After over 40 years of existence as a Caymanian, and now with children of my own, I’m perplexed at the narrow sightedness of some of my fellow Caymanian people on the Human Rights Issue regarding the Constitution and the continuous injection of out dated, religious views especially in the area of homosexuality. I attended the debate at the Family Life Centre and felt physically ill from the hate coming from the so called ‘church people’ at that meeting.
There is a good reason why in modern society there is a ‘wall of separation’ between the church and state. The Hon. Kurt Tibbett’s said something at the debate that really resonated with me: “the constitution is only as good as the people we have in power or in charge”. How very true and it’s concerning that it seems as if our country is being run by a few church leaders that have their own religious agenda and whom are being given the floor to preach this agenda to the population in the name of God. This is not being fair to all and is more the way that Afghanistan is indoctrinated by regimes such as the Taliban.
Please allow me to quote a scripture from the same Bible that gives us the foundation for our moral standing:
Deuteronomy 21:18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:
21:19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;
21:20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.
21:21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
If we were to follow the Bible literally, we all know that as parents existing in an intelligent society that we would have to kill most of our sons and daughters if we were to follow this quote from the Bible. We therefore should not be cherry picking the passages that we want to live by and need to understand that we can no longer abide literally by these archaic rules from a different time and culture. This is same reason that we cannot abide by the scriptures that say we should also execute gays (Leviticus 20:13) or put to death all those who work on the Sabbath (Exodus 35:2) The scripture of Leviticus also states that it is prohibited to get tattoos, eat pork or shellfish, get your fortune told or play with the skin of a pig (there goes jerk pork and playing football!)
It really scares me that there are fellow Caymanians that live thinking that the only thing that will seriously erode the moral fabric of our society and culture is to give gays and lesbians any rights to exist. I commend the lady who quoted all the issues that are never discussed by the religious institutions during the course of our every day existence, yet which are crimes classed as abominations in the Bible and happen daily in our society, such as adultery, child abuse, domestic abuse and our ever increasing crime rate. Why don’t we look at how many of the gays in our community commit these acts? I can tell you without a doubt that these acts are being committed every day by some of our so called Christian members of society.
Do we really believe that acknowledging that some people in our society are gay will destroy the institution of marriage or corrupt our children? I ask you, how many couples are there that each of us knows that have been married more then once or twice. Or know of any child that has seen gay relationships on TV and decided that because of that they will 'become' gay. Yet we concentrate on taking the rights away from two people who only want to love each other, because it is not within the guide lines of what you as an individual see as ‘proper’. That is a sad society indeed.
The Hon. Mr. McLaughlin has started his fear-mongering campaign, trying to convince the Caymanian people that if we give rights to all we will have to pay for housing and medical care to ex-pats. Well I know that if I went to America, to work and couldn’t afford proper health care or housing, it would NOT be provided for me free of charge, so why would that be true of Cayman? It's a ruse to try to steer you away from the real concerns the Church has regarding giving rights to all as that would include gays. The bottom line is if the person is not a citizen and doesn’t have health care then he/ she has to pay the bill. Just like my family is now paying a CI$175,000 health bill incurred after my half brother (a born Caymanian) was killed by a hit and run driver here. Life is hard for some Mr. McLaughlin, and no one expects a Government hand out but what we all want as human beings is the ability to live like human beings and have the same rights for all Caymanians whatever ‘differences’ they might have.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Friday, September 08, 2006
What are our competitors doing ?
Please read this article on how the government of Jersey is actually passing laws making it easier to attract skilled and experienced candidates who want to make a permanent home in Jersey. Reference is made to Cayman and its capacity issues.
I think it’s important to let people know that other offshore centres are taking advantage of ex-pats and welcoming skilled workers rather than expelling them from the island.
The article is from “Hedgeweek” one of the largest hedge fund reporting agencies.
Making the most of Jersey's human resources
Wed, 06 Sep 2006, 05:30
All fund servicing centres - Dublin, Luxembourg, Guernsey, Cayman - have capacity issues, but of the genuine island offshore centres, Jersey is not only most populous but the best established in terms of the number of people employed in the financial services industry and training and skills throughout the sector as a whole. In addition, it also scores highly in terms of the volume and level of real activity being undertaken by banks and other institutions within the jurisdiction. In small jurisdictions, human resources are at a premium. While service providers such as fund administrators are increasingly making use of technology to ease the pressure on staffing, even more important than systems is investment in people. Not that you don't need decent systems, but having the right kind of skilled people is fundamental.
Jersey's capacity to provide the people required by its financial services industry has been improved by measures to facilitate bringing in the skills it needs, such as amendments to housing legislation that support the new migration policy. Meanwhile, for senior posts the practice of imposing a time limit on J Category consents has been removed, making it easier to attract skilled and experienced candidates who want to make a permanent home in Jersey.
