High of 89 Low of 78 Slight to moderate with wave heights 2 to 4 feet. Stage to screen Culture at the Cinema brings theater to Camana Bay B4 Community Technology Culture ■ festivals Annual Book Fair Treasure trove of information for budding authors B3 Luminous Lumino City Stop-motion app is as beautiful as it is challenging B10 Friday November 6, 2015 • Cayman Compass Buy any two bottles and get a third FREE! BUY 2 GET 1 FREE! Purchase any 3 bottles from these brands and get the least expensive FREE! STORE HOURS: MON SAT 10AM TO 8PMThe Main Store, Shedden RdThe Wine Cellar, Galleria PlazaOPEN UNTIL 10 PMCountryside Shopping Village, SavannahMorritts Shopping Centre, East End MOvember Grow your MO, bro! B2 Shiver me timbers! Shiver me timbers! Pirates Week is here B8 Cayman Weekender Shiver me timbers! Editorial | pagE 4 When is a ‘loan’ not a loan? eSTaBLISHed 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – Friday november 6, 2015 TUESDAY - FRIDAY - SUNDAY 17.95 $39.95 School worth $20M-$40M less than it cost Differing values for Clifton Hunter HS brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands government spent $110 million on the construction of a public high school that was initially valued at some- where between $70 million and $85 million in a report completed during 2012. According to a review released Thursday by the Cayman Islands Auditor General’s Office, the Ministry of Education “challenged the pro- fessional valuation” of its property and equip- ment – including the Clifton Hunter campus – in 2015, more than two years after the initial 2012 valuation was completed. Government financial records released Thursday indicated the initial valuation of the school would have required the ministry to account for “a significant write down” of the value of Clifton Hunter High school. That “write down” or value reduction, would have been between $25 million and $40 million less than the original construction costs, the re- ports noted. “As a result, the [ministry’s] financial state- ments for 2012/13 [budget year] will report a significant deficit when they are finalized,” the auditors’ review noted. The completion of audits on the ministry’s financial statements for the next two budget years were delayed, according to auditors, be- cause officials decided to challenge the initial valuation, which would have a “material im- pact” on the ministry’s financial statements. At the end of the 2013/14 budget year, au- ditors reported that the ministry reported a $20 million decrease in the value of the school property, based on a second valua- tion. Although much kinder for the minis- try’s bottom line, that valuation still put the school’s worth at around $90 million, far less than it cost to build. Acting Auditor General Garnet Harrison said Thursday that in his view, the decision by Slower Summer affectS touriSm growth James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com After several years of steady improvement, the growth of Cayman’s tourism industry began to slow this year. The cancellation of an international youth soccer tournament has been blamed for a slower-than-expected summer season. Arrivals through the third quarter of this year are roughly on a par with the same pe- riod last year. Initially, tourism officials had forecast a 5 percent increase in arrivals for 2015 after a double-digit increase in 2014 culminated in a record year for arrivals. But despite a successful start to the year, numbers dropped between May and August. Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said the cancellation of the CONCACAF under-15 soccer tournament, which would have brought 36 teams, including squads from England and Brazil, to the island in August had an impact. He said the event would have attracted at least 4,000 people, buffering arrivals during the typically slow summer months. “We were worried about August after losing CONCACAF,” he said. “That’s 36 teams, friends and family, officials and sponsors. That’s a big loss.” The Cayman tournament was a casualty of the turmoil that surrounded CONCACAF, the region’s governing body for football, following the May arrest in Switzerland of Cayman’s Jeffrey Webb and other officials on FIFA- related corruption charges. Mr. Kirkconnell Juvenile justice center write-off: $678,000 brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands government has written off nearly $700,000 spent on the partial construction of a juvenile jus- tice center proposed under the former United Democratic Party government administration. The write-off was required in govern- ment financial statements reviewed by the auditor general’s office because government has identified “no alternative use” for the structure’s foundation. The foundation for the juvenile justice center, which was to be called the Cayman Islands Youth Centre remains today in a wooded area of Fairbanks in George Town district, near the women’s prison. Home Affairs Ministry Chief Officer Eric Bush said Thursday that he was aware of no current plans by government to transfer or redevelop the property. Mr. Bush said the write-off was largely a cleanup exercise and that the decision not to continue with the project was made years ago. “The decision was certainly made before the [May 2013] general election,” he said. The project, once