Job fair stirs up controversy
(CNS): The Verdant Isle consortium, which has been selected by government to take on the controversial cruise and cargo port project, has confirmed that it will be hosting a job fair ahead of the people-initiated referendum. However, the issue is already stirring up controversy as those campaigning against the proposed project believe that holding out the promise of jobs before the vote adds another inequity to the long list surrounding the campaign.
The issue about the jobs that will be created by this project is a sensitive one because of the misleading information that has been in the public domain.
Questions about the number and type of jobs on offer and who will get them has fuelled skepticism since, like many major projects, the promise of employment does not appear to be matched by the reality.
Last year government suggested more than 900 jobs would be created. That number has now dropped to around 200, according to officials from the group, though if the development goes ahead it could create another 300 jobs in the future — around half that indicated by government.
During the development phase the jobs will include construction workers and divers to help with a coral relation project. Many specialist jobs will be going to expatriate workers, as the group is looking for those experienced in marine construction. There are fears that, given the current levels of employment in Cayman and the specialist skills the project will require, almost all of the jobs will ultimately go to foreign workers and only a small number of local unemployed people will benefit.
However, despite the concerns, officials from Verdant Isle claim that there will be numerous jobs on offer in the fields of land and marine construction, tours and shore excursions, as well as jobs on the cruise ships. There will also be opportunities for small business owners to meet one-on-one with cruise company executives to discuss tour businesses and ideas.
T.J. O’Sullivan, the director of compliance, Global Tour Operations for Royal Caribbean, said the job fair would be helpful for anyone wanting to speak with Verdant Isle about employment during the construction phase or for those looking to benefit from cruise tourism.
“The cruise market is the fastest growing segment in the travel and tourism industry and presents a wide variety of opportunities for those looking to partner with the cruise companies,” he said. “We are always looking for unique and exciting tours for our guests and look forward to hearing and discussing ideas from Caymanians.”
“The port enhancement project translates into expanded opportunities for Caymanians and Caymanian businesses as Verdant Isle is committed to hiring local people and businesses where possible and to encourage the development of local industry,” O’Sullivan added in a release about the job fair.
The event will be held on Tuesday, 29 October, 4pm-8pm at Margaritaville Beach Resort, Grand Cayman, 269 West Bay Road.
The following day government leaders will be hosting a public meeting of their own about the cruise project. According to a flyer circulating via email, the Progressives will be making a presentation about the project at the George Town Yacht Club on Wednesday, 30 October, at 6pm. The flyer states that environment experts, the cruise lines and the PPM MLAs will be on hand to answer questions.
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Category: Jobs, Local News
Here is an excellent article that very clearly articulates both sides of the cruise industry ‘story’. It is a long read, but everyone should take the time to read it in its entirety. While there are definitely some benefits, the cruise industry is fraught with problems.
https://www.hakaimagazine.com/features/leviathans-in-the-harbor/?fbclid=IwAR1AIItsxz3OZB409FQ_PHqw-ihWViFQTpqR2ygwJVag7Fv7Ainjw4cuzmY
CIG learning from the Boris Johnson book of dirty tricks.
The premier himself has stated that this project will not cost 200 million and is expected to rise as much as 450 million. So for all of you feeding into the bag of lies they spewing to get their way I suggest you get as much info before you vote yes for something that will only hinder us Caymanians in the future..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndsXQGpATLk
You’re watching FOR THE RECORD with host, Orrett Connor. October 14th 2019
If the Port is built other jobs and opportunities will be created with new businesses, Tour Operators, the Turtle centre, the Port Authority, Customs and Border Control to name a few. It’s not just Verdant Isle that will be hiring. Probably in excess of another 400 jobs/business owner/operators.
If the Port is NOT built, other jobs and opportunities will be created and new business, tour operators, etc. will all benefit from the fact that there are five more hotels coming that will bring exactly the kind of stay-over tourists Cayman should be targeting. Not a bunch of cheapskates who want three t-shirts for $10 and who clog up our other great tourist attractions like Stingray City and Seven Mile Beach to the point where our stayover visitors can’t enjoy themselves because of the crowds. Vote NO.
LOL
The only people who have no jobs are those who have no skills, have learning disabilities and poorly educated.
We basically have full employment at 3%. Full employment is considered by western economists to be 3%.
Yeah good luck with that. Those will all be ex pats as well. Didn’t you get the memo that once the ships start coming in like this the cruise companies start owning these companies so that they make all the profit and a very little bit of money goes to the country. But keep living in dreamland.