These reforms reflect the government's understanding that while the local workforce is highly skilled, it is obviously limited in size. At the same time, they send a message to the global community that the authorities are ready to take the steps necessary to maintain Jersey's competitiveness as a financial centre, at a time when other jurisdictions have tightened restrictions on the employment of non-nationals in the industry.
This attitude is important for a group like Mourant, whose fund administration staff has grown from around 100 people to 160 in the space of a year. The hedge funds business in Jersey is set to undergo substantial recruitment during the year to complement an existing team of specialists experienced not only in fund audit, like so many administrators, but areas such as middle office systems design, hedge fund operations and investment banking products. One significant benefit for Jersey's hedge fund services businesses lies in the fact that the island now possesses an industry with the appeal to attract some of its brightest people who until recently had to go abroad to develop their careers. In the past graduates of top universities from Jersey who went into fields such as investment banking had only limited opportunity to use their expertise and experience at home. Today, however, both service providers and the growing community of hedge funds that have established a presence in Jersey are extremely keen to recruit people who already have a strong connection with the island and would like to return - and there is evidence many top-quality people might do so if the right opportunities were there. This could do for Jersey - albeit on a smaller scale - what the return of the Irish diaspora has done for Dublin, providing an injection of skills obtained around the world that has proved a key element in the growth of its own financial services industry. The hedge fund industry is a low footprint, high value, and very highly skilled sector with a global profile, and Jersey service providers are looking for the best staff in order to compete internationally at the highest level.
By Gary Clark head of hedge fund services with the Mourant Group
I think it’s important to let people know that other offshore centres are taking advantage of ex-pats and welcoming skilled workers rather than expelling them from the island.
The article is from “Hedgeweek” one of the largest hedge fund reporting agencies.
Making the most of Jersey's human resources
Wed, 06 Sep 2006, 05:30
All fund servicing centres - Dublin, Luxembourg, Guernsey, Cayman - have capacity issues, but of the genuine island offshore centres, Jersey is not only most populous but the best established in terms of the number of people employed in the financial services industry and training and skills throughout the sector as a whole. In addition, it also scores highly in terms of the volume and level of real activity being undertaken by banks and other institutions within the jurisdiction. In small jurisdictions, human resources are at a premium. While service providers such as fund administrators are increasingly making use of technology to ease the pressure on staffing, even more important than systems is investment in people. Not that you don't need decent systems, but having the right kind of skilled people is fundamental.
Jersey's capacity to provide the people required by its financial services industry has been improved by measures to facilitate bringing in the skills it needs, such as amendments to housing legislation that support the new migration policy. Meanwhile, for senior posts the practice of imposing a time limit on J Category consents has been removed, making it easier to attract skilled and experienced candidates who want to make a permanent home in Jersey.
These reforms reflect the government's understanding that while the local workforce is highly skilled, it is obviously limited in size. At the same time, they send a message to the global community that the authorities are ready to take the steps necessary to maintain Jersey's competitiveness as a financial centre, at a time when other jurisdictions have tightened restrictions on the employment of non-nationals in the industry.
This attitude is important for a group like Mourant, whose fund administration staff has grown from around 100 people to 160 in the space of a year. The hedge funds business in Jersey is set to undergo substantial recruitment during the year to complement an existing team of specialists experienced not only in fund audit, like so many administrators, but areas such as middle office systems design, hedge fund operations and investment banking products. One significant benefit for Jersey's hedge fund services businesses lies in the fact that the island now possesses an industry with the appeal to attract some of its brightest people who until recently had to go abroad to develop their careers. In the past graduates of top universities from Jersey who went into fields such as investment banking had only limited opportunity to use their expertise and experience at home. Today, however, both service providers and the growing community of hedge funds that have established a presence in Jersey are extremely keen to recruit people who already have a strong connection with the island and would like to return - and there is evidence many top-quality people might do so if the right opportunities were there. This could do for Jersey - albeit on a smaller scale - what the return of the Irish diaspora has done for Dublin, providing an injection of skills obtained around the world that has proved a key element in the growth of its own financial services industry. The hedge fund industry is a low footprint, high value, and very highly skilled sector with a global profile, and Jersey service providers are looking for the best staff in order to compete internationally at the highest level.
By Gary Clark head of hedge fund services with the Mourant Group
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Possible Solution for the Rollover Policy ?
This is another great recommendation that was sent into this site. Some of you have credited me after reading this suggestion, however I don't have all the ideas, and don't want contributors to think I am taking their credit. Read on and keep the ideas coming...
I could suggest a possible solution to the problems being experienced by the ‘implementation’ of the roll-over. I believe that the time period in which the rollover policy has been put in effect is detrimental. On the other hand, there are numerous benefits to be derived should the policy be carried out in a more responsible manner.
