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Cayman Weekender Islands time fogot Editorial | pagE 4 New labor bill: bad for busiNess, bad for employees eSTaBLISHed 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – friday august 28, 2015 ‘CIFA can survive loss of government support’ roN shilliNgford aNd James whittaker rshillingford@pinnaclemedialtd.com; jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Acting head of the Cayman Islands Football Association Bruce Blake has shrugged off government’s decision to pull funding from the organization and insists he is the man to take the sport forward. Mr. Blake said the government’s decision this week was “concerning” and “unfortunate” but would not impact the organization’s elec- tion process, which he said is governed by clear rules set out in its constitution. “Once you throw away your constitution and try to appoint positions or dictate who should be in positions, we are going down a very dangerous road,” he said. “What happens next? Once that is done to football, will they then turn to other as- sociations or other sports? It is a dangerous precedent to set.” Mr. Blake said CIFA has enough alternative funds to survive the blow to its finances and would look to the private sector for further donations and sponsorship deals. Sports Minister Osbourne Bodden re- vealed Tuesday that government was with- holding its $130,000 annual grant to the or- ganization amid concerns over the election process. He has called on the association to allow free and fair elections. As it stands, Mr. Blake will be the only candidate in Saturday’s election vying for the role of first vice president and acting president of the association. Renard Moxam, who had announced plans to run, was told his nomination was “defective” and he will not be allowed to stand. Mr. Blake said it is a “misconception” that breNt fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Acting U.K. Overseas Territories Minister Grant Shapps said Thursday he is hopeful that Cayman and the Mother Country can reach some form of agreement on requirements to list the ben- eficial owners of companies registered here. “There’s more than one way to skin a cat,” Mr. Shapps said during a brief press con- ference just prior to his de- parture from the Cayman Islands Thursday afternoon. “The principle [of a ben- eficial ownership registry] is really straightforward,” he said. “There needs to be the ability, particularly for law enforcement … to find out who owns what in a quick and transparent way. On that basis [the U.K. and Cayman] are entirely agreed.” The difficulty has come with U.K. requirements that Cayman, and other overseas territories, establish a “cen- tral registry” – potentially making that registry public – where company ownership information can be accessed. Premier Alden McLaughlin has said many times that the Cayman Islands public and private sectors are opposed to such a plan. Mr. McLaughlin said Thursday that it appeared the U.K. had “moved its posi- tion” on demands for a cen- tral ownership registry and would accept “another effec- tive mechanism” for releasing that information. The issue will be dis- cussed further at the Joint breNt fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com It took an ambulance crew nearly 30 minutes to reach an unresponsive heart attack victim in North Side Monday because there were no avail- able ambulances in the area, according to 911 re- cords of the call. The 41-year-old man’s life was saved after po- lice first-responders continued performing CPR. When the ambulance crew arrived, they admin- istered a shot of epinephrine and continued the CPR. The man’s pulse returned while the ambu- lance was taking him to hospital. The emergency call on Rum Point Drive was received at 9:35 a.m. Monday, according to 911 Emergency Centre records. At that time, both Medic 1, normally stationed at the Frank Sound Fire Station, and Medic 3, the George Town ambu- lance, were out on patient transport calls. Medic 1 was involved in a non-emergency patient transfer between Frank Sound and the Cayman Islands Hospital in George Town. Medic 3 had been called about 20 minutes before the North Side emergency call to another patient transport. “So, you’ve got the closest ambulance and the next closest ambulance tied up because they’re on non-emergency patient transfers,” 911 Centre Director Brent Finster said. The 911 center originally dispatched a third ambulance, Medic 4, which is based at West Bay Fire Station, at 9:38 a.m. However, Medic 3 radioed in at 9:40 a.m. from the hospital to inform dis- patchers its crew could respond to North Side as soon as they were clear from the patient drop off. There are typically only three ambulances on duty in the whole of Grand Cayman – at West Bay, George Town and Frank Sound – on any given day and that was the case Monday, Emergency Medical Blake remains defiant as election looms DiverteD ambulances Delay response to heart attack victim UK minister: ‘More than one way’ on beneficial ownership Premier Alden McLaughlin, Acting Overseas Territories Minister Grant Shapps and Governor Helen Kilpatrick field media questions Thursday at the Government Administration Building. - photo: brent Fuller PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL GUATEMALA CITY (AP) – Pressure grew Thursday on Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina to resign as business and government offices closed, protesters marched by the thousands and the attorney general’s office urged him to step down “to prevent ungovern- ability that could destabilize the nation.” The government