ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY APRIL 18, 2016 High of 87 Low of 76 Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. ABCDE NATIONAL WEEKLY Politics McCrory’s difficult dance 4 World Smoothing over rifts in Israel 11 Trends Mindful or mindless mantra? 17 5 Myths About trade 23 Death in rural America As white women between 25 and 55 die at accelerated rates, a close lookat one tragedy. PAGE 12 THE WEEK OF SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016 . IN COLLABORATION WITH THE WASHINGTON POST Death in rural America EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 GOVERNMENT SLANDERS CAYMAN’S PROFESSIONALS TAKE DOWN 7/26/ 15. Price plus applicable tax. Price may vary outside the 48 continental United States. For a limited time only at participating re staurants. ©P opey es Louisiana Kit chen, Inc . 2015 All Righ ts Reser ved . POPE YES 2015 JUL Y – NE W HUSHPUPP Y BUT TERFL Y SHRIMP P OP – POLE SIG N MECHANIC AL SIZE: 42” X 68” AC TU AL FINAL TRIM SIZE: 42” X 68” COL ORS: 4/C OL OR PR OCESS / PINK DIEGUIDE DOES NO T PRINT FONT S: FUTUR A B T, ME TR O BD#: AFC-15-7629 DA TE: 5.15.15 POPE YES 2015 JUL Y – NE W HUSHPUPP Y BUT TERFL Y SHRIMP P OP – POLE SIG N MECHANIC AL SIZE: 42” X 68” AC TU AL FINAL TRIM SIZE: 42” X 68” COL ORS: 4/C OL OR PR OCESS / PINK DIEGUIDE DOES NO T PRINT FONT S: FUTUR A B T, ME TR O BD#: AFC-15-7629 DA TE: 5.15.15 NEW! Cayman Airways in dispute with Mexico JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Airways is unable to fly over Mexico because of back fees the country claims it is owed for flights more than a de- cade ago. Fabian Whorms, CEO of the national airline, said it was working to resolve the issue, which is a problem for several airlines in the Carib- bean and Latin American region. He said, “Cayman Airways has found itself in a situation where the Mexican authorities have issued us invoices for overflights that took place 10 and 15 years ago. The records aren’t really there to justify it. We can’t find those re- cords. It is not that we disbelieve it, but in this case, we are not the only airline experiencing this issue. “The amount we owe is not that significant in the scheme of things, but it is significant enough for us not to just write a check. It is a point of principle; we have to work this out.” The issue came up last week as Cayman Airways and government officials announced plans to modernize the airline’s fleet of jets. Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said the additional range of the new planes would enable the airline to open up new gateways, po- tentially including cities on the west coast of the U.S. or in South and Central America. Mr. Whorms said the issue was almost re- solved and would not impact the airline’s ability to add new routes in the long term. “As it stands right now we do not have any significant need to operate across Mexican air- space – it is not a factor for us at this moment in time,” he said. “I would go as far as to say that situation is almost resolved.” The problem is an ongoing issue for Carib- bean and Latin American airlines caused in part by the way Mexican authorities admin- ister the fees charged for using its airspace, CAYMAN SEEKS NEW TOP COP, DEPUTY BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands government is adver- tising to fill two of its top three police posi- tions following the abrupt announcement of Police Commissioner David Baines’s departure from the service. Mr. Baines is due to leave the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service at the end of May. Deputy RCIPS Commissioner Ste- phen Brougham’s current contract will end in September, at which point he plans to leave as well. According to advertisements for the po- sition that went out Friday, the police com- missioner’s post pays between $109,000 and $131,000 a year plus allowances, a non-con- tributory pension plan and free healthcare coverage. The deputy commissioner’s post pays between $92,000 and $115,000 per year with the same benefits package. The two top commanders are respon- sible for supervising a force that now con- sists of more than 450 uniformed and civilian staff, which provide land, sea and air defense of the Cayman Islands as well as routine policing duties. Advertisements note that commissioner candidates must have significant experi- ence policing in a diverse society, stating that Cayman is now home to people from more than 100 countries despite its relatively small population of about 60,000 residents. Ac- cording to the latest estimates, the RCIPS is made up of more than 50 percent non-Cayma- nian officers. “The successful candidate will have proven ability to direct policing operations in an ethnically diverse community through a di- verse police force,” the job posting states. “An Legislative meeting rules may be changed BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Former West Bay lawmaker Benson Ebanks is often cred- ited with describing parliamen- tary democracy in the Cayman Islands by stating: “the minority must have its say, but the ma- jority will have its way.” Premier Alden McLaughlin said last week that is precisely what occurred Wednesday, when an attempt to hold an emer- gency Legislative Assembly meeting with less than a ma- jority of 10 legislators failed. Mr. McLaughlin and Educa- tion Minister Tara Rivers ob- jected, at different times, to the lack of a 10-member majority House attendance, and eventu- ally Speaker Juliana O’Connor- Connolly was forced to delay the meeting until April 25 when a regular assembly meeting has been set. The fact that a legislative meeting was able to be called by fewer than a majority of members, however, is something Mr. McLaughlin said his govern- ment is looking into. “We’ve been unable to find any other Commonwealth par- liament where the minority [elected membership] can call a meeting,” the premier said. The regulation that allows Young chefs enjoy Slow Food Day Children got to try their hand at preparing cold dishes using local vegetables at Cayman Food Revolution’s Kids’ Culinary Challenge, part of the Slow Food Day activities at Camana Bay on Saturday. Pictured here with the children are Cayman Food Revolution volunteers as well as local and visiting guest chefs. For more Slow Food Day photos, see page 10 inside. – PHOTO: ALAN MARKOFF PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL MONDAY APRIL 18, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. © y x *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - MONDAY - THE JUNGLE BOOK 3D (PG) 1:00 I 1:30 2D I 3:30 I 4:00 2D I 6:30 7:00 2D I 9:00 I 9:30 2D THE BOSS (R) 1:00 I 3:40 I 7:00 I 9:30 BATMAN V SUPERMAN DAWN OF JUSTICE 3D (PG13) 12:30 I 3:45 2D I 8:00 CRIMINAL (R) 1:10 I 4:10 I 7:10 I 9:50 ZOOTOPIA (PG13) 12:45 I 3:30 LONDON HAS FALLEN (R) 7:20 I 9:40 Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 640-FILM (640-3456) LONG TERM RENTALS AT HARBOUR HEIGHTS 2BR/2BA CI$2,600 + utilities + 1 cleaning/wk. 4 separate units. Six to 8 months’ duration. Spectacular on SMB near Public Beach. No children. No pets. Month deposit required. Contact Paula/Shandy at 945-4295 Bring in this AD and receive 10% Off all household items, during the month of April! Don’t forget our Custom Tailoring & Alterations Tel: 949-2833 39 Pasadora Place, Smith Rd. supestch@candw.ky www.superstitch.com.ky customercare@superstitch.com.ky MOTORCYCLIST INJURED IN BODDEN TOWN ACCIDENT An 18-year old motor- cyclist was catapulted into the bushes after losing control of his bike Sat- urday evening. The