The roll-over policy should have applied to persons entering the Islands after the implementation date. It should not have applied to persons who were already residing here, who have contributed enormously to the economy and have been employees upon whom employers depend for continued support. The solution suggested is one of a gradual implementation process. The rollover policy should be reviewed to be applicable to all persons coming into the Cayman Islands after January 2004, when the law came into effect. The real issue that needs to be addressed is long-term “population growth”. The government could instead address this with sound long-term macro economic strategies and fiscal management. Due to the current implementation of the rollover policy, remaining citizens have to start rehiring, from scratch, especially at this time of economic instability and re-growth after hurricane Ivan. When a law is passed, it normally applies as at that date. If employers knew from the onset that their employee would have had to leave after seven years regardless of whether they found a suitable Caymanian to take on the role, they would have had an entire seven years to put programmes in place to ensure a smooth transition. With the current policy implementation, employers were not given this opportunity. If tomorrow, a country passes a law that all burglars will be hanged, legally and in fairness, the hanging sentence would not apply to persons already serving sentences for burglary. It would apply to any burglaries committed after the said date, and would be applicable to future such court cases. Passing a law such as the rollover, with immediate effect and expecting everything to be okay after a year or two? ... with no proper transition procedure? ...no government buffer or cushion offered to assist the community to recover from potential losses? ... What practical support has been offered to those Caymanian employers who are either currently or soon will be experiencing difficulties? With the way the policy has been implemented, even if looking towards the long-term, the country will have to play “catch-up” with the equivalent of a “brain drain” impact.
Transitions like these take time to properly implement. If the policy was better planned and implemented and was to apply to persons entering after the date of its adoption, there would have been ample opportunity for both Caymanians and non-Caymanians to plan effectively for a smooth transition. This would also include the opportunity for Caymanians to fully equip themselves to adequately fill posts that would become vacant within the next two to five years.A rollover policy would be very effective if:
1) the policy was applied to all persons coming into the Cayman Islands after the date of the law.
2) suitable strategies were put in place to ensure an adequate infrastructure for pending population growth.
3) it would not apply in situations where a “new” work permit would be needed to replace the “rolled-over” work permit. If attempted too quickly, as is currently the case, the negative costs to be derived may far outweigh the benefits proposed.
The above issues aside, the Cayman Islands may be failing to understand that if you have been profitable having your own right hand toil, that you do not deliberately chop off your right hand and still expect to be as viable. The Cayman Islands may be failing to understand the power of good international relations and fairness. The Cayman Islands may be failing to understand that the same persons who may leave, are the same persons that helped to build the country’s competitive advantage in the region. The Cayman Islands may be failing to understand that its indigenous people may suffer not only for a short period after the policy is implemented as is, but may feel the negative effects of this policy for years to come.
Cayman’s own people may have to interact with new entrants to the community, who may or may not have the interest of the country at heart, as would the persons who have left. The Cayman Islands may be failing to understand that it could be in need of international assistance in the future and perhaps not be granted because the international community has been treated unfairly. The Cayman Islands may be failing to understand that dismissing a member of its team with no severance pay or the international equivalent of some remuneration will not result in a favourable impression of the country. The Cayman Islands may be failing to understand that the cost of living here is not as compelling as it once was. The rollover policy as being implemented, may be failing the Cayman Islands from all angles. Yes, a policy framework is needed but in order to be successful, has to be implemented differently.
Yours sincerely,
Concerned for the sustainable future of the Cayman Islands
I could suggest a possible solution to the problems being experienced by the ‘implementation’ of the roll-over. I believe that the time period in which the rollover policy has been put in effect is detrimental. On the other hand, there are numerous benefits to be derived should the policy be carried out in a more responsible manner.
The roll-over policy should have applied to persons entering the Islands after the implementation date. It should not have applied to persons who were already residing here, who have contributed enormously to the economy and have been employees upon whom employers depend for continued support. The solution suggested is one of a gradual implementation process. The rollover policy should be reviewed to be applicable to all persons coming into the Cayman Islands after January 2004, when the law came into effect. The real issue that needs to be addressed is long-term “population growth”. The government could instead address this with sound long-term macro economic strategies and fiscal management. Due to the current implementation of the rollover policy, remaining citizens have to start rehiring, from scratch, especially at this time of economic instability and re-growth after hurricane Ivan. When a law is passed, it normally applies as at that date. If employers knew from the onset that their employee would have had to leave after seven years regardless of whether they found a suitable Caymanian to take on the role, they would have had an entire seven years to put programmes in place to ensure a smooth transition. With the current policy implementation, employers were not given this opportunity. If tomorrow, a country passes a law that all burglars will be hanged, legally and in fairness, the hanging sentence would not apply to persons already serving sentences for burglary. It would apply to any burglaries committed after the said date, and would be applicable to future such court cases. Passing a law such as the rollover, with immediate effect and expecting everything to be okay after a year or two? ... with no proper transition procedure? ...no government buffer or cushion offered to assist the community to recover from potential losses? ... What practical support has been offered to those Caymanian employers who are either currently or soon will be experiencing difficulties? With the way the policy has been implemented, even if looking towards the long-term, the country will have to play “catch-up” with the equivalent of a “brain drain” impact.