Not likely. In the real world, the global shipyard order book does not have SuperGT cruise ships for future construction destined for Western Caribbean region. Liners have to consult with public shareholders, book a spot at one of the handful of yards with capacity to build and launch, and then lay their deposit money down. This is a transparent process taking years of lead time covered by hundreds of research analysts and Financial journalists. There aren’t more passengers magically coming, and we, the Cayman people, have been obligated by Unity Cabinet to make up the 20% shortfall in near-term arrival numbers, which could fall further now that Eastern Caribbean is coming back on stream. This is a terrible flawed deal from every angle, orchestrated by career profligate shills, with a history of bad judgment and deal making, and who may or may not be getting paid on the side (having gone out of their way to defy enactment of SIPL Constitutional disclosures).
Verdant Isle have no credibility. No one is going to believe Verdant Isle promise of jobs for Caymanians unless Government confirms it supports the job fair. What ya say Alden and Mac?
It’s worse than that: “Verdant Isle” is a disposable, belatedly-incorporated, limited liability Cayman Islands corporate shell, with no operational history, that has had to post no bid bond, or financial security of any kind. It isn’t an affiliate of any liner company, and hasn’t been asked to publish shareholdings, or bid document, and is, for all we know, a totally expendable alliance of convenience. We should assume that all of the partners can individually, or collectively, drop their proverbial clipboards and construction helmets, and walk away at the earliest indication of pear-shaped misadventure and disavow any liability thereafter. DART does the same thing with their myriad land-holdings via throwaway nominee companies. They are all disposable paper-thin promises, and we OF ALL PEOPLE, living here, seeing time and time again how these corporate scams work, should know better than anyone!
I have never been on a cruise, so I watched this video about Allure of the Seas, operated by Royal Caribbean International and my jaw dropped.
See for yourself then decide if cruise ship passengers would buy anything in GT shops. May be some local craft that is distinctively unique to Cayman. Other than that….. see the video.
No translation needed.
Cruise on the biggest liner in the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H76pEfqywAc
All that from one video! I am sure that you can find videos that would equally and strongly suggest that you never step outside of your door.
People realise that when you say “fix the dump” or “build the school” that there isn’t a magic $200m pot sitting somewhere and we are deciding what to do with it right?
This money isn’t going to be provided for other projects, the cruise lines have not donated $200m to our government, they bid on a project. If the port doesn’t go forward the money disappears or goes to another Island.
The cruise companies are putting in $200m upfront to fund the project and recovering this plus interest over the next 25 years. The money is being through a levy on passengers.
The Government could borrow $200m and repay this in the same way and use the money to improve schools or fix the dump.
The difference is in where the initial finance comes from.
The tenders are getting more than 200 million over 25 years. They stand to lose a lot of money if the port goes ahead so that’s the Not so secret opposition to the port.
1,900,000 passengers per year times $5.25 per passenger times 25 years is ~$ 250, 000,000 which will be paid to the tendering company BY THE CRUISE LINES!
If the dock is built the people of the Cayman Islands will be paying the Cruise Lines $450,000,000 whereas now we pay NOTHING!
How does this make commercial sense?
Let’s brush over the opposition from people concerned about the environment, about overloading our tourism offering with consequent damage to the stay over dollar, or who just don’t want to have to wade through a sea of day trippers and their transport every time we go to the beach or even try to drive down town on cruise day.
If the sole issue is the loss of tender revenue for the tender companies, offer them an alternative. Licence rendering as a concession and make them pay for it. They keep their business, at a reduced profit, and CIG makes additional revenue they can spend on the poor. Of course, that would cut out the opportunities for kickbacks, product on the construction contracts and increased sales of watches.
The tenders would still be required over 4 ship arrival days (we sometimes have up to 8 ships a day in high season) and for rough days, and their fleet running costs would remain static on less passenger volume. There is no net savings motivation that you can point at to make this false narrative case sensical.
The project is estimated to cost 450 million they said it themselves so the 200 million is just the beginning as there will be maintenance expenses as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndsXQGpATLk
The cruise lines donating these millions to us to build the dock, they are loaning us that $$ under terms that appear advantagous to them. The payments that the CI population will make are supposed to come out of landing fees. Currently all landing fees go to the government and this deal means some of those fees will go to the cruise lines.
The question is, if the landing fees are not enough to meet the loan terms how much extra are the citizens of the country going to have to come up with to pay off the loan on the dock?
Don’t be fooled, we are borrowing money to make the cruise ship industry more profitable, it doens’t do much for Cayman. There will be some good kick backs for some people here and lots of crumbs will fall from the feasting table but I would rather see us borrow that money to actually help the local population.
1;39 Normally a Bank would FORECLOSE!