comp- trollers’ office also issued a statement saying Perez Molina, whose government has been shaken by corrup- tion scandals, should resign “to avoid greater social un- rest that could have unpre- dictable consequences.” Guatemala’s congress named a commission of five legislators on Thursday to consider whether to remove the president’s immunity from prosecution, a process somewhat like impeachment. A previous effort failed. Perez Molina, facing the impeachment process and possible charges in a customs fraud scheme, has not spoken publicly since Sunday, when he denied any involvement and said emphatically that he would not resign. But his former ministers of defense and the interior, who had re- signed from his cabinet re- cently, both left Guatemala between Wednesday and Thursday, the country’s im- migration service confirmed. Thousands of protesters marched in the capital fol- lowing days of intermittent roadblocks by demonstrators who want the president to re- sign and the Sept. 6 presiden- tial elections to be postponed. Guatemala City’s main square was a sea of blue- and-white national flags and white-clad protesters who chanted “Otto out!” The dem- onstrations drew a broad range of Guatemalans, from impoverished Indians to the country’s upper-middle class. “We usually don’t go to protests, because of fear, but now this is sending a mes- sage of hope and an opportu- nity to educate our children, politically,” said Mario Ovalle, 48, a lawyer who attended the march with his daughters, aged 9 and 12. “The exciting thing is that this has brought together all classes of society, with a common objective.” Guatemalan prosecutors urge president to resign Friday august 28, 2015 • Cayman Compass CARIBBEANCAFEA til 3pm Saturdays & Sundays! Cimboco ~ A Caribbean Café 94-PASTA (947-2782) Located in The Marquee Plaza Brunch & Breakfast TOMORROW Saturday, August 29th Barefoot Man and Sea N’B Starting live at 8:00pm Come for dinner Stay for Dancing No Cover Tonight! 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US$825,000 Member CIREBA MLS#404756 345-945-4411 info@cirealty.ky caymanislandsrealty.com Shabbat Candle Lighting time on Friday, August 28 6:26pm Chabad Jewish Center of the Cayman Islands jewishcayman.com-345.516.4474 CALL LIN 548 0000 lintibbetts@yahoo.com OPEN HOUSE FOR RENT • SAT 9-11AM VIENNA CIRCLE EXECUTIVE 4 BED 4.5 BATH, COMPLETELY FURNISHED, SWIMMING POOL MOVE IN READY $7000 CI PER MONTH Four killed in Dominica as Tropical Storm Erika hits ROSEAU, Dominica (AP) – Streets across Dominica turned into fast-flowing rivers that swept up cars as Tropical Storm Erika pummeled the eastern Caribbean island, unleashing landslides and killing at least four people. The storm, which was fore- cast to near Florida as a hur- ricane on Monday, knocked out power and water supplies and had dumped 15 inches of rain on Dominica by early Thursday, according to the weather service in the nearby island of Antigua. Police Superintendent Daniel Carbon said an elderly blind man and two children died following a mudslide in the southeast of the island. Another man was found dead near his home in the capital of Roseau after a separate mudslide, but the cause of death has not yet been determined, Carbon told The Associated Press. Even though the eye had passed, heavy wind and rain were still buffeting the is- land known for its lush for- ests and steep terrain, and authorities had yet to do a full damage assessment. “We’re advising people to stay put,” Carbon said, adding that they have received re- ports of several injuries but that he had no details. About 80 percent of the is- land was without electricity, and the water supply was cut off, authorities said. Trees and light poles were strewn across streets as water rushed over parked cars and ripped the scaffolding off some build- ings. The main airport was closed due to flooding, with water rushing over at least one small plane. The main river that cuts through the capital overflowed its banks and surging water crashed into the principal bridge that leads into Roseau. “The capital city is a wreck,” policewoman Teesha Alfred said. “It is a sight to be- hold. It’s a disaster.” Erika was centered about 160 miles west of Guadeloupe, and was moving west at 16 mph with maximum sus- tained winds that had slipped slightly to 45 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. Erika was expected to move near Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands on Thursday and be near or just north of the Dominican Republic on Friday as it heads toward South Florida early next week. The storm was not expected to gain strength in the next two days. Erika is now more likely to hit the island of Hispaniola, which is shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, said chief forecaster James Franklin at the National Hurricane Center. “That would certainly not be good news for Hispaniola,” he said. “They’re very vulner- able to flooding. And even if Erika is a weak system, that could be very bad there.” Officials shuttered schools, government offices and busi- nesses across the region and warned of flash flooding be- cause of dry conditions caused by the worst drought to hit the Caribbean in recent years. Authorities warned power and water service might be tempo- rarily cut off. Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla said the storm could bring badly needed rains to the parched U.S. territory. “We’re happy given the dry conditions, but it does highlight the need to be on alert,” he said, adding that heavy downpours could lead to flash floods. He activated the National Guard as a precaution. The heaviest rains were expected to hit Puerto Rico’s eastern region, with the storm expected to pass about 30 miles north of the island over- night Thursday, said Odalys Martinez, with the National Weather Service in San Juan. Dozens of flights were canceled in the region, and the U.S. Coast Guard closed all ports in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Erika was projected to follow a path toward South Florida, but its impact was still unclear. “Erika could dissipate before reaching the U.S., could hit as a hurricane, or could miss the coast entirely, depending upon which model you believe,” wrote Jeff Masters, a meteorologist with Weather Underground. “In the short term, we are pretty sure Erika will struggle.” Meanwhile in the Pacific, Ignacio strengthened into a hurricane. The storm’s max- imum sustained winds in- creased Thursday morning to 90 mph. A hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami tracks the movement of Tropical Storm Erika as it moves westward toward islands in the eastern Caribbean. - Photo: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 Cayman Compass • Friday august 28, 2015 4993 LIME - BACK TO SCHOOL - PREPAID OFFER - Full Page Ad - CMYK - 10.33 x 15.97 - 18 August 2015 PREPAID BIG GRADES WITH A BRAND NEW TABLET It’s only $129 when you Top-up $20 or more. Visit any LIME store today. ALCATEL POP 7 TABLET LIME Terms & Conditions apply. MOVE UP TO PLUS GET A $25 VOUCHER TO SPEND AT PRICED RIGHTThe islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. New labor bill: Bad for business, bad for employees Friday augusT 28, 2015 • Cayman COmpass Michael R BlooMBeRg When a city goes through a tragic and traumatic shock – whether in the form of a terrorist attack, natural di- saster, violent unrest or major population loss – the road to recovery can look endless. But the subsequent journey can also be liberating, freeing local leaders from the mis- takes of the past, opening new avenues for rejuvenation, and turning what is often the most undervalued quality in government – imagination – into a necessity. That spirit, familiar to all New Yorkers, is alive and well in New Orleans, and no- where is it more apparent or productive than in the city’s public schools. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, which struck the Gulf Coast 10 years ago Saturday, the New Orleans public school system was a slow-rolling catastrophe for far too many students – the vast majority of whom were black and poor. The state considered most of the city’s schools “academically unac- ceptable,” and no wonder: Only 35 percent of students were meeting basic stan- dards. Only 54 percent grad- uated from high school. And only 37 percent enrolled in college. The schools served as more of a poverty trap than a springboard to a better life. Hurricane Katrina, which badly damaged most of the city’s school buildings, forced the city and the state to con- front a broken system as they dealt with other calamities. To their great credit, com- munity and elected leaders dared to imagine an entirely new approach to the public schools. They did not tinker around the edges. They em- barked on the most sweeping and innovative changes any city has ever undertaken. Almost all schools were freed from the central bu- reaucracy and converted into charters. Pedagogic power was decentralized to the schools, along with flexibility in setting salaries and work rules and in establishing pro- fessional development pro- grams for teachers. Attendance zones were abolished, giving parents choices in where to send their children. Standards were raised, and schools were held accountable for their perfor- mance. Those that failed to make progress were replaced by new schools or taken over by more successful charter school organizations. This combination of ac- countability, autonomy and choice provided a stronger foundation for both students and teachers. Two indepen- dent studies released this month show that over the past decade, the percentage of students meeting basic standards has gone from less than half to almost two- thirds. High school gradua- tion rates have increased by nearly 20 points, to 73 per- cent. And college enrollment, which rose 22 percentage points, now exceeds the level in the rest of the state. Many foundations played a supporting role in the city’s education reforms, but the credit belongs to the children, teachers and school leaders who did the hard work, and the parents and public of- ficials who empowered and supported them. Much work remains, of course – both inside and outside the school system. Poverty and unemploy- ment are far too high, par- ticularly for the black com- munity. Those problems cannot be dealt with effec- tively without expanding the progress being made in the schools, but Mayor Landrieu and other community leaders are bringing the same spirit of innovation that has made that progress possible to other areas of the city’s life. For instance, for years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans had the highest murder rate of any large city in the country. In 2013, the rate dropped sig- nificantly, and it fell further in 2014, hitting a 16-year low. What changed? Mayor Landrieu began searching for new strategies to drive down homicides. As part of that work, he won a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies funding an Innovation Team, a program we created to help local gov- ernments find new ways to tackle their toughest prob- lems. The team worked in partnership with city agen- cies and community orga- nizations. Together they adopted strategies to im- prove police