UK holds out for budget cuts
Posted on Fri, 08/17/2012 - 14:46 in Politics
(CNS): The premier's efforts to deliver the 2012/13 budget were thwarted once again on Friday afternoon because there is still no approval from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Sources in London told CNS that the minister would not be approving the budget until further cuts were made in the Cayman government's spending plans. McKeeva Bush had stated earlier this week that no further cuts could be made and that he would be delivering his budget statement on 17 August. However, officials at the Legislative Assembly confirmed around 1pm Friday that the meeting was canceled and the budget session had been rescheduled for Monday afternoon.
Despite the protestations of the premier, the UK's economic adviser who is assisting with the budget process is continuing to apply pressure on the Cayman government to make further cuts before he can recommend that the minister give his approval. The latest indication is that the FCO official still wants to see a reduction in operating expenses of some $20 million.
Following the last minute cancellation of the LA meeting, the two independent members of the country's parliament warned that the continued brinkmanship being displayed by the premier with the UK was not helping anyone.
“I am extremely concerned over the continued confrontation that the premier is getting into with the FCO,” said Arden McLean, the now independent member for East End. “I believe everyone in this country should be concerned as well as he is destroying our relationship with the UK.”
Ezzard Miller pointed out that the constant announcements about delivering the budget followed by announcements to cancel it did little to help investor confidence in the local economy.
“The premier needs to get down to making the cuts necessary to gain approval from the UK before he makes any further announcements about delivering a budget,” Miller added, stating that there was nothing unreasonable about the UK's request for the Cayman government to deliver a sustainable and credible budget.
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MacKeeva you should had
MacKeeva you should had gotten $50million more from Mr. Dart for the sale of our road. Go back to him now and get it!
The only way to escape the
The only way to escape the cost of living coming upon us like a tsunami, is to live simple, start your own grounds, plant your own crops, and be as moneyless as possible. For the love of money is the root of all evil. Other than that, if you want a pretty gal, nice house, good A/C unit, et cetera... you better be prepared to work like a dog. The more desire you have for things, is the more stressed out you will become and do whatever you can to trample on other people to get there. I rather die first than behave in such a selfish manner against my own kind. Isolate me on an island, I will live off fish and coconuts for life than to live in Manhattan on the backs of people trying to reach the pinnacle where I am.
Soon come.
Soon come.
But where will these cuts
But where will these cuts come from!?
Mac said there was no more room for cuts!
Ahhhhhhhhhhh!
...Oh yeah maybe it can come from all that government wasteage!!!
you sir are a genius!
you sir are a genius!
honourable premier and all
honourable premier and all policitians (no capitals until you earn them)
You and other policiticans have caused this problem for your own people and residents and tourists alike, who all pay into these Islands just by living here or visiting here.
As such, $20 million is not alot for you politicans to pay back into 'your' society that you have all abused for years.
Now you are being held accountable and it is about time. The spending has to stop. If you loved your Islands, each politican would contribute to pay to make the $20M.
It is up to each one of you now. The decision you politicians, elected or not, owe these Islands and your decision now, make it the right one and not for praise and self gratification. It is because you owe these Islands and all the people some respect.
These are very dangerous
These are very dangerous times, folks.
Considering the way William Hague, the UK Foreign Office and the rest of the British Government have blundered themselves into the laughing stock of the world regarding the Ecuador / Julian Assange debacle - they may be out for blood at the moment!
Honestly, it is like watching a tragic comedy show whenever the British government steps into the international arena in these modern times. They are so ridiculously stuck in the past it is beyond embarrassing.
Anyway, it is gearing up to be an interesting week. Let us see what transpires. I only hope no one over there confuses the turtle on our beloved coat of arms for a condor! :-)
*Btw, has anyone figured out what is the going rate of our national democracy? The last time I checked it was hovering somewhere around $6 million - think I ought to shoot off an email to ol' Haguey and Bell-Bell and enquire within.
(Popcorn in hand ...)
Typical flaming.
Typical flaming.
Best way to cure Cayman is if
Best way to cure Cayman is if the UK would just step aside and say go ahead and do it your way. I would give it 6 months to spend everything they can get their hands on plus everything they could borrow and still get nothing done and nothing to show for it. The Caymanian run Cayman would eat itself to death. If not for the never ending debt cost to anyone who stays on I would say go for it. But datisjustme.
Sounds like you are saying
Sounds like you are saying Cayman would simply turn into another UK.
No?
While Cayman burns, Whidatis
While Cayman burns, Whidatis points across an ocean and says " but look at the smoke over there"
it's typical diversionary tactics and never tries to deal with the problem at home.
I do so pity it
08:42 Across the ocean is
08:42
Across the ocean is Cayman's problem.