Transitions like these take time to properly implement. If the policy was better planned and implemented and was to apply to persons entering after the date of its adoption, there would have been ample opportunity for both Caymanians and non-Caymanians to plan effectively for a smooth transition. This would also include the opportunity for Caymanians to fully equip themselves to adequately fill posts that would become vacant within the next two to five years.A rollover policy would be very effective if:
1) the policy was applied to all persons coming into the Cayman Islands after the date of the law.
2) suitable strategies were put in place to ensure an adequate infrastructure for pending population growth.
3) it would not apply in situations where a “new” work permit would be needed to replace the “rolled-over” work permit. If attempted too quickly, as is currently the case, the negative costs to be derived may far outweigh the benefits proposed.
The above issues aside, the Cayman Islands may be failing to understand that if you have been profitable having your own right hand toil, that you do not deliberately chop off your right hand and still expect to be as viable. The Cayman Islands may be failing to understand the power of good international relations and fairness. The Cayman Islands may be failing to understand that the same persons who may leave, are the same persons that helped to build the country’s competitive advantage in the region. The Cayman Islands may be failing to understand that its indigenous people may suffer not only for a short period after the policy is implemented as is, but may feel the negative effects of this policy for years to come.
Cayman’s own people may have to interact with new entrants to the community, who may or may not have the interest of the country at heart, as would the persons who have left. The Cayman Islands may be failing to understand that it could be in need of international assistance in the future and perhaps not be granted because the international community has been treated unfairly. The Cayman Islands may be failing to understand that dismissing a member of its team with no severance pay or the international equivalent of some remuneration will not result in a favourable impression of the country. The Cayman Islands may be failing to understand that the cost of living here is not as compelling as it once was. The rollover policy as being implemented, may be failing the Cayman Islands from all angles. Yes, a policy framework is needed but in order to be successful, has to be implemented differently.
Yours sincerely,
Concerned for the sustainable future of the Cayman Islands
Would you like your issues discussed on Straight Talk Hot 104.1?
I have been invited to appear on Sandra Catron’s show ‘Straight Talk’ on Hott 104.1FM next Tuesday, September 5th to discuss some of the issues that have appeared on this blog. I have agreed and see it as a chance for you to have your voice heard by a different audience. Below are 20 'additional' questions I think Caymanians should ask ourselves, and which I would like discussed and considered by the listeners. I would like to know your opinions on some of these issues, plus feel free to let me know about other points regarding the rollover you would like addressed. Some of these will be controversial, but i'm sure we all agree that Cayman is currently at a pivotal point where the real issues must be addressed.
1. Do you believe that it is acceptable for our leaders to make comments such as 'Caymanians resent Expats'? In a country that depends on foreign workers & visitors for its prosperity? Consider that we are been watched closely by the international community.
2. Do you think that some Caymanians have to look at changing their work ethics? Come on lets face it, we must be doing something wrong if we are so ostracized.
3. Do you believe that all Caymanians are working as hard as they can, or are they expecting promotions and raises to be given to them because they are Caymanians?
4. If you are a Caymanian business owner or manager (yes there are plenty), how do you see the Caymanian worker compared to your expat workers?
5. Do you think that we as Caymanians, live beyond our means and refuse to sacrifice/save before we are able to purchase or invest? Whereas the expat is not ashamed to sacrifice and then invest? In other words are we a society of net savers/investors or are we a society of net spenders which has now caught up with us?
6. Do you think if every Caymanian was making money that we would be unhappy with the number of expats in our country?
7. Do you think that this 7 year roll over is more important than issues such as being unable to keep up financially with our day-to-day survival. Issues such as: high interest rates, high insurance, high cost of gas and electricity?
8. Can we as Caymanians honestly answer yes to the question, “Do I support other Caymanian owned stores or businesses or do I only care about getting the best price or choice?” That includes you going to Miami instead of shopping in Caymanian stores. I will be the first to say I am guilty of this. So are we going to support each other when the expats are not around to help our businesses?
9. Do you think that it is acceptable that our leaders are not accountable to the people who voted them in power?
10. Have you congratulated or complemented a Caymanian brother or sister lately for a job well done or for achieving some measure of success?
11. Are you as a Caymanian businessperson who has just risked every penny and borrowed additional funds, able to survive a slow down, until the time the Country recovers from the roll over?
12. Do you think that we can afford to give higher incentives and packages to attract new expats, considering that it might now be less appealing to come to Cayman to work?
13. Why, with all the money coming into our country, is our nation and our people still suffering?Iis this due to the expats or poor Leadership?
14. If our culture comprise of all the things that we grew up experiencing, how can someone take that away from us if we don’t let them?
15. How many hours of the day do we and our children, watch MTV, VH1, BET, Jerry Springer, Oprah, etc? How many hours of the day do you or your children play XBOX, Nintendo, Playstation or surf the internet? Is this ‘erosion of our culture’ because of the expats?
16. When was the last time you took your children outside to play gig, hopscotch, climb a tree, pick whelks, taught them to cook fish tea etc? If you haven’t, who is destroying our culture?