teenager was riding a yellow 2005 Suzuki DR7 motorcycle along Wind- ward Drive, Bodden Town, when he crashed into a wall and ended up in the bushes. He was recovering in hospital Sunday, fol- lowing the collision at 6 p.m. Saturday. His injuries were not believed to be life-threatening. In a separate inci- dent a cyclist was hos- pitalized after a colli- sion with a vehicle at the junction of Smith Road and Crewe Road in George Town around 9 a.m. Saturday. HURRICANE FORECAST PIONEER BILL GRAY DEAD AT AGE 86 FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) – William Gray, a pioneer in hurricane forecasting, died Saturday in Fort Collins, according to his longtime assistant. He was 86. Phil Klotzbach said Gray began researching hurri- canes in 1984, long before national hurricane fore- casters began publishing their forecasts. “His research on hurricanes was remarkable. He was one of the first re- searchers to determine why hurricanes were global, looking at water-temper- ature patterns and wind shear,” Klotzbach said. In addition to his re- search, Gray also published seasonal hurricane forecasts, predicting the number and severity of hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean. Inquest reaches misadventure verdict in diving death case KELSEY JUKAM kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com A coroner’s jury re- turned a verdict of misad- venture Friday in the death of Victor Crawford, an Amer- ican tourist who died after a scuba diving accident off East End on March 31, 2015. The 62-year-old diver from Alabama had been a passenger on a live-aboard dive boat called the Cayman Aggressor. He went missing during a group dive, and his body was discovered nearby by crew from Ocean Frontiers dive shop. His death was the sub- ject of some controversy last year as reports emerged that it took an ambulance nearly an hour to arrive at the dive shop in East End and then left the scene without the body. RCIPS refuted claims that authorities were negligent in their handling of the case, and police commissioner David Baines appointed a family liaison to deal di- rectly with Mr. Crawford’s family to present evidence of officers’ accounts to assure them that the death had been handled appropriately. On Friday, a coroner’s jury heard evidence from witnesses who described how Mr. Crawford had dived to a depth of 314 feet, which is far beyond a safe diving depth. While the standard maximum diving depth is 120 feet, experts said that Mr. Crawford, who was diving with nitrox, should not have gone deeper than 110 feet. Witnesses testified that Mr. Crawford was an experi- enced diver who should have been very familiar with safe diving practices, but Depart- ment of Environment deputy director Scott Slaybaugh, who testified Friday, said the case involved “a series of actions which were sig- nificantly hazardous and far beyond the standard of safe diving practices.” In addition to the un- safe depth at which he was diving, Mr. Crawford had separated from the group of divers he was with and was diving alone. Mr. Slaybaugh also testified that according to his dive computer, Mr. Crawford ascended rapidly, without making appropriate safety stops. Health Services Authority pathologist Dr. Shravana Jyoti told the jury that Mr. Crawford had been in good health without any illnesses or diseases that would have influenced his death in the water. Dr. Jyoti said the cause of death was seawater drowning related to nitrogen toxicity from scuba-diving. Coroner Eileen Nervik read statements of four witnesses to the case, be- fore the jurors deliberated and came to their verdict of misadventure. Volunteers clean up Cayman JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Beds, washing machines, a jet-ski, a stolen backpack, a blender, a mop and a syringe were among the items found by an army of volunteers cleaning up Cayman’s streets and beaches. Over 1,500 people took part in the 20th annual is- land wide clean-up, orga- nized by the Chamber of Commerce on Saturday. Teams of volunteers got off the beaten track to clear up the undergrowth around Cayman’s beaches and streets. Among the plastic bottles and picnic plates discarded around Governors Beach, Phillip Bodden and Marisa Ramgeet, with a Mourant Ozannes clean-up crew, dis- covered a backpack containing a wallet, inhaler, clothes and other personal items. Police later confirmed it had been stolen earlier this year and ef- forts are now being made to return it to the owner. It was not the only un- usual find, said Ms. Ramgeet. “There were all kinds of items. Bedsheets, a mop and bucket, clothes, someone found a bra strap. There seemed to be a lot of things left over from camping.” The detritus along South Sound, where Assaf Marx, Mi- chal Ben Ari, Roman Dagesh and Tamar Yossef were part of a KPMG clean-up crew, was equally eye-opening. A blender and a large rake as well as around 50 bags of garbage were collected in the area. “If you look at the stretches of beach they are mostly clean, but once you step off the main areas there is a whole bunch of strange stuff,” said Ms. Ben Ari. On Willie Farrington Drive in West Bay, broken televisions, a computer and a jet-ski were among the dis- carded items. “There is a lot of stuff just thrown on the side of the road. I think the residents are getting very frustrated, be- cause a lot of them came out to thank us,” said Becca Whi- teside, who was cleaning up with Phil Whiteside, Emma Deeney and Lisa Bodden. Wil Pineau, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, said it had been a great effort from all involved. “Some of the stuff people are finding is amazing,” he added. A group of volunteers from the Water Authority get ready to take part in the clean up in Bodden Town, Saturday morning. TEEN DIES AFTER COLLAPSING ON BEACH A 16-year-old boy has died after suffering an ap- parent asthma attack on Seven Mile Beach, Saturday. The teenager was taken to the Cayman Is- lands Hospital in George Town after collapsing on the beach around 5.30 p.m. Saturday. He was later pro- nounced dead. A police spokesman said the incident was not suspi- cious and was “believed to be asthma related.” The boy was a local res- ident and not a tourist, po- lice confirmed. 3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY APRIL 18, 2016 Crown queries defendant’s claim of being engaged ‘I loved that man,’ Michelle Bouchard tells court CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com When her trial enters its third week on Monday, Mi- chelle Bouchard is scheduled to continue being questioned by lead prosecutor Simon Russell-Flint. He began his cross-exam- ination on Friday morning, starting with her jour- nals, parts of which have been read to the jury, and her engagement to James Bruce Handford, who came to Cayman from Australia in 2007. It is Mr. Handford from whom Bouchard is accused of stealing some two million dollars from joint accounts between May 2010 and Oc- tober 2012. Now 88 years old, he is back in Australia, residing in a secure care fa- cility on the dementia ward. Bouchard, now 55, has pleaded not guilty to 26 counts of dishonesty, in- cluding thefts and attempts to transfer criminal property. The jury has already heard that she lived with Mr. Handford in his Seven Mile Beach condo, but she had her own room and they were never physically inti- mate, although he had ex- pressed an interest in taking their friendship to the next level. She told the court on Friday that she had made her position clear to him: “I was willing to have a full sexual relationship