planned as a 12-bed specialist facility for housing juvenile pris- oners, was abandoned in early 2013, during the interim People’s National Alliance’s short term as the government, due to funding constraints. Its cancellation was confirmed when prisons director Neil Lavis This overgrown, sand-filled foundation is what remains of the 2012 effort to construct the Cayman Islands Youth Centre. – Photo: taneoS ramSay PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Friday November 6, 2015 • Cayman Compass Open daily 10am -10pm West Shore Center, SMB GET YOUR ORDERS IN EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT! Turkey! Turkey! Happy American Thanksgiving! Thursday, 26 November Eugenio Leon Harpist Extraordinaire, serenades tableside tonight and every Friday night! TONIGHT LIVE MUSIC Friday, Nov 7th Gone Country Starting @ 8:30pm till... Come for dinner Stay for Dancing Call 949-2231 or email: thewharf@candw.ky 345-945-4411 info@cirealty.ky caymanislandsrealty.com Silver Sands #31 2bed, 2.5bath, 1351s/f Low density complex Rarely available! US$849,000 Member CIREBA MLS#404175 BEACHFRONT ! PROSPECT & SAVANNAH ONE BED APT SALE Spacious 1 bed completely furnished with pool from $154,900 Call Lin at 548 0000 to view Cayman Realty Group 345-548-0000 lintibbetts@yahoo.com MEXICO CITY (AP) – Mexico’s Supreme Court has ruled that growing, pos- sessing and smoking mari- juana for recreation is legal under the right to freedom. The measure was ap- proved on Wednesday in a 4-1 vote on the five-jus- tice panel, backing the ar- gument that smoking mari- juana is covered under the right of “free development of personality.” At this point, the ruling covers only the plaintiffs in a single case, a group of four people wanting to form a pot club. The ruling did not ap- prove the sale or commer- cial production of marijuana nor does it imply a general legalization. But if the court rules the same way on five similar petitions, it would then establish the precedent to change the law and allow general recreational use. A similar process led to the court’s recent ruling that Mexican laws prohib- iting same-sex marriage are unconstitutional. “No one has said at all that marijuana is harmless. It is a drug and, as such, it causes damage,” said Justice Arturo Zaldivar, who wrote the majority opinion. “What is being resolved here is that total prohibition is a disproportionate measure.” At the same time, the ruling will help legaliza- tion measures being written in Congress, said Moy Schwartzman, one of the lawyers for the plaintiffs. “They’re noting this case and using it in their favor to present a law that will be in agreement and will protect people’s rights,” Schwartzman said. “In Mexico, this is a po- litical theme. But the ruling gives importance to human rights, in this case liberty.” President Enrique Pena Nieto, via his Twitter account, Mexico SupreMe court takeS Step toward recreational pot uSe ‘Cayman Health’ prize winner Nurse Cislyn Petgrave won the Cayman Health prize draw at the Cayman Islands Healthcare Conference last week. Mrs. Petgrave won a Fitbit Charge HR heart rate and activity fitness tracker, as well as an Aria Wi-Fi smart scale. Cayman Health Directory is due to launch in early 2016, followed shortly thereafter by Cayman Health magazine. Mrs. Petgrave, left, is presented with her prize by Cayman Health publisher Vicki Legge. Biography of sybil mcLaughlin released A crowd gathered at Books and Books on Nov. 4 to mark the publication of a biography of the Hon. Sybil McLaughlin, ‘From Island Girl to National Hero.’ Ms. McLaughlin was the first female clerk of the Legislative Assembly in the Commonwealth and the first Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. She was recognized as a National Hero in 1996 due to her community and parliamentary endeavors. Pictured, from left, are author Heather McLaughlin, Sybil McLaughlin and former Speaker of the House Mary Lawrence. - photo: Jewel levy CORRECTION On Page 8 of Wednesday’s Compass, a story and photo cap- tion under the headline “Bodden Town tackles seaweed” incorrectly named the organizers of the cleanup. The cleanup was organized by the Department of Tourism. The Cayman Compass strives for accuracy and is committed to cor- recting errors that appear in the newspaper. Those interested in contacting the paper for that pur- pose can email the editor at newsdesk@pinnaclem- edialtd.com. Octogenarian arrested in gun possession case Two people, including an 82 year-old woman, were arrested Thursday on suspicion of unlawful firearms possession. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service conducted a dawn search in West Bay’s Logwoods area and recov- ered an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. Both occupants of the home, a 46 year-old man and the woman were arrested. The woman was later re- leased on police bail. At press time, the man was still in custody. said he recognizes and will re- spect the ruling, adding that he has given his government orders to explain to Mexicans the scope of the ruling. “This will open up the de- bate over the best regulation for inhibiting drug consump- tion, a public health issue,” he wrote. “Mexico has promoted in international forums … broadening the discussion.” Zaldivar said Wednesday’s ruling would forbid smoking marijuana in front of others without their consent. The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 Cayman Compass • Friday November 6, 2015 The 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. 