LETTER TO THE EDITOR

PPM Candidate raises post-Ivan concerns

Wednesday, December 8, 2004

Dear Sir,

I would like to use this medium to address a number of concerns that I currently have post Ivan. Thanks to God Almighty we are still here to do this, as we have been through some trying times in the last three months. But once again the Cayman people have stood tall and shown their resilience in the face of the largest disaster to hit these islands, apart from the UDP government!

Anyone who seeks to profit unreasonably at another’s expense when he is down and out is someone to steer clear of. The current fiasco with the clean up of our island is a perfect example of a government that does not care for its people. Remember this is the same government that sought to build low cost housing with foreign labour and when asked about this the Minister responsible replied “this is not about creating jobs, this is about creating houses”. 

How shallow an insensitive can one be? Now we have the clean up situation and we see once again, apart from there being a myriad of questions surrounding all of the contracts and deals made, that what was a golden opportunity for us in Cayman to have been put in charge of something for once, yet again we were forced to work for foreign entities. 

Why could we not have said to the “HEAVO’ guys “organize yourselves we have work to do. Do what you can and sub out the remainder”?

As it turned out the contract with MC Restoration was only just signed on 19 November. so what was the rush to bring in the foreign vultures, that were already lined up circling and watching the news from their safe - havens and ready to take the first flights in. Then to add insult to injury we have ministers and other elected representatives seeking to use their position and inside knowledge to benefit their own pockets – is this the equivalent of insider trading? Anyone heard of Martha Stewart?

The next area I would like to address is the very important one of our schools and the Education Ministry and system. Where is the priority that should be given to educating our children? We currently have severely damaged schools and students have been forced to seek education overseas.

We then set unrealistic goals of opening these damaged schools in November with patch work to the buildings and system. Millions are being spent and wasted everyday on other areas (e.g: clean up) when it would have made a lot more sense to close our schools until January and pour our resources into a good three to four months of rebuilding, at the end of which schools could be re-opened and students accommodated comfortably.

We now have students, parents and teachers upset, stress levels at an all time high and unsafe environments in which to operate. The Minister responsible is saying he has all the answers and plans but nothing is being done! If we are not careful we will not only lose a few valuable months of school but an entire school year! Procrastination is the greatest thief of time, and our country and kids cannot afford this at this time.

The Minister is certainly not busy in his home district Bodden Town, so what exactly is he doing? Hiding from responsibility as he has so often done in the past? When times get tough the tough get going, but not so apparently in this case! I will have more to say on the lack of action in Bodden Town the next time around. All I will say at this time is that actions do indeed speak louder than words!

In years past we have had all types of governance, some good, some not so good, but I believe it is fair comment to say that we have never had a more self serving, self righteous bunch of individuals in charge of our country’s and our children’s future as we currently have.

Wake up my people, wake up, and take your country back before it is too late!

Osbourne Bodden
PPM Candidate for Bodden Town

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