Premier: Cayman is paradise in troubled world
(CNS): In his Christmas message this year Premier Alden McLaughlin urged people to count their blessings, saying that despite the challenges the country faces, the Cayman Islands remains a paradise in a troubled world. He said his government remained steadfast in its goal to improve the lives of all Caymanians and that it would be working hard over the next year to fulfill commitments made to move Cayman forward.
Acknowledging that not everyone has been supportive of everything government wanted to do this year, the premier avoiding speaking directly about the cruise port controversy and the pending referendum on the project. But before offering his festive greetings to the country, he said that democracy in Cayman was alive and well and he would not want it any other way.
See his full Christmas Message below:
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Category: Local News
Paradise for who? Certainly not the majority of Caymanians. Who can not even get work in our own country to give their families a decent Christmas. But too many work permits to fund Government coffers.
Majority of Caymanians canāt even get work in our own country? That just complete BS. How can you even utter that crap – unless you think there are only 3000 or so Caymanians.
My god he’s taking credit for the democratic process he has fought and continues to disparage with the people’s money. XXXX We cannot let this XXX continue to give away Cayman for another year.
9.27 What you goin do ? Overrthrow the government?
Merry Christmas Aldart…my wish is for you to step down and an end to the destruction you are causing.
No need to up the minimum wage just drop the horrendous cost of living here!!!
I think he needs to read the headlines, just on CNS. This is not paradise. This is part of the ātroubled world.ā In fact this is a troubled world condensed onto onto one small island.
Gun crime, poor education, abuse of children, drugs, robbery, environmental nightmares/ignorance with the potential cruise ship fiasco and the dump, racism, homophobia, minority intolerances, animal cruelty, greed from Dart and his cronies, the list goes on…
The only thing going for Cayman is the beautiful turquoise sea, white sand and coral reefs, but all that will all be gone too if they arenāt cared for now. In another 50 years there will be no Cayman. It will all be under water because of climate change. I would like to feel sorry for it, but its greedy government are part of the problem. They will make their bed now and the next generation will have to lie in it. Letās hope the youngsters can make a difference, if itās not already too late.
If the entire cast of posters on this article were to use their vociferous rant to do something positive in these Cayman Islands what a wonderful place this would be to live in. Yet they all choose to find fault with any and every thing, not given to service to anyone but themselves.
Bredren all, before you try to pluck the mote out of your brothers eyes, pluck it and the yampi out of your own.
Try and do something useful nah, make a difference yourselves, if you want this government out then do it by action not by words, on this site which in the scheme of things mean absolutely nothing and have no positive effects on the things which you cite as being wrong. All mouth and no action will not bring about change. I done with youse and this unhealthy publication.
I wish for a Blessed 2020 for all
Most of the posters here don’t have a vote. As expat driftwood, not on Caymanian in a position of influence would take their suggestions or beliefs seriously.
If expats stick to themselves as if thy are some kinda overlords and donāt mix with the natives. How in the world can they garner their respect for their thoughts good or bad on the natives homeland. Continue calling yourselves driftwood and see what that is going to change. And you all are so knowledgeable
jeez.
Listen to John Mellencamp’s “Between a Laugh and a Tear”. That’s Cayman today! Paradise for who exactly, Mr. Premier??
For him and his…Aldart the Destroyer
How can people expect an honest, transparent Government when it is composed primarily of men aligned with a self-proclaimed secret society?
FYI Mr Premier – you wished us seasons greetings on behalf of “my Government” – IT IS NOT YIUR GOVERNMENT IT IS THE CAYMAN ISLANDS GOVERNEMNT WHICH YOU HAPPEN TO BE AT THE HEAD OF – WHICH MANY ARE HOPING WILL CHANGE IN 2021!
Well said
Vote the whole unity team out of office in 2021 they are all guilty by association or lack of action by mindlessly following their leader.
We don’t need another useless high school. Build a vocational school that teaches trades. Which include divemasters, intstructors, Boat Captains (licensed). We need a higher minimum wage categorized from domestic up to driving a bus, truck etc.