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 findtheirownway” Marc chaMpion George Osborne, the British finance minister, made a good speech in Berlin on Tuesday, coming closer than Britain has so far to spelling out what reforms of the European Union it needs to stay in the bloc. It was a good speech be- cause it was well directed and well couched. First, Osborne picked Germany to lay out his wares – the country that matters most in European deci- sions. It’s also the country with most at risk should Britain leave the EU after a referendum that must be held by the end of 2017. To succeed, Britain has to make common cause with Chancellor Angela Merkel. As Osborne pointed out in his speech, Britain and Germany are each oth- er’s biggest trade partners within the bloc. What he did not say is that this trade overwhelmingly favors Germany. In August, for ex- ample, Germany exported 4.5 billion pounds worth of goods to Britain, and im- ported just 2.2 billion from it. No one believes this trade would stop if Britain exited the EU, but there are risks for trade and invest- ment if it happens. Osborne also pointed out that since the finan- cial crisis, Britain has been growing and creating jobs a lot faster than Germany’s other EU trading partners, in part because both have done more to free up their labor markets. Britain and Germany agree on a lot of things within Europe: that the bloc’s economies need to be- come more competitive, that there should be a single market in services as well as goods, that investing close to 40 percent of the EU budget in agriculture is dumb. Merkel acknowledged as much to the same audi- ence of German business- people on Tuesday. Even more than this, though, no one is better aware than Germans of the dangers a so-called Brexit would pose to the political fabric of the EU, leaving an already dominant Germany simply overbearing. Osborne’s speech was good, too, because he went out of his way to demon- strate that he – and by ex- tension Britain – identify with Europe. He talked, for example, about how “my continent” had been di- vided by the Berlin wall, and about his own Hungarian ancestry. This mood-lan- guage is important. There is a deep suspicion among Germans (and others) that the U.K. is simply hostile to Europe – and part of it is. The thing Britain objects to, Osborne said, is that it no longer wants to remain part of the “ever closer union” project that’s enshrined in EU treaties. Ultimately, though, it was a good speech because the core of what Osborne pro- posed is so obviously cor- rect: namely, that the legal framework of the EU needs to be changed to recognize that a two-speed Europe al- ready exists. The fast part includes the 19 members of the eurozone, which need more integration. The slow one includes the other nine EU members, which do not. Currently, EU law says that the euro is the currency of the EU, which is neither true nor desirable. The deal Osborne pro- posed is that Germany and the other eurozone mem- bers get a better legal envi- ronment, free of interference from the likes of Britain, to integrate whatever it takes to create a sound common currency. Britain and other non-euro economies would in exchange get treaty-based guarantees that their mar- ginalized status will not lead to discrimination. This is no straw man – an accusation levelled by the opposition Labour party, which described Osborne’s visit to Berlin as a publicity stunt. The U.K. spent four years suing the European Central Bank after it in- troduced a directive re- quiring clearing banks for the euro currency to be lo- cated within the eurozone, a clear attack on London’s status as the EU’s main financial center. There is no doubt that Britain has often been awkward and obstructive to countries that believe heart- and-soul in the EU project, including Germany. Yet that was in a different time. It requires myopia to believe the EU can today go on with “ever closer union” as it has. Indeed, a two-speed Europe is something the euro area should be pushing on Britain. Osborne’s speech was still too vague to nego- tiate, a frustration for Britain’s partners. Prime Minister David Cameron is due to send a letter out- lining British demands to European Council President Donald Tusk this month. Britain’s leaders have been understandably afraid to show their hands early, but now they’ve done what they can to get Germany on their side. The sooner they pro- vide enough detail to start negotiation, the better. Marc Champion writes editorials on international affairs for Bloomberg View. © 2015, Bloomberg View At the beginning of this week, the Progressives-led government demonstrated their lack of political will to make substantial reforms to the Cayman Islands civil service for the betterment of the entire country, announcing they would not be pursuing recommendations from Ernst & Young consultants that would lead to painful, but financially necessary, significant government downsizing. Later in the week, the Progressives followed up with a demonstration that sufficient political will does exist, however, to resurrect the temporarily