with him if he was willing to address my concerns.” Her concerns, she agreed, were for her long-term se- curity. She said that in Jan- uary 2011 he promised her all of his physical assets in Cayman. Mr. Russell-Flint asked if she were obsessed with money and she re- plied, “I was aware that Jim’s promise would be very ben- eficial to me if it became a reality …. It was regularly on my mind.” Questioned about her journals, she agreed that they generally reflected her first waking thoughts. She explained that she had kept the journals as a tool in “The Artist’s Way” ap- proach to spirituality and creativity. Writing things down was a way “to rid my- self of concerns, record my love for people in my life and sometimes my fears and insecurities …” Unfortunately, she some- times wrote about her frus- trations. They were the same frustrations everyone has, but other people did not write them down, she said. Asked later about an- other entry, she explained it as “my private conversation with God.” Asked why she had written in November 2011 that she believed her “gravy train” had decided to leave the station, Bouchard said the expression was unfortu- nate and crass. She had been frustrated, sad and angry because she was recovering from surgery and didn’t “hop” when Mr. Handford asked her for something, so he had used crude language toward her. On March 11, 2012, Bouchard related, she shared with Mr. Handford the news that her former boyfriend in Canada was getting married. She said he replied, “What about us? Why don’t we get engaged?” She said she agreed to marry him. Mr. Russell-Flint asked if they set a date. “No, be- cause I didn’t have a ring,” she replied. Asked who knew about the engagement, Bouchard said some girlfriends in Canada and some in Cayman knew. After Mr. Handford left for Australia in May, she was in touch with his daughter Sue about his health, but she did not mention the engagement because “if he wanted to tell his family, that was pretty much up to him.” She noted that she had also spoken to consultants about possible changes in her immigration status. Mr. Russell-Flint said he was looking at her journal: “You agreeing to become Mrs. Handford doesn’t seem to get a mention.” Bouchard replied that on March 13, 2012, Mr. Hand- ford went to the bank and gave instructions to raise $1.5 million from his invest- ment portfolio. “That would be consistent with him ad- dressing my concerns,” she pointed out. After the lead prose- cutor asked more questions, Bouchard told him, “My journal entries are imperfect. They are not a diary and they are not a time sheet.” He then suggested that Mr. Handford did ask her, “and you didn’t give a defini- tive answer, but what you did was go out and find a very expensive diamond.” Bouchard agreed that she spent a great deal of time looking for a diamond because she wanted Mr. Handford to see it before he left for Australia in May. Mr. Russell-Flint sug- gested that the engagement was something she had fab- ricated to cover up her pur- chase of a $200,000 ring. Bouchard replied that Mr. Handford was “one of the most intelligent men I had ever met … an in- credible man.” Earlier, when questioned by her attorney, Peter Carter, she explained how she had spent a lot of time with Mr. Handford as his hired in- terior designer and they shopped for his condo. Then he asked her to assist with a house he was building. She described him as great fun, very adventurous and en- gaging. They shared many interests, including ar- chitecture, motorcycles and traveling. She stayed in his condo with him for four years. “I did everything in my power to make him comfortable … I loved that man,” she said, commenting that the love might be different from what other people expected. Michelle Bouchard BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A criminal trial date set last week for the remaining defendants in the FIFA cor- ruption probe under way in the U.S. was vacated just a few days later by the Amer- ican federal court judge hearing the case. District Court Judge Ray- mond Dearie had provision- ally set trial in the matter for Feb. 27, 2017, but indicated Thursday that simply was not going to be possible. “As anxious as I am to move the case forward to- ward trial, ongoing discovery and related complications, in- cluding the relatively recent arrival of some defendants, make the selection of a trial date unrealistic at this time.” The setting of a new trial date would be “revisited,” the judge said, after June. In addition to discovery requirements for defendants who have not already pleaded guilty in connection with the case, It was pointed out by federal prosecutors that nine criminal defendants in the case, including Trinidad’s Jack Warner, a former FIFA vice president, have yet to be extradited from their cur- rent locations and no reliable timeline has been set for those proceedings to occur. “Given the variability of the extradition process from country to country, the U.S. De- partment of Justice’s Office of International Affairs generally does not make estimates [re- garding extradition],” U.S. At- torney for the Eastern District of New York Robert Capers said in an April 11 letter to the court. There are also eight other defendants who have been charged in the corruption case, but about whom “no public information is avail- able,” prosecutors said. It was unknown whether any of these defendants were even subject to extradition proceed- ings in their own countries. The trial date delay should not affect the pending guilty pleas of other FIFA defen- dants, including Cayman’s Jeffrey Webb [due to plea June 3] and Honduran na- tional Alfredo Hawit [Oct. 7]. The other FIFA defendant with a Cayman connection, U.K. national Costas Takkas, has been extradited to the U.S. and pleaded not guilty to racketeering and wire fraud charges against him in March. It is not clear whether Takkas’s case will proceed to trial along with the other defendants. FIFA CORRUPTION TRIAL DATE VACATEDThe 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. MONDAY APRIL 18, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Faced with a set of sobering facts they discovered them- selves – namely, that 98 percent of job-seekers assessed by the National Workforce Development Agency are “not work- ready” – Cayman Islands government officials resorted to Plan A: Deflect, spin and blame the media. In response to grim but accurate headlines about the unpreparedness of nearly all of NWDA’s full-service clients, Ministry of Employment Deputy Chief Officer Tasha Ebanks Garcia sought out the nearest CIGTV camera and made a short video, posted online, toeing the government line. Here’s the issue: For the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Employment report, the NWDA conducted in-depth assess- ments of 139 of its clients, who have availed themselves of the agency’s full range of services. The NWDA found that 98 percent of those clients had two or more serious barriers to gaining employment, such as insufficient education, illiteracy or substance abuse. Ms. Ebanks Garcia is attempting to dismiss those results as pertaining only to “a small segment” of NWDA clients and therefore not indicative of the unemployed Caymanian popu- lation as a whole. Her assertion contains at least three critical flaws. First, by effectively protesting that the government’s sta- tistics are unreliable, she is undermining the credibility of the entire inter-ministerial report. Second, those 139 people who were assessed represent a full 12 percent of the total