Proposals to relocate a section of West Bay Road along Seven Mile Beach and move the George Town landfill to Bodden Town have become a test of Cayman’s democratic future, according to a group of activists and politicians that met Thursday night in Cayman’s capital.
“We’re at a crossroad in our democratic existence,” said Captain Bryan Ebanks to a group of hundreds gathered outside the George Town court house. “We’ve allowed our democracy to fall to the side. We allow our leaders to call us idiots; to call our children who may have fallen by the wayside ‘punks’.”
“This is just a test to see what’s next, to see what can be gotten away with,” said Paul Rivers. “If we lose this West Bay road, we will lose democracy in this country.”
The meeting – which lasted three hours on the downtown courthouse steps – took on a vehement tone, with most of the speakers blasting Premier McKeeva Bush and the Dart group of companies. Some speakers at the event threatened to ‘occupy’ the 4,200 foot section of West Bay Road once crews began unearthing it.
Right now, plans to extend the Esterley Tibbetts Highway up to Yacht Drive are under way. However, the actual closure of West Bay Road between Yacht Drive and the RBS Coutts building has not occurred.
“When it comes time to dig it up, we must step up and occupy the road,” said Mr. Rivers, a West Bay resident who ran against the United Democratic Party candidates in the 2009 election. “I’m not going to lay down in front of any bulldozer, but I may lay a few bulldozers down.”
Included in the dozen or so speakers at the podium were Opposition Leader Alden McLaughlin, East End MLA Arden McLean and North Side MLA Ezzard Miller. Bodden Town MLA Anthony Eden watched the proceedings from a seat in the audience.
Calling the proposals to close the section of West Bay Road and move the George Town landfill to Midland Acres in Bodden Town “idiotic”, Mr. McLaughlin tried to turn the focus away from the Dart group and toward Premier Bush.
“What we have is a premier and a government who are completely clueless,” he said. “[They] are flailing about, trying to find some magic, some miracle to fix the economic situation in the country.”
Mr. McLaughlin said the only plan the current government had was “to sell the country’s assets and use the money to buy votes”. As the evening went on, more speakers sought to attack the Dart group of companies, who they said were “calling the shots” for the premier and the government.
“You cannot believe anything they tell you, neither group,” said Mr. Miller, referring to the ruling United Democratic Party and the Dart group. “Their great fear is that if the people of this country get a glimpse of what their total plan is, they are going to get up in arms and throw them out of the country.”
Mr. Miller urged those gathered at the Thursday meeting to partake in more public demonstrations until government drops its plan for West Bay Road and the Bodden Town landfill.
“Come out, turn out, march down to the Legislative Assembly,” he said.
No specific dates were set for public demonstrations. But the group did have vague plans for a lunchtime demonstration outside the Legislative Assembly when the body meets next. An LA meeting date had not been fixed by press time.
Pressure on
Several speakers at the event, including some Bodden Town residents, sought to put the pressure on United Democratic Party Minister Mark Scotland and MLA Dwayne Seymour for their stated support of moving the landfill to their district.
“Is it that you’re already, not even three years, fed up with politics?” said Mr. McLean, facetiously speaking to Messrs. Scotland and Seymour, who were not present. “You’ve got to be mad to carry this dump thing in Bodden Town. Was this a one-term thing you were looking for?”
Bodden Towner Greg Anderson said the community believed there was sufficient space where the landfill was located in George Town for the facility to be managed properly and a waste-to-energy programme to begin.
“All you’re doing is just carting the problem elsewhere,” Mr. Anderson said. “There is no … justifiable reason to relocate the dump to Bodden Town.”
Minister Scotland has said he thinks moving the landfill out of central George Town would be the best thing for Cayman’s future development.
Newspaper ad slammed
Mr. Miller criticised the Dart group for an advertisement that was placed in Friday’s editions of the Caymanian Compass.
The ad depicted a number of construction workers on the new Esterley Tibbetts Highway extension and was entitled ‘creating job opportunities’.