defunct Cayman Islands Development Bank to provide “loans” to those same civil servants whose taxpayer-funded jobs our leaders have just ring-fenced. (Shall we mention that the May 2017 general election is closer than one might think?) Note that in the paragraph above, we took care to demarcate the word “loans” with quotation marks. There is a purpose to our punctuation. Specifically, such offerings made by Cayman’s government are of a particular category, in that they are “loans” that are rarely paid back. Perhaps, instead, we should call them “grants.” To our readers who may take umbrage at our diction, consider last week’s assessment by the Office of the Auditor General of the previous United Democratic Party government’s “Save the Mortgage” program (announced just about four years ago to date, coincidentally at about this time during the last election cycle), in which distressed homeowners received “loans” (There’s that word again!) of up to $20,000. The results of that effort are as follows: About 84 percent of the “loans” given out were “delinquent in some degree” in 2013/14, and 82 percent of those who received loans ended up in foreclosure proceedings anyway. “The reality is that the loans were closer to grants,” the auditor general said. Consider, also, the overall state of the Develop- ment Bank that led to its short-lived shuttering at the start of the Progressives administration. The bank had accrued a total bond debt of $30.5 million. (Sounds to us less like a “bank” and more like a “sieve.”) In August of this year, lawmakers shunted off the repayment of that bond for another 10 years, through a loan (of the actual, must-be-paid-back sort) from FirstCaribbean International Bank. With the ink barely dry on that refinancing agreement, lawmakers have delved back into the banking business, not only with the aforementioned “loan” program for civil servants (who can borrow up to $20,000 to pay off existing debts), but with a new “loan” program for small- and medium-sized businesses (which can borrow up to $100,000 in new capital). The Development Bank’s new business loan program sounds eerily similar to its old business loan program, which resulted in, as we reported in June 2014, a delinquency rate of between 60 percent and 70 percent. Of course, can anyone really trust in the repayment of “loans” extended to already indebted individuals or to struggling commercial entities? Look at how well government-funded capital injection has worked for the Cayman Turtle Farm. It is easy to foresee the probable conclusion of the reinvigorated Development Bank programs: missed payments, delinquencies and eventual re-re-financing. Maybe, instead of “grants,” we should call the Development Bank offerings what they really resemble: “gifts.” When is a ‘loan’ not a loan? Friday November 6, 2015 • Cayman COmpass Britain woos Germany [N]o one is better aware than Germans of the dangers a so- called Brexit would pose to the political fabric of the EU, leaving an already dominant Germany simply overbearing. George Osborne, Britain’s chancellor of the exchequer, speaks in Berlin, Germany, on Tuesday. - Photo: Krisztian Bocsi for BloomBerg newsThe islands’ most-trusted news source 5 Cayman Compass • Friday November 6, 2015 6 LOCAL NEWS Friday November 6, 2015 • Cayman Compass www.pwc.com/ky/careers Congratulations... Matthew Hale on passing all four parts of his CPA exams Suzanne Scott on her promotion to Senior Associate © 2015 PricewaterhouseCoopers, a Cayman Islands partnership. All rights reserved. Matthew is one of PwC Cayman’s 2009 scholarship recipients. He joined the firm as an Associate in 2014 after completing his Bachelors and Masters in Accounting from the University of South Carolina. Matthew was also recently recognised at the CISPA Gala for becoming a qualified accountant after a year of intensive study while simultaneously articling at PwC. Suzanne is one of PwC Cayman’s 2011 scholarship recipients. She used her scholarship to obtain her Bachelors Degree in Accounting from Elon University where she graduated magna cum laude in 2013. Upon graduation, Suzanne wrote and passed all fours parts of her CPA exams on the first attempt. In the fall of 2013, she then joined the firm full time as an Associate and has recently been promoted to Senior Associate. The partners and staff at PwC, congratulate Matthew and Suzanne on achieving these milestones and look forward to seeing them excel as they continue to build their careers. Grow with us With a scholarship budget up to US$200,000 and an extensive training scheme, PwC provides opportunities for young Caymanians to pursue a University degree and ultimately a professional accounting designation. If you, or someone you know, is interested in a career in accounting, visit us at: www.pwc.com/ky/careers Hurley’s Media buys Vibe and Spin FM James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Hurley’s Media Group, the owners of Rooster FM radio and the Cayman 27 television channel, among other entities, has bought Vibe 98.9 FM and Spin 94.9 FM to add to its growing broadcasting business. The company, which com pleted the purchase of Cayman 27 in July, confirmed in a press release Thursday that it has acquired the radio stations. The purchase is subject to approval of the Information and Communications