unemployed Caymanian popu- lation (about 1,200 people). That’s a healthy chunk; not “a small segment.” Third, and most importantly, neither Ms. Ebanks Garcia, nor anyone, has any idea about the work-readiness of unem- ployed people who were not assessed – because they were not assessed. If you need an example of an entity contorting evidence to fit an agenda, or flat-out making stuff up about Cayman’s overblown “unemployment problem,” don’t look to the pages of the Compass – look inside the government’s inter-ministe- rial report. Here are some choice excerpts from a section about “institutional discrimination, ethnic and/or cultural bias”: “Though scientific research into this area appears lacking, anecdotal feedback suggests that this is particularly experienced in the Financial Sector, one of the pillars of the economy.” (emphasis ours) “For example expatriate lawyers may be encouraged not to work with Caymanian secretaries, and shunned if they do so. Expatriate secretaries may be encouraged not to be too social with Caymanians and find that ignoring that warning may affect their career prospects. It is further exacerbated by tokenism where an “acceptable” Caymanian is elevated within the organization but often without having real power.” “Tokenism blocks the aspirations of young Caymanians by sustaining exclusionary practices.” “The perpetuation of exclusionary practices is reliant upon the dominant ethnic group in any institution pre- serving their power base. Therefore, the dismantling of exclu- sionary practices is reliant upon the dominant ethnic group either voluntarily relinquishing some of that power, or being coerced or compelled to do so.” “Some of the mechanisms that may address these issues will therefore include stronger employment legislation that clearly defines exclusionary practices and gives authority to external auditors or inspectors to review policies, procedures and working conditions.” According to the government, Cayman’s financial sector is a hotbed of active discrimination, on the part of “the dominant ethnic group” (presumably referring to a homo- geneous bloc of “non-Caymanians,” who actually comprise scores of disparate nationalities, cultures and races from across the globe) against the clear plurality of Caymanians, including the myriad of managers, directors and partners who, if the report is to be believed, are apparently victims of “tokenism” and have been merely masquerading as suc- cessful business professionals. Government’s solution? Heavy-handed government inter- vention, of course. This is a serious assault by the government against the most important part of this country’s economy, particularly when the accusations are based, admittedly, not on “scien- tific research,” but “anecdotal feedback” – i.e., gossip. This is how government officials view the professionals who constitute the country’s preeminent industry: As a coterie of racist, anti-Caymanian bigots, in need of interven- tional policing. If we were one of those financial services professionals, and we were inclined to lodge a formal complaint against such calumny, we know the first person we’d call … Who better than the public face of the report and its interpreter-in-chief? (Dial 244-2417. Ask for “Dr. Tasha.”) Gov’t slanders Cayman’s professionals ‘Customer service’ at the IRS STEPHEN MIHM This probably will beggar belief for the millions of Americans struggling to meet this year’s April 18 dead- line to file their income tax returns, but the IRS says it has gotten better at han- dling taxpayer questions. Two years ago, only 38 percent of the taxpayers who called for help got the assistance they needed. Last year, the number went up to 70 percent. That the IRS counts this as progress is not exactly re- assuring. But it’s very much in keeping with the long and vexed history of what is known as “taxpayer assis- tance.” For seven decades, the IRS has struggled to answer questions about the increas- ingly byzantine tax code. Sometimes it has succeeded; just as often, it has failed. It’s hard to imagine now, but until about the middle of the 20th century, relatively few people filled out Form 1040. The IRS – then known as the Bureau of Internal Revenue – did little outreach, and when it did, the rare taxpayers who sought assistance actually spoke with deputy collectors of internal revenue, relatively high-ranking government offi- cials who probably knew the tax code inside and out. Things began to change during World War II, when Congress passed the Revenue Act of 1942, which forced many more Americans to pay taxes. That’s when the trouble began. As more people paid taxes, more people filled out forms incorrectly. They sought out help at the tax agency, but often found the experi- ence frustrating and imper- sonal. Then, in 1948, Congress banned the use of the W-2 declaration as a substitute for filling out the dreaded Form 1040. The number of confused taxpayers seeking help shot up more than 50 percent in a single year. In 1949, the lead tax col- lector for Massachusetts ex- perimented with herding people into room and then tried to walk them through the form using a public address system. This method of mass- producing tax returns was not without problems: any ques- tions could bring the rest of the class to a grinding halt. By the early 1950s, com- plaints about the IRS spurred President Harry Truman to craft “Reorganization Plan No. 1,” an overhaul of the Bureau of Internal Revenue aimed at making it more modern, effi- cient and responsive to tax- payers. President Dwight D. Eisenhower implemented the reforms, which sought to decentralize the agency by opening more local offices. He also renamed it the Internal Revenue Service. These re- forms, a congressional report later noted, were animated by the then-revolutionary convic- tion that “taxpayers should be able to receive from the IRS the same level of service ex- pected from the private sector.” So far, so good. Unfortu- nately, some IRS employees didn’t get the memo, including Coleman Andrews, the com- missioner of internal revenue in 1954. Andrews, apparently tired of Americans taxing the patience of his employees with their stupid questions – do pet cats count as de- pendents? – instructed his bureaucrats to halt their prac- tice of helping citizens fill out tax returns unless the person soliciting assistance was il- literate, did not speak Eng- lish or could not lift a pencil. Everyone else had to face the dreaded 1040 on their own. The outcry was immediate. Andrews departed, and his successor, Russell Harrington, reversed the order. “Every tax- payer should be treated with courtesy, patience, and a gen- uine attitude of helpfulness.” The Washington Post editorial page noted that the “sudden graciousness” of the IRS was more likely a “pragmatic rec- ognition that when it comes to making out income tax re- turns most taxpayers are illit- erates and unable to read the English employed by the In- ternal Revenue Service.” But this new concept – that taxpayers were customers and entitled to the same kind of attentive service found at, say, Macy’s – quickly ran into problems. For starters, unlike the customers in a depart- ment store, taxpayers were a squirrely lot, generally un- happy with making the trek to an IRS office, and rarely happy to hear the news that, yes, they did owe money to the federal government. A tug of war ensued. The IRS added more agents. None- theless, more people showed up in their offices. This spurred the agency to rely on telephone service lines, with the first toll- free service