The North Side MLA opined that he thought the ad was “making fun of the unfortunate people in this country who are out of work”.
“They gave half a dozen people work … with shovels and machetes and they use it to brag about what they’re doing for Cayman,” Mr. Miller said.
The Dart group anticipates spending more than $1.2 billion in the Cayman Islands during the next 20 years, and anticipates US $415 million in direct investment during the next five years, according to company officials.
Trip to London
A group of MLAs and community activists are planning to travel to London later this year to meet with the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office about the situation with the road, the landfill and other issues.
One member of the travelling group, Alice Mae Coe, said they needed assistance with travelling expenses and had opened an account #1361427020011 at Butterfield Bank for donations to support the effort.
“Our aim is to preserve West Bay Road, as well as to sort out other issues,” she said.
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This may be unpopular but it is my opinion. I am considering purchasing a home in the yet to be built homes in Camana Bay and will only purchase if they move the landfill. I am attracted to the masterplan of Camana Bay but the expense will not be justified if it is right next to a landfill. Move it.
It is ashame that our MLAs are not representing us – but the wealthy folk like Dart, and I am making my voice heard because of this awful fact!
Our dear MLAs should be representing and listening to the electorate before they decide on any major policy or law. Because we voted them into power.
Because of this threat, Democracy in Cayman is at the crossroad!
Note: Others are demonstrating for other reasons like political gain, or just hating Mckeeva. I and many others, see Democracy in Cayman at the crossroad with no MLA representing us, and that is why we are protesting!
If they get away with this ForCayman Alliance thing, it justifies their stance that they can dsiregard us all we want without the consequences!
To say you are exercising your democratic rights. This is why you are protesting. Who are you trying to fool? It’s a lie.
You already exercised your rights, voting the current government in. That is where your rights end.
You entitled a body of people to make decisions for you, concerning the country. Let them do their job.
Anyone can see, with a high enough IQ what these protests are about. It’s about anti bush, anti dart.
End of story.
Moving the road isn’t going to affect anyone.
Moving the dump isn’t going to affect anyone.
But convince yourself otherwise, so you can have your protest. Lie to yourself and tell yourself, it’s exercising your democratic right. Do whatever you can to make yourself sleep better at night.
But in the end remember. As you do this, you are taking jobs away from Caymanians.
No matter what you want to call your action.
And that is the truth.
Mr. McLaughlin and Mr Miller are clueless in what this country needs.
I have lived in West Bay 29 years and I support the relocate of West Bay Road along Seven Mile Beach and moving the George Town landfill to Bodden Town.
Actionstax
Well, well, well…
I’m totally neutral here; the landfill has been a major problem for some years now that successive governments have failed to effectively address but…
My comments are directly addressing yours.
Lets see if I have this right;please feel free to correct me where I’m wrong.
You, individually, want the landfill moved to enhance the value and lifestyle satisfaction that your investment in your property in Caymana Bay will give you, am I not correct ?
Your concern in living at Caymana Bay does not include what happens to the garbage and waste matter that your property will produce ? Am I again correct ?
But the local residents of Bodden Town should not have the same concerns as yours, right ?
Because their properties are in Bodden Town and not Caymana Bay ? Am I again correct ?
You see the gist of my questions, don’t you ?
In any event for the health and lifestyle of ALL of Cayman’s citizens and residents,a workable compromise will have to be found…
And putting the interests of foreign investors like your self over those of the local residents of Cayman will certainly not help to do that.
When are people going to wake up and realise that without Dart and their investments, Cayman would be going back to the dark ages. Every project they have done has been of high quality and I dont see too many people complaining about any of the free events that take place at Camana Bay.
I personally dont know what I used to do before Camana Bay was built! You just have to look at the size of the FREE events that Camana Bay puts on and every year there are more and more people that attend these wonderful family occaisions.
Thank goodness a family company such as Dart have decided to invest in our island. With such vitriolic comments and attacks, its no wonder they dont pack up and move to another island that would be overjoyed to accept their quality developments. I guess CEC and Shetty will be next to come under fire.