17. Do we really resent the expats or are we just frustrated that we have to adapt to a world that is moving much faster than we are accustomed to, yet they grew up with it?
18. Do you feel safe knowing that our leaders are basing their support of the implementation of the roll over policy through the small numbers of Caymanians that have the time to contact their offices (and to quote the Compass of Aug. 29, 2006) “My sense is that Caymanians are mostly in support of the roll-over policy” “Caymanians give him support on the issue every day - They call me, they text me, they come to my office”? Shouldn't we be hearing "Based on an private independent survey/poll 90% of the Caymanian people agree with the policy as it is being managed?
19. Why are we so afraid to speak our minds as intelligent professional Caymanians and not feel that we will be held back, ridiculed or ostracized by our boss, Government or community? Are we really that free as a nation?
20. This space is left for you... please add your thoughts.
1. Do you believe that it is acceptable for our leaders to make comments such as 'Caymanians resent Expats'? In a country that depends on foreign workers & visitors for its prosperity? Consider that we are been watched closely by the international community.
2. Do you think that some Caymanians have to look at changing their work ethics? Come on lets face it, we must be doing something wrong if we are so ostracized.
3. Do you believe that all Caymanians are working as hard as they can, or are they expecting promotions and raises to be given to them because they are Caymanians?
4. If you are a Caymanian business owner or manager (yes there are plenty), how do you see the Caymanian worker compared to your expat workers?
5. Do you think that we as Caymanians, live beyond our means and refuse to sacrifice/save before we are able to purchase or invest? Whereas the expat is not ashamed to sacrifice and then invest? In other words are we a society of net savers/investors or are we a society of net spenders which has now caught up with us?
6. Do you think if every Caymanian was making money that we would be unhappy with the number of expats in our country?
7. Do you think that this 7 year roll over is more important than issues such as being unable to keep up financially with our day-to-day survival. Issues such as: high interest rates, high insurance, high cost of gas and electricity?
8. Can we as Caymanians honestly answer yes to the question, “Do I support other Caymanian owned stores or businesses or do I only care about getting the best price or choice?” That includes you going to Miami instead of shopping in Caymanian stores. I will be the first to say I am guilty of this. So are we going to support each other when the expats are not around to help our businesses?
9. Do you think that it is acceptable that our leaders are not accountable to the people who voted them in power?
10. Have you congratulated or complemented a Caymanian brother or sister lately for a job well done or for achieving some measure of success?
11. Are you as a Caymanian businessperson who has just risked every penny and borrowed additional funds, able to survive a slow down, until the time the Country recovers from the roll over?
12. Do you think that we can afford to give higher incentives and packages to attract new expats, considering that it might now be less appealing to come to Cayman to work?
13. Why, with all the money coming into our country, is our nation and our people still suffering?Iis this due to the expats or poor Leadership?
14. If our culture comprise of all the things that we grew up experiencing, how can someone take that away from us if we don’t let them?
15. How many hours of the day do we and our children, watch MTV, VH1, BET, Jerry Springer, Oprah, etc? How many hours of the day do you or your children play XBOX, Nintendo, Playstation or surf the internet? Is this ‘erosion of our culture’ because of the expats?
16. When was the last time you took your children outside to play gig, hopscotch, climb a tree, pick whelks, taught them to cook fish tea etc? If you haven’t, who is destroying our culture?
17. Do we really resent the expats or are we just frustrated that we have to adapt to a world that is moving much faster than we are accustomed to, yet they grew up with it?
18. Do you feel safe knowing that our leaders are basing their support of the implementation of the roll over policy through the small numbers of Caymanians that have the time to contact their offices (and to quote the Compass of Aug. 29, 2006) “My sense is that Caymanians are mostly in support of the roll-over policy” “Caymanians give him support on the issue every day - They call me, they text me, they come to my office”? Shouldn't we be hearing "Based on an private independent survey/poll 90% of the Caymanian people agree with the policy as it is being managed?
19. Why are we so afraid to speak our minds as intelligent professional Caymanians and not feel that we will be held back, ridiculed or ostracized by our boss, Government or community? Are we really that free as a nation?
20. This space is left for you... please add your thoughts.
Culture, eroded by expats or...?
Culture. Ok here are my thoughts...
It doesn't matter how many expats are here now or continue to come to Cayman, it can't take my culture away from me. I am married to a British Expat and I am making damn sure that my children will know about my past and this counties past. It is one way for me to not only pass on my family gene pool but also my country's roots. We, as the older generation must ensure that these things are passed down. The expats can not take that from you or I. If we are too busy to teach our kids then that is our fault as teachers, parents, and as a society. We as Caymanians must ensure that this stays true. Please indulge me once again.
I have matured in what I think is the most crucial transition this Island and the world has ever seen - the information and technology era and a massive development and financial boom. I strongly feel that the greatest cultural cancer of this and every society is television & technology.