NAU should only be for elderly and physically, mentally people. Get the lazy people out working cleaning from West Bay and pay them on their merit. Eight hours of work gets eight hours of pay. Simple.
Stop scuba diving companies from using Sting Ray City for snorkelling. Numbers will go down and open more jobs for west bayers whose parents build this site.
First – High schools are not useless
Second – Mr Myles took his own personal funds and created “Inspire Cayman” to be Cayman’s first trade school; it also offers dive master courses – the options are there, where are the Caymanians who have been up in rage calling for a trade school?
Third – a higher minimum wage WILL create a higher cost of living and this is what people need to understand. Businesses like supermarkets and janitorial companies will not simply absorb the heightened cost of staffing and pensions contributions – they will pass it on to the consumer.
MR: A higher minimum wage will mean that people will not have to live in poverty. You have absolutely no idea the cost of living here because if you did you would know that no one can possibly live decently on the current minimum wage here.
Bet you pay your employees minimum wage and support slavery too.
> Third ā a higher minimum wage WILL create a higher cost of living and this is what people need to understand. Businesses like supermarkets and janitorial companies will not simply absorb the heightened cost of staffing and pensions contributions ā they will pass it on to the consumer.
That sounds like a problem for the companies. Although with our business-friendly government, I doubt they’d do anything to curb that behaviour. Maybe the workers should decide.
With all the wealth in this booming economy people can afford to pay more for their janitorial services. Those companies are doing great believe me. Supermarkets such as Fosters is making great profits as is Kirks.
A problem for companies? You must be joking. Caymanian companies have never had it so good. So do the decent Christian thing and stop paying slave wages.
Stop exploiting people.
Sorry, I gave the wrong ideas with my comment. I meant the higher expense is a problem the companies SHOULD deal with, that it’s justifiable that they pay their workers more. I agree with you the workers are being exploited.
I do not know of one single company on Grand Cayman that did not have a very profitable 2019. They are doing great. Business is booming. Find your humanity and Christianity and pay a decent minimum wage of $10. Stop the exploitation.
Mac’s response to Alden..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=derikGAEE9g
That’s a work of art!
Okay Alden, Merry Christmas. I live in the real world. Where I have to pay for your poor decisions. Are you going to compensate me for your idiocy ? Of course not. Obtuse is your angle, annoyed are your constituents. Bye bye. You had your chance.
When are you going to fix the dump? A ticking time bomb.
next week man, next week….
For 20 years it has been next week but next week never comes.
@ 11:18 am; Twenty years of shitty leadership. Damn!
Didnāt McKeeva give HIS Christmas message last year? I remember thinking ā does this manās arrogance know no bounds?ā And of course now hereās Aldenās. I mean, maybe HM the Queen, or the current POTUS, but these two-bit town councilmen? Get a sense of perspective please and stop acting like youāre important. Cos outside of these tiny islands you aināt.
But for how long is the question Alden, for how long shall we remain a āparadiseā in a troubled world ?
What he actually means is that country and western bar is a paradise in a troubled Cayman
Its actually hell for a lot of locals struggling to survive due to cost of living
Increasing the minimum wage would make life so much easier for so many people on Grand Cayman. The wage should be increased to $10.
reducing the price of food, gas, etc and the cost of doing business would also help all of us.
and a decent labour law to protect the employee rather than the employer. These employers can get away with anything and if you dare complain, you lose your job.
The workers need to organize and act. The politicians are too caught up in the businesses’ interest, they won’t do anything to help until confronted by a united front.
Reducing the good profits for the companies involved in these areas would help us all. They all had a good year in 2019.
…and the tourists who can barely afford to come here!
Tourists canāt afford to come here? You must be joking. I own a number of Airbnbās in the Seven Mile Beach Corridor. I raise my prices every year and have absolutely no problem renting my places even after raising my prices. Business has never been better so I do not agree tourists can not afford to come here.