You are so dramatic. Only
You are so dramatic. Only danger right now for these three little Islands is one 'man' that has and continues to make these Islands a laughing stock. It is not the British Government that is as you say 'out for blood'. Appears your own has sold you out.
Thanks Whodatis. You better
Thanks Whodatis. You better be careful and continue hiding your true identity. You have some here that are not too happy with your comments. You could be the next one on the witchhunt list - not by government, but by your own peers.
Were they working hard on
Were they working hard on budget at Karoo on Friday night....over some applies and wine?
While the rest of us drink
While the rest of us drink milk and nibble on carrots.
They pay for your food n wine
They pay for your food n wine or you paid for theirs?
These are some dark days for
These are some dark days for the Cayman Islands.......whos to blame ??
caymanians.
caymanians.
That one's easy - the PPM's
That one's easy - the PPM's uncontrolled spending is what put us here. Any wastage by the UDP pales in comparison to what the PPM did to us.
Funny how if you look at the
Funny how if you look at the facts, and the documentation, and the accounts, and everything with a reasoned objective, you will find that your words are pure and utter bullshit. The wastage has been far worse with the UDP this time around than any previous government. You must have missed this article on CNS: http://caymannewsservice.com/politics/2012/08/13/udp-collected-most-fees
They might have made more money, but they enjoyed spending it all, not paying their liabilities or bills, and have simply put been the worst administration on record in the Cayman Islands.
What put us here is
What put us here is greed, the longing and thirst for wanting more and setting prices and cost to achieve this. And these things are not just coming from the government or previous governments. Everybody likes to point the finger at one entity. Greed and corruption knows no boundaries.
We are...for letting it get
We are...for letting it get this out of control...WAKE UP Cayman! Take your Country back!!!
I'm surprised that Mac hasn't
I'm surprised that Mac hasn't assembled all of the church leaders on the steps of the LA to pray for the budget. After all, there's money in it for them, and it worked really well for crime.
Actually there is less crime
Actually there is less crime and increased detection of crime. Thanks for pointing that out.
Sometimes I wonder if some of
Sometimes I wonder if some of the bloggers on here know where their family is. Do you really spend time with your spouse, and do you know what your children are doing.?
You could never be, because you go to sleep and wake up with McKeeva on your minds every day. Gosh, people are tired of hearing you all talking absolute foolishness. Spend some quality time with your family and let the Premier do his job.
Time for a reality check.
Time for a reality check. Bush works for the Civil servants period. He does not represent anyone else. THEY have the power to vote him in and HE has the power to keep them in power and rolling in your money. The only way he goes is if THEY tell him to. The only thing stopping the UK , the rest of the Caymanians, and all the Others from cutting the huge waste of funds is the ones who are getting fat fast on the funds. Don't count on them doing right by anyone else anytime in the future. The virus has spread so much that it now controls the body. Only by killing the virus can you save the body that is Cayman and caymanians won't do that. Plan accourdingly.
I can tell you that I am a
I can tell you that I am a civil servant, and Bush don't work for me. I have no power to vote him out. The Constitution states that if you want to remove the Premier, there has to be a vote of no confidence. There has to be a majority of MLAs voting to have him removed. Read our Constitution for yourself. You call yourself "Truth" and yet your spreading false information?
This isn't about removeing
This isn't about removeing the premeir. Its about who he is representing. Most of the money CIG spends goes to them. All of the money that they spend comes from everyone else. He wants more money(to spend on Civil service and expects everyone else to come up with it. Is this false information? You only see what you are looking for.
Yes, it's false information.
Yes, it's false information. He wants more money for the Nation Building Fund, Solar panels and other vote buying schemes. He is making Civil Servants cut the budget from government programes but not his slush Fund. Nor will he collect the money owing to government from his buddies.
lol... interestingly more
lol... interestingly more than 30 people thumbs him up for it. Just shows you .... ;o)
Maybe the Premier and the
Maybe the Premier and the other MLA's could take a lead from Jay Leno. Different world, same problem.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-19310907
Hmm I read that, and yes it
Hmm I read that, and yes it would be great if they led by example, but really reducing his salary by 5 million to 20 million is hardly much of a sacrifice... My heart bleeds for him.... How will he manage?!...How many years has Leno been earning 25 million salary, and 30 million plus from his promo work outside the show... Perhaps giving up a year's salary would have been more of a gesture. Even if he had "saved" my job I would be saying...big deal... Don't get me wrong I have no problem in the free market people earning what they are worth in that market, but it seems very patronising to me to say here is 5 million, I can manage on 20.....
