ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2017 183410_PRINT-Butterfield-6colx1*Page 1 1/13/17 1:10:47 PM Queen Elizabeth II’s 65-year reign LONDON (AP) – On Monday, Queen Elizabeth II marks her Sapphire Jubilee, be- coming the first British mon- arch to reign for 65 years. The queen’s Sapphire Ju- bilee was marked Monday with a 41-gun salute by World War I-era field guns in London’s Green Park, and another 62-round gun salute at the Tower of London. Buckingham Palace also released a photo of Eliza- beth taken by British pho- tographer David Bailey in 2014. In the picture, the monarch wears a suite of sapphire jewelry given to her by her father as a wed- ding gift in 1947. The palace says the 90-year-old Elizabeth was spending the day quietly at her Sandringham estate in eastern England. She does not celebrate the anniver- sary of the date she be- came queen, known as As- cension Day, as it is also the anniversary of her father’s death. Here’s are some other significant numbers about her record-breaking life and reign: ■■ Elizabeth assumed the throne on the death of her father, King George VI, on Feb. 6, 1952. On Sept. 9, 2015, she became Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, passing her great-great-grand- mother, Queen Victoria. ■■ She turned 90 on April 21, 2016, and has been the world’s oldest mon- arch since the death of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah in 2015. ■■ She has had 13 British prime ministers serve FINANCIAL REPORTS IMPROVE, DESPITE ‘ADVERSE’ AUDIT BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com An “adverse” audit of the Cayman Islands government’s entire public sector financial statements for 2014 and 2015 actually repre- sents an improvement from years past, Finan- cial Secretary Ken Jefferson said last week. Mr. Jefferson was comparing those results to the government’s 2012/13 budget year, when public agencies failed to present enough infor- mation in financial statements for an audit to even be completed. The Cayman Compass reported last week that despite significant efforts to improve gov- ernment’s annual financial reporting, an “ad- verse” opinion – revealing significant deficien- cies in several areas of government’s finances – was issued for the 2014/15 budget year by Auditor General Sue Winspear’s office. The audit report has not been made public in the Legislative Assembly and that is not ex- pected to occur until after the May 2017 gen- eral election. Mr. Jefferson said last week that the overall public sector report should be taken in context of all the individual reporting done by Cayman’s 16 government ministries CUBAN MIGRANTS COST EXTRA $2.9M TO HOUSE BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands Legislative As- sembly will be asked later this month to for- mally approve an additional $2.9 million for the housing, care, feeding and repatriation of Cuban migrants who illegally entered and stayed in the territory between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016. That is on top of the $1.34 million the ter- ritory spent for the same care and housing during the government’s 2014/15 budget year. During that year, an estimated 150-175 Cubans came to these shores illegally and were held at the Immigration Detention Centre in Fairbanks, George Town before being sent back home. Many of the migrants told immigration officers that they were on their third or fourth trip to Cayman – trying to make for mainland Central America in search of jobs or their families in the United States. The money has already been spent. Law- makers simply have to go through the pro- cess of “approving” the expenditure in the as- sembly and the ministry responsible, in this case Home Affairs, must state where the ad- ditional funds were taken from to pay for it. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » Buckingham Palace reissued this official portrait of Queen Elizabeth II to celebrate her Sapphire Anniversary. – PHOTO: DAVID BAILEY VIA AP The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery fire the 41-Gun Royal Salute. - PHOTO: MATT DUNHAM/AP Members of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery arrive Monday to stage a 41-Gun Royal Salute in Green Park, London, to celebrate Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II’s Sapphire Jubilee, marking the 65th anniversary of her accession to the throne. The 90-year-old queen has become the first British monarch to reach the milestone of 65 years on the throne. - PHOTO: MATT DUNHAM/AP PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 REGIONAL NEWS TUESDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 640-FILM (640-3456) *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. 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. - TUESDAY - XXX: RETURN OF THE (PG13) XANDER CAGE 3D 12:45 | 4:00 2D | 6:45 | 9:55 2D A DOG’S PURPOSE (PG) 12:50 | 3:40 | 7:00 | 9:50 SPLIT (PG13) 1:00 | 3:50 | 6:50 | 9:45 HIDDEN FIGURES (PG) 12:30 | 3:45 | 6:40 | 9:40 RESIDENT EVIL 3D (R) 3:45 | 10:00 MONSTER TRUCKS 3D (PG) 12:40 | 7:15 Happy Birthday in Heaven Daddy We do not need a special day To bring you to our minds. The days we do not think of you Are very hard to find. Each morning when we awake, We know that you are gone. And no one knows the heartache As we try to carry on. Our hearts still ache with sadness And secret tears still flow. What it meant to lose you No one will ever know. Our thoughts are always with you, Your place no one can fill. In life we loved you dearly; In death we love you still, There will always be a heartache, And often a silent tear. But always a precious memory Of the days when you were here. If tears could make a staircase, And heartaches make a lane, We'd walk the path to heaven And bring you home again. We hold you close within our hearts; And there you will remain, To walk with us throughout our lives Until we meet again. Our family chain is broken now, And nothing seems the same, But as God calls us one by one, The chain will link again From: Ernest, Regina, Vic, Jeffrey We Miss You Daddy “ Dencle Barnes “ Puerto Rico governor approves referendum in quest for statehood SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – Puerto Ricans are getting another shot at voting on statehood after the island’s governor approved a non- binding referendum to deter- mine the U.S. territory’s po- litical future. The referendum will be held on June 11 and gives voters two options: statehood or independence/free associa- tion. If a majority chooses the latter, a second referendum would be held in October and will ask voters to choose be- tween the two. “Colonialism is not an op- tion for Puerto Rico,” Gov. Ricardo Rossello said. “It’s a civil