Miller calls for consequences
Posted on Mon, 05/28/2012 - 07:47 in Politics
(CNS): The revelations in two reports published by the auditor general of mismanagement and abuse of funds must result in some sanctions, the member for North Side has said. Ezzard Miller told CNS that he did not believe the revelations about paving of private parking lots in Cayman Brac and massive mismanagement can be constantly written off as mere incompetence. He said that the public interest report into the Brac paving revealed clear abuse of public funds and there must be consequences which should be faced by the minister, the chief officer and possibly even the National Roads Authority (NRA) director. He also said that there had to be accountability on the CINICO report as well.
“Just saying this is incompetence is not enough. These people are supposed to be employed and paid because of their competence,” Miller said.
The independent member also said he believed the auditor general should have passed the report on the Brac paving fiasco to the police or even straight to the director of public prosecutions or at the very least the Anti-corruption Commission because he believed a crime had been committed as it was a misappropriation of public funds.
“We simply cannot have this. The money was voted to the NRA to be spent on public roads. How can this be allowed to happen?” the MLA asked. “In my view this amounts to corruption.”
He said it was curious that the ministry had implied the funds for paving the Brac had come from its budget and that also needed to be explained
Miller said that several home-owners in his constituency of North Side and in other parts of Grand Cayman are without access roads to their property because government has failed to properly gazette roads. As a result requests to pave those roads, despite the fact that they should be public highways, have constantly been denied by the ministry and the NRA because, Miller revealed, the authority is defining them as private roads.
“We have even suggested that government recoup the cost of paving these roads through a surcharge but they have not even answered me," he said. “Yet half a million dollars has been spent paving private parking lots and driveways in the Brac.”
Miller also noted that in the face of this expenditure in the Sister Islands on private lots government has failed to find the money to pave the road to Rum Point even though it is a major tourist road.
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Dep. Premier said on CITN
Dep. Premier said on CITN that she is aking legal advice on the AG's report.
she should have done that
she should have done that before deciding to pave her friend's places.
Seems like a lot of UDP
Seems like a lot of UDP elected officials have been having to resort to seeking legal advice!!
Consequences? In Cayman?
Consequences? In Cayman? Ezzard's clearly speaking tongue-in-cheek unless he's suffering from amnesia.
cayman does not do
cayman does not do accountability ....remember the gas card scam????....
What does Truman and John
What does Truman and John have to say about this? They were so critical of the PPM wasting money on raods, etc. What will they say about this paving of Brac private properties?
My concern is what the
My concern is what the Attorney General is going to do or, more so, not going to do with the Auditor General's disclosure.
We all experienced first hand, the "action" the Attorney General sought to take for the issue concering the Constitutional breach.
However, there's one distinctive difference here that I'm hoping will prove fruitful, ie the Governor and the Auditor General is on the same page!!!
This is by no means of hot dog sauage that this 'duo' is liken to that of the Attorney General's and the Election Office.
Waiting patiently for the fire to be lit!!!
Cinico has been ripped off
Cinico has been ripped off for years and is continuing being ripped off by the fess that private
doctors and hospitals charge, for example giving patients test that they do not need.
Cinico should thinh os sponsering some new medical positions at the GT hospital
which would make private treatment redundant
Miscoding and/or over coding
Miscoding and/or over coding is rampant in Cayman. CINICO loses countless dollars to this, because no one is properly policing the health care industry. Just a check by doctor of procedure codes would make this obvious to even a trained monkey
They have bloody signs up just inside the billing office at the hospital telling clerks (who shouldn't be coding in the first place) to code all patients of certain docs as a particular ICD-9, which happens to be level 4. That means when your kid has a tummy ache, they are charging for a level of service equitable to someone with pancreatic cancer.
Trouble is, there is never a
Trouble is, there is never a "trained" monkey around when you need one.
That is fraud, pure and
That is fraud, pure and simple!
Yes - but when you try to
Yes - but when you try to report it to our police they deny they have jurisdiction.
So much wrong, so little
So much wrong, so little right - yet I'm betting a hundred to one that this, and the CINICO matter, will be quietly swept under the carpet, covered over and forgotten about. Unless, might it just be possible, that this time things have gone too far and those of us who have backbones and care will keep up the pressure until the wrong doers really ARE brought to justice? I'd like to believe it - but, sadly, I don't. Where are you FCO when we need you?
Mr. Miller, whilst I agree
Mr. Miller, whilst I agree with you, "consequences" cuts both ways. I welcome your push for consequences, as long as you realise that should you also screw up, or make a poor decision, you will also face such "consequences". Seems only fair?