It is very sad to watch the
It is very sad to watch the humiliation of a man whose lack of ability and intellectual capacity, were always going to make it impossible for him to fulfill the requirements of the position to which he appointed himself - as Minister of Finance. In an article reprinted this weekend in the Observer, Sir Richard Branson admitted that much of his early success had resulted from surrounding himself with people who were much better qualified than he was in respect of the specialized knowledge needed for his various business enterprises - he provided the vision, they provided the technical expertise. It is a pity that bush did not have the humility to acknowledge his own shortcomings, and create a similar operational structure within the Government. There are many qualified and experienced professionals in Cayman, who have been here for 30 years or more, who would happily have joined a " Think Tank " to assist with and advise on whatever ideas bush proposed, or address any urgent specific issues which arose. Of course it could only have worked if bush had renounced his philosophy of - " My Way - or the Highway " - and therein lies the insurmountable problem.
It is embarrassing and a
It is embarrassing and a parable to all those who thirst for the power of Premiership. E.M. Kelly sums it up nicely, "Remember the difference between a boss and a leader: a boss says go- a leader says 'Let's go!'"
So true Skeptical. Bush
So true Skeptical. Bush ignores the huge amount of expat talent and fills the statutory boards with his mates. I agree that we need young Cayman talent but do not ignore the expat pool particularly those with status.
So, without a tax exemption
So, without a tax exemption what good is this place?
I agree with some previous
I agree with some previous posters - it's time now for sure that the Business and other Leaders and Non-UDP Politicians come together and call for a March into central GT to protest.
And protest strongly...for Mac's removal and new elections NOW!
Has my favourite poster Pit
Has my favourite poster Pit Bull left the island? I haven't seen anything from him recently. Nothing from Patricia X either. These "alternate voices" were important!
I posted on Friday about the
I posted on Friday about the "captains" wanting more freebies down at Safehaven. Although the truth is that generally I have been using other nommes de plume recently since it has proved much more fun but I don't really need to do much posting to point out the complete mess do I? The politicians are proving it all by themselves.
important or biased?
important or biased?
Why dont we just buy out
Why dont we just buy out Mac's contract for $5 million - then he can go away and we never hear from him again. On second thought we could just give the whole UDP the $15 million instead of the solar panel deal. That would work out a lot less than what they will cost us between now and May 2013.
I have a feeling tha Mac's
I have a feeling tha Mac's sense of self worth is somewhere over 5 million.
Just a bit of advice to you
Just a bit of advice to you on this one Mac:
It's not whether you win or lose,
but how you place the blame...
What a tyurn around not too
What a tyurn around not too far in the past we wanted the mother country out, now we see what would happen in we had independence, so lets thank Britain for protecting us against incompetents.
Oh by the way when we place job ads in the papers we ask for all sorts of degrees and recomendations, can someone please tell me what qualifications our illustrius Minister of Finance and Premier has, thus giving him the knowledge and competence to run a complex and very technical institution like the Cayman Islands Government?
His education comes from his
His education comes from his expat advisor who is telling him about his pretty new clothes when in fact he is naked. The same expat advisors who will bleed this country dry and when the time is right will throw him under the bus or better yet hang him out to dry. He will not be as lucky as the TCI premier who found a place of refuge. The mass status grants were not enough, that was only an inch now they want the whole yard and he is giving it to them on a silver platter. Come HM, please come you need to clean house and send a few of those expat con men to prison. We need to restore law and order to these islands.
Yes I can. The answer is "he
Yes I can. The answer is "he done gradiated the 5th grade". Plus he is surrounded by experts in econimics who give him all kinds of good advice which of course he ignores. ie Miller-Shaw Report.
If you are a UDP supporter
If you are a UDP supporter reading this, at least take the time to weep with the rest of us.
I am a Cymanian, I am angry
I am a Cymanian, I am angry and dismayed as I watch my beloved Isle taken away from me and my children .
The vote buying grant of staus to thousands of unproductive economic migrants added to their whose children have added a massive social and costly burden to our land. Still this man continues to be blind to the damage he has caused both locally and Internationally.
For the sake of his greed we are being turned into a third world Island filled with dependents on the fragile state.
McKeeva out, and take your political lackeys with you....REMEMBER AT THE NEXT ELECTIONS...EVERY VOTE FOR A UDP CANDIDATE IS A VOTE FOR MCKEEVA TO CONTINUE HIS DESTRUCTION OF CAYMAN
Many of the status grants
Many of the status grants were illegal. Many of the recipients have left. I am voting for whoever agrees to revoke the status of any recipient who bribed their way to a grant, who has committed a crime made possible by the grant, or who has ceased to be resident in Cayman for more than 2 years. They should also have the police investigate every single recipient who had been here for less than 5 years including particularly checking their choice of real estate professional.
The poster above has nailed the reason why Cayman is in so much trouble and why Cayman/expat relations are so bad.
Governor/UK - you signed the damn certificates and it seems became a participant in official corruption. Any comment?
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