Ask any young Caymanian under the age of 25 years, and I can tell you that most of them have never danced a quadrille, had a gig, hunted crabs, picked mangos, played in the fogger, picked welks, had to go to church or Sunday school, had to say "yes sir" or "yes mam" and never called an adult by their first name etc.
I just hit my 40th year young. An age where I feel is mature enough to understand how the world works but not too old to understand the younger generation and although disappointed, understand that most societies have lost their younger generations to VH1, BET, MTV, Jerry Springer and Days of our Lives to name a few. Next add into the mix, the Internet, blog sites, (which every kid knows how to use much better than most of you that are currently reading this message) and sites such as MYspace.com (popular blog site) which has lots of Caymanians signed up who have many online "virtual" friends around the world. Most kids and young adults have no idea what it feels like to post a handwritten letter and get a response 2 weeks later. Oh and lets not forget Nintendo, XBOX and PlayStation. Are you going to tell your kid to go outside and play gig, climb a tree or play marbles? If you can understand this and agree, then Caymanians, we have to ask ourselves, are the expats responsible for that? I personally feel that most expats change their behaviour once they are here for any length of time. No expat can bring their "Big City" behaviour or mentality and survive ridicule from others who are part of this society.
Unfortunately or fortunately depending on which side of the fence one sits, we live in an ever changing society and a even faster changing world. We can choose to accept the outside world or we can try and isolate ourselves from it. I personally think we have gone beyond trying to isolate ourselves. We should focus on adapting to the pace and try to curb our extreme population growth which has never been good for any country.
One major thing that I also know is a major part of our culture has been our compassion and fairness and we have never been accused of being racist or bigots. It disappoints me deeply that such words are now creeping into others vocabulary to describe our culture. We must take a closer look at ourselves Caymanians.
We would love to hear more about who we are, Caymanians as well as expats.
It doesn't matter how many expats are here now or continue to come to Cayman, it can't take my culture away from me. I am married to a British Expat and I am making damn sure that my children will know about my past and this counties past. It is one way for me to not only pass on my family gene pool but also my country's roots. We, as the older generation must ensure that these things are passed down. The expats can not take that from you or I. If we are too busy to teach our kids then that is our fault as teachers, parents, and as a society. We as Caymanians must ensure that this stays true. Please indulge me once again.
I have matured in what I think is the most crucial transition this Island and the world has ever seen - the information and technology era and a massive development and financial boom. I strongly feel that the greatest cultural cancer of this and every society is television & technology.
Ask any young Caymanian under the age of 25 years, and I can tell you that most of them have never danced a quadrille, had a gig, hunted crabs, picked mangos, played in the fogger, picked welks, had to go to church or Sunday school, had to say "yes sir" or "yes mam" and never called an adult by their first name etc.
I just hit my 40th year young. An age where I feel is mature enough to understand how the world works but not too old to understand the younger generation and although disappointed, understand that most societies have lost their younger generations to VH1, BET, MTV, Jerry Springer and Days of our Lives to name a few. Next add into the mix, the Internet, blog sites, (which every kid knows how to use much better than most of you that are currently reading this message) and sites such as MYspace.com (popular blog site) which has lots of Caymanians signed up who have many online "virtual" friends around the world. Most kids and young adults have no idea what it feels like to post a handwritten letter and get a response 2 weeks later. Oh and lets not forget Nintendo, XBOX and PlayStation. Are you going to tell your kid to go outside and play gig, climb a tree or play marbles? If you can understand this and agree, then Caymanians, we have to ask ourselves, are the expats responsible for that? I personally feel that most expats change their behaviour once they are here for any length of time. No expat can bring their "Big City" behaviour or mentality and survive ridicule from others who are part of this society.
Unfortunately or fortunately depending on which side of the fence one sits, we live in an ever changing society and a even faster changing world. We can choose to accept the outside world or we can try and isolate ourselves from it. I personally think we have gone beyond trying to isolate ourselves. We should focus on adapting to the pace and try to curb our extreme population growth which has never been good for any country.
One major thing that I also know is a major part of our culture has been our compassion and fairness and we have never been accused of being racist or bigots. It disappoints me deeply that such words are now creeping into others vocabulary to describe our culture. We must take a closer look at ourselves Caymanians.
We would love to hear more about who we are, Caymanians as well as expats.
Monday, August 28, 2006
What defines a Caymanian Culture ?
The Government says that our culture is being eroded by the number of Expats on the Islands. Can someone please answer the question, What defines a Caymanian Culture ? I don't want to write my opinion right now because I don't want anyone to feel as if I am swaying their thought process.
I would like to hear from Caymanians first, we should know, shouldn't we ?
I would like to hear from Caymanians first, we should know, shouldn't we ?
Friday, August 25, 2006
Every small business owner's dilemma ?