Tech nology Authority. Randy Merren, managing director of Hurley’s Media, said there are no immediate plans for changes at either station. He said the move expands the company’s broadcasting reach, and there is natural crossover between television and radio. “This purchase will fur ther establish Hurley’s posi tion in the radio market and enable us to benefit from the growth in radio advertising. “The two radio stations will complement our existing radio and newly acquired television stations, enabling deeper inroads with adver tisers across all platforms.” The Hurley’s Media Group also owns Island 24, Discover Cayman, Daily Deals and Z99.9FM. DMS also owns four radio stations. Mr. Merren added, “These recent acquisitions put us in a prime position to uniquely cater to the radio and tele vision needs of the Cayman Islands market with a wide variety of quality program ming across the board.” Kenny Rankin, of Paramount Media Ltd., said the company finalized the sale of the two radio stations after more than three years of discussions. Weather system to taper off by weekend Charles DunCan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com The system bringing rain and winds through Cayman between 7 a.m. Wednesday and 1 p.m. Thursday was primarily a trop ical wave moving west through the region, dropping more than 2.5 inches of rain on Grand Cayman, according to Cayman Islands Chief Meteorologist Kerry Powery. “The weekend is looking a little better,” Mr. Powery said, adding that isolated showers would still be passing through. “It will be nothing like we’ve seen the past couple of days,” he said. The system could potentially turn into a cyclone off Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, according to forecasters with the National Hurricane Center in the United States. Mr. Powery said the cyclone forming west of the Cayman Islands most likely will not amount to much. “It’s probably going over land,” he said, and won’t have the chance to gain strength. The Hurricane Center gives the weather system a 20 percent chance of turning into a tropical storm as it moves over the Yucatan Peninsula and into the Gulf of Mexico over the weekend. The Center’s forecast notes, “After that time, the low is ex pected to encounter a cold front, which would make additional de velopment unlikely.”Tourists navigate downtown George Town as a tropical wave soaks Grand Cayman. - PHOTO: TaneOs RamsayThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 Cayman Compass • Friday November 6, 2015 Introducing world-class integrative care for Cayman cancer patients Atlanta | Chicago | Philadelphia | Phoenix | Tulsa From the moment you talk to our Cayman-dedicated Cancer Information Specialist, every detail is taken care of, from getting medical records, dealing with your insurance company, to making travel arrangements. Once at one of our five hospitals, you get a three to five day initial evaluation and a personalized treatment plan combining world-class medicine with support therapy options. We empower you to fight cancer more ways than one. Nicolle Surratte Stage 3C breast cancer patient JOB 4983 | CTCA | FULL PAGE AD 1 (C) | COMPASS | 16 OCT 2015 | CMYK | 10.333 IN W X 15.8975 IN H | BB&P INTERACTIVE | BBANDP.COM | INFO@BBANDP.COM | +1 345 949 2933 © 2015 Rising Tide Calls made from a landline are toll-free; surcharges may be added to mobile phone calls If you or someone you love has cancer, please call toll-free 1 844 439 3293. Or visit cancercenter.com/cayman and chat live with an Oncology Information Specialist No case is typical. You should not expect to experience these results. “At CTCA I have people who are fighting for me and with me.”The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 FRIDAY NOVEMBER 6, 2015 • CAYMAN COMPASS The Death is announced of Larry Michael Bell Aged 51 Husband of Lorraine Bell, Father of Chelsea and Christian, Son of Larry and Rachel Bell, Brother of Mitchell and Uncle of John and Madeline A Visitation will be held 6th November 2015 at the Dryden Funeral Home1467 Almon St, Heflin, Alabama, from 5:00pm to 8:00 pm. A funeral Service and Mass will follow 7th November 2015 at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, 16 Morton Road, in Anniston, Alabama. He will be remembered and sadly missed by his family and friends whose lives he lit up with his love and dedication. Mike Bell was born in Alabama, he attended the University of Alabama. He was an entrepreneur and real estate developer in the Cayman Islands. He was an officer of L.E.Bell Construction Company in the pipeline industry across the United States. May His Soul Rest In Eternal Peace In lieu of Flowers donations can be made to St Jude's Children's Research Hospital declared in mid-2013 that he did not need it. “With such small num- bers [of juvenile prisoners], it would be wrong of me to build a nice, glowing 12-bed unit, which would sit there with nobody in it or one or two people in it,” Mr. Lavis said in July 2013. “Is that the best use of public money?” Former United Democratic Party Community Affairs Minister Mike Adam was forced to remove all funding for the center from gov- ernment’s 2012/13 budget because of financial con- straints. Government’s ini- tial budget for the project during the 2011/12 fiscal year began at $3 million, but was reduced