center opening in 1965 (local telephone service centers had been set up in the previous decade). Telephone wait times went up, as did taxpayer tem- pers. In 1972, IRS Commis- sioner Johnnie Walters inau- gurated yet another wave of reforms aimed at providing better service for the people he called his “customers.” The IRS had plenty of room for improvement: studies in the 1970s found that agents routinely handed out bad advice to callers be- tween 10 percent and 25 per- cent of the time, and that many callers never man- aged to get any help at all. In 1978 alone, 20 percent of callers hung up while still on hold; by 1984, after President Ronald Reagan had cut the IRS’s budget, the number had shot up to 28 percent. And high error rates continued to plague the agency. Although these problems have ebbed and flowed since then, they have hardly gone away, de- spite a significant shift of IRS resources in the late 1990s from enforcement to cus- tomer service. Why? That the IRS never quite manages to cure its problems is not the fault of the agency. As the tax code has gotten more complex, the ability of low-level government bureaucrats to answer every taxpayer question – never mind answer it correctly – has become increasingly difficult, if not impossible. The IRS can try, but absent reform of the tax code itself, it is fighting a losing battle. And no amount of attention to “customer ser- vice” will fix the problem. Stephen Mihm, an associate history professor at the University of Georgia, is a contributor to Bloomberg View. © 2016, Bloomberg View 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. 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Registration Forms Available at jacaymanislands@gmail.com A FUNDRAISER TO BENEFIT JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT ?? Number of courtrooms could more than double in new plans With all courtrooms in use, judges use chambers CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Monday April 11 was a good example of why Cayman needs a bigger courthouse, but Court Administrator Kevin Mc- Cormac says space is not the only concern. On the other hand, plans currently being discussed include the possi- bility of more than doubling the number of courtrooms now available. A shortage of facilities has meant that chambers are sometimes used for hear- ings that should be open to the public. At present, the ju- diciary has access to seven courtrooms as well as the George Town Town Hall. Last Monday, Justice Sey- mour Panton presided over a criminal trial in Court One. The Court of Appeal sat in Court Two. Downstairs in Court Three, Magistrate Valdis Foldats held Summary Court. Across the road in Kirk House, Queen’s Coroner Eileen Nervik conducted an inquest in Court Four; Justice Paul Worsley pre- sided in the jury trial of Mi- chelle Bouchard in Court Five; Justice Richard Jones presided over a civil matter in Court Six and there was a Summary Court civil matter with Mag- istrate Angelyn Hernandez in Court Seven. Magistrate Grace Donalds held Traffic Court in the Town Hall, while Chief Magistrate Nova Hall dealt with a family matter in her chambers. Jus- tice Robin McMillan used his chambers as open court to hear a winding-up petition. On the topic of a new courthouse, Chief Justice Anthony Smellie reminded his audience at the formal opening of Grand Court in January that a Steering Com- mittee was formed last year to identify ways of realizing the project. Further, PwC had been engaged and was given 100 days to develop an out- line business case, which is re- quired for all large-scale gov- ernment projects. PwC is on schedule, Mr. McCormac reported. “They have had two rounds of meet- ings with key ‘stakeholders’ – judiciary, practitioners, George Town revitalization project, etc.” He pointed out that the project “is certainly about more space, but it is also about improving the quality of the facilities.” At present, “it is not pos- sible to properly provide for victims, witnesses or jurors within the current facilities, nor can we provide properly for security,” he said. Mr. McCormac pointed out that members of the public come to the court buildings for purposes other than attending court. They currently have to choose between offices spread across two buildings and sev- eral floors, which makes it more difficult to provide the quality of service staff would like to be able to offer. As for facilities to hear all the various criminal and civil cases, both local and international, “We are cer- tainly looking (at this stage) for 13 courtrooms (a mixture of formal, semi-formal and informal) with a potential for a further five rooms,” Mr. Mc- Cormac said. The potential five rooms would be needed “if the gov- ernment decides to proceed further with the recommen- dation in the Ernst & Young report to create a unified tri- bunal service within judicial administration. The tribunal proposal is still at a very early stage,” he explained. “In addition, we are ex- ploring the potential for en- abling alternative dispute resolution, especially media- tion, to be facilitated within the new building, since this can be a better way of re- solving disputes in appro- priate cases.” He added that he had been present at almost all of the stakeholder meetings. “There were very beneficial and posi- tive discussions at all of them, which were extremely helpful in assisting PwC to develop the business case. Needless to say, there is widespread agree- ment that a new court facility is needed.” Mr. McCormac added that PwC are about halfway through the 100 days; the company has until early June to complete the work it needs to do. The rest of the process was explained by Chief Justice Smellie when he concluded his remarks on a positive note in his January speech: “Once complete, the business case will go to Cabinet for approval and assuming the project is approved, we then move into the construction phase. On this basis, we are expecting that construction should be well under way by this time next year.” The George Town Town Hall at times doubles as a courtroom because all the rooms in the courthouse are being used. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAYMONDAY APRIL 18, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS DISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days George Town With road safety a key consideration for young drivers far and wide, the RCIPS recently screened the documentary “Road Impact: Cayman Islands,” a joint project with local TV station Cayman 27 about the impact of road fatalities in Cayman, for Year 11 students at John Gray High School. The screening, held on April 4, was a follow-up to the March 24 screening for Year 11 Students at Clifton Hunter High School. Principal John Clark and Deputy Commissioner Anthony Ennis opened the event, and Superintendent Robert Scotland, Inspector Lloyd Marriott, Acting Po- lice Sergeant Cornelius Pompey, CI Motorcycle Riders’ Association pres- ident Keith Keller and RCIPS public relations of- ficer Jacqueline Carpenter fielded queries during a question-and-answer ses- sion afterward. RCIPS drives home road safety RCIPS Deputy Commissioner Anthony Ennis talks road safety to Year 11 John Gray High School students. 