rights issue … The time will come in which the United States has to respond to the demands of 3.5 mil- lion citizens seeking an abso- lute democracy.” Backers say the refer- endum could help the is- land overcome a decade-long economic crisis as it strug- gles to restructure nearly $70 billion in public debt and faces a federal control board pushing for more aus- terity measures. If U.S. Congress ultimately were to approve Puerto Rico as the 51st state, the island could receive an additional $10 billion in federal funds a year and its government agencies and municipalities would be able to file for bankruptcy, something that both local and federal laws currently prohibit. Statehood supporters say it additionally would grant the U.S. territory more equality: Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens who are not al- lowed to vote in presiden- tial elections and their rep- resentative in Congress has limited voting powers. The island also pays Social Se- curity and Medicare taxes, but receives less benefits than U.S. states. Roughly half a million people have left Puerto Rico for the U.S. mainland in the past decade, leaving the government with a shrinking tax base as it struggles to find new sources of revenue despite increasing taxes and utility bills. Puerto Ricans have voted in four previous referen- dums that have resulted in no action from U.S. Con- gress, which has final say on any changes in Puerto Rico’s political status. There was no clear majority in the first three referendums. In the last one, held in 2012, 54 percent said they wanted a change in status. Sixty-one percent who an- swered a second question said they favored state- hood, but nearly 500,000 left that question blank, leading many to dismiss the result as illegitimate. Concerns are now growing about the way the fifth refer- endum is worded. “It doesn’t leave room for any other options, which I think is a strong portion of the electorate,” said Edwin Melendez, director for the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at New York’s Hunter College. “It’s not evident that statehood is the clear ma- jority right now … If some- thing like 2012 is repeated, it’s not going to have any le- gitimacy to move forward.” Along with the ref- erendum, Puerto Rico legislators expect to vote on a bill that would allow Rossello to draft a state constitution and hold elections to choose two senators and five repre- sentatives to Congress and send them to Washington to demand statehood, a strategy Tennessee used to join the union in the 18th century. U.S. President Donald Trump did not say during his campaign whether he sup- ports statehood, only that the will of Puerto Ricans “should be considered” by Congress. “At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how people vote in Puerto Rico,” Me- lendez said. “Congress needs to approve of it.” Ship becomes new Gulf of Mexico reef GALVESTON, Texas (AP) – A 371- foot former cargo vessel named for a mythical sea monster has become an artificial reef in the Gulf of Mexico off Texas. The Texas Parks & Wild- life Department says the Kraken was sunk 67 miles off Galveston. The ship is expected to become a home to fish, coral and other sea-life, plus a desti- nation for divers. The project is part of the state’s Artificial Reef Program funded through grants and in- dustry donations. The Kraken was towed from Trinidad to Brownsville last May. Crews removed all fuel, oil and hazardous ma- terials to abide by environ- mental regulations. Department officials say the ship sank last week as openings cut into the vessel filled with water. The Kraken settled about 140 feet below the surface. STRONG EARTHQUAKE RATTLES COLOMBIA BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) – A shallow, 5.6-magni- tude earthquake rattled residents of Colombia’s largest city on Monday, leading office workers to evacuate buildings and forcing the city’s airport to temporarily close. The earthquake struck shortly after 8 a.m. local time and was centered in the department of Huila, about 185 miles (300 ki- lometers) southwest of the capital. It had a depth of 23 miles (37 kilometers), ac- cording to the U.S. Geo- logical Survey. President Juan Manuel Santos said there were no immediate re- ports of damage. FINAL EL FARO INVESTIGATIVE HEARINGS TO FOCUS ON BLACK BOX JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) – The final round of U.S. Coast Guard investigative hearings looking into the sinking of the cargo ship El Faro is set to begin with testimony that will include a review of data and recordings captured by the ship’s “black box.” The Coast Guard’s Ma- rine Board of Investigation starts two weeks of testi- mony on Monday in Jackson- ville, Florida. The 790-foot El Faro sank on Oct. 1, 2015 after losing propulsion and get- ting caught in a hurricane while traveling from Jack- sonville to Puerto Rico. All 33 aboard died. In December, the National Transportation Safety Board released transcripts of audio from the vessel’s voyage data recorder. The recorder captured the crew’s final moments before the ship sank, including com- ments that expressed con- cern over the captain’s de- cision to continue sailing toward a strengthening Hur- ricane Joaquin. The 790-foot El Faro sank on Oct. 1, 2015 after losing propulsion and getting caught in a hurricane while traveling from Jacksonville to Puerto Rico. The former cargo vessel named Kraken sinks more than 60 miles off the coast of Galveston, Texas, to become an artificial reef. The ship is expected to become a home to fish, coral and other invertebrates plus being a destination for divers. – PHOTO: TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT VIA AP3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2017 Thanks to our sponsor Pinnacle Media for all their support at Taste of Cayman 2017! @TasteofCayman TasteofCayman.org Crown: Syed created UCCI credit card policy JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Former University Col- lege of the Cayman Islands president Hassan Syed cre- ated a credit card policy in a “desperate attempt” to justify more than $200,000 in dis- honest spending to auditors, a court heard Monday. Prosecutor Patrick Moran said a lack of checks and bal- ances at UCCI and the trust placed in Syed personally meant he was able to obscure his spending from the col- lege’s accountant and board of governors for months. But when staff at the Of- fice of the Auditor General obtained accurate copies of his credit card statements in March 2008, Syed was fi- nally asked to explain the ex- penses, which included thou- sands of dollars on jewelry and overseas trips. It was at this time, ac- cording to Mr. Moran, that Syed produced a document