You can’t lose what you never gained and you certainly won’t see an increased + leveled out passenger count without the upgrade
Ohh, on the fairy ships that don’t exist. Right.
And they’re captained by Jesus!
It is clear, given how clueless people are about the port project and specifically it’s funding (not from the Cayman people/government) that we need to fix the education system. Such poor reading comprehension is more of a national travesty than these piers being built.
But then, maybe the camplaigners haven’t actually read the details. Getting the facts is no fun I guess. They probably couldn’t read or understand them anyway.
Verdant Isle would be responsible for funding the $200 million project up front, paying off their own borrowing costs and an anticipated $75 million in maintenance expenses over the 25-year operation.
And how pray tell do you think the cruise companies will pay for all that, because they are not Santa Claus. Sure they will pay reduced tender fees, and that costs CIG nothing, but CIG will also give up the passenger head tax for 25 years – and that certainly is COG/ tax payer funding.
So by your own standards I guess YOUR reading comprehension isn’t that great – or more likely you know the above perfectly well and are just being intellectually dishonest.
You must have missed the part that we (not the liners) have already been pledged by our genius dealmakers/career gamblers to make up the difference in arrival numbers to 2.5mln, which in past record arrival year, currently stands at 500,000 plus and with a rising gap profile (with Eastern Carib coming on stream). There are no new ships on order for this Western Caribbean theatre of operation to raise the arrival numbers anywhere near the 20% improvement we would magically need to see, to not be on the hook for our portion of construction phase costs – which are just a particle of the full lifetime cost profile to the Cayman Islands (much of it irreversible costs). True lifetime project costs would be in the tens of Billions, with no assurance of arrival numbers, pledged retainer bonds from the disposable “Verdant Isle” consortium shellco, or necessarily the materialization of any jobs for any Caymanians.
Where is Alden’s government’s big push to improve the abysmal record of the public school system? Where is the concern for the well being of the Caymanian people who cannot afford to educate their children in expensive private schools, but instead are forced to leave their children in the FAILED public school system? Why is this government pushing these temporary short-term low wage construction jobs? Caymanians, don’t you want better for yourselves and your children’s future?
Cayman’s financial industry is where the HIGH INCOME jobs are, but this government has made no attempt to improve the public school system so that Caymanians will be prepared for higher learning so they can get those high income jobs.
Caymanian’s, how stupid are we? Is your child better off with a cruise port, where maybe one day they’ll have to compete with foreign labor in order to get a retail job selling t-shirts? Or is your child better off with YOUR government putting YOUR money into improving the public school system so that your child can one day have a CAREER that pays them well enough to bring your family to a higher level? How many Caymanian children could we educate with $200 million dollars? This is what EVERY Caymanian should be asking themselves!
We may very well need a new cruise port. But we need to fix public education in this country FIRST. Tell Verdant Isles to KEEP THEIR LOW INCOME JOBS!
You said “How many Caymanian children could we educate with $200 million dollars?”
Do you realize that the public is NOT paying any portion of the port? It is to be funded entirely by the cruise companies within Verdant Isle. How are people still not understanding this? So many camplaigners have not idea how this works apparently.
Do people seriously think the Cayman people are choosing to spend $200 million on the port, or the dump, or the schools? That’s not the choice at stake here.
So then, let’s talk about hte hundreds of hours at all levels of government that have been invested in this project? Hundreds of hours that would have been better spent on education and on social issues. Don’t kid yourselves that while our government is working so hard to make this happen that there are not many other projects and needs they are neglecting.
The fine print says the Cayman Islands citizens (gov.) is borrowing the money from the cruise lines to build the dock.
The trickery is in presenting it in a way that makes it look like there is zero cost to buiding it. Landing fees that used to go to government will now go to pay for the dock. If there is a shortfall in landing fees we will still have to pay for that loan.
1:44 What about if the world end first!
Still cannot figure out how First Caribbean (CIBC) can give such a massive loan to the port with no guarantees. Something not right with that. Canadian banks don’t do that sort of thing. Very fishy?
You do realise that we ARE paying for it with lost revenue by waiving fees right? The government will receive very little income from the ships for 20 years.
2:06 a Bank loan could be 30+
Have you ever heard the phrase ‘you don’t get something for nothing’? Very easy to remember and very true.
They are beyond stupid based on the comments. They deserve what is coming.
