Hundreds of job-seekers and United Democratic Party supporters rallied around Cayman Islands Premier McKeeva Bush on Seven Mile Beach Saturday afternoon, despite the blustery weather.
The event was part-barbecue, part-job registration and part-political rally. It was held in response to scheduled protests on Saturday morning in East End and another event set for Tuesday in George Town.
At one point the crowd got so large, Royal Cayman Islands Police had to attend to prevent people from being struck by cars as they crossed West Bay Road to the beach.
Dozens of attendees filled out job registration forms while others listened to speeches given by the Premier, George Town MLA Ellio Solomon and local attorney Steve McField, among others.
“These are high-cost Islands, you need things to be going so you can make some money to have a decent living,” said Burns Bodden, one of the hundreds of attendees at the event on Saturday.
During his address to the crowd, Mr. Bush said that members of the opposition political party and their supporters would eventually end up killing economic development and driving away economic investors with anti-foreigner, anti-business rhetoric.
“Just this last week, representatives from St. Lucia and the Bahamas came here to meet with Mr. [Kenneth] Dart,” Mr. Bush told the crowd. “And we’re trying to drive him away.”
Mr. Bush went over his plans with the Dart group for relocation of West Bay Road in the Public Beach area, promising that the area would remain open to the general public – just not to traffic. He also lauded the benefits of a proposed port redevelopment projects and an oil refinery in George Town.
“You can embrace wealth or reap poverty,” Mr. Bush said. “I am no economist, I just have good granny-wits. I have warned several times that our economic and immigration policies would have serious effects on our people. Unfortunately, none of these warnings were taken seriously.”
Please read more about this story in Tuesday’s editions of the Caymanian Compass….
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People need to understand that Mckeeva has alot of supporters. Remember the 2000 to 3000 status grants in 2003. PPM better watch out now that Alden has change his stance on the Rollover Policy, a policy supported by many born Caymanians. For all you know, UDP may have enough votes to get back in next election.
This party politics system is going to be the death of a peaceful and prosperous Cayman and both parties are equally culpable and guilty.
I grew up in Jamaica at the heart of the political system because of blood ties to the JLP party and I have seen the results, first hand.
When the ruling party is holding a rally and registering people for work, it is clearly stating that only members and supporters of that party will be considered for those jobs.
Can anything be more detrimental to most people’s vision of what the Cayman Islands used to be and should now be?
I would like some of these hard-core party supporters of both parties to take a guided tour of the garrison communities of Tivoli Gardens, Trench Town, Arnett Gardens, Matthews Lane, Flankers etc etc, in Jamaica and see for themselves, first-hand, what party-politics division can do to a country.
And make sure that these tours are guided because these communities are not your average vacation spots…
And then see if they do not provide a serious wake-up call for what could happen in Cayman.
Talk about pipe dreams. You poor people who think that this man has the ability or desire to give out jobs. He couldnt organize a good BBQ. A couple of hundred of people does not show any support for this party whatever. Idiots cannot even be bought with free food. Then again, maybe they can.
@ Firery, Do you know for a fact that was case of no else but UDP supporters could sign up for jobs? Dont we have a labor office where people can go and look work and sign the same forms? I agree that division in a country helps no one but I also agree that we need more investment in Cayman, local or foreign, once Caymanians can benefit and killing projects just because you want the opposing party to look bad is not helping anyone.
@ Bubba, i doubt Mac guaranteed anyone 100% you are getting a job tomorrow. I also doubt that people came solely for food although some may and those that did eat I really doubt they were indebted to Mac for some chicken and rice. They came for information and to support the various projects he has announced. I also know for a fact that he wants people to get jobs, if only for the sake of having them remember him come election however the other benefits of people having jobs are a expanding economy and oh yeah….. having money to buy food, educate thier children and provide shelter for thier families.
@Bodden, Enough of the anti-foreigner sarcasm. If all the foriegners that have status packed up and left along with the people on permits, Cayman would be Haiti in no time at all. No infrastructure and no economy and dependant on other countries for aid money. No one could pay thier bills so the banks, utilities, communication companies would leave shutdown and leave. Just us here looking at each other, hot, hungry and being eaten by mosquitos. Yeah thats the life I want.
I’m no longer a church-going person now, but I’ve read the the teachings of many religions since and I’ve found this one to be most apt to our current situation….
Matthew 12:25
21st Century King James Version
And Jesus knew their thoughts and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.
This is not religous talk but political; it has stood the proof/test of time….2,000 years. You’d think we’d learned by now!
We should look to the lessons/words of the past before we commit the same mistakes.
I hope some of you shakers and makers are reading this!