purporting to be a policy for the use of the UCCI- funded cards. It indicated that the cards could be used for entertaining “high-end clients” and “vis- iting dignitaries” and that the purchase of gifts for such vis- itors, as well as for students, was officially sanctioned. Mr. Moran, concluding his opening statement in the Grand Court trial Monday, read excerpts from the policy, which suggested such spending on enter- tainment was necessary to generate valuable revenue for the college. The prosecutor said the document had not been seen before by the college’s ac- countant or the board and suggested it had been cre- ated on Syed’s computer to show to the auditors. He said the electronic history of the document, found in a folder entitled “Office of President folder” indicated it was last modified by Syed on March 4 – the same day Syed became aware the au- ditors had his full credit card statements. “This was a desperate at- tempt by Mr. Syed to explain the expenditure on the UCCI credit cards for which he was responsible, and to pull the wool over the eyes of the audi- tors,” he said. He said the statements ini- tially provided to the auditor general’s office by Syed had been altered to cover up the fact that they were incomplete. It was only when the au- ditors obtained the state- ments directly from the bank that the full extent of Syed’s spending became clear, the prosecutor claimed. The credit card spending is one of 12 charges against Syed. He is accused of stealing more than US$500,000 in col- lege funds through various methods, to fund a lavish life- style and buy gifts for a series of close female friends. Syed is alleged to have falsely claimed thousands of dollars in consultancy fees and through fabricated in- voices in connection with his involvement in setting up the Civil Service College of the Cayman Islands. The project, which began in late 2007, was a collabora- tion between UCCI and gov- ernment to create opportuni- ties for civil servants to get additional training and ad- vance their careers. Syed is alleged to have dishonestly claimed he was personally entitled to nearly CI$100,000 in consultancy fees in relation to work done on the project. While UCCI was enti- tled to be paid for its role in setting up the college, Mr. Moran said there was no specific contract for Syed to receive any additional funds on top of his “already healthy” salary. Despite this, he said, Syed submitted a time sheet claiming to have com- pleted 345 hours of consul- tancy work at a rate of $150 an hour and billing UCCI CI$51,750, which the college paid, for the work. He later submitted a second time sheet, doubling the number of hours he had worked on the project, and was again paid by UCCI for the work. On this occasion, the prosecutor said, Syed per- suaded Mary Rodrigues, a staff member in the Port- folio of the Civil Service, to co-sign the document, telling her it was for “accounting purposes” only. Syed is also alleged to have falsified invoices from a company called Lominger Services, which provided “products” worth around CI$50,000 as part of the Civil Service College project. These legitimate expenses were rightly paid off on the UCCI card, according to Mr. Moran. However, Syed is alleged to have falsified Lominger documents to suggest he had personally paid them for fur- ther products and services. The college reimbursed him just over CI$70,000 on the basis of these invoices, Mr. Moran said. Mr. Moran outlined a se- ries of other offenses, in- cluding the purchase of a Mitsubishi motor vehicle with college funds, the use of a college check to draw cash from a UCCI account and obtaining a salary advance of CI$70,000 by doctoring emails to convince the college accountant it was authorized by the board. Some of his crimes, in- cluding the claims for consul- tancy fees, were linked, said Mr. Moran, to the scrutiny Syed’s credit card bills were coming under in early 2008. It was around this time that the auditor general’s of- fice began voicing its con- cerns and seeking documen- tation to support some of the spending. The auditors, said Mr. Moran, had begun to suspect that “several hun- dred thousands of dollars may have been misappro- priated through the misuse of the credit cards issued to Mr. Syed.” As the scrutiny intensi- fied, he said, Syed began for- mulating an exit strategy. A draft report dated April 17, 2008, raising con- cerns including about Syed’s spending, the consul- tancy fees on the Civil Ser- vice College project and the Lominger invoices, was brought to the attention of the board and Syed. Less than a week later, the prosecutor said, Syed left the Cayman Islands on a flight to Canada via Kingston, Ja- maica. He booked a return ticket but never came back, submitting his letter of resig- nation to the UCCI board and citing health reasons for his abrupt departure. Following his depar- ture, a police investigation was launched resulting in the charges Syed now faces, Mr. Moran said. The prosecutor completed his opening statement around 1 p.m. Monday and the first witness was scheduled to be called later on Monday. Syed denies the offenses and the trial is expected to last around six weeks. Blood bank seeks new donors The Cayman Islands Blood Bank hopes to register 500 new blood donors by the end of the year. The blood bank launched its recruiting efforts in late January at the Taste of Cayman Food Festival, where it registered more than 30 potential donors. The drive was organized by Rotaract and Rotary Cen- tral, which sponsor the blood bank and encourage dona- tions from their members. Rotary District 7020 alumni chair William Inniss said each blood donation can save up to three lives. “Aside from helping others, there are many bene- fits to the donor as well. For example, it preserves your cardiovascular health, re- duces the risk of heart at- tacks and strokes, reduces the risk of cancer and pro- vides a free mini phys- ical,” Mr. Inniss said in a press statement. To learn more about donating to the blood bank, visit www.bloodbank.ky. Members of the Cayman Islands Blood Bank with William Inniss, district alumni chairman of Rotary District 7020, at Taste of Cayman. Hassan SyedThe 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 EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” TUESDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Was this Sunday’s Super Bowl the biggest comeback in American football history? Or was it the biggest choke job? Answers may differ — depending on if you were rooting for the New England Patriots (who emerged victorious in spectacular fashion after being down 28-3 with two minutes left in the third quarter) or the Atlanta Falcons (who gave up 31 straight points to