enforcement and to expand outreach to gang members and vio- lent offenders, who were of- fered opportunities for job training and social services. This year, although killings are up, overall violent crime continues to decline. The Innovation Team has also helped Mayor Landrieu make it easier for new busi- nesses to open their doors. The city streamlined and ex- pedited the regulatory pro- cess, cutting the types of per- mits and licenses required to open a business by 30 percent and reducing wait times by 80 percent, which is helping to attract entrepre- neurs and tech startups. As with education and public safety, New Orleans has a long way to go to im- prove economic opportuni- ties for all its residents. But in each case, the city is em- bracing imaginative and in- novative policies that have brought it back from the brink of collapse – and offer hope for what the next 10 years will bring. Michael R. Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City, is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News. © 2015, Bloomberg View The proposed “Labour Relations Bill, 2015” is an anti-business screed that will benefit neither employees nor employers and will result in increased unemployment in the Cayman Islands – especially among young people just starting out on their career paths. We urge that the sitting government rethink, rewrite, or flat-out reject the current draft of the labor legislation that is currently being circulated for public input and comment. In yesterday’s Compass, we included a 12-page special report on “Labor reform in Cayman” that provides an objective and comprehensive view of the labor issue, including analysis of the Labour Relations Bill, explana- tion of current law, historical background, and arguments both for and against the new legislation. We encourage everyone to read the report, in print or online at the Compass Data Desk, www.compassdatadesk.com. Attorney James Bergstrom, making the arguments against the bill, made this overall observation: “The Bill, as drafted, provides a much more punitive approach toward employers. It introduces a number of severe sanctions which are criminal in nature that are directed at individuals in the business.” Some egregious examples included in the current draft legislation: • Every employer must enter into an employment contract within 10 days of hiring a new employee (including household domestics). Failure to do so makes the employer (the individual, not the business) liable for a $10,000 fine upon summary conviction. • The bill endows the director, deputy director, and labor inspectors with the same powers conferred upon a constable under the Police Law. These labor officials would be empowered to enter any work- place without notice at any time during working hours to ensure compliance with the law. • Extremely importantly, the new bill erodes the current provisions of the Labour Law as they relate to the standard probationary period for new employees. Currently, an employer can “take a chance” on a marginal employee, who well may be Caymanian, because if the relationship doesn’t work out, it can be ended without penalty. This is extremely beneficial to young people entering the workforce because it gives well-meaning employers an incentive to give them an opportunity. The new legislation, in certain circumstances, would subject the employer during the probationary period to charges of “unfair dismissal” if he were to termi- nate a new employee. Again, in Mr. Bergstrom’s words: “Employers would need to become far more cautious in hiring any new staff and would not be willing to hire anyone except those with the requisite experience and qualifications. This would most likely impact young Caymanians the most.” Some additional details and tidbits from the bill: • Severance pay for “fair dismissal” of an employee doubles from one week per each completed year of employment to two weeks. For “unfair dismissal,” the payment quadruples from one week per each completed year of employment to four weeks (up to a maximum of 48 weeks). • The proposed bill governs only the private sector. The public sector (meaning the civil service) is excluded from its onerous provisions. We could go on and on, but since we are approaching our “bottom line” for this editorial, let us offer this: Governments everywhere – not just in Cayman – seem to operate under the illusion that they can mandate and effectuate full private sector employment by passing laws. They cannot. Education, not punitive labor legislation, is the only sure path to meaningful long-term employment in these islands – and anywhere else. P.S. For those who do not agree with us, we refer you to the arguments made in favor of the bill by local businessman George Ebanks in our special report. Mr. Ebanks put forth the best possible defense of what we still consider to be a critically flawed piece of legislation. children are leading New orleans’s rebirth Printed and Published by: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town send us yOur VieWs Or neWs: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108. Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com adVertise With us: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS daVid r. legge and Vicki l. legge EdITOR-In-CHIEf daVid r. legge A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way”The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 Cayman Compass • Friday august 28, 2015 6 LOCAL NEWS Friday august 28, 2015 • Cayman Compass Small business tax breaks extended Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Islands Cabinet members agreed this week to extend tax breaks on trade and business licensing fees to small and “micro” busi- nesses as part of an effort to boost local startups. The fee reduction, which has now been continued through Aug. 31, 2016, is sim- ilar to what government ap- proved in the last budget year. Micro businesses – those employing no more than four people, excluding the owner – on all three islands are eli- gible to receive a 100 percent reduction on the licensing fees during the next year. The definition also includes “mo- bile businesses” – those con- ducted via a pedal cycle, mo- torcycle or motor vehicle. The micro businesses must have maintained annual gross revenues below $250,000 for the previous year. They also must have a certificate of good standing from the National Pensions Office, be up to date on health insurance payments for employees and have kept up on previous trade and busi- ness licensing requirements. Small businesses are also eligible for a somewhat lesser reduction in licensing fees. Small businesses are defined as those that employ up to 12 people, excluding the owner, and which did not earn more than $750,000 the previous year. They also must be up to date on healthcare, pensions and licensing requirements. Small businesses in West Bay and George Town can receive up to 50 percent off trade and business licensing fees. Bodden Town, North Side and East End small businesses can get up to 75 percent off those fees. In Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, a 50 percent reduc- tion for trade and business licensing fees is already in ef- fect. However, an additional reduction is available to small businesses there over the next year for companies in good standing. The trade and business li- censing fee cuts are not avail- able to companies that provide auditing or financial services. Commerce Minister Wayne Panton said earlier this year that the reduction in fees appeared to lead to a noticeable rise in small business registrations. A total of 1,467 trade and business licenses were granted through May 26, 2015, compared to 713 for the same period of 2015, Mr. Panton said. The minister said the numbers showed that the incentive fee pro- gram “is working” and has had “a great deal of success.” The program costs gov- ernment approximately $1.4 million in foregone revenue. Minister Panton said government is focusing on small businesses to generate more economic activity and reduce unemployment. “We know that small busi- nesses by and large create the greatest numbers of jobs in the economy. And by helping them to be stronger and more successful, we are also enabling them to be the engine of economic activity and employment,” he said. Pay increase for long-serving teachers Government moves to address pay inequity James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Long-serving public school teachers who have not seen pay increases in several years will get one this year. Education Minister Tara Rivers said the issue of “pay stagnation” was creating in- equity in Cayman’s schools, with some veteran teachers paid less than new arrivals for the same work. Pay inequity, also an issue causing concern in the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, appears to be an unintended conse- quence of austerity mea- sures introduced across gov- ernment in the wake of the financial crisis. While long-term em- ployees had their pay frozen, new arrivals have still been able to negotiate salaries in line with their previous earnings. Ms. Rivers said the Portfolio of Civil Service has agreed to a pay raise for veteran teachers. “Government has agreed, starting this academic year, that salary for those who qualify, with respect to pay stagnation, will be adjusted.” She described pay in- equity as a “long-standing issue that has negatively af- fected morale among many long-serving teachers.” Ms. Rivers added, “We needed to deal with this issue to move the system for- ward because those inequi- ties needed to be addressed.” Speaking at an event on Wednesday to mark the start of the new school year, she said a more general review is continuing of teacher sal- aries, comparing pay and conditions internationally. Exactly who qualifies for a pay raise this year was not clear from Ms. River’s com- ments, and the Portfolio of Civil Service did not respond by press time to questions from the Cayman Compass. Earlier this year, the Civil Service Association highlighted concerns that austerity policies had un- dermined the concept of equal pay for equal work across government. Association president James Watler said the issue was creating “inequality of pay between Caymanian and expatriate staff.” Police Commissioner David Baines made similar remarks, suggesting long- serving Caymanian officers were disproportionately affected. At the time, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson acknowledged pay stagna- tion was an issue and sug- gested austerity measures were beginning to be relaxed thanks to government’s im- proving financial position. He said the issue of pay inequity is “not one of Caymanian versus non-Cay- manian, but more gener- ally an issue of existing em- ployees versus new hires.” There was no word Thursday on whether the pay increase for teachers would be extended to other areas of the civil service.