ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Monday noveMber 30, 2015 High of 84 Low of 75 Moderate with wave heights 3 to 5 feet. ABCDE NATIONAL WEEKLY Politics A town filled with tension 4 World Electric cars’ dirty secret 11 Lifestyles Taking out the trash -- for good 16 Opinions Facebook founder’s bold step 21 FORCED REFORMS, MIXED RESULTSFederal interventions at troubled police departments across the country drag on for years and cost hundreds of millions of dollarsPAGE 12 THE WEEK OF SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2015 . IN COLLABORATION WITH THE WASHINGTON POST Forced reforms, mixed results Editorial | pagE 4 at the CoMpass, we don’t praCtiCe ‘gotCha’ journalisM FOUR LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU BETTER: SEVEN MILE BEACH, WATERFRONT, WALKERS ROAD, TOWN CENTRE PLAZA eden’s progressives departure sets off political uproar brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The departure of long-serving Bodden Town MLA Anthony Eden from the Progressives-led government last week sparked a behind-the- scenes political scramble and was viewed by some Cayman politics insiders as a po- tential foreshadowing of others leaving the Progressives party. Mr. Eden, 70, said Thursday that he would become an independent lawmaker and sit on the other side of the Legislative Assembly when the House next meets in the new year. His decision, he said, was the result of govern- ment’s proposal to change the Cayman Islands Immigration Law regulations to allow non- working members of same-sex couples to live with their partners as dependants. “I will take this opportunity to say to this House and my constituents I will no longer sit as a part of the PPM [People’s Progressive Movement] backbench,” Mr. Eden said in the assembly on Thursday evening. “In the next meeting, I will sit on the other side of the floor.” Progressives party leader Premier Alden McLaughlin said Friday that Mr. Eden’s de- parture left him disappointed, although it was “not entirely unexpected.” Mr. Eden’s move does not disrupt the overall balance of power within the Cayman Islands political arena. The Bodden Town MLA joins independent Legislative Assembly mem- bers Ezzard Miller and Arden McLean on the opposite side of the assembly floor, along with three opposition Cayman Islands Democratic Party members – including Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush. That leaves the Progressives-led coalition government with 11 members, not counting Speaker of the House Juliana O’Connor- Connolly, who joined the Progressives in 2013, but who does not vote in House matters given her position as Speaker. That coalition in- cludes three independent members, including Education Minister Tara Rivers, who were CarePay trial Defense: ‘everyone’ supporteD Carepay system QC says former minister authorized extra $2 million spending brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Fearing they would be caught up in a sweeping corruption investigation, a number of government officials involved in the award and implementation of the CarePay hospital swipe- card contract sought to blame former Health Services Authority board chairman Canover Watson for what occurred, defense attorneys alleged Friday in opening speeches at Watson’s criminal trial. Watson, 45, is accused in six counts alleging he and former personal assistant Miriam Rodriguez conspired – along with Caymanian businessman Jeffrey Webb and unidentified “others” – in a scheme prosecutors said de- frauded both the Health Services Authority and the Cayman Islands National Insurance Company of more than US$3 million over the course of three years. Watson himself is alleged to have personally benefitted to the tune of at least US$348,000, according to the charges. Watson’s attorney, Trevor Burke, QC, ap- peared particularly disturbed that even Crown Connolly cannot get backing for ban on handouts MLA says no support for motion jaMes whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Independent legislator Winston Connolly has voiced his disappointment at the failure of his colleagues to support his calls for an end to the practice of politicians giving handouts to constituents. Saying he had been attacked as naïve, inexperienced and un- charitable for highlighting con- cerns, including the increased potential for vote buying in small single-member districts, Mr. Connolly insisted he would not back down. The George Town legislator said it was the job of politi- cians to ensure there was a well- run and properly funded bene- fits system to support the least fortunate, not to dig into their own pockets to give cash hand- outs to constituents. Speaking in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday, he said he was unable to get sufficient support for proposals to outlaw handouts and introduce term limits for politicians. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » Santa Fun run full of Christmas cheer Santa Fun run participants stretch prior to setting off on the annual 3K dash around Camana Bay early Saturday morning. the area was awash in red and white as the family-friendly run got under way at 6.30 a.m. a portion of the proceeds from the run go toward the Camana Bay Christmas Give for local charities. – photo: stephen Clarke2 LOCAL NEWS Monday noveMber 30, 2015 • Cayman Compass www. REGmovies.com SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any lm starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. © y x *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - MONDAY - $8.00 VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN (PG13) 1:20 I 4:20 I 7:00 I 9:40 THE NIGHT BEFORE (R) 1:30 I 4:00 I 7:20 I 9:50 HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2 (PG13) 12:20 I 3:25 I 6:30 I 9:40 SECRET IN THEIR EYES (PG13) 4:10 I 9:30 CREED (PG13) 1:10 I 4:10 I 7:05 I 10:00 SPECTRE (PG13) 12:45 I 4:15 I 7:30 PEANUTS 3D (G) 1:00 I 7:15 www.tonymosleylifeinsurance.com Gov’t recruiting for Christmas cleanup The national community cleanup, a government pro- gram to provide full-time jobs for three weeks around Christmas, is recruiting people who want to work for two weeks before the holiday and one week in the new year. The National Community Enhancement Project, open to unemployed Caymanians 18 years and older, involves cleaning parks, beaches and roadsides, gardening and doing maintenance on public areas. Unemployed perma- nent residents with the right to work and spouses of Caymanians can also qualify for the program. Temporary employees will work 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, Dec. 7 through 18 and Jan. 11 through 15. Interested candidates can apply between Tuesday and Thursday at the National Workforce Development Agency in Midtown Plaza or at the country’s libraries. Call 917-0153 for more information. Artists, craftsmen celebrate museum anniversary Traditional Caymanian skills, as well as local arts, crafts and music, were on display as Cayman National Museum celebrations spilled out onto the streets on Saturday. The museum took over part of Harbour Drive for its 25th anniversary festivities. An eclectic mix of talents were on display. Traditional catboat makers, like Kem Jackson, and thatch-worker Marlena Anglin were on hand to show some of the work that represent Cayman’s history. Pop-art group Stoak’d and acoustic singer-songwriter Maeve added a modern flavor. The Big Ole Looky Ya event takes place every year to celebrate the museum’s anniversary. Marlena Anglin crafts hats and handbags from the leaves of silver thatch palms. – PHOTOS: JAMES WHITTAKER Acoustic singer-songwriter Maeve impressed the crowds with her repertoire of covers and original songs. Kem Jackson, of the Cayman Cat Boat Club, taught visitors about the history of Cayman’s traditional boats. Aimee Randolph, Deborah Richey and Claire Rohleder, also known as 3 girls and a kiln, display some of their creations. Smile: Marc and Pam Laurenson show off their spray-painted shark, a mascot for their pop-art group Stoak’d.3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Monday noveMber 30, 2015 180603-Ad-Butterfield-Visa-Gold-1 111/17/15 6:21:34 PM Woman charged with jewelry theft says she was kidnapped Carol Winker cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A former employee charged with theft of jew- elry has denied involvement in a robbery at Mitzi’s Fine Jewelry, saying she was kid- napped the day before the robbery took place. The employee, Madeiny Williams Rodrigues Ebanks-Pol, 37, appeared in Summary Court on Friday charged with two counts of theft from the store on Nov. 7 and Nov. 11. There was also a robbery at the store on Nov. 18, in which defense attorney Keva Reid said her client de- nied any involvement. Ms. Reid told Magistrate Angelyn Hernandez, Ebanks-Pol was kidnapped on the Tuesday before the robbery. She had had very little to eat or drink for a week. When she was able to run from the place where she had been kept, she knocked on the door of a nearby res- idence and the occupants called police. At the time, Ebanks-Pol was drenched in sea water and dehydrated, Ms. Reid related. Taken into custody on Wednesday, Nov. 25, she had not been eating or drinking much since and there were concerns for her health. Ms. Reid said the woman, 37, had been through a very difficult experience. Ms. Reid said a public an- nouncement issued by police on Nov. 23 asking for infor- mation as to the whereabouts of Ebanks-Pol in relation to “a series of incidents” at the store had given the wrong impression. Senior Crown counsel Tricia Hutchinson objected to bail, noting that the robbery investigation was ongoing. Police arrested a man shortly after the daylight rob- bery of the store, which is lo- cated in Bay Harbour, West Bay Road. A press release issued by police on Friday stated: “A quantity of jew- elry of high value reported missing from the Mitzi’s Fine Jewelry as a result of the robbery on Nov. 18 has not been recovered.” Ebanks-Pol is charged first with stealing one “Safire diamond 18 karat ring” valued at $4,000 and one charm bracelet valued at $2,000, both the property of store owner Mitzi Callan. The charge relating to Nov. 11 alleges theft of one gold necklace, valued at $2,000; and one diamond pendant, valued at $18,000; both the property of Ms. Callan. In her application for bail, Ms. Reid pointed to Pol- Ebanks’s close family ties on the island, saying there needed to be no concern about her absconding. She noted that the defendant’s boyfriend was said to be con- nected to the robbery, but he was on bail. Ms. Reid said concerns about Pol-Ebanks’s health led the magistrate to grant bail, but with stringent conditions. First was a requirement for two sureties in the sum of $10,000 each. Other require- ments include the wearing of an electronic monitor, a curfew from 7:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. and reporting to police three days per week. She is to have no contact with Ms. Callan or store staff or other named individuals. The attorney asked for more disclosure of the case against her client by the next mention date. The magistrate set this for Tuesday, Dec. 8. LocaL bLackouts foLLow isLand-wide power outage Charles DunCan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Intermittent power out- ages over the weekend followed an island- wide blackout overnight on Thursday. Residents in West Bay and George