lose the first Super Bowl to go into overtime). Either way, each of the 100 million-plus viewers in the U.S. and the 50 million-plus viewers worldwide would have to agree that the NFL’s 51st Super Bowl was dramatic and historic. We would go one step further, and say it was inspirational. On Sunday, the Patriots’ Tom Brady cemented his place as the consensus greatest quarterback of all time, by virtue of his heroic efforts in his team’s improbable comeback, which in itself was a parallel to his own season- long comeback from the reputational damage inflicted by the “Deflategate” scandal. (In a nutshell, “Deflategate” concerned the allegation that the Patriots deliberately underinflated footballs used in a playoff game in January 2015. After wrangling in the NFL head office and the U.S. court system, Brady even- tually accepted a four-game suspension to start off this past season.) Just to put his performance in context, according to Fox Sports, Brady broke the following records on Sunday: Most Super Bowl championships by a quarterback (five), most Super Bowl MVP awards (four), most passing yards in a Super Bowl (466), most pass attempts in a Super Bowl (62), most pass completions in a Super Bowl (43), most fourth-quarter comebacks in Super Bowls (three) and most game-winning drives in the NFL postseason (10). As with everything, it seems, in the U.S. nowadays, the Super Bowl was not untinged with political rumblings, including in some of the advertisements, which tend to draw attention to the TV event as much as the game itself. (Indeed, some pundits have even tried to make a polit- ical controversy out of the fact that Super Bowl halftime performer Lady Gaga deliberately abstained from making an overt political statement, apart from an unadulterated show of patriotism.) In regard to Brady specifically, he had attracted criti- cism before the game for saying he had the right to stay out of discussions of politics in public … or, put another way, for being suspected by adversaries of being sup- portive of President Trump. For the record, Brady was spotted in 2015 with one of then-candidate Trump’s signature red “Make America Great Again” caps hanging in his locker. (The cap had been given to him by Patriots’ team owner Bob Kraft.) At the time, Brady quipped that he was hoping for a President Trump because he’d be sure to install a putting green on the White House lawn. (Actually, a putting green was first installed on the White House lawn by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1954 … but anyway …) President Trump, who first met Brady in 2002 when the quarterback was judging one of his beauty pageants, defended Brady publicly during the Deflategate episode and has called him a “great friend.” There are a number of metaphysical connections to be made, as well. For instance, both Brady and President Trump are married to non-American-born supermodels who go by a single name (Gisele, Melania). Both achieved victory following periods where they had been roasted by the media for so-called scandals (For Brady, Deflategate … For Trump, take your pick.) And both did so while overcoming the odds set by “experts” (At one point in the fourth quarter, ESPN had pegged the proba- bility of the Patriots winning at an infinitesimal 0.4 percent.) As one national commenter, tongue planted firmly in cheek, said on social media: “I can’t believe the guy with the foreign model wife and a sketchy history with the rules just won after being written off.” A seriously super Super Bowl The evening of Sept. 16, 2008, I met Randy Kros- zner for dinner at Et Voila in the Palisades just outside of Georgetown. He arrived late, explaining that the Federal Reserve’s monthly monetary policy meeting had lasted longer than expected. Randy is a Governor on the Board of Governors of the Federal Re- serve. The attempt to rescue Lehman Brothers over the weekend had failed and it had declared bankruptcy the day before, so we had a lot of in- teresting things to talk about. The housing bubble had started to deflate in 2007 and homeowners and their mort- gage financiers were coming to grips with the reality of significant financial losses. While the Fed quickly re- acted to inject liquidity into the banking system to com- pensate for the freezing up of the interbank credit market that followed the Lehman Brothers-AIG shock waves, the key questions were who would bear these losses and how should they be contained to avoid spilling over to the fi- nancial system more broadly. The Fed, with the help of $700 billion authorized by Congress in the Troubled Asset Relieve Program (TARP), bailed out Wall Street and contained the spread of po- tential bank failures. It was a scary time for all involved. Looking back from the relative calm of today with criticism of policy actions taken then is a bit unfair, but how else are we to learn from experience? The government actions in 2008 can be broadly stated as: a) providing all of the liquidity the financial sector needed fol- lowing the Lehman Brothers collapse and financial panic; b) bailing out large banks and other financial institu- tions that might have been in- solvent, whether they were or not; and c) leaving underwater homeowners to drown. The first of these – pro- viding liquidity – is univer- sally accepted as a proper function of a central bank and one that the Fed executed well. The other two – bailing out banks but not home- owners – are the subjects of this note. I will review them from both an economic and a political perspective. The economic rational for bailing out Wall Street was that there was a risk, with very uncertain probability, of the failure of large Wall Street institutions spilling over to and bankrupting other finan- cial institutions holding assets in the failed Wall Street firms. Many of them were foreign (especially German Landes- banks) and no one knew for sure where the contagion might end. By saving Wall Street, the argument went, the government was saving Main Street as well (trickle down). Sheila Bair, then the Chairman of the Federal De- posit Insurance Corporation, among others urged the gov- ernment to bail out home- owners who were defaulting on their mortgages as well. While different policies of homeowner relief were con- sidered, the one finally ad- opted, Home Affordable Re- finance Program, HARP, was modest and left Ms. Bair quite unhappy. From economists’ perspec- tive, bailing out anyone cre- ates a moral hazard. If market players profit from risky bets when successful but expect that the government will pick up the tab when they are un- successful, they will take greater (excessive) risks. No one was eager to bail out property flippers (those who bought property with the