As one of my former bosses used to say, “You can’t hold being stupid against stupid people.” Come up with a simple narrative that can even draw in stupid people – like more jobs/money or else economic disaster (scare topics work – just look at Trump and Brexit) and you’ll win over the stupid people. And when the stupid people are told what to do at church, you can bet it’s “game over” for those against the piers. There are simply too many stupid people… unless, you come up with your own narrative that can attract stupid people. I can guarantee it’s not about the environment unless you show them how it affects their lives in economic terms – either positively or negatively. All arguments have to go back to their wallets because stupid people often don’t make a lot of money precisely because they’re stupid. If the campaigners want to win this battle, they had better put together a strong campaign to win over the stupid people, otherwise they are going to be trounced!
Your stupidity analysis failed to mention how the same politicians that are forcing us down the cruise dock path are the ones elected by Caymanian voters. You get the politicians you vote for.
Is this a job fair for positions to build the port or are they really trying to sell people on jobs that won’t be available before 2024?
Big business and corruption have almost always been in control in the Cayman Islands.
And the Lodge.
Guess we live and learn.
I know of hush your mouth
.Hush, you’re too loud
Hush, the baby’s asleep
Hush money,
BUT HUSH JOBS?!!!
Makeup your minds. You complain about lack of information and consistently ignore or misrepresent information that is released. Now a jobs fair is bad because it doesn’t fit with your world view? No one is forced to attend. Stop whining!
Can’t wait to get the opportunity to put that fat X by no for this project and Yes for lack of confidence in these sceamers.
7:02 the hard part will be to find the replacements!
If the referendum gives green light to the project and it gets started, it would never get completed, for destruction of your ONE and ONLY product that you sell to visitors would be catastrophic.
Get ready for a new episode of Comedy central: Cayman edition, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.”
Why would jobs for Caymanians be controversial. Caymanians don’t be fooled. You must see by now that anything that is good for Caymanians get opposed by the special interest groups. All of these persons and CPR who oppose the Piers. Ask them if they are going to help feed your family if these jobs are not created. Not today Bo Bo!! Premier build the Piers. Hurry nah!
Unemployment is at the lowest level since 2006 (when the Hurricane Ivan construction boom was happening) and close to its lowest ever. https://tradingeconomics.com/cayman-islands/unemployment-rate
Why the need for all of these imaginary jobs all of a sudden?
I wonder how much the task of getting nimrods such as yourself to comprehend the article, let alone the overall equation, would offer in remuneration?!? Is there a current value placed on fixing stupid? One can only hope that you are just another scumbag fake put in place by the pro port propaganda machine to spread more lies and misinformation because you are a millstone around the neck of the present and future wellbeing of the Cayman Islands and her people.
I bet if we Caymanians weren’t so complacent most of the time, a nice protest similar to what we’re seeing in Hong Kong currently (but without the civil unrest) we can shake things up and those against the port who will be voting NO, we just start gathering at the job fair, out in force, loud and in their faces – this just might convince the powers to be that, ‘yea, let’s just wait until the votes are counted.’ :/
Read this:
Florida will lose claim to ‘world’s largest cruise ship,’ but that’s OK because giant ships are the worst:
https://m.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2019/10/15/florida-will-lose-its-claim-to-hosting-worlds-largest-cruise-ship-but-thats-ok-because-giant-ships-are-the-worst
PS. I block YouTube ads featuring shills who directly benefit from cruise ship ports and the like industry. They cannot be un-biased or their opinions have any truthful validity, imo. Don’t SupPort.
We won’t be able to protest either. Why do you think Alden wants this “Defense Regiment”?? He knows that Caymanians are fed up with his lack of transparency and total disregard for the common Caymanian. His Defense Regiment is intended to put down ANY pushback from the people!
The Republican Guard!
The Keystone Cops will be more like it.
Looks like our wise leaders are taking notes from the chinese government. Why represent the people when you can represent yourself?
pretty interesting, – the emoticons show approx 1000% difference in favour of those who might vote against the port to those that would that would vote build.
Conversely thumbs up/down typically show about 100% to favour ‘move forward with the port and cargo facility.’
Someone seems to be promoting misinformation here, – surely the CIG and it’s chosen PR institution wouldn’t be engaged in such a thing against the people they’re supposed to be representing, – (based on the aggregate of bots perhaps swaying the up/down vote before but unable to read, comprehend an article in full then choose a visual emoticon)
CPR seems to have a much better grasp on the stance of the majority of Grand Cayman’s voting population whom they’re fighting for, – time already for the Premier to reconsider staying at his position and Verdant Isle to hoist the sails and head back
10:39 pm do you really believe that “CPR seems to have a much better grasp on the stance of the majority of Grand Cayman’s voting population”? Are you talking about the same CPR that is all in a panicked frenzy trying every whichaway to delay the Referendum?