by $1.7 million to help government pay for other projects. In addition to the con- struction and design costs for the center, which now consists of a foundation with rebar pipes sticking out of it exposed to the weather, there were some travel costs associated with the project as well. Mr. Adam went to Missouri in November 2010 to study that state’s youth rehabilitation project with several other government representatives at a cost of $11,583. The Missouri program was used as the foundation for the one in Cayman, as envisioned by Mr. Adam’s ministry. Planning permission for the new 21,000-square-foot re- mand center was granted in August 2011. At the time, the estimated construction cost was $8 million. The project broke ground in March 2012. When the Progressives-led administration took over in 2013, a constitutional man- date for the separation of ju- venile and adult prisoners was looming. The section of the constitution’s bill of rights that dealt with pris- oner treatment also required the separation of remand prisoners (those charged with a crime) from those already convicted. Mr. Lavis stated at the time that he believed un- derage prisoners could be kept apart from adults on the Northward com- pound with minimal costs in an arrangement that would satisfy human rights requirements. Mr. Lavis, who took over the Cayman Islands prisons system in June 2013, said he “knew nothing” of the ear- lier project for the proposed juvenile justice center and had not been briefed on it by July 2013. Juvenile justice center write-off: $678,000 Down in polls, Christie at risk of missing debate main stage NEWARK, N.J. (AP) – Chris Christie could be bumped from the main stage at next week’s GOP presidential de- bate, and Bobby Jindal and George Pataki risk being left out altogether. They’re po- tential victims of poor show- ings in national polling and the way those surveys are being used. Fox Business is to an- nounce Thursday evening the candidates who will appear on stage in Milwaukee next Tuesday, a decision based on a selection of polls. Should the line-ups change from the party’s ear- lier debates, it will further underscore concerns about the pivotal role such surveys have played in shaping the contest for the GOP nomi- nation. Statistically, there is no significant difference be- tween candidates lumped to- gether near the bottom of the pack in national polls, which typically have a margin of error of 3 percentage points or more. “I tell people, ‘Ignore people the national polls and just follow those early states,’” said Republican poll- ster Frank Luntz, who argues early opinion surveys are no- toriously unreliable. “Except that now national polls drive the debates, and debates drive the polling.” According to debate cri- teria issued by Fox last week, candidates must score 2.5 percent or higher in an av- erage of the four most re- cent major polls conducted through Nov. 4 to be featured in the prime-time debate. After a Fox poll re- leased Wednesday evening, Christie’s average stood at 2.25 percent in recent surveys that the network says meet its criteria. The exact polls that will be used to deter- mine who makes the cut have not been announced, how- ever, giving the network some flexibility in shaping the field. Getting booted to the de- bate undercard earlier in the evening would be a major blow for the New Jersey gov- ernor, whose struggling cam- paign has appeared to be on the cusp of an upswing fol- lowing strong debate per- formances and good reviews from New Hampshire, where he’s been spending much of his time. Christie also appears to have struck a nerve with a video on the pain of drug ad- diction that has been viewed more than 5 million times. While Christie has told the story of a law school friend’s deadly addiction to prescrip- tion painkillers dozens of times at town hall events, the video’s popularity un- derscores the unpredict- able nature of a crowded race in which minor slip- ups or breakthrough mo- ments can quickly change a candidate’s prospects. During an appearance on Fox News Thursday morning, Christie seemed resigned to the fact that he might be forced into an earlier match- up that has been derisively referred to at times as the “kiddie table.” “Listen, the bottom line is that you need to be on a stage and debating. And so I will be on a stage debating one way or the other, wher- ever they put me,” Christie said calmly. “You want to put one in the middle of the square in Manchester, I’ll do it there. People need to hear our voice and our ideas.” Also at risk of being shut out are Jindal, Louisiana’s governor, and Pataki, the former New York governor, who are dangerously close to failing to reach the 1 percent threshold for the undercard debate. Jindal is well above 1 percent in Iowa, as is Pataki in New Hampshire, but their standing in those early states has played no role in the se- lection criteria. “We know that at the end of the day, there’s no such thing as a national pri- mary, so national primary polls mean nothing,” said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute. Steve Duprey, chairman of the Republican National Committee’s debate sub- committee, has been frus- trated that debate cri- teria used by TV networks have ignored candidates’ standing in early voting states where they spend most of their