intention of reselling it at a higher price rather than move in) from their failed gamble. But the same logic applies to those financial firms that lent the mortgage money in the first place or that kept the financing cheap by pro- viding it from the derivatives market of Mortgage Backed Securities, etc. Government policymakers attempted to design their bailouts to min- imize the moral hazard they were creating, especially after the foolish and panic driven bailout of Bear Stearns in March 2008. But policy was driven by government’s fear of financial contagion. The political optics of bailing out mortgage lenders but not homeowners is not good. Why did politicians choose to support one but not the other? Moral hazard is a problem with both. The re- ality is that Washington poli- ticians were (are) much closer to Wall Street than to Main Street and are thus more sen- sitive to Wall Street’s con- cerns. Growing recognition of this fact adds some under- standing to the hostile atti- tudes toward Washington ex- pressed by Trump supporters. By far the better policy would have been, and in the future is, to stick by the ex- isting rules for bearing losses (our bankruptcy and default laws), i.e. no government bail- outs. Our bankruptcy laws and procedures are actu- ally quite good. For starters, Bear Stearns shareholders should have lost everything. On the underwater homeowner side, mortgage lenders have always sought to minimize their losses when borrowers are unable to repay according to the orig- inal terms of a loan. Often the least-cost resolution is for the lender to agree to easier terms and to restructure the loan. Evicting the “owner” and selling the property, especially when it is underwater (i.e. valued at less than the mort- gage amount), is a costly un- dertaking and writing down and restructuring the loan is often the least-cost approach. However, government- driven programs can rarely match the lenders’ ability to restructure loans one by one that can be honored by the homeowner while minimizing the loss to the lender. Our government has in- creasingly attempted to mi- cromanage the private sector, especially the financial sector. This is a mistake. It should establish clear and pragmatic rules for conducting busi- ness and for resolving failures (workable bankruptcy laws). Within this broad legal framework, which to a large extent already exists, indi- vidual firms would be held accountable for the conduct of their business by their customers and their owners. If they fail, the first losses must fall on the owners (shareholders), who have a greater incentive to do well and have better market in- formation on which to act than do government reg- ulators. This requires a change in attitude and di- rection of government’s role in our lives. Warren Coats, a former director of the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, and former senior monetary policy adviser to the Central Bank of Afghanistan, Iraq and Kenya for the International Monetary Fund, is on the Editorial Board of Cayman Financial Review. When the feds bailed out Wall Street WARREN COATS WARREN COATS5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2017 @TasteofCayman TasteofCayman.org Thanks to our amazing sponsor for all their support at Photo credit: picture this Bill allows suspects ‘caution’ instead of court BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Islands criminal sus- pects who have admitted to cer- tain crimes may soon be allowed a “caution” under the law, rather than being charged and facing court for their alleged offense. Police cautions have been used in the U.K. for decades and consti- tute a formal warning given to an adult offender who has already ad- mitted to the crime of which they were accused. Cayman Islands police have previously advocated for the same powers, but the proposed Cau- tions (Adults) Bill, 2017, repre- sents the first time the measure is being brought to the Legisla- tive Assembly. It is expected to be considered at the assembly’s next meeting, which begins on Feb. 22. According to the text of the Cayman Islands bill: “Where a sus- pect has behaved in a manner that amounts to an offence and the sus- pect has admitted to so behaving, that suspect may be cautioned in accordance with this law, instead of being charged with, or prose- cuted for, the offence …” Under the proposed legislation, a caution is not considered a con- viction, but it is placed on a per- son’s record and can be used against them in the event of a sep- arate commission of crime. The caution procedure is also not to be confused with a suspect’s right to be “interviewed under cau- tion,” meaning advised of their constitutional rights prior to police interrogation. A list of offenses consid- ered “cautionable” under the bill include: ■■ Theft/handling stolen goods – where the value of the goods stolen is no more than $5,000. Making off without payment is also a cautionable offense. ■■ Criminal damage – where the value of the property damage does not exceed $3,000. ■■ Assault causing ac- tual bodily harm ■■ Possession of a controlled drug that is not considered a “hard drug” under the Penal Code. ■■ Causing fear or provoca- tion of violence or intention- ally causing harassment, alarm or distress by night. The bill sets specific restrictions on an officer’s right to caution a suspect for an offense, including that there is “sufficient evidence” to show a realistic chance of con- viction. The suspect also must “un- equivocally” admit their guilt. The “cautionable” offense must only be issued in cases where the maximum prison sentence is less than four years. A suspect cannot be cau- tioned for an offense if they have been convicted in the past three years for a similar offense. Also, if the person is out on police bail, or serving a prison sentence, or had been released on parole they cannot be cautioned for an offense. Those individuals would have to be prosecuted. The bill requires the commis- sioner to report to the Legislative Assembly each year, stating how many individuals have been cau- tioned and for which offenses. POLICE: 16-YEAR-OLD ARRESTED ON STOLEN BIKE BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A teenager arrested riding an unregistered motorbike Sunday af- ternoon was arrested on suspicion of stealing the vehicle, the Royal Cayman Islands Police said. The 16-year-old motorbike rider was spotted by the RCIPS helicopter crew riding the vehicle, which had no plates, in the vicinity of Harbour House Marina in Prospect around 3:30 p.m. Sunday. The helicopter followed the mo- torbike to a Prospect-area home where the rider was arrested by po- lice patrol units on suspicion of theft, as well as some traffic-re- lated