Online Forum - Website postings from caymannetnews.com

Wednesday,  December 22, 2004

• Enough Is Enough! Part 1
  As one of the citizens of this country I have called home for some 35 years, I am compelled to make an attempt to throw in a life-vest for this country by saying what needs to be said with a little more oomph. Assuming I am not the only one that is seeing and experiencing obvious signs of corruption here in the Cayman Islands, I would like to reiterate the factors of (one of) the more recent projects the Government has sought to undertake being the 10.7 million dollar contract with MC Restoration. 
  There is something I am missing out on here, that being the fact that the Government has, without proper reason, undercut the local heavy equipment operators in the contracted task to clean up debris after the hurricane, paying millions of dollars which will go out of this country’s economy at a time when we really need to keep it here. 
  With so many serious questions like: 
  1. Why give the contract to a foreign company and not the local heavy equipment operators? 
  2. Who are the local partners? (which when Moffitt was asked by Cayman Net News, Moffitt’s answer was “we have none” but since has been revealed by Cayman Net News) 
  3. Why the breaching of the contract by MC Restoration as was known to bring in the extra equipment? And that after it was official that this equipment was NOT to be used and was to be grounded under lock and key, inexplicably it was found that this extra equipment was one day not on the compound where it was supposed to be. 
  4. If most or a great part of the debris has been cleaned up by locals, then is there enough debris to warrant a 10.7 million contract? And that NONE of the debris that will be cleaned up will be shipped off the island should bear less bang-for-the-buck to justify paying 10.7 million dollars. 
  5. It was said by Mr. Orrett Connor that this contract would not be signed until this was fully approved by the Government and the public (Editor, correct me if I’m wrong) yet the contract had been signed before or shortly after this statement without approval by the local operators. How could this happen? Which Government member could have allowed this?
  All in all, I would like to say that while the local heavy equipment operators hammered at the Government to get a copy of the contract, the Government was obviously evasive with this request and forced through with this contract and got work underway immediately as to secure the fulfillment of this contract. It seemed CRUCIAL that the Government secure this contract with MC Restoration. 
  What really hits me hard is that the HEAVO and local people didn’t stand firm in opposition to this contract and ensure that MC Restoration DID NOT start work until this whole thing was investigated independent of Government. 
  More to come soon. - One Angry Citizen and part of the Anti-Corruption Squad
  
   
• Tourism Holiday
  Congratulations to Cayman Airways on opening their new services to Boston and Chicago. God knows we need to bring back the tourists quickly. 
  These new flights are indeed an opportunity for us all. No surprise that Government leaders have grasped it, filling the 17 December Boston flight with over 40 of their staff, business partners and friends for an all-expenses long-weekend pre-Xmas shopping trip - with the bill being picked up by CIG. 
  For those of us still living in inhuman conditions 3 months after Ivan, this misuse of public money makes me sick. How many new roofs would that pay for? - Anonymous
  
   
• Production company documents the onslaught of Hurricane Ivan
  How and where can we purchase this video? - Kay
   
  • Editor’s note: We have received many similar requests since this article was published. Apex Video may be contacted by telephone at (345) 946-2234 or by email at avs@candw.ky. Their website is www.avscayman.com. The cost of the video is $25.00 (VHS) or $30.00 (DVD).
    
     
• Leo’s cleanup efforts at public beach
  I’m currently in the United States but moving to the Caymans in the next 3 weeks to assist with a 6 month job program there on the Islands. I read the article about this group cleaning up the beaches, and I would be interested in my spare time being able to contribute in their efforts. 
  If anyone from the Club would like to contact me by email on how I can do this, I would love to hear from them. Thank you! - Juan 
  