Truth Hurts, I want to say
Truth Hurts, I want to say that your logic, while I agree with it, is totally in the wrong contexts of things. There is an obsolute difference between making a bad judgement call, in regards for the betterment of your constituents, versus a bad judgement call when it come to corrruption.While I agree that all persons should be held resonsible for their actions, there is a clear cut that what Mr. Miller is speaking about is the abuse of public funds. This my friend isnt a "poor decision" or "screw up", I would not even call it poor financial management. This was a clear case of a government official, using the governments money( your money) to help their friends.
Big Difference in my eyes. Case in point... The schools spending, vs private road paving.. At the end of the day, the schools, while extremely expensive, was build for the betterment of the country... who is benifiting from the private roads?
If im reading your post wrong, then you have my apologies,
My 0.02
And that is why there will be
And that is why there will be no "consequences". Because the people of Cayman are still not ready to take responsiblity for themselves so they don't expect it from anyone else. They are the bananas in Banana republic.
This is not an ordinary mess
This is not an ordinary mess up or poor decision. In my opinion, this is a blatant effort to buy votes that has to be stopped and punished otherwise the trend will continue.
Do we have a constitution?
Do we have a constitution? Is there anything in it about corruption of government officials? Is there anything about mis-management of funds? Does it specify who brings action against them if necessary? Anyone in government who uses their position to enrich themselves or acts contrary to the law in any way should be made to answer for it immediately. Why isn't this happening? Perhaps some of our elected officials could give us some answers. Does anyone else feel this way?
Only those who can't vote.
Only those who can't vote.
We have an Anti Corruption
We have an Anti Corruption Law.
I was in the Brac for the
I was in the Brac for the long weekend and noticed quite a bit of paving (public and private areas) so this is still going on. The one private car park that I noticed was unpaved by NRA...the one in front of the Kirk Market. Just saying.
That is quite odd. I would
That is quite odd. I would think that is where a lot of the Brac public would go/drive to. That doesnt make sense according to UDP paving logic.
It is plain to see that if
It is plain to see that if you had a privately run road-paving, preservation, recycling, and construction company instead of an Authority (government legislated body) with a board of directors, it will not only provide all the necessary aspects of paving and construction without government interference, but will at least have a tighter control on quality, a better overall product for customers (incl. government), and no chance of politicians putting at risk and jeopardizing public funds for their personal / party interest. It seems like the less government is accountable for, the better it is for the public. If I was the Minister from N.S., I would start my thesis with getting rid of the NRA altogether and opening the local market for a privately operated paving and construction company.
Whilst I agree entirely with
Whilst I agree entirely with the sentimemnts in your post, the reality is that in Cayman the privately owned paving company would be owned by an MLA or a senior civil servant and so when the Government awards the contract to the private company, who's to say that you wont get Governemt interference, who's to say there'd be tighter control on quality and no jeopardizing of public funds. Is it beyond the bounds of possibility that an say an MLA couldn't own say a road paving company.
Government really has no
Government really has no drive and incentive, but to take, increase fees, and leech off the private sector.
Boy that would teach them to
Boy that would teach them to do right. Consequences? You mean like responsibilities? Are you sure the Cayman islands are ready to try that? This could be War!
Blah blah blah. With the
Blah blah blah. With the amount of hot air Miller and co blow we could put a windmill outside of the LA and do away with CUC. Thank you for stating the obvious: that there should be consequences for this and 1000 other things but there aren't any. The system is broken and since the RCIPS, the Anti-corruption Commission, the NRA, CINICO are all part of the system they aren't going to do anything. Radical and fundamental reform is needed. But until someone comes along that is willing to do more than talk nothing will ever change.
How biased can you be. Even
How biased can you be. Even when Ezzard is saying something you agree with you find a way to attack him. Unless other MLAs and the general public are prepared to hold the government to account this sort of behaviour will continue. Calling for consequences is the first step.
OK, maybe you have a point.
OK, maybe you have a point. But at this stage I think we're entitled to be frustrated with people "calling" for consequences and reform. I'm ready to get behind someone who'll go looking for them instead of calling for them. If Miller was the guy to stand up and lead Cayman out of this mess he would have done it by now.
Let's be realistic. As a
Let's be realistic. As a backbench independent MLA what do you think he should do exactly? Within the constraints he has Miller has indeed been leading in many ways. Some say that he goes too far, you say he has not gone far enough.
I am so sick and tired how
I am so sick and tired how members of this Government can just get away with things that we would be charged for! Just look at all the incidents concerning members of the UDP Government from 2001 that have gone unpunished or swepy under the carpet - I suppose its us who allow this to happen so we to blame. But things changing and we not putting up with their iniquities no longer - they will pay!