offenses. The motorbike was seized by police. It is the 10th such vehicle taken by the RCIPS since late December, as the department has sought to crack down on the use of unreg- istered, unlicensed motorcycles in the territory. Four dirt bikes and two motorcy- cles were taken in police roadblocks or operations in late December, ac- cording to the RCIPS. In mid-January, another three motorcycles were seized and five people were arrested on suspicion of various offenses, including reck- less driving, disorderly conduct and traffic offenses. BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com About $300,000 cut from the government’s school lunches and uniforms budget is being made up through the efforts of private sector and volunteer organizations, ac- cording to the Cayman Is- lands Ministry of Com- munity Affairs. Assistance from the pri- vate sector has allowed that money to be diverted to other social assistance programs during the 2015/16 fiscal year, Minister Osbourne Bodden said Sunday. “The decreases in gov- ernment spending for school lunches is due to the dili- gent work of community or- ganizations, such as Feed Our Future, which are assisting many families who have this specific need,” a ministry statement read. Government policy changes have reduced other areas of the poor re- lief budget, including the re- sumption of reception (pre- school) classes in public schools which dropped the budget for preschool assis- tance by about $100,000, the ministry noted. In addition, a “cut-off point” for new applications seeking government bene- fits for ex-servicemen has re- sulted in a small savings of $50,000, the ministry said. The Community Af- fairs Ministry essentially took about $1.4 million in spending on various social assistance programs in order to give it to others during the 2015/16 budget. The funding increases for the year included poor relief vouchers ($150,000), rental assistance ($300,000), various forms of assistance such as utilities payments, medical supplies, summer camp pay- ments and school supplies ($200,000), care for the elderly and disabled ($400,000) and support for the CAYS Foun- dation, including the expan- sion of the Frances Bodden Home ($336,513). Corresponding budget decreases for the 2015/16 year included $300,000 cut from the school lunches and uniforms program, $100,000 less for preschool assistance, $375,000 reduced from poor relief payments, $561,513 cut from housing repairs and $50,000 reduced from bene- fits paid to ex-servicemen. Supplementary appro- priations to the 2015/16 budget, which ended on June 30, 2016, will be consid- ered by the Legislative As- sembly when it meets later this month. They generally involve amounts that have al- ready been spent and merely require legal approval of as- sembly members. During the approval pro- cess, the government must also state what areas of the budget were reduced to make up for the addi- tional spending. Police take a man into custody near Governors Square. A new bill seeks to give RCIPS officers new powers to issue ‘cautions’ to suspects they arrest for more minor crimes. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Private sector helps government fund poor relief “The decreases in government spending for school lunches is due to the diligent work of community organizations, such as Feed Our Future, which are assisting many families who have this specific need.” MINISTRY OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRSDISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days West Bay TUESDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS 50 YEARS AGO Godfrey-Powell wedding wraps up an eventful January In the Feb. 8, 1967 edi- tion of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, West Bay correspondent Leila Yates wrote: “We congratulate Mr. and Mrs. Donald Camp- bell (Natalie) on the arrival of a daughter Susan Mity- lene in Kingston, Jamaica, on Jan. 24, weighing 8 pounds, 5 ounces. “Arrivals for the weekend were Mr. Lee Borden from Islamorada, Florida, on a business trip. Mrs. Hara- line Bush from New York, Miss Margaret Rose Bush from New York and Mr. Bronson Ebanks from Na- tional Bulk Carriers. “Messrs. Robert Ebanks and Rex Ford left on Jan. 31 for jobs with National Bulk Carriers. “Rev. John Croft, pastor of the Pilgrim Holiness Church left on the 4th for a conference in Barbados. “Mrs. Emmie Bush ar- rived on the 5th from Tampa after visiting six months with her son and his family there. “Mr. Benson Ebanks Jr. returned on the 5th from Jamaica, where he re- ceived medical aid and is much improved. “Mr. John Bush died at his home on the 3rd having been confined to his bed for several months. He was 87 years of age. His wife pre- ceded him in death several years ago. Surviving are five sons and eight daugh- ters. The funeral service was conducted at his home by Rev. Ruth Bowman. In- terment was in the West Bay cemetery.” In the Feb. 15 issue, Ms. Yates wrote: “There was a lovely wedding on the 31st at the Pilgrim Holiness Church with Rev. John officiating when Mr. David Neils Godfrey, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ashley Godfrey, took as his bride Miss Sarah Olsie, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Powell, who was very charming in her gown of taffeta covered with lace and net. She carried a lace bouquet in the shape of a fan, with a white rose with gold ribbons hanging. “Miss Pat Forbes was Maid of Honour, dressed in pink. The bridesmaids were Marguerite Ebanks, dressed in pink, Marcia Hydes in yellow, Camena Bush in blue, Lois McLean in pink, Hope Bodden in yellow and Jen Godfrey in aqua. Mr. Nickerson Godfrey was best man and there were seven groomsmen. The bride was given in marriage by her father. A shower was held at which she received many presents.” Legends clash in exciting West Bay football matchup The Hope Foundation scored big last month with another successful night of soccer action at the Ed Bush Stadium in West Bay. The event, dubbed the Championship of Clash of the Legends, saw the two most successful teams from a series of matches last year face off for the Marcus Cumber Community Cup on Jan. 23. The second-place team earned the McKeeva Bush Community Shield. Proceeds from the Clash of the Legends soccer series go toward funding the Hope Foundation halfway house program, which tackles substance abuse at the community level. As previously reported in the Compass, Hope Foun- dation operations manager Brent Hydes estimates the costs of running the center are about $70,000 per year. The series has raised about $17,000 so far. “It is so positive to see the whole community come out and lace up their boots to help those in Cayman strug- gling with