Yes the same but different, – the CPR that is driven on principle & morality for all of the electorate which seems to be shown in favour at 38/14 thumbs, 275% or supported pretty much at 3:1 against the pier, emoticons still showing 900% disagree with the port being built or 9:1 not in favour or an aggregate of 6:1 based on the above – that’s not just my opinion, that’s what the underlying math says.
So let me get this right. Opponents of the port have been demanding more information on jobs. Verdant create a job fair and open house to provide that very information and indeed the opportunity to ask direct questions, and those same opponents are now complaining??
Um no. You haven’t really been paying much attention eh..
If you will actually read AND comprehend (from your comment, that is debatable) this article you may be able to get more details. But I doubt it.
This so called job fair could easily be held after the vote. There is no advantage to be gained by having it before the vote, other than the benefit of influencing people who may be on the fence or weak minds.
Basically it’s about the timing. How can you promise someone a job when it’s not even confirmed to be happening yet? And how do you not get that?
Has a lot to do with manipulation of an population that is too lazy to pay attention and corruption at the highest level.
The more information we have prior to the vote, the more informed our choice will be. Am I missing something?
Yes, an aptitude for comprehension.
1:03 That is what the NO PORTS been CRYING for!
Yup, you got it wrong.
Verdant Isle is holding a job fair to advertise jobs that may occur, but only if you vote yes. (May occur, in two year’s time. So sign up now.)
I guess the lack of finance rules around the referendum at least saves us from arguing over whether a private company signing people up for jobs in return for votes counts as campaigning or not.
12:09 2 years vs no years!
I have a bridge to the Brac to sell you. It will be completed in two years time. Send me a cheque now and you can make your money back on tolls when the bridge is finished.
BOO HOO people will have jobs…
The PPM constantly brags about how they have lowered unemployment to record levels, and yet when it comes to this project, it’s needed because the people need jobs. And gullible people like you believe them. Sad.
8:45 rephrase its bewildering
The wheels are obviously coming off the CPR bus!
Remember how loudly they bawled that they wanted to know exactly which jobs will be added as a result of building the cruise dock. So for a start, Verdant Isle has organized a job fair to begin recruiting for the first 200 jobs here, real people being sought to fill real jobs. So now, CPR is publicly exposing the fact that they’re actually AGAINST having those real jobs being offered to real people until after their Referendum! And what’s more, CPR has publicly exposed that they are actually AGAINST getting the referendum done as soon as possible. And what’s even more, CPR has now exposed that they are actually AGAINST following the law pertaining to the required timelines for properly adding eligible Caymanians to the electors list.
For those vociferous activists who built their undercarriage to roll on the slick twin wheels of fabrications and misguided perceptions, reality is a most unwelcome inconvenience for them because, as I’ve said, in the clear light of reality’s dawn, their wheels fall off … or to be more precise, their wheels are exposed to have no substance, nothing more than deceptive illusions conjured up by their smoke-and-mirrors hyped-up media circus.
Da wha dey get!
Someone needs to report Carnival and Royal Caribbean to the US Department of Justice. Meddling in another country’s political affairs to gain financial advantage is no different than what the Russians did in 2016..except this one is blatant…would love to see someone get arrested at the private PPM meeting they are having at GT Yacht Club..
The Russian one was blatant in the US too. Still is.
You just can’t make people happy. Everyone keeps begging for this job list and now they have a fair to show you what the jobs are and it’s a bad thing? Anyone that believes CPR is out for Cayman and Caymanians is a fool. self interest only.
It’s about the timing. How can you promise someone a job when it’s not even confirmed to be happening yet? …But you already knew that.
8:48 I think this is what y’all been asking for!
This is clearly an attempt at vote buying. The cruise lines are being used as another means to ensure Caymanian don’t vote against the project. Think about it, who is going to vote against a project that just offered them or a family member a chance at a job. I say chance because I can guarantee that when all is signed and done those very same job offers will be rescinded and headed to cheap foreign labor and the Caymanian will have again fallen victim to being used by their leaders. Sad sad sad. Vote no, it is the only way you truly have a say in the future. Voting yes is throwing away control of our future both directly and indirectly. At the end of the day a small few will have lined their pockets and off they will jet to Monaco to live out their days without a care for the mess they leave behind. VOTE NO – IT MAY BE ONE OF THE LAST FEW FREE VOTES YOU EVER HAVE!!
8:19 do you know who is the first to know, when a person is talking TRASH, guess!
Where is the Governor in this whole mess? I think it’s time to call on the British to oversee this travesty.