Town reported losing power on several occasions on Friday and Saturday. The entire island was without power for around six hours on Thursday night, from just before 11 p.m. The Caribbean Utilities Company reported that power was fully restored around 5:15 a.m. Friday. Spokeswoman Pat Bynoe- Clarke said the cause was “a fault in the transmission and distribution system.” The company did not re- spond over the weekend to questions about the later power outages. In overnight updates on Twitter and in emails to the press on Thursday and Friday, CUC said it restored power first in George Town by about 2:30 a.m. and, over the following three hours, across the rest of the island. The last island-wide outage was in July when a generator problem knocked out the electricity ser- vice and it took about 12 hours to restore power for the entire island. CUC headquarters in Sparkys Drive.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” The Cayman Compass is in the business of practicing responsible journalism for the edification, even hopefully at times education, of the people of the Cayman Islands who care about what is going on in their community — from the halls of the Legislative Assembly to events and happenings in their individual districts. It is never our intent, whether in the news pages or this editorial opinion section, to misrepresent the state- ments or the positions of the people we cover. We don’t selectively pick out phrases from lengthy statements in order to mislead our readers or misrepresent their remarks. We don’t hold them responsible for inadvertent “slips of the tongue.” It happens to all of us. Simply put, we don’t engage in — and won’t stand for — “gotcha” journalism. Which brings us to the instance of George Town MLA Winston Connolly’s recent comments on Cayma- nians, expatriates and employment opportunities in the Legislative Assembly. We don’t believe we misrep- resented Mr. Connolly’s remarks — either in message or in direct quotes. But Mr. Connolly does, and he said as much on the House floor Thursday. To review, last Monday, Mr. Connolly said the fol- lowing in the Legislative Assembly: “It is not enough to wait for people to become Caymanians to start enforcing, respecting and following our laws … Those laws weren’t intended to primarily benefit future Cay- manians. They were there to protect, empower and push our existing Caymanians to the fore.”… “It can’t be that those of us whose parents built this country can’t benefit, advance and prosper to those highest rungs on that ladder.” In Thursday’s editorial, we wrote the following: “Mr. Connolly’s words, in the introduction of his motion, were meant to divide and offend (if not incite) — and they did. He began by differentiating between ‘real’ Caymanians and legitimate Caymanian status holders.” Later that day, Mr. Connolly said in the House that he did not make “a distinction between multigenera- tional Caymanians and new Caymanians. I categori- cally refute this opinion and challenge anyone to prove otherwise.” We believe our editorial faithfully represented the tone and content of Mr. Connolly’s speech. But he sees it differently. This concerns us because we have the highest regard for Mr. Connolly and certainly view him — if he decides to stay in politics or uses his talents elsewhere — as one of the future leaders of this country. The pages of our newspaper (specifically, Page 4, right next to this editorial column) are always open to Mr. Connolly or any readers who wish to respond in writing to something they’ve seen in the Compass or feel is of relevant interest to Cayman — whether they agree with our positions and editorial opinions — or not. Specifically regarding Mr. Connolly, consider, for instance, today’s news story on a statement he deliv- ered to fellow lawmakers on Thursday, before he turned his attention to the Compass. His remarks on influence-peddling, vote-buying and the need for fun- damental reform to the delivery of basic services is, in our opinion, exemplary. It’s that kind of principled perspective that has earned Mr. Connolly the high regard in which he is held by the citizenry, including the business community and George Town voters who chose him to represent them. We hope and expect that Mr. Connolly’s future con- tributions will warrant their continued support. At the Compass, we don’t practice ‘gotcha’ journalism Monday noveMber 30, 2015 • Cayman COmpass Leaving the justice out of wealth redistribution Noah Smith I’d like to explain how most modern economists think about wealth redistri- bution. If you discuss wel- fare, taxes or inequality with an economist, you’re bound to run into a concept called the equity-efficiency trad- eoff. It’s the idea that there’s a fundamental tradeoff be- tween the size of the eco- nomic pie and the equal dis- tribution of said pie. Suppose you’re a really rich person. You have $50 bil- lion in wealth, though it fluc- tuates day to day depending on the financial markets. But even if the markets take a tumble, you will still have enough to buy almost any- thing you want – mansions, private jets, super yachts. You can afford to give hun- dreds of millions to political causes, universities or chari- ties each year without put- ting a noticeable dent in your net worth. Now suppose some hacker comes and steals $10,000 out of one of your brokerage accounts. Unless you have a very careful accountant, you probably won’t even no- tice the theft. The difference it would make in your pur- chasing power would be neg- ligible. The loss would be no larger than what you prob- ably suffer a hundred times a day from the random move- ments of the markets. Now suppose that hacker, in the tradition of Robin