substance abuse,” said Mr. Hydes. “We are trying to bring about social change, and this tournament is one way for us to work to remove the neg- ative stigma of substance abuse and highlight this great community effort.” Mr. Hydes noted the center has just wrapped up an 18 month study on its programs. “In that 18 months, we saw 26 people come into the program, with 16 having completed it so far,” said Mr. Hydes, adding that the min- imum stay in the program is six months. He says that community support has been great, and thanked the many sponsors who have stepped forward, in- cluding McAlpine, champion- ship trophy sponsor Marcus Cumber, J.C. Calhoun of Cold- well Banker, Tony Conolly of Frank Hall Homes, Cayman National and Appleby. “I also need to thank McK- eeva Bush for sponsoring the second place trophy, and Sports Minster Osbourne Bodden and the Cayman Is- lands Government for making this such a successful ven- ture,” said Mr. Hydes. The final score was West Bay 2, George Town 1 with the West Bay goals scored by Shaun Ebanks and Ivan Ebanks. “The game was a real suc- cess and well attended by the community,” said Mr. Hydes “West Bay were so excited to bring home the win and keep the cup in West Bay. But George Town is crying for a rematch, so we have the two teams facing off again, in George Town this time, at the end of February.” The West Bay squad.The George Town team is eager for a rematch. West Bay’s Shaun Ebanks’ goal helped secure the win.DISTRICT DAYS 7 District Days West Bay CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2017 West Bay family marks accomplishments in tourism The extended Ebanks family of West Bay had a lot to celebrate at National Heroes Day with several members honored for their services to the tourism industry. The late Emily Ebanks and Ima Louise Ebanks were inducted to the Memorial Scroll for their services as hotel workers, while Long Service awards went to Clearstein Ebanks, Lillis Harvey, Astor Ebanks for his work as a chef, Garnal Ebanks as a hotel worker and jeweler, and Ezi- ethamae Bodden as a hotel worker, Department of Tourism officer and condominium manager. After the ceremony on Jan. 23, the family marked the occasion at the home of Ms. Bodden on Mount Pleasant Road. “It is very important that fami- lies come together and share in the joy of each other,” said Ms. Bodden. “Our family [has] much to be thankful for.” She said four generations were represented that day, “including my late grandmother, Emily Ebanks and her children, Ima Ebanks, Clearstein Ebanks and Lillis Harvey, and my late mom Ima Ebanks and her children, Astor Ebanks, Garnal Ebanks and myself.” “Tourism is very important to the Cayman Islands and we must strive to keep our Islands safe and beau- tiful, so that visitors will continue to visit and residents will continue to enjoy them,” said Ms. Bodden. “I am proud to call Cayman my home and feel happy to share it with those who visit us.” Marjorie Bodden, Martina Bodden, awardee Eziethamae Bodden and Marzeta Bodden at the ceremony. Awardee Astor Ebanks, Brenda Timothy, and awardees Garnal Ebanks and Eziethamae Bodden. Members of the extended Ebanks family at the celebratory gathering. Back row, from left, Carmel Ebanks, Cindy Ebanks, Denise Ebanks, Koran Ellison, Mashara McLaughlin, and awardee Eziethamae Bodden, and in front, Rhynnia Rattary, awardee Lillis Harvey, Rayburn Ebanks, awardee Clearstein Ebanks and Niqwon McLaughlin-Forbes. Contest puts spotlight on conservation Students across Cayman are being invited to take part in a contest that will have the winners take part in the re- lease of juvenile Cayman par- rots into the wild this March. With the support of the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park and the Department of Environment, the Cayman Turtle Centre will be holding its annual Cayman parrot re- lease on March 3 at the Bo- tanic Park. As part of the contest, two to four lucky students will be selected to represent their schools at the event, and have the chance to take part in the release. “In 2009, Cayman Turtle Centre began its captive breeding program for our en- demic Grand Cayman Amazon (Amazona leucocephala cay- manensis), commonly known as the Cayman parrot, our National Bird,” said Cayman Turtle Centre terrestrial ex- hibits curator Geddes Hislop, who also oversees the facili- ty’s educational programs. “All Turtle Centre program parrots are rescue and rehab birds accumulated over the years. With a lot of trial and surprisingly few errors, the CTC has successfully bred and released nine offspring from one breeding pair, and increased hatching and clutch success from one hatching per clutch of three, to three hatchings per clutch of four,” he continued, in an email to the Cayman Compass. “We are currently pre- paring to release the second clutch of captive-bred Cayman parrot ‘triplets’ ever born in captivity. The chicks were hatched in May 2016 and are preparing for wild release in early March 2017. This will free up the primary breeding pair to get back action around late March. This year, CTC will also at- tempt to start up a second breeding pair of parrots to boost the program.” To enter the contest, stu- dents in Years 2 to 6 are asked to submit a poster of their own design entitled “The Cayman Parrot – Our Na- tional Treasure.” The poster must depict either conserva- tion of parrots and/or their habitat, the importance of parrots in the environment, or parrots in Cayman’s his- tory culture, with no restric- tions on art media or text. “The winning poster will be selected based on rele- vance and accuracy of con- tent, imaginative use of materials and overall presen- tation,” said Mr. Hislop. Students in years 7 to 11 are asked to submit a 200-300 word essay with the same title as the poster submissions, discussing one or more of the above- mentioned topics. The win- ning essay will be selected based on relevance and ac- curacy of content and overall presentation. Contest details have already been sent to schools, and all contest submissions should be delivered to the Cayman Turtle Centre or emailed to schooltours@turtle.ky by Feb. 17. The winners will be announced by Feb. 21. “We are currently preparing to release the second clutch of captive-bred Cayman parrot ‘triplets’ ever born in captivity.” GEDDES HISLOP, Cayman Turtle Centre The Cayman Turtle Centre’s triplets practice feeding on Silver Thatch.Two of the Turtle Centre’s parrot triplets slated for release into the wild.