50 years ago: Sybil McLaughlin heads to UK for training In the April 20, 1966 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, George Town correspon- dent Frances Bodden wrote: “Mr. Linford Pierson, internal auditor, Cayman Islands Government left for Ja- maica on the 14th on 2 months vacation leave. While there he intends to use his time in studying accountancy, which exam- ination is to take place in June. We wish for Mr. Pierson all success. “Mr. Peter Milford, 2nd in command at the Royal Bank of Canada, also left by the same flight on a few days leave in Ja- maica. Among the other departing passen- gers were Mrs. Daphne Gomez and her son for whom she is seeking medical aid, nurse Icey Smith of the government hospital, who is on leave, and Mr. and Mrs. Ellery Merren. Mrs. Merren is also seeking medical aid, as well as Mr. Lloyd Liberty. “Mrs. D.V. McLaughlin, clerk of the Leg- islative Assembly left for London via Ja- maica and New York and will be taking a three month course in the House of Com- mons, and two months vacation leave, re- turning by ship. Mrs. McLaughlin is also making history, as this is the first time such an opportunity has been offered a Caymanian. We wish for her a very happy and profitable time. “Miss Frances Bodden returned to the island on Easter Monday after a 17- day visit to Jamaica, being the Woman’s Guild representative to the first Synod of the United Church of Jamaica and Grand Cayman. While in Jamaica she was the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Clive Webster, where she spent a happy and restful time. On arrival she went to West Bay to at- tend the 21st Woman’s Guild Annual Con- ference and gave her report on the wom- en’s work of the synod, the theme being ‘Go, Love, Serve,’ with more stress given on the practical side of the work in the Guild, which in time could be adopted here in Cayman. “Miss Frances brought greetings from the Guildswomen and had the pleasure of renewing old acquaintances and making new ones. Many of the ministers and their wives sent greetings to their many friends in Cayman, among them being Rev. and Mrs. McTavish, Rev. and Mrs. G. Ricketts, Rev. Moon, Rev. and Mrs. Maxwell, Rev. Wind and many others.” Miss Nadine’s celebrates International Day Classrooms showcased the cultures of Guyana, Israel, Italy and Trinidad and Tobago ALMA CHOLLETTE achollette@pinnaclemedialtd.com The children of Miss Na- dine’s preschool took a trip around the world recently at their annual International Day celebrations. Held April 8, the day saw classrooms decked in colorful displays that showcased the cultures of Guyana, Israel, Italy and Trinidad and Tobago, fea- turing art projects and cul- tural items like clothing and food, with each class repre- senting a different country they had studied over the last month. National symbols such as the water lily, historical sites like the Kaieteur Falls, and fruits like wara awara, were displayed in the Guyana classroom. The Prayer Wall, Dome of the Rock, and Menorah art decorated the Israel class- room, and students also cre- ated versions of stained glass designs, and displayed the Calanit, also known as the anemone, Israel’s national flower. The Italy inspired classroom depicted many items for which the country is renowned, from pizza to Venetian gondolas. Decora- tions also depicted Italian ge- lato, Venetian masks, and sci- entists such as Galileo and Leonardo Da Vinci. Visitors were treated to songs from the children, with an additional musical treat at the Trinidad and To- bago classroom in the form of a steel pan performance from Earl La Pierre. The classroom decorations also featured sites like the Spey- side waterwheel and native Trinidad fruits like the bil- imbi, and biriba. “International day is one way we like to keep the chil- dren’s learning hands-on and fun,” said the school’s director, Heather Lopez. “The goal of the preschool is to make sure that each child enjoys his or her first school experience.” Miss Nadine’s pre-school is one of the NCVO’s many community projects. The pri- mary focus of this project is to ensure that children continue to be educated through play. The students at Miss Nadine’s worked hard to come up with beautiful decorations for their classrooms, showcasing the countries of Guyana, Israel, Italy and Trinidad and Tobago. These creative displays from Miss Kimberlee Richards’ class showed the ‘Israelites’ crossing the Red Sea on left and representations of the prayer wall and iconic animals and plants like the calanit flower on right.CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY APRIL 18, 2016 7 DISTRICT DAYS District Days George Town Exhibition opening marks a milestone Native Sons’ artworks on display It was a packed house at the The National Gallery re- cently with over 200 guests eager to take in its newest ex- hibition, Native Sons – Twenty Years On. The evening event, held Thursday, April 7, cele- brated the 20th anniversary of Caymanian artist collective the Native Sons, showcasing works by seven Caymanian artists: Randy Chollette, Chris Christian, Al Ebanks, Nickola McCoy-Snell, Miguel Powery, Gordon Solomon, and Nasaria Suckoo-Chollette. At the event, National Gal- lery members and guests had the opportunity to meet with the artists and the gallery’s new assistant curator, Kerri- Ann Chisholm. While the ex- hibition is running, the Na- tional Gallery will be hosting workshops with the artists, lectures, panel discussions, and family events. Kerri-Anne Chisholm, Miguel Powery, Chris Christian, Nasaria Suckoo- Chollette, Al Ebanks, Randy Chollette and Natalie Urquhart Avril Ward and Nasaria Suckoo-Chollette Ivanna Powery gets a closer look at a work by Al Ebanks. New assistant curator Kerri-Ann Chisholm poses with gallery director Natalie Urquhart. The exhibition features striking sculptures by Al Ebanks. Gallery members and guests enjoyed perusing the exhibition. Members of the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands will soon be gathering at the Cayman Prep and High School auditorium, Walkers Road, to celebrate Convocation 2016. The Cayman Islands Regional Mis- sion Council Convocation, as it is known, will be taking place on Sunday, April 24. It will bring together the nine local United Church congregations to cel- ebrate the 170th anniversary of mis- sion and ministry in the Cayman Islands which was started by the Rev. James Elmslie in 1846. In addition to the nine congregations, the church also owns and operates Cayman Prep and High School and the Bethesda Counselling Centre. The gathering is held every two years when the whole church comes together for worship and fellowship. This year’s theme is ‘Discipleship: Dis- cipline and Dedication,’ and orga- nizers are hoping to further educate attendees about the “Great Commis- sion” and the discipline and dedication needed to answer the call from Christ. “In Christianity, the Great Commis- sion is the instruction of the resurrected Jesus Christ to His disciples that they spread His teachings to all the nations of the world,” said Regional Deputy Gen- eral Secretary Rev. Dr. Yvette Bloomfield. “On April 24 we will delve more into the dedication and discipline needed for us to heed Christ’s instruction.” The agenda features guest preacher the Rt. Rev. L. Christo- pher Mason, and the general sec- retary, Rev. Norbert Stephens will “give the charge” to the gathering. Lay Pastors Herbert Crawford and Tom Mason will be commissioned and the Youth Leadership Nation executive and the council executive will be in- ducted. Also on the agenda, the gover- nors for Cayman Prep and High School Board will be commissioned, and Rev. Bloomfield will be installed. The convo- cation will also feature a special chil- dren’s village, a ministry to the children of the church led by Rev. Donovan Myers. The main convocation for the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands will be held on April 17 at the Montego Bay Con- vention Centre in Jamaica. This week at the churches Randy Chollette discusses one of his artworks.8 LOCAL NEWS MONDAY APRIL 18, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS LUNCH SPECIAL EVERYDAY MON-SAT 11.30 TO 4PM DIM SUM SUNDAY 11-3PM Plaza Venezia, North Sound Road, George Town 945-3490 OPEN FOR DINNER DELIVERY AFTER 5PM 100 women strong SEARLINA BODDEN sbodden@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands chapter of 100 Women in Hedge Funds celebrated their annual fundraising gala Sat- urday night at Tiki Beach, with top finance profes- sionals attending the fund- raiser, now in its third con- secutive year. The “Barefoot Beach Gala” is the organization’s flag- ship fundraiser, raising both funds and awareness for 100WHF Cayman’s philan- thropic beneficiary. For 2016, proceeds from 100WHF events will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters, one of the world’s best known men- toring charities. 