And stop bringing in foreigners for the jobs we can do!
Land of Confusion where the foreign nationals outnumber the native people and leaders deceive their local population by falsely telling them that they count! And they should be thankful they are even here to witness their very own demise and that of their childrenās future! 40,000 40ā000 work permits ? You and your unity mafiya are sic! And feel free to stick your good tidings and Christmasā massageā up Makeewa @$$
A billboard
40,000 work permits
Alden McLaughlin is a pompous narcissistic fraud. He like McKeeva Bush is not a man that can be trusted.
His massive ego and lack of respect for people voicing opposing views is why Caymanians continue to suffer on his watch as Premier. His actions are supported by the willfully blind elected MLAās in the Unity government and PPM diehards which has served to emboldened him over the years. He has become the PPMās version of McKeeva Bush with careless management and a tyrannical approach to governance. He now represents the elite and has forgotten he was elected to serve the majority.
The cockiness displayed is best illustrated by his efforts to get Kurt Tibbetts back into the political fold to keep his seat as leader warm for four years before he is eligible to regain power. His ultimate ambition is to become the first Prime Minister of the Cayman Islands. All the changes made to the constitution clearly set out the path to him achieving this objective.
It is never about the country or people it has always been about him, his legacy and his ego. 2019 has been for Alden McLaughlin and his government due to their collective failures and deceit an āAnnus Horribilusā
Better him than Mac.
They are 2 sides of the same coin. That is not progressive.
Has anything about the PPM been progressive?
Should be called the Peoples Regressive Movement.
It’s pretty grim when that’s all the choice you have š¬.
says all you need to know about the standard of cayman politicians.
time to let status holders be elected.
NEVER go back home
soon come…..hrc will make it happen.
i got status…ur stuck with me!
don’t worry, i only want to make the place better!
1st generation(with status) says ……i’m ur future!
Re: 10th Generation
Thank you for your kind words- you are one of the few who have stated publicly to me never go home. God bless and Merry Christmas to you and yours!
10th generation: Why do you think status holders, who have lived here for over 10 years want to destroy the place? Would you not think they have a vested interest in making Cayman a better place?
We really need to be realistic about the current political situation. We have a bunch of old boys and girls running the show. They will hang on for another 10 or 15 years with problems such as the dump and a failing education system not being addressed. Status holders should be elected so we can get some new leadership and ideas implemented.
Imagine. 1.2bn dollars in govt revenue being spent openly and on proper infrastructure …
Wouldnt that be an amazing sight.
Worse, Alden is the devil we donāt know.
A piece of cow dung wrapped in a pretty bow is still a piece of $hit
He said he would resign if the Port is rejected. No excuses!
Thank you Premier you are 100% correct. Obviously those posting the negative comments have either never visited another country or are simply too shame to admit that cayman is a paradise.
I for one is proud that I am Caymanian. That I have a wonderful job, live in a safe community surrounded by my family. I have never been the victim of a crime. My children receive excellent education and the Christmas breeze put me to sleep last night with my belly full of delicious Caymanian cooking. I am about to head off to the beautiful 7 mile beach to work off a few pounds and then dive into the crystal clear water.
Folks it just doesnāt get any better than this. Thank you Premier the entire Government and Public Service. I must also mention the private sector who is a key piece to our success.
You see thatās your problem, caymanians have been travelling to other countries and we know the worst is yet to come. Hence the concern and disdain with the current state of affairs. Itās more like āparadise lost ā. The truth is an offence but never a sin and no shame in facing reality.
It is not easy being a young Caymanian educated in Canada and the U.S. seeing the state of affairs here. Regret to say that it is āparadise lostā.
Yes Honorable Premier you are the best. We want you as our leader for life. These haters need to leave our island.
Huh? So you willfully wish caymanians who think Alden sucks should leave? Lol. What a crock of shit. You wouldnāt know democracy if it slapped you in the face.
Honorable Premier you are the greatest leader in the history of the world after Donald Trump.
