s see how you deal with it . Karma is …
Lets test your theory… When Donald Trump uttered those famous words “Grab her by the %^&*#”, are the American voters supposed to discard them because they were not spoken “on the record”?.
P.S. It is “Their” not “There”
I want a lottery and casinos…preferably not Trump ones…
Has Ozzie been up to his shouting at civil servants again? That’s the marl road chat in the government building.
Why would the PPM help anyone but their financially secured supporters especially the common voter who is totally dependant on their vote buying monies to help them get elected. Yes Cayman i wonder if the great mother country will be investigating the amount of vote buying that will be going or will they sanction it yet again as they did in the last election. They have enough $$$ this go around too to make it happen.
Looks like the Progressives are falling apart. Minister Bodden you mis- spoke. Please refrain from blaming it on the Churches. If you want to bring your Referandum and abide by the results.
You are free to initiate a referendum if you want one; don’t wait for Ozzie.
if you want to help gioovernment finances….implement some of the recommendations in miller shaw or e&y reports…….
Take people who don’t pay HSA bills to court
ppm have an agenda??????
A national lottery meeeh. I think it could add something but I would be much more inclined to see us look into Casinos here in Cayman. I believe we could use this vehicle to drive tourism to the Cayman Islands during traditionally dead periods.
I would have tournaments during July to October annually to bring tourism in during traditionally slow times which would even out seasons for the Islands leading to stability for the Island.
I would allow Casino ships to dock here also.
As for locals I would make them pay a fairly hefty fee to play. This would lower the social service issues.
In all it would benefit the Cayman Islands as more duties on tickets for CIG, CIG would get license fees and possible % of sales.
If done right we could create another sub leg to our Tourism product that the Medical Tourism Industry was to create.
Let’s also remember the boost to the Construction Industry that would be seen. Interest in the Cayman Islands by big name casinos.
At it’s very least it would create more dialog about the Cayman Islands.
I think with all the raffles and prize things going around Cayman we need to stop being hypocrites. It’s like the Sunday laws. I can buy a beer at a hotel bar but not a bread at the Supermarket. People God sees everything we do. We cannot live double lives with him.
I think if you look at all the pressure being placed on our financial center we need to devise a more diverse economy should this lead leg falter later on. Doing this now would secure us later. We need to be proactive and not wait until something happens.
This is one of the few things we can do that does not cost us a gazzilion dollars, ie dock, garbage, that can generate money for the country that someone else is paying for.
Think about it people!!!
So spinning a wheel or turning a card can make or break you? This is insanity and it has no place in a sane society.
Which sane society are you referring to? Sounds to me a casino would fit right in!
We need to start thinking ahead or we waste time like you lambasting people without any real solutions. So tell us how do we protect the Cayman Islands from destruction should our finance market dries up??? Do tell.
No referendum for equal human rights but we would get one for legalizing gambling? What f**k are you smoking. find something washed up on the beach Ozzie? Gambling is rampant here, no one cares, the churches sell raffle tickets every week. News flash! That’s gambling!
He smoking driftwood?
That washes up on the beach.
Can someone please tell me and the rest of Cayman what Osborne has actually accomplished during his tenure other than passing boxes of nappies to volunteers for Haiti?
I also like how he highlights that anything that offends Christians can be put to a referendum before a decision is made? In other words, religion dictates our laws. Nothing wrong with that Osborne, nothing at all.
Unless the nappies were used, he hasn’t done shit.
Not on the agenda huh? How is that being progressive?