time. “It’s been unfortunate,” said Duprey, a Republican national committeeman from New Hampshire. “When you do debates based on national polls, it under- mines the ability of a lesser- known, lesser-funded candi- date to get traction.” He suggested that former President Bill Clinton or 2008 GOP nominee John McCain could have strug- gled to emerge under the current system. “This is all new territory,” Duprey said. At this time in 2007, polls showed that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was far ahead of his closest challenger with the eventual nominee, John McCain in third. And Hillary Rodham Clinton was leading then-Sen. Barack Obama by about 20 points. The Republican National Committee, which coordi- nated many of the debate lo- gistics, has been challenged by campaigns looking for more control. Some lower-tier cam- paigns have been pushing aggressively for two debates featuring major candidates with each lineup determined at random. While networks have the flexibility to change their formats, such a sce- nario remains unlikely. More likely, according to cam- paigns involved in debate discussions, is that the un- dercard debate will be elimi- nated altogether as early as the GOP’s December debate. Fox Business is to announce Thursday evening the candidates who will appear on stage in Milwaukee next Tuesday, a decision based on a selection of polls. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Republican presidential candidate Gov. Chris Christie - PHOTO: AP The foundation for the juvenile justice center remains today in a wooded area of Fairbanks in George Town district, near the women’s prison.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Friday November 6, 2015 A viewing will also be held on Thursday, November 12th, 2015 at Churchill’s Funeral Home, Eastern Ave., G.T. Grand Cayman from 5:30 - 6:30 pm In lieu of owers, donations can be made to the Cayman Heart Fund, at Cayman National. Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com A viewing will also be held on Thursday, November 12th, 2015 at Churchill’s Funeral Home, Eastern Ave., G.T. Grand Cayman from 5:30 - 6:30 pm In lieu of owers, donations can be made to the Cayman Heart Fund, at Cayman National. Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com at Churchill’s Funeral Home, Eastern Ave., G.T. Grand Cayman We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Trevor Weston Scott who passed away on Thursday, October 29th, 2015. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held on Saturday, November 14th, 2015 at the Seaman’s & Veteran’s Centre, Cayman Brac at 11:00am. Viewing will be from 10:00 to 10:45am. Interment to follow at Watering Place Cemetery. On this the fourth birthday away from us, Mother, Wife, Sister, Grand Mother, Aunt, Teacher and friend You are missed as if it was yesterday that you took your rest The memories we cherish are so dear to us As we remember one who was quiet and unassuming but who left a legacy behind Sleep on beloved until we meet again Wellesley, Glenroy, Lyneth, Wesley, your extended family and friends Alma Baronis Howell November 7th 1931 – February 10th 2012 Wellesley, Glenroy, Lyneth, Wesley, yourWellesley, Glenroy, Lyneth, Wesley, your We have been asked to announce the passing of Ms. Hazel Azeith Scott who passed away on Monday, November 2, 2015. The funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date. Condolences can be registered at www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Ms. Hazel Azeith Scott who passed away on Monday, November 2, 2015. The funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date. Condolences can be registered at www.churchillsfuneralhome.com the ministry to get a “second opinion” on the school valua- tion from a second firm was unusual given that the ini- tial valuation was part of a government-wide review of Crown property values. “We were a bit surprised they would go out and do something like that,” Mr. Harrison said. “Typically, you would rely on the [ini- tial] valuation done, unless there were certain things not communicated … the first time around. And nor- mally, you would go back to the same valuator to clarify those issues.” The Cayman Compass has submitted open records re- quests for copies of the 2012 and 2015 valuation reports but has so far received no response from the Ministry of Education. Mr. Harrison said, what- ever the true figure re- garding the school’s value, it was clear that tens of mil- lions of dollars spent on the Clifton Hunter project did not represent value for taxpayer money. “There was a significant amount of cost of construc- tion that really didn’t provide any extra value,” he said. Mr. Harrison noted in previous reports on the government high schools construction that the final cost of Clifton Hunter was more than $41 million above what was planned to be spent on the project as at May 2008. The construction contract for Clifton Hunter and the new John Gray High School, which has still not been com- pleted, was signed with Tom Jones International in June 2008. The Clifton Hunter project was initially to have cost $56.7 million. The overruns largely re- lated to additional costs in- cluding design changes, con- tractor disputes and legal advice provided between 2009 and 2012. Some $6 million was spent to repair