Lettersto the Editor
Examine AusterityMeasures Government
Dear Sir,
Much has been said and much more will besaid about the new taxes that the present Government has imposed.I therefore beg the question. Who else but those that the immediatetaxes are affecting can be taxed? I am sorry, but the little manas the Hon. Linford Pierson calls the downtrodden, poor and unemployedamong us, is taxed to the limit already.
It would appear that instead of being facedwith new tax measures again next year, Government should examinea few austerity measures today in order to generate and save someextra money for tomorrow.
1. Government could start by training Caymanians.
2. Government could provide the facilitiesfor our young people to become bartenders, trained secretaries,sales persons, or any such professions that persons may be trainedto do within one week to six months.
3. Government could re-examine their attitudetowards whom we regard as criminals and try to ensure that thosewho recommend employees to Government are not prejudiced towardspotential candidates. For example: Government is allowing personsto come to Cayman on a license to drive automobiles, trucks,earth moving equipment and do other menial tasks. While at thesame time Government is:
a) Paying an average of CI$20,000 per yearto incarcerate our young people
b) Once incarcerated, our young are seldomgiven a fair chance at earning a decent living
c) Those with any basic skills are not giventhe chance to develop those skills. Why can't Government investin these people, and by doing so save the CI$20,000 they are spendingin order to incarcerate our young people? It would give our youngback their respectability and at the same time retain some ofthe monies that are sent overseas by expatriates.
d) Why do we have to keep foreign prisonersconvicted on drug charges incarcerated in Cayman for five to tenyears when there is no proof that there is any beneficial valueor reduction in the amount of drugs being imported in the island?
On the other hand Government may be moresensible and less personal in their hiring of new staff.
For three years, the dialysis unit at the hospital was run bytwo Caymanian ladies with as much as 30 patients at one time.They were told that they could not get any additional help because:
1. With the discovery of AIDS, fewer persons were interested indialysis;
2. They could not find persons locally that were interested inlearning dialysis;
3. That interested persons had to be trained nurses.
It turns out that all of the above excusesare questionable. Hospital administration has now hired two personsfrom overseas who are supposed to be trained dialysis persons,yet our Caymanian nurses have to train them.
To add insult to injury, as soon as thehospital administration realised that one of the expatriate staffcould find themselves around in the dialysis area, they retiredone Caymanian nurse, without giving her proper notice. It alsoturns out that the hospital has two interested Caymanian nursingaides or equivalent, that in six weeks could be easily trainedin the USA to do the same things that the expatriates are doing.The cost involved being less than the airfare from England andthe three month allowance allowed for an expatriate to get settledhere in Cayman.
The essence of this letter is that all thingsbeing equal:
1. The Caymanian will be fired or transferred,consequently, opening up a new place for another expatriate toget a job and send more money overseas;
2. Training Caymanians should allow them to have more money tospend locally;
3. Much of the time it has been said that interested Caymaniansare not available. However, if we look around we can find personswilling and able to be trained;
4. It may now be time to evaluate our narcotics and prison policiesfrom an economic point of view.
George C. Smith