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 Cayman Compass • Friday august 28, 2015 OF BUILDING A PIER NOW BENEFITS BUILDING A PIER NOW COSTS of NOT OR For over a decade, our island has been debating the construction of a new pier. Here are the benefits of building now and the costs of delaying any further. If we build now, construction of a pier will create 1000 new jobs for Caymanians while protecting another 3500. It will also secure $347 million of government revenue from cruise passengers over the next 20 years. That money would be used to better fund our schools, hospitals, roads, social services and the revitalisation of downtown George Town. On the other hand, if we do not build a pier now, the costs will be extensive. While a new pier would accommodate 2.3 million passengers, no pier will leave us with 1 million fewer. In terms of economic benefit, that would be a loss of over $1,000,000,000.00 (yes, $1 billion) over the next 20 years. And of course, there will also be a decline in jobs for Caymanians. In addition, we'll waste over $100 million during the next 20 years on tendering --- that's money we'll never be able to use to invest in new infrastructure. Then there are the environmental costs. Without a pier, cruise ships have to drop anchor, and every instance puts our pristine coral reefs in danger. In reality, we will only be delaying the dredging necessary to upgrade the cargo dock. This dredging would be eliminated if we build the proposed dock now since it is an all-purpose dock supporting the needs of both cargo and cruise ships. It’s a no brainer right? Lets vote to protect our future. Let’s build the pier. Today. Make your voice heard now at CaymansFuture.com. www.CaymansFuture.com C M Y CM MY CY CMY K8 LOCAL&REGIONAL Friday august 28, 2015 • Cayman Compass Although we are apart now You’re always in our hearts, In every single thing we do, You play the biggest part. When we have to make decisions And we don’t know what to do, Our thoughts, we nd Will go right back to you. We think of how you’d handle it And try to work it out, It’s at times like this we’ll really miss Having you about. Not only for this reason When things are going bad, ere’s a million di erent reasons Why we’ll miss you Dad. Sadly missed by your children: Kern, Danny, Mark, and Kimberly Our Dear Dad, gone but not forgo en -20 long years Crawford Owens Aug. 10, 1937 - Aug. 29, 1995 Rohan Omar Webster, Jr. August 30, 2007 Happy 8th Birthday in Heaven Safe in Jesus arms. No plot or plan will pluck you from his arms. “Vengeance is mine & I will repay” saith the Lord. You were taken so violently. Rest peacefully now my only son. Our broken link will be mended someday. Sadly missed by your beloved mother, Ava Natina Glasgow-Daniels, and your big sister Tiannah Webster. Jury deliberates in liquor store robbery trial of 3 men CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com As of press time Thursday, the jury was still deliberating in the trial of three men accused of rob- bing Blackbeard’s liquor store in Grand Harbour in December 2014. The 11-member jury re- tired at 10:35 a.m. to begin deliberations after hearing evidence since Aug. 11. Andrew Lopez, Bron Webb and Randy Dale Connor are charged with the robbery and with using force against a store cashier to steal CI$4,604.42 and US$582. They are also charged with robbing a customer in the store and possessing an unlicensed firearm. In summing up the evi- dence and instructing ju- rors about the law, Justice Francis Belle pointed out that while the defendants said they were elsewhere at the time of the robbery, they did not have to prove it. It was the Crown who had to disprove their explanations. “It boils down to a ques- tion of who you believe,” he told them. Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryll Richards and defense at- torneys agreed that the case depended on circum- stantial evidence. The robbery occurred shortly after 7:30 p.m. Approximately 15 min- utes later, the defendants were found with a fourth man at Lopez’s residence in Prospect. The Ford Escape identified as the getaway ve- hicle was in the yard and re- ceipts from the customer’s purse were in the car. In a storeroom on the premises, the purse was found, along with clothing identified as having been worn during the robbery, plus CI$4,536 and US$594 in cash. The judge said the Crown was asking whether it was coincidence that men used the vehicle and took the items to Lopez’s residence, and then the individuals found there soon after knew nothing about the robbery. “The Crown is asking you to say it is not coincidence,” the judge summarized. Lopez’s explanation for being present was that he lived there. His lead defense attorney, Bernard Tetlow, had reminded the jurors that there was no forensic evidence to link Lopez to the robbery – no DNA or finger- prints and no CCTV. CCTV did link the vehicle to the robbery, “but there is an important distinction,” Mr. Tetlow emphasized. Lopez occasionally drove the vehicle, which was owned by his sister and driven mostly by his mother. On the day of the robbery, the keys had been left in the vehicle, so anybody could have used it, he indicated when giving evidence. Webb had said in his interview with police and again in giving evidence that he had gone to Lopez’s house earlier that evening and had fallen asleep inside around 6:30 p.m. He woke up when he heard voices saying, “armed police!” and that is when he went outside. Webb’s lead counsel, Brendan Kelly, had pointed to circumstances that he said could mean other people had been involved in the robbery. For example, the white hoodie and green ski mask worn by one of the robbers were not recovered. The phone belonging to the customer who was robbed was found two blocks north of Lopez’s street. The of- ficer who followed the Ford Escape from Grand Harbour to Prospect mentioned a dark car in the vicinity of McRuss Groceries. If that car stopped, was