This comment was posted by an anonymous reader. I thought it was an excellent point for discussion because I face the same dilemma for my business and I know that other Caymanian business owners face it as well. Our leaders don't seem to understand this point, yet it is critical for the life blood of the Cayman Island's small business economy:
I am a small business owner. I hire both expats and Caymanians. If I could hire more Caymanians I certainly would! No work permit fees, no waiting for work permits to be approved, no relocation expenses, no roll-over. However the reality is that rarely do I get any Caymanians applying for the advertised jobs. No business owner in their right mind would hire a qualified expat over a qualified Caymanian - it makes no business sense.
So please stop accusing people like me of being biased, and please get rid of the policy that makes hiring the expats I need to run my business, even harder and more expensive than it is already.
Or I will have to shut my doors, and those Caymanians that I am lucky enough to have working for me will lose their jobs too and everybody loses.
I am a small business owner. I hire both expats and Caymanians. If I could hire more Caymanians I certainly would! No work permit fees, no waiting for work permits to be approved, no relocation expenses, no roll-over. However the reality is that rarely do I get any Caymanians applying for the advertised jobs. No business owner in their right mind would hire a qualified expat over a qualified Caymanian - it makes no business sense.
So please stop accusing people like me of being biased, and please get rid of the policy that makes hiring the expats I need to run my business, even harder and more expensive than it is already.
Or I will have to shut my doors, and those Caymanians that I am lucky enough to have working for me will lose their jobs too and everybody loses.
Why are we so afraid to speak up ?
I am not a politician nor do I intend to be, but ever since I sent that first email, My Gosh! The response both from individuals and the media has been overwhelming.
I just want eveyone to know that I welcome comments of differing opintions on this policy - I'm not offended if you don't agree with my views. You have the God given right to your opinion. We should be a free country and free people! I would love to see more names and less signed anonymous. I admire the brave Caymanians who have given their names.
But, as it is said, “With questions comes more questions”. My first question is this, Why is it that more intelligent and hardworking Caymanians don’t speak up for themselves? There are lots of you and you know who you are:
1. The Caymanians that have gone to school or back to school to educate themselves, either locally or overseas, knowing they have to stay competitive in a global economy, and don’t think that Cayman is an isolated bubble.
2. The entrepreneurs- the ones that have taken the risk, spent every dime and more, to start a business in anticipation of a healthy growing economy. The shop owners, the mechanics, the car dealers, the realtors (yes, there are Caymanian realtors), the local developers, the large and small landlords, you all know who you are.
My next question - Is your business capable of surviving, the 6 months or 2 years that some suggest, it will take to “get rid” of those that are nearly due to apply for residency and for this policy to replenish the Island with new Expats?
Food for thought, let’s debate.
I just want eveyone to know that I welcome comments of differing opintions on this policy - I'm not offended if you don't agree with my views. You have the God given right to your opinion. We should be a free country and free people! I would love to see more names and less signed anonymous. I admire the brave Caymanians who have given their names.
But, as it is said, “With questions comes more questions”. My first question is this, Why is it that more intelligent and hardworking Caymanians don’t speak up for themselves? There are lots of you and you know who you are:
1. The Caymanians that have gone to school or back to school to educate themselves, either locally or overseas, knowing they have to stay competitive in a global economy, and don’t think that Cayman is an isolated bubble.
2. The entrepreneurs- the ones that have taken the risk, spent every dime and more, to start a business in anticipation of a healthy growing economy. The shop owners, the mechanics, the car dealers, the realtors (yes, there are Caymanian realtors), the local developers, the large and small landlords, you all know who you are.
My next question - Is your business capable of surviving, the 6 months or 2 years that some suggest, it will take to “get rid” of those that are nearly due to apply for residency and for this policy to replenish the Island with new Expats?
Food for thought, let’s debate.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
I am a frightened Caymanian
Over the past two months ever since the rollover policy has been getting mass publicity, , I have seen a steady decrease in my real estate business.Other realtors in the industry have expressed the same concerns. I have spoken to bankerswho have voiced concerns about lending to individuals whose time is limited on the island -Come on, which bank would lend to someone who is about to be kicked off the island?
I have spoken to concerned car dealers and Caymanian developers who have not seen any enquiries on their projects let alone sales ever since the reality of rollover policy became clear and wide spread.
If you want a good indication of the rental market look and see how many pages of rentals are in the Friday’s edition of the Caymanian Compass. Many of these rentals belong to Caymanians who have a little rental place to help pay their every increasing mortgage payments.
I have had to search for a new helper, and numerous workers for other businesses I am involved in where I had loyal, qualified and hard working ex-pat employees. Other Caymanian businessmen and women are trying to desperately replace their workforce with new employees.
There are approximately 15,000 born Caymanians who are able to vote in a population of over 52,000 people. Based on that ratio we have already passed the stage where we are a minority in our own country. The roll overpolicy will not cure this problem. We must try to develop more hardworking Caymanians. The ex-patriate individuals who have lived here and contributed greatly to these islands should be fairly treated. We should not be proposing to bring in a whole new bunch that don't care about our islands because in less than seven years they know they are out of here.
