Is our Country in Trouble?

While our Government appears puzzled at the apparently dismal state of our local economy, and projected revenue is falling unconscionably upon the pillars ressisting regressive taxation, the Financial Analysts submit their summary, and announces their verdicts, gloom, meltdown, recession, crisis.

Is our Country in trouble? and why is it so hard to tell? The texture and tone and personality of politics appears to be an intelligent science of tact, art, and a constantly evolving diplomacy. While our elected representatives are vigorously and expeditiously trying to solve their enormous tasks of "budget balancing' their commitment to calm and the provision of re-asurance may very well make their agenda.

So what can we learn from from our untrained intelligence? well, from the mission to England by our Honourable Premiere, and the unwelcomed news of our need to reduce Government spending, either by salary cuts or by direct employee reductions, or the proposed sale of Government asests, sensitises us to the possibility of great danger. However, the immensity is still not seen.

Exactly how much does our Government/country owe? to whom? how much are we spending? how much do we intend to stop spending or save per year? how do we propose to finance our budget? how much more do we need to borrow ? what was our projected revenue for the last financial year? what was our deficit? how many of our projected earnings or our financial allocations will be used to fund social programmes or used to accomodate social infrastucture and boost education?

The public has recently been supplied with information about "cost saving techniques" which were apparently rigid, but practical, but were either flexible, or opinion vulnerable suggestions. Some suggestions  were said to be necessary for the preservation of our economic integrity and in order to achieve the goal of reducing Government expenditure.

"Is our Country in trouble?" In other words: are we as a Caymanian people, at this day of our Majesty, the Queen, right now, at this stage of our existence prone to the posibility of massive job losses, rising unemployment, which has its possible consequences of massive escallation of crime and violence? can we expect to be subjected to stringent new spending policies? is there silent inclinations to entertain the possibility of direct taxation? will it be possible for us to witness massive foreclosures in our housing market? are our people at this time exposed to the treacherous possibility of hardship and poverty? Is the level of unemployment likely to increase? are the people of these Islands likely to embrace political tribalism in order to protect their chances of political favour? Will our police officers be forced to start carrying firearms to protect themselves and the law abiding public from looting? will our education system be further exposed to instabillity and errosion? is it possible that parents' inabillity to afford education may amount to rampant juvenile delinquencies?

If the economic conditions of our country continues to worsen,which will  increase our vulnerabillity to crime, can there be any negative effect on our attractiveness to foriegn Investors? Contrary to the knowledge of some of our fellow citizens, work permit holders are not just helping themselves, they also help to provide much needed revenue for our economy, as their employers fork out hundreds and thousands each year to pay for or to renew their work permits, are they the job seekers likely to seek employment elsewhere? if they start to do so, will it mean less revenue for the Government to work with?

Is our Country in trouble? really now!