A wise West Bayer.
How very privileged you are indeed – I actually know several Caymanians who were once just as complacent and contented as you are and now they are lining up at NAU right behind the same Caymanians they used to scorn and jeer.
Tomorrow is promised to no one; and as you sit here bragging about the wonderful Christmas you had in your paradise please know there are children who went without electricity, water, food or even a toilet right here in Paradise.
Oh, I know – that is not your fault nor the Government’s fault, correct?
I suppose you are one of those that happily supports the almost CI$80k PER prisoner that our country pays annually while justifying suffering children because “their parents should not have had them”.
12:07 pm, I’m wondering how much you were paid to write such garbage!
I read these postings shaking my head. What a bunch of hateful people! Not even at this blessed Christmas time can they find it possible to be gracious if not thankful to live in a place like these Cayman Islands. We are not perfect but the Premier is right: we are well and truly blessed. Look around the world, choose any country and compare it with Cayman and see. I wish for you all the love and peace that knowledge of the birth, purpose and life of the Christ we celebrate this time of the year brings.
Remaining a paradise in a troubled world is an illusion. Just a week of interruption, for any reason, to supply would cause shortage of food and basic goods. And the troubled world could deliver just that without a warning.
Such a small and isolated territory as The Cayman Islands better have basic food and water storages.
When men are skilled in pushing buttons, but lost basic survival skills such as electrical work, carpentry, plumbing, gardening and in your case fishing and sailing what do you think is going to happen should the troubled world deliver its troubles here and you are not able to leave?
Men used to learn a lot of basic carpentry, plumbing, electricity and other maintenance skills from their fathers. Not anymore.
So count your blessings but donāt get too complacent. One day you might have no choice but to start Ā«miningā the Dump with your hands in order to survive.
The rich and famous would be long gone by then if they get fuel for their boats.
So put your iphone aside and spent time attending a handyman school with your son. Wait a minute, there are no handyman schools in Grand Cayman.
How to survive without technology, home repair, basic car repair, cooking, first aid, must be taught in schools.
These things can also be taught at home ok. School did not teach me how to cook an mow lawn etc. My mother and father taught me.
Sure it is. Me too. But that is NOT happening now. This is a different generation. Get with the program and look around you.
This man sure is living a dream
Paradise only for some. When we have our people living in cayman without water and light?. Lets face reality our islands is for working only and when retirement comes we cant afford to live in our own country thanks to blind political parties with no insight for future generations. #cayman is 4 the rich only. (Ambition is a world currency in which we cayman people born with)
This is the same reason Trump became president. People sick and tired of the political BS! Tell me again how Caymanians benifits from 40,000 work permits? Mass status grants? High cost of living? 4 hours in traffic everyday? Tell me again how you and your chronies have made Cayman great for Caymanians?
Income from permits and employment opportunities means you get police hospital NAU roads schooling and so on without income tax.
Want more then work for it so there wonāt be the need for so many permits.
The problem is that caymanians forget where they coming from and the sacrifices that their forefathers went through and who helped them when the island was in the rubble, Jamaica and Jamaicans were the backbone of the running of the Cayman islands but today caymanians preferred people is American, Canadian, Philippines and the richest and forgetting the people of Cayman and putting blame on permit holders whose money is helping the economy. Stop being hateful and work together to make Cayman be what it use to be a people who fair God and love humanity.
All can go home. Cayman is all Caymanians have there is no plan B
1.43 there is only one N in RUINING .
As I recall, Caymanians went to sea. That money was sent home to build Cayman. Those boats weren’t Jamaican. I can’t speak for everyone else but my father sailed on American ships.
All our fathers sailed on American ships.
1.43pm … I beg your pardon!!! When was Cayman ever in rubble??? You mean Jamaica, right? Was and still in rubble. You Jamacian came here looking work because you all found our that our seamen were sending money to their families to start business and build homes etc. thatās the reason why you all showed up…was to get work – and you all were paid You never done anything for us / ok. And itās you all that need to stop your demon ways and go back to your āYARD (s), you are ungrateful, hateful demons. I do not have anything against good, decent Jamaicans, but the majority of you all – just needs to GO..