Hood, decided to give the stolen $10,000 to a poor man in a slum in Baltimore. That $10,000 is probably as much as the poor guy earns in a year. Suddenly, his yearly salary is doubled and his risk of having to sleep in a homeless shelter is dramati- cally reduced. He could even use the money to take some night school classes and buy himself a better future, if he is so inclined. In other words, $10,000 makes only a tiny differ- ence to the well-being of our multibillionaire, but it would make a huge differ- ence to the well-being of the average American poor person – to say nothing of the average poor person in India or Nigeria. This difference in the mar- ginal value of wealth – the value of each additional dollar – is a key part of modern economics. It underlies our theory of risk and our theo- ries of labor and leisure. But it also has implications for what we think of as human welfare – the total well-being of the species, or the nation. A given number of dollars cre- ates more well-being in the hands of the poor than in the hands of the rich. So should we just redis- tribute all the wealth until ev- eryone has an equal amount? Even if you think that doing so would be morally accept- able, you would have good reason for caution. Although rich people might not notice one or two random thefts from their bank accounts, they will most definitely no- tice the systematic appropri- ation of their wealth by the government. That systematic appropriation, of course, is called taxation. When you tax people, you usually cause them to reduce the amount that they do the thing that is subject to the tax. That’s not always true – if you tax people’s labor, they may work less because of the decreased value of an hour of work, or they may work more because they’re poorer than they were before. But in general, taxation reduces economic activity. Taxing in- vestment reduces investment, and taxing consumption re- duces consumption. Only a few kinds of tax- ation don’t result in a de- crease in economic output. One example is land taxa- tion – since the amount of land is constant, you can tax it without worrying that supply will fall. Even then, you have to be very careful how you separate the value of the land from the value of human development of that land, which can be reduced in response to taxes. Anyway, the basic mes- sage is that the more the gov- ernment tries to shift income around, the less total income there is to distribute. The more equal you force your so- ciety to be, the poorer it gets. This is sometimes known colloquially as “Okun’s bucket,” after economist Arthur Okun, who once lik- ened redistribution to moving wealth from one person to another with a leaky bucket. You manage to move some from one place to another, but along the way you lose some from leaks. Modern empirical tech- niques have allowed econo- mists to get a better idea of how big the leaks are in the bucket. For example, a recent paper by Nathaniel Hendren looks at the earned income tax credit, food stamps and housing vouchers. He finds that for every dollar redis- tributed from rich to poor with those programs, any- where from 34 cents to 56 cents leaks out and is lost. This is how economists think when they consider re- distribution programs like the ones mentioned above. They don’t normally consider moral questions, like whether it’s ethical for the government to confiscate one person’s in- come in order to give it to an- other. When they do attempt to wade into the moral side of things, the result is often ham-handed and awkward. Thus, economists typically leave questions of justice to the philosophers and politi- cians. Mostly, they focus on trying to quantify the trad- eoff between equality and ef- ficiency. That may seem a bit heartless, but to many econ- omists, it feels like the most objective way to approach questions of redistribution. Noah Smith is an assistant professor of finance at Stony Brook University and a freelance writer for finance and business publications. © 2015, Bloomberg View [T]he more the government tries to shift income around, the less total income there is to distribute. The more equal you force your society to be, the poorer it gets.5 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Monday noveMber 30, 2015 New police recruits receive graduating certificates Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service has added seven new officers to its ranks. The four men and three women received their graduating certificates and awards from Police Commissioner David Baines, Governor Helen Kilpatrick and police training offi- cers at the Harquail Theatre on Friday afternoon. Completing 17 weeks of training under the Initial Recruit Foundation Course were Police Constables Steven Brown, Trishana Osbourne, Tamra Thomas, Diana Myles, Darado Thompson, Dave Barnett, Rayan Chambers and Steven Brown. The course provides a grounding in the legal, op- erational and fitness aspects of the job. An eighth trainee, Cody Barnett, was unable to take part in the graduation. Police Constable Dave Barnett, who was awarded Best Overall Student, said he joined the RCIPS to help fight crime and develop himself as a well-rounded motivator. PC Chambers received the Team Spirit Award and Best Drill Award, and PC Thomas received the Best Academic Student award. Commissioner Baines said he was looking forward to seeing the new faces in the course of everyday op- erations. “I know that we as a police service will benefit from the enthusiasm and local knowledge they have demonstrated during their training,” he said. Governor Kilpatrick said she was impressed with the way the new officers pre- formed during the parade. “Having been at a number of parades, that