faulty work in the initial construction phase. “The total of these items … is $30.3 million,” the sep- arate audit report on the schools project indicated. Mr. Harrison said none of these expenses would have added significant value to the schools project. School worth $20M-$40M less than it cost said sports and event-driven tourism are still a major part of the tourism strategy for the late summer season, typically slower months for Cayman. “We are actively encour- aging shoulder season con- ferences and events,” he said. According to statistics kept by the Department of Tourism, 295,469 stay-over tourists visited the Cayman Islands in the first nine months of 2015, compared with 293,652 for the same pe- riod last year, an increase of 0.6 percent. Mr. Kirkconnell expects the end of year figures to reflect a similar year-on- year growth. He said some slowdown had been anticipated be- cause of lack of capacity. New developments, starting with the opening of the Kimpton hotel on Seven Mile Beach next November, will bring new hotel beds and are expected to help in- crease arrivals. At the port, cruise pas- senger arrival figures show a slight increase. In the first nine months of the year, 1,210,997 arrived in Cayman, compared with 1,175,115 last year. Slower summer affects tourism growth Elder Bush criticizes Cheney, Rumsfeld in new biography WASHINGTON (AP) – In a blistering critique, former President George H.W. Bush says onetime Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld “served the president badly” when George W. Bush was in the White House and that former Vice President Dick Cheney “built his own em- pire” and asserted too much “hard-line” influence. The critical assessments of Rumsfeld and Cheney – key players in the U.S.-led war in Iraq – are contained in a biography of the na- tion’s 41st president to be published next week. A copy was obtained by The New York Times. In interviews with bi- ographer Jon Meacham, Bush, now 91, said that Cheney, who also served in the elder Bush’s Cabinet, acted too independently and asserted too much “hard-line” influence within George W. Bush’s adminis- tration, especially after the Sept. 11 attacks. Jeb Bush, who is running for the Republican presi- dential nomination, said on Thursday that he had not read the book. “My thought was that Dick Cheney served my dad really well,” Bush said in an Associated Press interview in North Conway, N.H. “And he served as vice president, he served my brother really well. Different eras. Different times.” George W. Bush, in a statement issued by his of- fice, said he was “proud to have served with Dick Cheney and Don Rumsfeld. Dick Cheney did a superb job as vice president, and I was fortunate to have him by my side throughout my presidency. Don Rumsfeld ably led the Pentagon and was an effective secretary of defense.” The book, “Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush,” also contains the elder Bush’s rumina- tions about his son, whom he praised but also called responsible for empowering Cheney and Rumsfeld. Of Cheney, Bush said, “He just became very hard- line and very different from the Dick Cheney I knew and worked with.” Bush said he thinks the Sept. 11 attacks changed the vice president, making him more hawkish about the use of U.S. mili- tary force abroad. “His seeming knuck- ling under to the real hard- charging guys who want to fight about everything, use force to get our way in the Middle East,” Bush said. Talking about Rumsfeld, the elder Bush used stronger, more personal criticism, the Times reported. “I think he served the president badly. I don’t like what he did, and I think it hurt the president having his iron-ass view of every- thing,” Bush said. Rumsfeld, in a state- ment, responded: “Bush 41 is getting up in years and misjudges Bush 43, who I found made his own deci- sions. There are hundreds of memos on www.rumsfeld. com that represent advice DoD gave the president.” The elder Bush did not suggest in the book that he disagreed with his son about the invasion of Iraq. Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein “is gone, and with him went a lot of brutality and nastiness and awful- ness,” Bush said. He said he worried that the younger Bush used rhetoric that was at times too strong, citing as an ex- ample the 43rd president’s 2002 State of the Union ad- dress, during which he de- scribed an “axis of evil” including Iraq, Iran and North Korea. “You go back to the ‘axis of evil’ and these things and I think that might be histor- ically proved to be not bene- fiting anything,” he said. In his statement, George W. Bush did not respond to his father’s critical com- ments about the strong rhetoric. Emails to Cheney family contacts seeking comment were not immedi- ately returned. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “We were a bit surprised they would go out and do something like that. Typically, you would rely on the [initial] valuation done.” Garnet Harrison, acting auditor general CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, left, President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney in 2006. - Photo: AP The critical assessments of Rumsfeld and Cheney – key players in the U.S.-led war in Iraq – are contained in a biography of the nation’s 41st president to be published next week.Next >