When the Compass quotes our Leader of Government Business as saying, "The Government understands that there's a growing resentment among our own people about feeling overwhelmed in their own country” and “radio talk show callers complain about foreigners coming here and trying to impose their own cultures , ” I become very concerned. The mere fact that it quotes callers into a talk show as the ‘Voice of the Caymanian people’ is frightening.
I strongly believe that our leaders are not hearing the voice of the hardworking, educated, entrepreneurial Caymanians. Our time is so taken up with running our businesses that we do not get the chance to call in and state our positions. I am a businessman. I understand and know that this country needs the ex-pats to not only compete but to merely exist in the f inancial and t ourism industr ies and we all know that Caymanians can't do it alone.
I am not associated with any political party . I believe in supporting any Government that has this country and its people at heart . After talking to a number of professionals and business owners who are Caymanians, all have said that they were not happy with the current policy. I say that telling the expatriate they have to leave for two years before they can return to this country is basically telling them we want you out of here. No one is going to disrupt his or her live for two years and come back to this.
One Solution:
Have a much shorter, break before the roll over takes affect. I would suggest 3-6 months. Show that we are a country of inteligece,faireness, and compassion. That would solve the problem of not have the existing expats become Caymanians anytime soon. It would allow them to keep their homes and continue renting and not have employers have to find new and untrained workers, to say the least.
I am therefore , urging you, my Caymanian friends and colleagues, to let your voice s be heard. Please pass this email on to all your friends and family and place your name and address below. We are trying to get as many signatures together to hand deliver to our Government leaders to let them know that we are not happy with this rollover policy.
If you would like to leave a comment or suggestions rigt here
I have spoken to concerned car dealers and Caymanian developers who have not seen any enquiries on their projects let alone sales ever since the reality of rollover policy became clear and wide spread.
If you want a good indication of the rental market look and see how many pages of rentals are in the Friday’s edition of the Caymanian Compass. Many of these rentals belong to Caymanians who have a little rental place to help pay their every increasing mortgage payments.
I have had to search for a new helper, and numerous workers for other businesses I am involved in where I had loyal, qualified and hard working ex-pat employees. Other Caymanian businessmen and women are trying to desperately replace their workforce with new employees.
There are approximately 15,000 born Caymanians who are able to vote in a population of over 52,000 people. Based on that ratio we have already passed the stage where we are a minority in our own country. The roll overpolicy will not cure this problem. We must try to develop more hardworking Caymanians. The ex-patriate individuals who have lived here and contributed greatly to these islands should be fairly treated. We should not be proposing to bring in a whole new bunch that don't care about our islands because in less than seven years they know they are out of here.
When the Compass quotes our Leader of Government Business as saying, "The Government understands that there's a growing resentment among our own people about feeling overwhelmed in their own country” and “radio talk show callers complain about foreigners coming here and trying to impose their own cultures , ” I become very concerned. The mere fact that it quotes callers into a talk show as the ‘Voice of the Caymanian people’ is frightening.
I strongly believe that our leaders are not hearing the voice of the hardworking, educated, entrepreneurial Caymanians. Our time is so taken up with running our businesses that we do not get the chance to call in and state our positions. I am a businessman. I understand and know that this country needs the ex-pats to not only compete but to merely exist in the f inancial and t ourism industr ies and we all know that Caymanians can't do it alone.
I am not associated with any political party . I believe in supporting any Government that has this country and its people at heart . After talking to a number of professionals and business owners who are Caymanians, all have said that they were not happy with the current policy. I say that telling the expatriate they have to leave for two years before they can return to this country is basically telling them we want you out of here. No one is going to disrupt his or her live for two years and come back to this.
One Solution:
Have a much shorter, break before the roll over takes affect. I would suggest 3-6 months. Show that we are a country of inteligece,faireness, and compassion. That would solve the problem of not have the existing expats become Caymanians anytime soon. It would allow them to keep their homes and continue renting and not have employers have to find new and untrained workers, to say the least.
I am therefore , urging you, my Caymanian friends and colleagues, to let your voice s be heard. Please pass this email on to all your friends and family and place your name and address below. We are trying to get as many signatures together to hand deliver to our Government leaders to let them know that we are not happy with this rollover policy.
If you would like to leave a comment or suggestions rigt here
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Welcome all
We are here to discuss the issues that affect our country. This blog is here to encourage, open, direct and intelligent interaction between all. I especially want to hear comments on the roll over policy which has been really bugging the hell out of me. This site was born based on the number of comments my customers and clients wanted to post on my Real Estate blog, which I wanted to focus on Real Estate but obviously people have something to say. So here we are, let it out.
Note: Even though this site says Caymanians, this includes the so called "Paper Caymanians". As far as I am concern, you are true Caymanians, and I would also like comments from Expats as well, we need to know your thoughts to encourage harmony.
Note: Even though this site says Caymanians, this includes the so called "Paper Caymanians". As far as I am concern, you are true Caymanians, and I would also like comments from Expats as well, we need to know your thoughts to encourage harmony.
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