was some of the sharpest work that I have seen,” she said. The new officers, pictured in the back row, with their training officers, Commissioner David Baines and Governor Helen Kilpatrick. Governor Helen Kilpatrick inspects new officers in the company of Police Commissioner David Baines and training officer PC Gabe Rabess. - Photo: Jewel levy Shooter’s clothing compared to defendant’s Carol wiNker cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Expert video analyst Grant Fredericks testified last week that clothing worn by Devon Anglin, accused of killing 4-year-old Jeremiah Barnes, appeared indistin- guishable from those worn by the shooter. Anglin has pleaded not guilty to the murder of the child, the attempted murder of the boy’s father, and pos- session of an unlicensed firearm. Mr. Fredericks said he had analyzed images from the CCTV camera at the Hell Service Station, where the shooting took place around 8 p.m. on Feb. 15, 2010. He also had photos of Anglin, his shoes and jeans, plus im- ages from CCTV in the court house, where Anglin had ap- peared the morning of the shooting on a traffic charge. Images of the blue jeans worn by the gunman were compared with images of the jeans Anglin wore to court that morning. Mr. Fredericks told the court that crease patterns he examined on both pairs of jeans were in the same position and of the same shape, length and direction. Both pairs of jeans were too long for the wearer, as seen in the way the cuffs bunched, he noted. Mr. Fredericks concluded that the gunman’s jeans could not be eliminated as the jeans worn by Anglin. He could find nothing to distin- guish them in any way. The shoes of the shooter also could not be distin- guished from Anglin’s shoes, he said. Both pairs were dark, laced and had a reflec- tive object at the beginning of the laced area. They were of the same color and class. “What we look for are unique features before we say [the items] may be the same,” he said in response to a ques- tion from defense counsel David Fisher. Mr. Fisher asked about the lighter color of the welt [between the sole and the upper shoes] that could be seen in a high resolution photograph of Anglin’s shoes, but not seen on the gunman’s shoes. Mr. Fredericks said the difference could be because of the low resolution of the CCTV image or because the lighter welt was not present. The third item of interest came from a photograph of Anglin in custody, in which he is seen lying on a bed and wearing boxer shorts over briefs. The pattern on the boxer shorts had the same de- sign as seen on footage from the service station CCTV, when the gunman raised his arms, exposing his waist. Questioned by Mr. Fisher, Mr. Fredericks agreed that he could not say positively that what was seen on the gunman was boxer shorts; it could have been some- thing protruding downward from a garment worn on the upper body. Mr. Fredericks also an- alyzed the service sta- tion CCTV and said it ap- peared that the gunman was wearing a mask from the bridge of the nose to below the jaw. The trial is scheduled to continue on Monday with several civilian witnesses. Justice Charles Quin is hearing the matter without a jury, as Anglin elected. Anglin was found not guilty after a judge-alone trial in 2011. The Court of Appeal over- turned that verdict and or- dered a retrial, saying justice Howard Cooke had made a decision that was erroneous on a point of law.Monday noveMber 30, 2015 • Cayman Compass DISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days George Town In the Dec. 1, 1965 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a predecessor of the Cayman Compass, George Town correspondent Frances Bodden re- ported on some of the happenings in the district: “[Reporter] Mr. Ozzie Osborne of the Roanoke Times returned home after one of his frequent visits to the island. On this occasion he visited Grand Court several times to hear the ‘Obeah’ cases.” “We are pleased to announce that Mr. Linford A. Pierson was successful in receiving a 1st Class Pass in the recent R.S.A. Advanced Examination taken while on a Government scholarship in Jamaica. He also passed the exam taken at the Ministry of Finance Training Division.” Mr. Pierson was 24 years old at the time. Nineteen years later, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly, holding the seat for more than 16 of the next 20 years and becoming a Cabinet minister and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly during that time. 50 years ago News from george Town Fort George carries unique history Basia McGuire bmcguire@pinnaclemedialtd.com From time to time, a fleeting glimpse of a low stone wall, a small elevated hut, and some cannons draw the eyes of pedestrians and motorists passing by the corner of Harbour Drive and Fort Street in downtown George Town. But this modest site of- fers a fascinating peek into Cayman’s past. The small space, now featuring a col- orful three-panel mural, is the remains of a signif- icant strategic emblem of Cayman’s history. A National Trust historic site, diminutive Fort George, which received a much- needed facelift in 2013, of- fers a convenient place to pause on George Town’s busy thoroughfare. “The origins and early history of the fort are un- certain,” National Trust Education Coordinator Karie Bounds noted in a press release. “It is known that in 1662, the new governor of Jamaica, Lord [Thomas] Windsor, received royal in- structions to take charge of the ‘Caimanes Islands …. By planning and raising fortifications upon them.’ Although there was some settlement, the task of forti- fying the small outpost was not undertaken until some- time around 1790.” The Trust states that Fort George was built with local rock and limestone with a design based on the typical English military structures of that era, and its oval shape measured approximately 57 feet by 38 feet, with eight openings for cannons around the sides and a mahogany gate on the landward side. The walls were of varying thickness and only about 5 feet tall, which the Trust says might indicate that defense requirements were not ideal. Ms. Bounds noted the original purpose of the fort was to defend Grand Cayman from attacks by Spanish marauders from Cuba, and was manned by local militia. While the heyday of piracy on the high seas was over by this time, fishing and turtling fleets were locked in fierce compe- tition with one another. “Caymanians were not very comfortable with the knowledge that they were so close to the Spanish colony of Cuba and the possibility of an attack,” she stated. Ms. Bounds noted that by the beginning of the 20th century, the grounds of the sand-bottomed fort shaded by a huge silt cotton tree were used as a play area by children from the adja- cent school. She said older Caymanians remember that two large cannons and a thick chain were there, too. During World War II, six lookout posts were set up at strategic locations in Grand Cayman to spot hostile ships, including German submarines. Around 1943, a lookout hut was con- structed in the branches of the silk cotton tree at the fort. Combined, the lookouts offered views of the entire coastline, and were manned 24 hours a day with four men at each post. Today, visitors can see a replica of a lookout post at this unique portal to Cayman’s past. For more information on Fort george and other National Trust sites, visit www.nationaltrust.org.ky. The historical site of Fort george underwent a facelift in 2013. - PHOTO: STEPHEN CLARKECayman Compass • Monday noveMber 30, 2015 DISTRICT DAYS 7 District Days George Town GeorGe Nowak This image taken in the mid-80’s shows Clare Woodman Bears, better known as “Panama,” grating coconuts to make cooking oil. Grating coconuts for oil is almost a thing of the past. However, in some of the far districts and the Sister Islands, one can still find people who will make you a bottle of this healthy oil ex- tracted from the kernel, or meat, of a coconut. In medical circles, coconut oil consumption had for a while been considered taboo, mostly due to it being nearly 90 percent saturated fat. However, it has recently been redeemed in a health-conscious world because, unlike hydrogenated oils, it is not processed or chemically treated, and therefore retains all of its healthy plant- based nutrients. For locals, a whiff of fish frying in coconut oil can pro- duce a serious case of deja vu. Our noses have a way of sniffing out nostalgia. Panama passed away in 1986. This image is from the book “The People Time Forgot” by George Nowak available at the National Museum. All proceeds from the sales of this book underwrite Museum projects.Clare Woodman Bears, better known as ‘Panama,’ grates coconuts. - Photo: GeorGe Nowak Young Judge Rhaj Barrow with several of the preschool’s police officers. Judge Rhaj Barow was ready for the unruly professionals. Fire officers Tianna Wright (319) and Rares Pomian. - PhotoS: JeweL LeVY Young bakers: Gabriella Morash, Aiyla and Luca Rojas, Matias Ramos and Gavin Lea. Doctors, lawyers, police officers, judges, nurses, chefs and teachers were all part of a parade of professionals cel- ebrating Careers Day at Shining Stars preschool in George Town on Friday. Parents dressed their children as miniature professionals who then, along with teachers, paraded around Pasadora Place to show off their uniforms. LittLe ProfeSSioNaLS Parade at ShiNiNG StarS Nurse Ariah Myles shows ‘school principal’ Seriah Frederick her pressure reading.8 LOCAL NEWS Check out these photos and others by visiting caymancompass.com/photogalleries or on facebook.com/caycompass (and don’t forget to tag yourself and your friends!) Monday noveMber 30, 2015 • Cayman Compass The theme of the National Gallery’s “Night Circus” fundraiser on Friday was carnival couture, a challenge the attendees took on with relish. Performers at the annual gala this year included ma- gicians, fire dancers, contortionists and pole dancers. Money raised at the event will go toward the gallery’s public and education programs. REOPENING OUR DOORS TO SERVE YOU THIS IS We’ve reopened Western Union® services at Foster’s Food Fair Island wide. For more information call (345) 943-4700 Gallery benefactor Susan Olde, curator Natalie Urquart and co-chair of the gallery’s gala committee Christina Bodden. Colette Byrne and Anne Frawley Desmond Kinch, Governor Helen Kilpatrick and Peter Dutton John Broad shows his harlequin side. Kia MacfeeLauren Hill takes an unusual view of proceedings. Dancing with fire: David Blumenthal displays his skills with fire at the labyrinth at the National Gallery.Erin Connelly, Gigi Nikolaeva, Reagan Rando, Brandi Propas and Carey Kubik Melissa Wolfe and Jose RafaelMelissa and Ward SykesThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY NOVEMBER 30, 2015 elected under the Coalition for Cayman group. However, former Progressives insider Kenneth Bryan – who worked for Premier McLaughlin’s office until late 2014 – said he be- lieved Bodden Town MLA Alva Suckoo would follow Mr. Eden to the opposition benches. Mr. Suckoo, a first-term represen- tative, was “facing enormous pressure” to switch sides with three of his major political al- lies, Mr. Eden, Mr. Miller and Mr. McLean sitting across the aisle, Mr. Bryan said. “If Alva leaves, the dom- inos will start to fall,” Mr. Bryan said, indicating his be- lief that independent George Town MLA Winston Connolly – fresh off a public spat