Politicians want more jobs for the people, but what, Mr Miller, not construction? Are Caymanians too good for that now too. Get a grasp on reality please.
Instead of jumping on the bandwagon of cheap election votes, why not tackle real issues such as Education and how students are not coming out of school with the proper requirements to obtain jobs or how the family unit has disappeared and we have kids, bringing up kids and gangs killing gangs. Guess that doesn’t win votes though does it?
Big Berd
To say you are exercising your democratic rights. This is why you are protesting. Who are you trying to fool? It’s a lie.
You already exercised your rights, voting the current government in. That is where your rights end.
You entitled a body of people to make decisions for you, concerning the country. Let them do their job
Your quotes….do you really believe that ?
Is that your version of Cayman democracy…or dictatorship ?
In mine, and many other’s opinions, its more of the latter than the former.
More than happy that I’ve chosen to not live by your rules anymore…
Still a bit sorry for the people of Cayman who still do though…
But more than happy that they’re doing everything to show you that they don’t intend to live by your rules either…
Kudos to them !
Firery, I am just saying a simple fact for whatever it is worth. Keep the landfill where it is and I will take my overseas investment elsewhere in the Caribbean. Its really just that simple.
firery….Well said. You have totally hit the nail on the head….. Local people and their views MATTER
Oh Yea! Oh Yea! all ye who wish to hear unfettered, unattached democracy uttering its unbiassed opinion draw near…what a load of rubbish. Democracy is about people expressing their opinions and then having a rational discussion. We need more of this in Cayman-preferably without the usual half-witted input. Where have all the educated Caymanians gone when we need them?
The comment attributed by Captain Bryan Ebanks and Paul Rivers is flat out incorrect. Say there are 4,000 names on the petition. In a democracy that is not a majority. Saying that the leaders are calling people idiots and punks is ridiculous.
These rants hurt the country.
Actionslax
I quite understand that that is your right and prerogative and I do not, for a minute question that.
What will you then do, should you encounter another situation in which your interests are at odds with the local interests…which more than likely, you will.
Will you then expect that the local interests will be totally subservient to yours because of the holy grail of your OVERSEAS INVESTMENT ?
It is just such attitudes that Cayman’s local people are having a problem with, not particularly that changes and decisions are needed.
BTW, what would you suggest that Caymana Bay does with your garbage that your overseas investment will certainly produce ?
If you don’t get the point that it matters not whether yours is an overseas investment or the local Caymanians, a local one, you all have spent the same money, invested in property on a small island and your properties produces that same waste matter…
Then you don’t get my point at all.
You have Freedom of Speech and Democracy. Such did allow for this gathering and presentation of opposition without fear of being suppressed.
Vision and Wisdom unfortunately were not a prerequisite.
How clueless are these protestors? Have they seen the landfill in the last 5 years? Leave it where it is? Continue to add more garbade to it? Sorry folks, there is no room for expansion, it needs to be closed, capped, and a new facility started somewhere else. And if its properly run, Mt. Trashmore will not happen again. Funny how EVERYONE agreed Mount Trashmore was a problem during the last election, but now that its moving somewhere else, its a problem. Not in my backyard says every Caymanian, but it has to go somewhere! Land prices are too expensive in GT, thats a fact. BT is a perfect certralized location. Further east and its higher trucking and transportation costs. But if you moved it there, East Enders would be protesting too.
People in Cayman have no idea what they are protesting 95% of the time. They want things to improve but want nothing to change at the same time. NIMBYism (Not In My Back Yard.) Whats wrong with moving 4,200ft of road? Whatever Dart does, he does it well. Any protestors investing 400 million in the next 5 years? Didn’t think so. It’s no wonder Cayman has no cruise berthing facilities, no Port to speak of, no oil refinery, a landfill that is overflowing in the middle of the capital, and NOTHING is getting done! Keep protesting every idea that McKeeva puts out there, pretty soon we wont have any investors or tourists. What, you think Cayman is the only island with pretty blue water? Think again!