Remember what McKeeva told him, “Cockroach has no business in a rooster fight”. Governor ain’t nothing but a pawn in this game of chess, the Lodge makes the decisions round here.
The British are avoiding this like it was the plague. ‘Nothing to see here, all just a local matter, no issues of good governance to address.’
The British have far bigger problems right now.
In the end locals won’t even get the jobs. I’ve not had one caymanian work on my house but loads of cheap permit labour brought in by the caymanian owner.
8:06 It is not as much about cheap labor as it is about getting your HOUSE DONE!
Contractors has Bank Loans too!
And not hiring caymanians because……
Have*
While I kinda wanted to support Kenneth’s polling, it would unfortunately be heavily skewed.
The only people who have a true interest in attending the poll on Dec 19th are those to vote No. Obviously Yes people will be enjoying an extra vacation day.
One demographic will come out 300 ft away from Kenneth’s Tents. Such a demographic does not want Cayman to change. I’m confident that the results for gay marriage etc will be majority No but that won’t be an accurate representation of the entire community.
The other half will stay home and save the trouble. If they want the port, they obviously think much differently and will have opposing views with the related polling questions.
I think a more balanced approach to asking such questions to a population is on a topic that draws everyone out – eg elections where it is the majority. However in this case only a certain group will show up. I’m not saying go build the port, but it’s simple facts.
Welcome to the PPM & Unity Railroad. I know a railroading when I see it. Choochoo!
This is clearly a strategic move to influence voters’ thoughts and decision at the Referendum, akin to the Russians meddling in the USA elections! This so called job fair could easily be held after the vote. There is no advantage to be gained by having it before the vote, other than the benefit of influencing people who may be on the fence or weak minds.
The project has not been cancelled, and until it is there is nothing wrong with having a job fair for those who may wish to find employment there.
The project has not been approved, i.e., contracts signed, either.
There isn’t a problem with signing people up for a job if they vote yes? Might as well just give us cash for our votes and cut out the pretense.
Must admit this move really is outrageous. Stinks of arrogance. I was on the fence with my vote, but this leaves a sour taste in my mouth politically.
Reference to Russians meddling ? Are you serious? They are the preferred bidder and unless the project is legally stopped by a referendum result they are obligated to continue all the planning and other preparations to move the project along. If they end up losing money it’s their right to take that risk. It’s not illegal or political meddling to do any of this, because the project has not been stopped.
@10:29 You obviously missed the point!
The story is that the American Indians sold Manhattan for a chest full of trinkets. Stupid uneducated Indians. Right?
Except the Indians actually got the trinkets. Not the promise of a trinket in due course ( assuming in the meantime they couldn’t find another tribe that would accept less).
what’s more shocking is that after 14 years of living here and being a permanent resident I have no say… more than half the population of voting age can’t vote. Let that sink in!
I don’t know why the rules are different here than in the motherland. If you’re a BOT citizen and has leave to enter or remain in the UK (i.e. is lawfully allowed to be in the UK) then they can vote. Maybe when thousands of Cayman’s population decide not to get out of bed that day and the CIG push through this travesty, you’ll realize that we’re not the enemy.
https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/register-vote-and-update-your-details
I have 20 years and I have no vote neither. Incredible when you think about it in a place which calls itself a democracy.
What’s up with that? If you are here legally for 20 years you should be eligible to vote by now, if you have been following the process.
6:26 pm, u came here because here is different than where u came from But then u want to change here like where u came from. So why u came here then if want it to be like where u came from. So it would be more simply if you just leave here an go back where u came from instead of wanting to change here to be like where u came from
Don’t be so lazy that you can’t write the word “you.” It’s childish and annoying. And, just so you know, the idea that things should stay they way they were just because that’s the way they’ve always been is a very backwards way of thinking. The fact that someone is a British Overseas Territory Citizen, and eligible for a Cayman Islands passport, should probably entitle them to enfranchisement. At least that’s the way it would be in a progressive, forward-thinking society. Isn’t the first word of PPM supposed to be “Progressive?
You seem like the average deplorable that literally sits under a tree all day, doing sweet F** All, talking smack and smoking the herbs.
Modern thinking please.
Umm, because we are not American Indians, God bless their souls and because we don’t want an equivalent to the mess of Brexit here. Thank you.
Wow. I can see L.D.s analogy is lost on you. Try thinking past the most basic mean of the words.
I don’t know what Brexit has to do with anything, but if you think the Cayman Islands doesn’t have a political mess on its hands with single-member constituencies, then your head is deep in the sand of Seven Mile Beach my friend. And by the way… that’s a metaphor, so don’t bother telling me you don’t go to Seven Mile Beach.