with the premier over a private members’ motion he filed during the last assembly meeting – could also depart the government side. Mr. Bryan’s view was backed by Chris Saunders, a Bodden Town political in- sider who has publicly stated he is supporting efforts to form a third political group ahead of the May 2017 gen- eral election. Mr. Saunders said Mr. Suckoo owed his political allegiance to Mr. Eden, who has long been the Progressives’ most popular political figure in the district. Opposition Leader Bush, the longest-serving member of the Legislative Assembly, was also assessing the situa- tion over the weekend. “Government is still the government,” Mr. Bush said, “unless more of their mem- bers are like Anthony Eden and refuse to kowtow to the dictatorial leadership and leave on a matter of principle. “[Mr. Eden] has spoken and he is a man of principle. He will be a real independent member [of the Legislative Assembly],” Mr. Bush said. Premier McLaughlin of- fered no further comment re- garding the political maneu- vering, but instead heaped praise on the veteran Bodden Town MLA. “Tony Eden has been, and will continue to be, an ex- ceptional representative of the people of Bodden Town and an outstanding member of the Legislative Assembly,” Premier McLaughlin said. “I know he will continue to serve the people of these is- lands well, no matter where he sits in the House.” Deputy Premier Moses Kirkconnell said Progressives members held a meeting Friday concerning Mr. Eden’s departure, but in- dicated he did not wish to say anything further on the matter beyond endorsing what Mr. McLaughlin had already said. Neither Mr. Suckoo nor Mr. Connolly returned mes- sages seeking comment re- garding Mr. Eden’s departure on Friday or Saturday. The issues Mr. Eden left the Progressives party a few hours after Premier McLaughlin announced government’s intention to change Immigration Law regulations “as a matter of urgency” with regard to same-sex partners. The “test case” for this issue, involves former Cayman Islands law school professor Leonardo Raznovich, whose applica- tion to remain in Cayman as a dependant of his male partner was denied by the Immigration Department. Since then, both Argentinian and British government of- ficials have written to the Cayman Islands government urging them to reverse their position in the matter. For now, Mr. McLaughlin said the change in immigra- tion rules would not be ex- panded to a wholesale ac- ceptance of civil unions in the law because he believes government has “no man- date” to do so. However, the premier in- dicated Thursday that the times are changing: “This is a train that is not going to stop coming. It has long left the station.” The civil unions issue is not the first public disagree- ment Mr. Eden had with the Progressives-led adminis- tration. In early 2014, Mr. Eden voted against the gov- ernment, along with Mr. Suckoo, in favor of a pri- vate members’ motion that sought to force the introduc- tion of “one man, one vote” in Cayman Islands elections. Later in the year, Mr. Eden was vocal in his displeasure about the government intro- ducing 30-year sentencing tariffs, as opposed to auto- matic life imprisonment, for convicted killers. “All in the name of human rights,” Mr. Eden said at that time. “I would like it recorded that I brought them to this House and fought to put them in place as checks and bal- ances to a system that could get out of control,” he said. Mr. Connolly defended his own record of supporting charity and insisted it was an important principle that leg- islators showed their support for the needy through laws and policies rather than per- sonal handouts. “We have to concentrate our efforts on creating the best safety net we can, so those who truly need it can come forward and be as- sessed and assisted. If ev- eryone can circumvent the system or if the system is slow or doesn’t work, then fix it. Don’t say the system is lousy so here is $50. Fix it.” Mr. Connolly said any pol- iticians that wanted to offer help beyond the $50 mil- lion in public funds allo- cated for welfare programs, should do so by supporting charities, which he said were best placed to assess need without bias. He suggested that when politicians decided who got handouts and who did not, charity could be perceived as corruption. “That could easily turn from one ‘c’ word to another,” he said. Mr. Connolly said the “system of patronage” was so entrenched in the Cayman Islands that he had been la- beled insensitive and un- caring for attempting to change it. He said he had a strong track record of sup- porting and helping chari- table causes but insisted his role as a politician was to focus on improving the system rather than giving personal handouts. “Our role is to help the pensioners that can’t afford their monthly bills by making the pension system better. “It is getting people skills and education so they can demand higher wages to fully participate in this economy. “It is making good deals and decisions so people aren’t crippled by monthly expenses. It is embracing change on things like re- newable energy to bring down the cost of living. It is to ensure the immigra- tion laws are enforced and there is equality of opportu- nity. It is moving the dump from the capital and making it something other than a political football. “It is about taking risks and unpopular decisions even if it costs us our seats. It is not to pay for mortgages and give money without ob- ligations. If we were not in politics, would many of those giving daily still do so? Would they encourage people to come to their homes and offices and give handouts? “Then why is that the ex- pectation when you get into politics or are