Please Ezzard, do not ease
Please Ezzard, do not ease up. The UDP ministers continue to do as they please while embarrassing the country. I have never ever witnessed such levels of questionable actions & suspected corruption as with this UDP government. We need to see action taken in all the cases that are being investigated, we need consequences!
Someone like who? You? Why
Someone like who? You?
Why tear down Miller for stating the obvious. You need to back him up if you feel he is right and show that we will not swallow any more stuff like this. Let us march when Miller asks us to join him if we believe in his cause.
"Radical and fundamental
"Radical and fundamental reform is needed."
I agree. How about we start by electing a new generation of educated, competant, and ethical Caymanians. They do exist.
After they finish becoming
After they finish becoming succesful.. right now they're busy in the private sector working on just that. If they decide to take on the mess left behind from the likes of what we have now, then I hope you'll be there behind them 100%.
If only they would download
If only they would download the application form and run for office!
What has this government done
What has this government done for the road system in Grand Cayman, where all of the economic activity that funds the Sister Islands is taking place? When is South Sound road going to be connected to *anything* to alleviate morning traffic? What ever happened to the review of George Town planning being conducted by Burns Conolly? Where are the beautification schemes? There are some good people in government, there must be, but when you have an autocratic regime such as we have people don't feel empowered and when they try to do good they get blocked and delayed because nothing can be done without certain people taking a slice out of it.
George Town Planning by Burns
George Town Planning by Burns Conolly...? when was this..?
So very true Mr. Miller! With
So very true Mr. Miller!
With so many very highly paid Officials....from the Governor on down, talking of "Good Governance" yet what we see daily, weekly, monthly year in and year out is anything but "Good Governance". Ever increasing waste and very much apparent corruption.
Only when those responsible are made to PAY (financially and through prosecution) will there be any chance of a REAL chance at Good Governance.
Yes, let's throw all of these
Yes, let's throw all of these Caymanian civil servants in prison for "corruption", even though this kind of "corruption" has been going on for virtually ever here. Yes, real smart idea Ezzard. Please, can we stop this stupidness.
So you have resigned yourself
So you have resigned yourself to Cayman being a corrupt society? The fact that none of this is new does not make it right or acceptable and placing quotations around the word does not make it any less corrupt. The line must be drawn otherwise this behaviour will not only remain but get worse as people become emboldened by the lack of consequences. One high profile successful prosecution of a high ranking public officer will send a strong message to all others.
Why? Perhaps you got your
Why? Perhaps you got your feet in the trough?
In normal business, this
In normal business, this would be treated with grave concern and a sanction. I agree with Mr. Miller and all his comments. This is the public's money that is being wasted for political expediency. Shame on the member who appears to be operating under notion that it is easier to ask forgiveness than permission. Thanks to representatives like Mr. Miller and his stand on the appearance of wrong doings. I believe the member should have to pay back every red cent.
The MLA for the Brac is
The MLA for the Brac is either blind, deaf and living in a vacuum, or they knowingly allowed this to happen.....these parking lots were resurfaced over several weeks and it was well known here on Cayman at the time, that this was happening.
This constitutes at the very least, gross misconduct and incompetence, or, compliance in a criminal act, but either way, they need to be held accountable in a court of law.
It's time to stop allowing Government officials to think that they can break the law because because they are untouchable, put a couple behind bars, forfeit their property and things would soon improve
The alternative would be to return to the days where the place was run by a Governor, which, bearing in mind the excesses of recent Legislative Assemblies, might be a very reasonable proposition.
hahahaha........ there is no
hahahaha........ there is no such thing as accountability or consequences for the cig or the civil service.....
Just because the Chief
Just because the Chief Officer retired should not release him from liability too, as it happened under his time. The new Chief Officer should not be held accountable for the previous Chief Officer's time and decisions.
Tip of the iceberg I say.
Tip of the iceberg I say.
I think the Auditor General
I think the Auditor General should check to see if any civil servant in the ministry had their driveways paved.
6:20, he wouldn't need to
6:20, he wouldn't need to look very far, Bobo, but since it was discovered this had happened I bet it's been paid for retroactively as a cover my a$$ precaution against fraud charges.
For once Mr. Miller is right.
For once Mr. Miller is right. We all know what is going on here, yet no one is being held accountable for their actions. Bringing the problem to light is just the start. There needs to be consequences. A formal investigation needs to be made, and if there is sufficient evidence, charges brought against those who broke the law. At the least whomever is currently in charge of the checkbook needs to have that authority removed whilst the investigation is ongoing.
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