it because one or more of the robbers wanted out, he asked. Further, the store cashier had described the robber in the white hoodie as being 6 feet 6 inches tall; Webb is 5 feet 7 inches tall. Mr. Kelly argued that such a differ- ence was too great to be ac- counted for by an error in estimation or any trauma the witness was under. Connor had told the court he was helping Devon Wright fix a car about three houses away from Lopez’s residence. He then walked to the main road to hitch a ride back to George Town. He saw Lopez drive past and asked for a ride; Lopez told him he could not give a ride, but could give him a phone call if Connor went back to Lopez’s house. Connor said he walked to Lopez’s house and entered the yard through the back, and that was when he was arrested. Reminded that the arresting officer had said Connor was coming out of a shed, Connor said the officer was lying or mistaken. His lead attorney, John Furniss, asked the jury not to make the same mistake police had made because Connor wears his hair in dreadlocks. A still photo from the liquor store’s CCTV system had shown some- thing hanging down from the hoodie worn by one of the robbers. It was thought to be a dreadlock, but the expert analyst confirmed it was material and not hair. Mr. Furniss also pointed out that the robber with the material hanging down was the one carrying the shotgun found the next day in Lopez’s attic. But Connor’s fingerprints were not on the gun nor were they in the Ford Escape. His DNA was found on a black jacket identified from the CCTV, but Connor had told the jury that Lopez asked him for the jacket some two months be- fore the robbery took place. One of Justice Belle’s final instructions to the jury was about joint enter- prise. He reminded jurors they had to reach separate verdicts for each count and for each defendant. If they were sure a defendant acted with others in a common criminal purpose to rob Blackbeard’s liquor store, it did not matter what role he played in the further- ance of that common pur- pose. If they found that he did not act with the others in a common purpose, or if they were not sure, the ver- dict would be not guilty. A one-hour police road- block along the Linford Pierson Highway in George Town on Wednesday nabbed 23 drivers for various offenses, Royal Cayman Islands Police offi- cers reported. Citations issued in- cluded illegal tinting of windows, obscured license plates and other traffic breaches. Police said 23 people were prosecuted for various offenses. The operation, between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., was car- ried out after residents had complained to the RCIPS repeatedly at community clinics earlier this year about a perceived lack of traffic enforcement. Police said operations like Wednesday’s roadblock will continue with public schools getting back into session next week. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Every year when they do their taxes, Californians donate mil- lions for charitable causes, but nearly $10 million of that money sat unspent in gov- ernment accounts at the end of last year and some of the funding never reaches its in- tended target, according to a review by The Associated Press. Good intentions often meet a lengthy bureaucratic maze with little oversight, leaving many of the contributions de- layed and lost. Lawmakers leave distribution up to state agencies that sometimes do not know what to do. California has the nation’s largest voluntary tax con- tribution program, with 36 funds included on forms in the last decade. Tax returns are a prime opportunity to raise money from people ex- pecting refunds. Lawmakers like the voluntary donations because they can say they helped good causes without committing state dollars. The AP reviewed a decade of financial records for 29 funds that collected a total of $35 million since 2005; al- most $10 million remained at the end of 2014. In some cases, the donations have ended back in state coffers. Records show that $278,000 raised for asthma and lung disease research reverted to the state treasury be- cause neither the Legislature nor the distributing agency put them to use. The state Department of Education says $88,000 meant for disad- vantaged youth will go back to state coffers because there was not enough funding for the proposed program. Funds going to existing programs or those that have the active support of state agencies are the most suc- cessful, such as spay-neuter grants distributed by the Department of Food and Agriculture and senior center funding from the Department of Aging. But in a dozen of the funds, state agencies tapped less than half the contribu- tions available. Health agencies never used funding for a colorectal cancer prevention program, promoted by Erin Stennis, a Culver City woman who lost her husband to colon cancer in 2003. In 2005, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legis- lation sponsored by Stennis’ family foundation creating a tax checkoff fund that raised $237,000 for colorectal cancer screenings, with a focus on African-Americans who are disproportionately killed by the disease. Nearly two dozen ticketed in traffic crackdown California tax donations for Charity lost in bureauCraCyThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Friday august 28, 2015 Blake remains defiant as election looms CIFA did not want Moxam to participate. He said his rival had simply not been able to get the necessary support required. “It is the members that make the nominations. If the members deem Renard fit, they would have nomi- nated him. “The minimum require- ment is four