Methinks you and others who like your comment ( I suppose all PR) are all highly ungrateful. Here you are away from your hostile home environments, living on an island where you are able to mingle freely, criticize the natives, earn a better living than that in your own country ( otherwise you would not have come here) , able to write anonymously, have your private parties not mix with the natives after work and still you complain that you can’t vote. Vote for what another one of youse to overlord over us, another or many more of you to despise us behind our backs and smile up in our face.
Well dear one never happen, ain’t gonna happen, while there is sun and moon over these islands, and I can assure you that even an order in council will not allow you the privileges that you now have. So dear ones, you can stay and enjoy your privileged status on these Islands or you can pick up ya bundle and ,leave and go back to your smoggy, tax cumbersome, seedy flats if you’re lucky and ya good ole fish n chips and Shepherds Pie mate.
Toodledo, fare thee well. You won’t hear from me again, unless you are going to invite me to your house to break bread with you. Nah you dont cook right, you eat at restaurants all de time ya poor ting.
I’m Caymanian. I vote. I’m grateful. But disenfranchising a large segment of the popular who have been hear 10 years is just wrong, and you, mate, are a xenophobic ass.
@6;40 AM I shouldn’t dignify you with an answer and your xenophobic ass comentario, but I will. You moronic disrespectful snob of , I too am a Caymanian and if you note my comment did not call anybody an ass or any such other comment. I stated my privileged opinion just as you have and if you can’t respect that then Du, mein Freund, bist nicht mehr als ein vonstipated Ese.
Ugh. You’re deplorable.
Sie können “du” mir nicht sagen. Ich bin nicht dein Freund, Scheisskopf.
Hello 8:40 being “popular” does not provide anyone with the right to PR status or voting rights. If you’re going to provide an opinion check your spelling.
7:49 you have RELATIVES where I come from.
Want the right to vote? Get status. Can’t have your cake and eat it also.
PS> I think the fetish for letting ‘anyone’ in the country vote is silly, and I’ve lived there. However, in places where the voting turn-out is lower, and its harder to vote, I guess you do anything you can to up the numbers.
As for more expats guaranteeing us a better result, how did you vote on Brexit? (Or Trump v Clinton for Americans.) Since most democracies are currently teetering on the 50/50 vote split (figuratively speaking, see Canada with an incoming minority government, or Israel unable to form a government) more/foreign voters does not guarantee the ‘right’ decision. Unless you are suggesting that us Caymanians invariably make the wrong decision. Such as not letting you vote on our future in the first place.
It’s my future too!
Then get naturalized. There is a process. The complaint is that everyone should get the right to vote as long as their British and live here. So you could step off the airplane from Birmingham on Wednesday, and then vote on Thursday.
I am naturalized but I can’t vote. Why should I wait until 15 years for status to vote when I’m naturalized and on that path?! I’m not British either… I don’t think anyone who steps off a plane should vote but if you’re naturalized than why not!?!!
It’s puzzling why counsel for CPR haven’t filed an FCPA complaint with the US Dept of Justice against the recidivists from Carnival and Royal Caribbean. If the CIG won’t release the bid document, and deliberately fails to enact SIPL to prevent the true disclosure of their immediate conflicts and interests, including hidden terms of this deal, then there is a substantial assumption of a corrupt arrangement where the DOJ can open all the books from the US-side and apply fines to CCL/RCL if warranted. Clearly our regime is corrupted to some depth, and these liners are quite literally banking on the status quo maintaining. Let them prove otherwise before ripping up our resources. Change the tune and the tempo from the US side, and vacate some key executive positions in our LA and at the liners!
There is no substantial nothing. You and others are so blinded by negativity that you are failing to think straight. Where in the world do you find documents of ongoing negotiations or contracts being released prior to a deal being signed. Sheer nonsense ,It just isn’t done simply because of preconditions within the contracts to protect the parties from competitive disadvantage. Now I don’t know which Department of Justice you ate so in tune with but I guarantee you that what you suggest be done will not prevail in the United States of America. Prove me wrong.
If there is no substantial nothing, that means there’s a substantial something. There; you’re proved wrong by your own statement.
@8:42 you’re so bright are you called Sun or What😜
8:42 you family to Mary Mary quite contrary bredren. Cha rest ya self Iah .
Me jus playin wid him, mon!
Yes 8:42 you are so wise ! Congratulations
And you @8:42 are such a priss.