100 Women in Hedge Funds rotates its charitable efforts on a yearly basis be- tween the themes of edu- cation, women and family health and mentoring. Previous recipients of the group’s efforts have been the Cayman Islands Crisis Centre and LIFE (Literacy is for Everyone). 100 Women in Hedge Funds Global CEO, Amanda Pullinger, who is based at the organization’s head- quarters in New York, trav- eled to Cayman to support the organization’s fastest growing location. In her role, Ms. Pullinger manages the organization’s 13,000 mem- bers in 20 global locations. “The Cayman chapter has worked so hard to make this program a success,” she said during her remarks. “And now, Cayman is one of our organization’s fastest growing groups.” Members of 100 Women in Hedge Funds are both male and female professionals from a broad spectrum of Cayman’s alternative invest- ments industry. Launched in 2012, the Cayman chapter of 100 Women in Hedge Funds was a joint effort between local professionals Chris- tina Bodden, Jo Cunningham, Odette Samson, Nadia Hardie and Lise Baril, rep- resenting both the legal and accounting fields. Commenting on the group’s 2016 support of Big Brothers Big Sisters, Ms. Bodden said, “We are so pleased to be partnering with Big Brothers and Big Sisters. As professionals, and many of us parents, we recognize the vital impor- tance that a positive men- toring relationship has on the children which this ex- traordinary program looks to protect and develop. We are asking our members this year to join us in our efforts for Big Brothers Big Sisters by becoming ‘Bigs’ and men- toring a child in need.” From left, 100 Women in Hedge Funds Global CEO Amanda Pullinger with Leanne Golding, Cabinet Minister Tara Rivers, Nadia Hardie, Odette Samson, and 100WHF Cayman President Christina Bodden. – PHOTOS: MAGGIE JACKSON From left, Cassandra Powell, Nadia Hardie and Dawn Cummings. Elaine Tapp and Tony Walton. From left, Erik Forssell, Alexandra Simonova, Tricia and Stu Sybersma. From left, Tania Dons, Ruth Hatt and Sarah Lewis. Nadine Hayle, left, and Joelle Meghoo. From left, David Foster, Laura Medley, Sophia Leavett and Phil King.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY APRIL 18, 2016 Mrs. Juanita Whittaker Your rst Birthday in Heaven Today is your Birthday and its almost 9 months since you passed away but to me it seems like yesterday. Only God in heaven knows the pain I am going through. Only he know’s how much I love and miss you, but one day we hope to meet again never more to part But until then I will forever love and hold you in my heart. Your broken hearted husband Glenn Who will forever love you 9 months since 9 months since you passed away but to me it seems like yesterday. you passed away but to me it seems like yesterday. Only he know’s how much I love and miss you, but Only he know’s how much I love and miss you, but one day we hope to meet again never more to part one day we hope to meet again never more to part 9 months since 9 months since you passed away but to me it seems like yesterday. you passed away but to me it seems like yesterday. In Memory of our loving Mother Grandmother & Great Grand Mother Adaline Udell Evans Once again mama, its Happy Birthday in Heaven In God’s beautiful Rose Gardens, with his angels. Oh how we, wish you were still with us too, but God needed that one more beautiful Rose, and that was you, We will love you and miss you, but most of all those precious memories and dignity you taught, will always remain with us forever. Happy Birthday in Heaven Rest in Peace Till we meet again. From your loving children Rita Mae, Ladner, Preston, Alice Faye, George, Celene Virginia, Curley and all their families Sunrise April 18th 1930 - Sunset October 12th 2009 according to a written anal- ysis of the issue produced by Caribbean Sky Tours. Essentially pilots are re- quired to self-declare the distances they have traveled through Mexican air space, work out the amount of tax owed and arrange payments via a Mexican bank. Unlike in most jurisdic- tions, the fees are buried in the Mexican tax code and do not feature in the country’s aviation regulations. “Many pilots are unaware of these requirements and have unknowingly incurred significant fees, penalties and interest which have resulted in denial of access to Mex- ico’s Flight Information Re- gion,” according to Caribbean Sky Tours, which helps air- lines and private pilots nego- tiate payment with the Mex- ican authorities. From 2012 Mexico began to “rigorously enforce these regulations” taking measures including publishing a list of outstanding debtors to all aircraft towers and denying those airlines access to its Flight Information Region. “If your aircraft is on this list and you attempt to enter Mexican airspace you could be denied entry and forced to fly around the Mexican FIR. A number of aircraft have al- ready faced this scenario,” according to Caribbean Sky Tours. Mr. Whorms said the issue was a “big topic” at re- gional airline conferences but insisted he was confi- dent it would be resolved soon and would not im- pact the long-term plans for Cayman Airways. excellent track record in de- livering change management, countering serious crime and building citizen confidence is … desirable.” The ads for both positions do not limit the position to Caymanian or local applicants. The subject of local partic- ipation in the police force has been a controversial one in re- cent months, with Cayman Is- lands opposition and inde- pendent lawmakers recently filing a ‘lack of confidence’ mo- tion in parliament which re- quested that a Caymanian be hired as RCIPS commissioner. The two highest-ranking Cay- manian members of the force are Deputy Commissioner An- thony Ennis and Chief Super- intendent Kurt Walton, both of whom have been in the RCIPS for more than 20 years. Commissioner Baines’s de- parture was at least partly due to the filing of that motion, its acceptance by the Speaker of the House and an attempt to hold an emergency meeting on the lack of confidence mo- tion, as well as another private members’ motion. The second motion seeks the formation of an independent commis- sion to review the RCIPS re- sponse on March 6-7 to a missing boat with five people aboard. Governor Helen Kil- patrick has already agreed to a such a review, as has Com- missioner Baines. Although attempts to hold the special meeting of the House failed last week, Mr. Ba- ines’s departure had already been announced by Governor Kilpatrick when it was deter- mined that his position had become untenable. “The recent