1.43pm… no! you are wrong … you have forgotten where you came from. Ungrateful users.
We hope you leave.
It is the self pity of the mediocre ignorant like this poster that was harnessed to fuel Trump and Brexit.
I would tell you but your too ignorant to understand. Those in leadership can not help you but they have helped all the many other Caymanians who live off of the jobs that having expats working on island bring. They also help all the Caymanians who can not take responsibility for their own living to the tune of a hundred million dollars a year. Tell me again what Caymanians have done to deserve such a huge share of the pie? Complain. Whine. Stay home and watch the rest of the world on TV.
āyouāre too ignorantā. Just sayinā.
Caymanians have built this country from nothing so that ignorant assholes like you can come here and prosper. Then turn around and try to put us down. Did you ever have life so good where you coming from as you have it here? Caymanians deserve a whole lot more in our own country. Can we go to your country and demand anything?
And look how well trump has served himself in office. Your politicians are the same. No one wins with any of those self serving a holes. Except friends and family.
Exactly. The only reason people like trump on this island is because he hasnāt messed with the offshore jurisdiction. The guy is a monster. Sorry, an impeached monster.
Why do these self centered people think that they have to give a ‘Christmas message’ and believe that people even listen to such insincere rubbish?
Last time I saw anything this wooden was when I’d accidentally walked into the interior doors section at AL Thompson’s. Has the bloke been taking deadpan delivery lessons off Keanu Reeves or something?
Pastor Alfredo
Alas, it might be closer to paradise if we had leadership willing to enact basic conflict disclosure, uphold Standards in Public Life requirement of constitution, consult with constituents who never voted for them, and amend legislation to avoid judicial review and needless lawsuits by those undermined by their presumed authority.
If you have the money and the high paying job to be one of the rich & famous (don’t forget being a politician) then Cayman is a paradise. Otherwise it is a sweat shop of low paid workers and low end service related jobs.
Bang on 5:17. It is a sweat shop. Raise the minimum wage to $10 an hour now.
he hasn’t resigned yet???
your failure to guage public sentiment will be your undoing.
It is a paradise for some people (especially the political class).
I agree that we should always be thankful for what we have as many people are less fortunate. That said, the main issue that the Premier should speak to in his message is how things have become harder for more people year after year under his administration. The Premier has not properly articulated what he is going to do about our failing education system, the environmental crisis being caused by the dump, our ever increasing unemployment crisis and our healthcare crisis.
I would like to encourage the Premier to get his act together in 2020 and to actually deal with the major issues facing the country.
Stop with all of the talking and get to work.
No more junkets in 2020 to Monaco. Enough is enough Premier.
Yeah, commitments to whom exactly? Nobody voted for the Unity government. There was no such ticket. Steadfast in this sense is tone deaf to the majority who comprehensively voted PPM and CDP, out of office last election, and whose people have to organize in opposition, seek referendum, and judicial review at every turn. If anyone bothered to poll the audience, theyād find those numbers havenāt decreased in the 2 years since.
Impeach this Man Cayman his sarcasm is offensive! Improve the lives of Who? alden i was at your little Safe Haven function Saturday evening what fake bunch of would be wanna be’s XXXX. No wonder Cayman is so F#@%up What spectacle that was Cayman!
Please spare us alden count what blessings??? Improve the lives of Caymanians WTF! XXXXX Its Christmas not April Fools day! The recent housing reports says it all! When a house is not House alden? When people like you and Bababuska and those like that XXXXX have lavish parties in Crystal Harbor with your foreign help are running this place to ground and destroying our precious environment and marine life.Merry Christmas to all and a happy New year to all decent people who reside here in Cayman.
Only one response to this – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB7SHZ3cdBY
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
And a new 50 storey building too.