members – two to propose and two to second. If you are the person to lead football and you think you have the support, you would have gotten those clubs to nominate and second you.” Mr. Moxam, who sub- mitted nomination forms supported by two clubs, be- lieved he had met the re- quirement to run. He was initially told by CIFA acting General Secretary Paul Macey that his nomination appeared to be in order, but he was in- formed after the deadline that it was “defective.” He and Sharon Roulstone, who was blocked from run- ning for the post of assis- tant general secretary on the same grounds, issued a statement Thursday saying the decision was “legally in- correct” and calling on the CIFA executive to “lay aside” self interest and approve their candidacy. Mr. Blake, who re- ceived multiple nomina- tions, said the association’s constitution was clear and Mr. Moxam had not met the requirements. “Unfortunately he wasn’t able to obtain the bare min- imum of nominations re- quired,” he added. He said the association’s stance was not likely to change in the face of govern- ment pressure. “I think the position the government has taken is they would like to see the entire executive change … . “It is the government’s prerogative to do what they want to do with their funding. If they choose to do so [cut funding], there is nothing we can do about it, but we have followed our constitution.” He said the funding is im- portant but not critical. “We can adjust our bud- gets to counter those short- falls. It isn’t a matter of it being that detrimental to football … We will be able to function … there [are] a lot more funds necessary to run football [than the gov- ernment grant]. “We will have to deal with it and move on.” Despite negative publicity following the arrest of Jeffrey Webb, who remains president of the association although he has been suspended from the role as he awaits trial in New York on corruption-re- lated charges, Mr. Blake be- lieves private sector spon- sors will continue to offer financial support. “We will have to go out there and increase our fun- draising efforts. Right now I am talking to three com- panies about sponsor- ship. We still have FIFA funding and to some extent CONCACAF funding.” He has proposed hiring a public relations and mar- keting specialist to aggres- sively pursue funding and believes there are untapped funds available from FIFA to support the game. He said he is not against change, but it has to be “ac- cording to the constitution.” “I’m happy for whatever change the membership sees fit,” he added. Mr. Blake said his moti- vation is to help children get opportunities through sport. “I have a vision for foot- ball. I love football. I’ve ded- icated my life to football. I want our children to have … many opportunities through football – whether it is to go to university, whether it is playing with semiprofes- sional or professional teams, or becoming FIFA referees.” Mr. Blake Renard Moxam and Sharon Roulstone issued a public state- ment Thursday afternoon, questioning the decision to block them from running for election to leadership positions on the Cayman Islands Football Association executive. Their statement is printed in full, below: it is with increasing frustration and disappointment that we note the continuing refusal of the Cayman islands Football association to approve our candidature for election as the First Vice President and the assistant general secretary respectively. the justifications that have been put forward by CiFa for its position are without substance, the organisation apparently being determined to stifle debate about future reform of the or- ganisation at all costs. We were astonished to read the report that the decision to reject our nominations, taken some 5 days after the acting general secretary had clearly stated them to be in order, was taken by the Executive Committee, a number of the members of which now stand to be re-elected unopposed. that decision was, we believe, not only legally incorrect but also taken without any regard to conflicts of interest and, more importantly, the best interests of CiFa and its members. We wish to emphasise that all we wish to do is to give CiFa’s members the opportunity to vote for us if they share our vi- sion for reform of the organisation. the desire of the current Executive Committee to prevent Members from exercising that democratic choice is disturbing, and we believe our view that the Cayman islands is entitled to expect better of its sporting governing bodies to be shared by many in the islands. We are grateful for the many expressions of support that we have received from both government and the general public which demonstrate the growing body of opinion in favour of change. the past months have been difficult and damaging for the football community in the Cayman islands, the wider Caribbean and the world, and we firmly believe that matters can only be put right in an atmosphere of cooperation, open- ness and reform. the continued political machinations that have taken place in order to preserve the status quo do not contribute to this goal and only serve to reinforce negative impressions of football governance. We call upon CiFa and its Executive Committee to lay aside considerations of self-interest and instead act in the interests of the game and all of those who love it. Moxam, Roulstone respond to CIFA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “Once you throw away your constitution and try to appoint positions or dictate who should be in positions, we are going down a very dangerous road.” Bruce Blake, acting president, CIFANext >