barrage of un- fair criticism and defamatory comments has undermined the commissioner’s authority to the extent that his leadership of the RCIPS is no longer ten- able,” a statement from Gov- ernor Kilpatrick in late March read. “The commissioner con- tinues to have my support and will do so until he leaves his post.” The private members’ mo- tion regarding the lack of con- fidence in police management, filed by East End MLA Arden McLean, states in part: “The Legislative Assembly does de- clare a lack of confidence in the RCIPS and the governance of the RCIPS and ask[s] the governor to appoint an inde- pendent team to review the police methodology of ad- ministration and to identify a Caymanian to lead the RCIPS.” Both members’ motions concerning the police are due to be heard at the next regu- larly scheduled House meeting on April 25. Premier Alden McLaughlin has expressed concern that the motions, when they are de- bated, will make it more diffi- cult for the British territory to hire two qualified individuals to take over management of the police service. However, he has pledged those matters will be debated during the next meeting of the House. seven members to call a spe- cial legislative meeting [in Wednesday’s case, it was eight members] is something of a hold-over from the 1970s and 1980s when Cayman’s Legislative Assembly con- sisted of just 12 elected mem- bers. Seven, in those days, was a majority. As time has gone on, and Cayman’s parliament has grown in size, the rules the House operates under – known as the standing or- ders – have not kept up, Mr. McLaughlin said. For in- stance, one rule calls for at least eight members to at- tend assembly meetings to make up the required mem- bership or quorum. On Wednesday, Attorney Gen- eral Samuel Bulgin said that rule was out of step with the 2009 Constitution Order, which clearly sets out that 10 members now constitute a legislative majority. Similarly, the rule en- abling seven MLAs to peti- tion the House Speaker con- tained in the standing orders allows the minority mem- bership to essentially order the calling of a legislative meeting, even if they do not have enough members to carry through with it. George Town MLA Roy McTaggart has been leading a review of the legislative standing orders, but recom- mendations from that review had not been made public as of press time. Last week, East End MLA Arden McLean disagreed with the premier’s assess- ment, noting that if the gov- ernment had its majority al- ready, there was no reason to skip on attending the spe- cially called meeting. “You don’t boycott parlia- ment because you have the majority,” Mr. McLean said. The opposition indepen- dent lawmaker suggested that the ruling Progres- sives-led government had a number of options in dealing with the motions he and Op- position Leader McKeeva Bush had put forward. For instance, Mr. McLean said the government could have amended the motions to suit its purposes or simply voted them down if it op- posed them. In practice, however, the current nine-member government bench could not have done that on Wednesday. At least two government members, Fi- nancial Services Minister Wayne Panton and George Town backbencher Joey Hew were off island and unavail- able to attend. This would have left government, even if all its other members were technically present in Cayman at the time, with a maximum seven members available to attend the emer- gency meeting. In that sce- nario, the opposition-inde- pendent motions might have carried the day on an eight- to-seven vote. Both Mr. McLean and North Side MLA Ezzard Miller characterized the gov- ernment’s decision not to attend last week’s meeting as an affront to democ- racy in the Cayman Is- lands. Mr. Miller warned at- tendees in the public gallery at Wednesday’s meeting that their democratic institution was “under threat” and Mr. McLean warned of a polit- ical price to be paid for such “strong-arm” tactics. Mr. McLaughlin character- ized such statements and the attempt to hold an emergency meeting in government’s de- spite as “pure opposition pol- itics” rather than an attempt to salvage democracy. Cabinet approves ombudsman plan JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Government is pushing ahead with a proposed merger of the offices of the Information Commissioner and the Complaints Commis- sioner, despite concerns the move will dilute the effective- ness of both watchdogs. The new Ombudsman’s Office will also have respon- sibility for handling com- plaints against the police force, which government says will save the expense of set- ting up a separate Police Complaints Authority. The Deputy Governor’s Office confirmed, in a state- ment Friday, that Cabinet had given the green light for the merger, saying administrative savings would help fund of- ficers for the new unit, which will also be responsible for enforcing elements of whis- tleblower legislation and the Data Protection Bill, if and when it is passed into law. A project team has been estab- lished with the aim of setting up the new office by the end of the year. The Deputy Governor’s Office anticipates savings of $661,000 by negating the need to establish a Po- lice Complaints Authority as well as $205,000 in sav- ings from the merger of the Information Commissioner’s Office and the Office of the Complaints Commissioner. “This will be achieved by eliminating a post at the head of one of the entities and combining two adminis- trative roles,” the statement says. Overall it will mean a net reduction of $83,000 in government’s annual budget allocation to the independent government oversight bodies. An outline business case for the project, produced by the Deputy Governor’s Office, presents a structure for the new unit involving an Om- budsman and two deputies overseeing a team of five in- vestigators, with the relevant expertise for the multiple functions of the unit. A parlia- mentary sub-committee will have oversight responsibility. The business case sug- gests the switch is the most cost-effective way to intro- duce a function for handling police complaints, which cur- rently does not exist, despite being a requirement of the 2010 Police Law. The report states that currently, “Serious complaints against the police are han- dled internally, which creates a significant potential con- flict of interest, or have not been addressed. Public con- fidence in policing is eroded without an independent com- plaints function and poten- tial complainants may be put off if they do not believe the complaints process to be fair and impartial.” The business case ac- knowledges there has been some resistance to com- bining the Information Com- missioner’s Office and the Office of the Complaints Commissioner. It states, “The main thrust of the arguments from the ICO and the pre- vious Complaints Commis- sioner is that their functions are different and a merger may compromise their inde- pendence and influence … “In reality, both agencies deal with public complaints whether it concerns com- plaints of maladministration or complaints against govern- ment for not releasing informa- tion. The business case demon- strates that the merger has the potential to actually strengthen their function, improve service, and would save money.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Cayman seeks new top cop, deputy CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Legislative meeting rules may be changed Cayman Airways in dispute with Mexico CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Fabian WhormsNext >