   
• Hello to all my friends at Cayman Net News
  I just wanted to say hello to all my friends at Cayman Net News and I hope that everyone is alright and doing well after the hurricane and earthquake! You guys have been great keeping up with news, and I always tell anyone I see how great CNN is and is so much more informative, up to date and professional, as well as just generally better than “other” newspapers on the Island. 
  You guys have shown your true colours through this and all of your hard work and dedication that was unbelievable before, is making me left to wonder if you guys have any personal life at all now? Because I know you guys must spend every waking hour at the office now! 
  Thank you guys for keeping us informed and up to date and giving us something dry to read before sunset after the hurricane!
  Merry Christmas and lots of love to everyone and I wish everyone a happy New Year! And you guys should just forget about the newspapers for the first week of January, and go get the sleep and entertainment (party!) that all of you deserve! - Zara
   
  • Editor’s note: Our personal lives have in fact been put on hold for the past few months. Nevertheless we are committed to what we do and appreciate you prompting us to cherish the season – we intend to! 
    
     
• Claim that Editorial was factually incorrect
  All cheers go to the Editor. To the insurers, shut up and pay out! Words mean nothing if you don’t have a place to live. The insurance companies haven’t even had the courtesy to reply to requests for information. We paid our premium. How much time did you give us to pay? If my premium was not paid by September 11 would they honor my claim? I think not! - Tired of Waiting
  
   
• MC Restoration link
  Good job! At least now it is known who are involved in both companies. David Moffitt, huh? Keep on probing. I would like to see how this story ends. I am sure there is a lot more since MC of Fla was initially rejected. Oh, what a web we weave? - Milron Morgan
  
   
• Duty concessions extended for another six months
  This seems very “fishy”. The Government removed the duty to allow for themselves and their pals to benefit – then bap; the concession is removed after their vehicles are cleared. Corruption is everywhere! - Donovan Gilmore
  
   
• Earthquake Information?
  Why is it that none of the radio stations mentioned anything about the earthquake until Wednesday? Cell phones were not working for several hours, and with no other form of communication available to me, I turned on the radio to find out what happened. Is it that the radio stations do not have any staff in the building overnight to report such up-to-the-minute events, or that they thought nobody wanted any information about it? 
  Wake up, radio stations; you should be the ones to report such matters! If the current radio stations in Grand Cayman are not interested in breaking news, then don’t bother us with the morning or afternoon reports. Stick to playing music after such history-making events as we’ve seen this year, and see how long the public will tolerate you. Anyone with radio experience - I smell an opening for a news station. - Meghan
  
   
• Miss Cayman Legit
  Well, well, I am not surprised Caymanians are behaving so rudely. I would like to encourage you to study your history to discover how the Cayman Islands were inhabited; who governed Cayman and when, as well as where, said Governor lived. 
  The country that sent food to Cayman weekly by ship (from Jamaica) how clever! The many Jamaican professionals including physicians, teachers, engineers, lawyers, police officers, maintenance workers, nurses, to name a very few to establish Cayman as a country. Most whites of British ancestry were Jamaicans who left Jamaica just prior to 1962 and immediately after, because they did not want to lose their British citizenship, and did not like the fact that Jamaica would experience a radical change bringing about “equality and justice” for all regardless of skin color or education. 
  In conclusion “most so-called Caymanians, are JAMAICANS – black, white, Indians, Chinese, mix-up, mix-up, they are all JAMAICANS. Do not allow yourself to be unread or illiterate when the facts are archived for all of us to read. If you cannot read, it’s not too late to learn so that you can educate yourself about your own history. These are civilised times. Don’t make a mountain out of a mole hill. - Sonia
  
   
• Hurricane Ivan and Earthquake
  Several businesses in my hometown of Kountze, TX participated in hurricane relief. West Discount donated over 40 boxes of supplies. Another assisted with transportation to the location for the supplies to be collected. We realize we too could have suffered such a fate - as we are near the Gulf. - Cheryl Jane Bean
  
   
• Earthquake
  Thanks to all of you at Cayman Net News for the quick reporting and even the pictures. We came back from Cayman on December 6 and therefore appreciated the up to date information. - J. Stabno, Independence, Missouri, USA.

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