North Side candidates shared their concerns about crime, youth, senior citizens and other social issues at the Chamber of Commerce forum on Tuesday night.
Ms Alex Johnson, Ms Edna Moyle and Mr. Bo Miller also proposed solutions from their various perspectives.
Members of the audience at the United Church hall submitted nine questions to go with the 10 posed by Chamber president Mr. Joseph Hew, CEO Mr. Wil Pineau and Radio Cayman announcer Mr. Jay Ehrhart.
Asked about specific plans to improve policing and law enforcement, Ms Johnson said she would support the police. ‘But we as Caymanians are responsible as well as the police because if we turn our heads and do not support the police, we’re as bad as the criminals out there.’
Ms Moyle suggested finding the root cause of crime. Many people are frustrated in the education system because it tends to concentrate on the top 20 per cent. She was prepared to give money in the budget to police to support the fight against crime, but the force needs specially trained officers.
Mr. Miller defined crime as a failure in society. Solutions are multi-pronged. Money for police doesn’t solve the problem, he asserted. Constitutionally, the Governor is in charge of the police. Kids in gangs are looking for hope. His proposed District Management Council will have projects for young people.
The candidates elaborated when asked about district youth programmes and top district priorities.
Mr. Miller said his proposed counsel will develop programmes for youth, establish apprentice programmes and a technology-based learning centre.
Ms Johnson observed that groups of young people tend to be viewed as up to no good, but when treated as individuals they tend to share their interests and aspirations. The district has no Leos, no Key Club, no mentoring, she commented.
She supported a community centre for young people – as distinct from a civic centre – so that they would not have to be transported outside the district for social activities.
Ms Moyle pointed out that the National Youth Policy had been written based on what youth saw as their needs. A previous government had refused to table it. She did, during her time in Cabinet, but little had been done since 2001. The position of Community Development Officer should be put back, she said.
Ms Moyle urged more work experience and research into what happens with primary school graduates who get lost in high school.
Ms Johnson said she would love to see the senior citizens programme continue. ‘We started it in 2000 and other districts followed,’ she said.
As one of his top priorities, Mr. Miller wanted to see a home for the elderly.
Ms Moyle said that, after his mother’s death, Mr. Miller had sent government a letter offering to sell her property for a senior citizen’s centre. The price was $1.3 million or $1.5 million. The cost to redo the structure for such a purpose was prohibitive, she said.
During the next round of questions, Mr. Miller displayed a letter he had written in 1999 to Mr. Anthony Eden, then an Executive Council Member. He challenged Ms Moyle to show where he had asked for $1.5 million and made the letter available to the press. He said it was a joint venture proposal.
On examination, the letter was not found to contain a specific figure. It referred to fair market value for the three-acre property.
The candidates differed widely in their approach to improving the health care system.
Mr. Miller said civil servants and bureaucrats could not run a hospital; neither could politicians. There are companies that manage hospitals professionally. Business people run business and Government regulates the business, he declared. The crisis now was the insurance.
Ms Johnson was proud of the health care in Cayman. ‘We have good doctors here and I support every one of them,’ she said. She also supported CINICO; she had used the insurance and was satisfied. She suggested much would be accomplished if people were given more credit instead of criticism.
Ms Moyle said health care will always have to be subsidised. Cayman must have a proper Health Authority Board with professionals who know medicine. The board must make policy and not micro-manage the hospital.
Economic issues
Ms Johnson said small businesses should be supported, especially in the Eastern Districts. Some businesses government is involved in should be turned over to the private sector. Businesses can get started with a grant from the Cayman Islands Development Bank.
Raising additional revenue should not be done by putting more taxes on the little people; Government should go more after the businesses.
Ms Moyle mentioned hearing of Government offering tremendous initiatives to large businesses, such as waiver of stamp duty and reduction of import duty. Small businesses deserve consideration also, such as swift processing of work permits.
She would raise additional revenue by seeking funds from the United Nations and the United Kingdom. If there is fiscal responsibility, there will be no need to tax the people, she said.
Instead of raising more revenue, Mr. Miller proposed analysing the whole system of government because it was way too big and too inefficient. Government had become a business but that was not its role: ‘It should do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.’
He said business fundamentals needed to be taught and proposed a Junior Achievement programme in North Side. All opportunities should not be consumed by foreign investors. ‘If we don’t create more entrepreneurs in this country, we’ll create more criminals.’
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