campaigning for politics?” Mr. Connolly has also called for members of the Legislative Assembly to be re- stricted to three consecutive terms in office, before taking a break of at least one term. In response to sugges- tions that the move would mean replacing experienced politicians with “green” new representatives, Mr. Connolly suggested that wouldn’t nec- essarily be a bad thing. “There is good experience and bad experience,” he said, citing the “huge mistakes” of “experienced politicians” in running up enormous na- tional debts as the reason he got into politics in the first place. He added, “Experience sometimes allows you just to be smart enough to keep your job, not do your job.” prosecutors could not iden- tify who “the others” in the CarePay investigation might be at this stage, although he said they appeared con- tent to “get a lot of free kicks” at Webb who wasn’t there to defend himself. Webb is facing criminal charges in connection with an unrelated matter in the U.S. and is not being tried in this case. Nonetheless, Mr. Burke stated that “every prose- cution witness” jurors will hear from during what’s ex- pected to be a two-month trial “absolutely endorsed” Advanced Integrated Systems [AIS] of Jamaica and its owner, Douglas Halsall, for the implementation of the CarePay swipe-card project. Former Health Minister Mark Scotland – who is not on the witness list – secured an additional $2 million in funding for the expansion of the swipe-card project to private sector insurers, at- torneys said. “There was no more en- thusiastic supporter of AIS than … the minister respon- sible,” Mr. Burke said. When things started to fall apart on the CarePay deal in 2012, Mr. Burke said those supporters backed away. “Everybody tried to dis- tance themselves from the decision they had so will- ingly made,” Mr. Burke said. “Everybody tried to mini- mize their own involvement and shove the blame up the line to the [Health Services Authority Board] chairman [Watson]. “Some of them were under suspicion themselves at the time, and may still be.” The lead defense counsel, instructed by local attorney Ben Tonner, also lamented that not only Webb, but Mr. Halsall would not be ap- pearing in the case to testify, though they were clearly in- volved in the AIS Jamaica, AIS Cayman Ltd. [the Jamaican company’s local partner] and the CarePay system. Mr. Burke said Watson would testify in his own defense during the course of the trial. Background By way of background, Mr. Burke raised the specter of the previous criminal al- legations against West Bay MLA McKeeva Bush during his opening speech. Mr. Burke said the May 2013 general elections took place “against the backdrop” of Mr. Bush’s “personal prob- lems” – referring to a pending criminal trial in which the former premier was accused of using a government credit card to get cash for gam- bling. Mr. Bush was eventu- ally acquitted of all charges in 2014. Following the elections, the new Progressives-led government appointed new Minister Marco Archer – also a witness in the CarePay trial – who raised questions about the swipe-card contract, who Douglas Halsall was and what his relationship was with others in the islands. However, prior to the elec- tion, defense attorneys said it appeared that the CarePay project had 100 percent polit- ical support. ‘Enormous’ problems Watson, who was ini- tially appointed to the Health Services Authority board in 2008 and who took over as chairman in 2010, encountered “enormous problems” when he arrived at the health authority, attorneys said. In 2008, the authority was losing about $7 mil- lion per year, largely due to a poor business structure and bad decision making, Mr. Burke said. By mid-2010, with Watson running the board’s finance committee, the authority was making a profit, he said. The CarePay system was brought in and supported by Watson as a way to identify Cayman Islands National Insurance Company patients in real time and charge their hospital bills immediately. The system was supposed to speed up patient processing and at least partly eliminate “bad debt” [long-term un- paid bills], of which the hos- pital had about $55 million at the time. Prosecutors said the CarePay system did neither of those things and ended up being abandoned by the hos- pital system last year. The bad debt total is expected to grow to some $80 million by the end of the next govern- ment budget year. However, Mr. Burke sought to blame that failure on former hospital system contractors Cerna and CBCA, which he said were reluctant to provide patient data from the Health Services Authority, knowing it would mean the end of their contracts. Mr. Burke ac- cused the American firms of “raping” the Cayman Islands for profits over a period of about a decade. There was also a distinct lack of cooperation from CINICO with AIS Jamaica officials, he alleged. These difficulties led to delays in implementation that lasted for more than a year and eventually scut- tled government plans to ex- pand the CarePay swipe-card system to the private sector, Mr. Burke said. In addition, a recession hit the Cayman Islands hard from 2008-2010, cutting available government funds in the process. “It all became a mess,” he said. “Then there’s a change in government, a big inves- tigation and the whole thing collapses. That, in a nut- shell, is the sorry tale of what went wrong.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Eden’s Progressives departure sets off political uproar CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Mr. Eden Connolly cannot get backing for ban on handouts CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CAREPAY TRIAL Defense: ‘Everyone’ supported CarePay systemNext >