Any transparent RFP bid and procurement process requires publication/availability of an actual bid document, not just from the winning bidder, but also from the losing bidders. The winning bidder has been announced. There are no competitors at that point, it’s just Verdant Isle in the winners chair. We, the public, deserve to understand how that decision was made, and criteria. It’s not something to be papered in later. Integrity Watch and hundreds of other NGOs review these docs from around the world, including from places like Afghanistan and the Sudan. DoJ would love to fine CCL and RCL and sanction related US individuals. It’s their full time job!
@9:19I’m sorry but I must draw your attention to “contract not yet signed”. Kapish
Sigh. Capice.
Hello the contract na sign yet stupid.
Lol this port is going to be built regardless of what the pepole want. Save this comment.
You wish. Even if it gets all approvals, IT WON’T BE BUILT! Simply because NOTHING, I repeat NOTHING is done right in this country. The environmental con·se·quences and the very product you sell, wich is SMB destruction, WILL stop the project midway. But you have to learn it hard way.
Referendum hasn’t even happened yet!? Why is this job fair even happening?
Wotes
Why is the job fair happening? Are you for real?
For over a year a ‘Caymanian mother’ who CPR like to refer to and include in their videos has been asking exactly what jobs, at what salary and requiring what qualifications will be up for grabs at the berthing facility?
Now, that ‘Caymanian mother’ and CPR will have those questions answered plus it says there will also be information about working on cruise ships as well.
Sounds like everything that’s been asked will finally be answered. So whats the problem?
CPR are supposedly fighting for people to have as much information as possible before referendum day. The job fair will provide important information so surely that’s a good thing, right?
Unless CPR and their supporters only want people to have THEIR information before referendum day and no-one else’s?
The job fair is a dog and pony show to give gullible Caymanians the idea that this project is going to give them jobs, as if this one will be different that all the other projects in the past. It’s a political ploy, plain and simple. Sure, some Caymanians will get low-paying jobs out of this project, but they might not even want them because there is so much construction on this island right now that pretty much anyone who wants a job in the industry, has one.
Why are you SO rude?
The Mother who was on the CPR video didn’t ask for this information yesterday.
Further, all of the jobs that Moses rudely promised have been cut by about 75%.
Everyone knows that every vote is going to count on December 19.
You can’t have a job fair for jobs that DO NOT yet exist. C’mon! Feel your dam head.
6:00 Remember y’all wanted INFORMATION BEFORE the REFERENDUM!
Information. Which they still haven’t actually published. Not ‘sign up for a job, that will exist if you vote yes’. – Would it be fair if someone offered a $1,000 per person who votes ‘no’? No, you wouldn’t. Then why support this ‘job fair’ manipulation of the vote?
INFORMATION before REFERENDUM!
Still waiting on the information.
A jobs fair is not information.
What the hell is really happening in cayman ?
We have a bird in the hand and the PPM have convinced their mindless followers there are 10 birds with their wings clipped in a bush just over the hill waiting to be picked up
They have every incentive to lie about this project because once it is approved and signed off they will have literal years to rationalize why it never lived up to all the promises made
They are counting on Caymanians who are greedy and shortsighted enough to think this will be the panacea for all their issues in the tourism industry
I wonder what the next $200 million dollar solution that will solve all their problems will be?
Nest big ‘ting on the board is Mandarin at Beach Bay, Go East..new airport at East End , Traffic Fly-over at Hurleys , Iconic Tower , 2 more Dart tunnels on 7 Mile , DART sky-scraper over Tunnel 1.0 . DART turning old Britannia into a Megapolis
John Gray High school, where less 10% will benefit to find jobs. Because of no qualifications to work in tourism or construction.
The consortium needs to take their nose out of the politics of the Cayman Islands it has no business meddling.
This job fair seems to be a bit of cart before the horse mentality, would it not make sense to have the job fair after the result of the referendum.
CPR can meddle right back via US DoJ, and should!
Interesting idea but legally costly. Pro-bono someone?
I hope they do it and quickly!!
@6:18 stop bull sheeting people will ya.
5:30 INFORMATION before REFERENDUM
The real question isn’t why the jobs numbers have dropped from 900 to 500
The real question is what else have they lied about
400 new expats with special skills not available on island – bet on it.
7:41 What it takes to get the job done!
Because they don’t have a crystal ball..do you..?
Probably because the dredging is about half what it used to be, project footprint shrunk to please environmentalists….
You’d think the pro port supporters wouldn’t do something as blindingly obvious as dislike spamming anti port comments that prove without a doubt the government was lying
Pick your battles
Is this the hill you are going to die on?
Im not the one who forced the minister to say there would be 900 jobs, a number they included in their advertising material
You all keep lying then get mad when people point it out
400 jobs for expats with skills not available on island. Bet on it.
8:34 who to blame!