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. TUESDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.www.churchillsfuneralhome. We have been asked to announce the passing of Ms. Ina Maud Gibson of Jamaica and Grand Cayman who passed away on Sunday, January 15, 2017. A public viewing for family and friends will be held on Tuesday, February 7, 2017 from 5:30–6:30p.m. at Churchill’s Funeral Home, 328 Eastern Avenue, George Town. Ms. Gibson will be repatriated to Jamaica. TUESDAY, FEB. 7 UNITED WORLD COLLEGES: UWC Cayman Islands, the local committee of the global educational movement, is seeking applicants for its 2017 selection process, which begins with a written application due Feb. 7. Students interested in receiving a scholarship can contact the committee at uwccaymanislands@gmail. com to request a copy of the application form or ask any questions about UWC and the selection process. THURSDAY, FEB. 9 CHAMBER COURSE: Immigration, Work Permits (BVPs, TWPs and RERCs). 9-11 a.m. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. $175 for members, $225 for future members. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. FRIDAY, FEB. 10 CAF FRINGE EVENT: Cayman Arts Festival Fringe Event and Late Night at the National Gallery. 6 to 8 p.m. Join the gallery for an evening of art and music with curators and young musicians David Brown and Isabella Rooney. Music begins at 6 p.m. in the Sculpture Gardens and a guided tour of the National Gallery’s latest exhibitions, Upon the Seas and Saltwater in Their Veins, will run at 6:15 p.m. Admission is free; all are welcome. CAF FRINGE EVENT: Students from Cayman Arts Festival After-School Program and Cayman Youth Choir perform 6-7 p.m. at Gardenia Court, Camana Bay. Free admission. VAS ANNUAL ART SHOW: Members of the Visual Arts Society display original works plus art cards, crafts and jewelry for sale. Viewing is 5–9 p.m. Gardenia Court, Camana Bay. LIONS CONCERT: Carlene Davis, reggae and gospel artist, headlines a concert organized by the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens. The program features numerous local performers. Proceeds from “A Show from the Heart” at the Lions Centre will fund the club’s community projects. Gates open at 7 p.m., show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 pre-sold, $30 at the gate, $75 VIP. Available at Funky Tang’s George Town, Western Union at Foster’s Food Fair Airport Road, Reflections outlets and from any member of the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens. ART SHOW: Gardenia Court, Camana Bay, 5-9 p.m. Free admission. Cayman- based artists will display original art works, including paintings, jewelry, screen prints and souvenirs. SATURDAY, FEB. 11 EARLY CHILDHOOD ASSOCIATION: The Cayman Islands Early Childhood Association holds its second members’ meeting for 2017 at the St. Ignatius School at 9 a.m. New members are welcome. CURIOUS CATBOATS FAMILY DAY: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the National Gallery. Enjoy art stations and pop-up art classes at 10 and 12 in the Art Studio, then explore two new art exhibitions with activity sheets and self-guided tour packs for families. Admission is free and open to all ages. The art classes are free, but pre- registration is necessary as the workshop is limited to 20 students. Beverages and healthy snacks are available for purchase in the Art Café. For additional details email education@ nationalgallery.org.ky or call 945-8111. BRAC HIGH SCHOOL: 50th anniversary celebrations. Alumni versus staff and students volleyball game. Visit www.facebook.com/ lshs50thann for more information. FAMILY FUN WALK/RUN: 5K/10K from SafeHaven in the back by Holiday Inn. Event begins 6:30 a.m. for walkers and 6:45 a.m. for runners. All participants will be entered into a drawing for prizes. Omelet station after the walk. Register on day at 6 a.m. or pre-register at Cayman Active at www. caymanactive.com/guiding. Adults, $10. Children under 10, $5. No dogs, please. Proceeds benefit Girlguiding Cayman Islands. KIDS GAELIC FOOTBALL: The Cayman Islands Kids Gaelic Football Club hosts a “Start of Season Blitz,” 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Camana Bay CIS football pitch. All children between the ages of 5 and 18 are welcome. This event is free of charge. Pre- registration is necessary – go to www.caymangaa.com/ kidsgaelicclub and register on the online link. Fill out the registration form in full before 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10. No registrations accepted on the day. Children should come with trainers or football boots (no flip-flops), water, hat, sunscreen, and must be accompanied by an adult. SUNDAY, FEB. 12 VALENTINE’S MILE: Start and finish at Bayshore Mall. Registration from 2:30- 3:45 p.m. Race starts 4 p.m. Children’s race (for under 10s), 5 p.m. Presentations and raffle, 5:30 p.m. Adults, $20. Juniors (under 18), $5. Children’s race, free. Participants receive a T-shirt, but supplies are limited. Trophies for first three males and females in each race. Medals for first 100 children who finish. All proceeds benefit Cayman HospiceCare. MONDAY, FEB. 13 BRAC CRUISE SHIP: The S/V Star Flyer is scheduled to visit Cayman Brac. TUESDAY, FEB. 14 CHAMBER COURSE: Employment, Pensions. 9-11 a.m. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. $175 for members, $225 for future members. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. THURSDAY, FEB. 16 CHAMBER COURSE: Exceeding Customer Expectations. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. $150 for members, $225 for future members. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. MONDAY, FEB. 20 ART FOR SENIORS: The National Gallery opens its doors at 1 p.m. and talks start at 3 p.m. Art Talks are open to the public and facilitate thought-provoking discussions and time for seniors to socialize. Free coffee, tea and snacks are provided for seniors (over 65 years). This program is free and group bookings can be made by emailing education@nationalgallery. org.ky or by calling 945-8111. THURSDAY, FEB. 23 BABY SHOW: Today is the deadline to register children for the Baby Show at the 50th Annual Agricultural Show on Ash Wednesday, March 1. Boys and Girls Ages 0 – 48 Months. For information, please call 929-9932 FRIDAY, FEB. 24 EDUCATORS’ HAPPY HOUR: National Gallery, 5-8 p.m. The National Gallery invites teachers and educators to an evening of exhibition tours, socializing and wine. For those interested in bringing students to the Gallery, this event will provide a firsthand experience of all the gallery has to offer. Staff will demonstrate tours and programs available. Enjoy beverages and nibbles and learn about Caymanian art. For more information and to RSVP, contact Jessica Ebanks at intern@nationalgallery.org.ky or call 945-8111. DRESS FOR CULTURE: Dress for Culture Day is a celebration of Cayman’s diverse community comprised of more than 135 nationalities. This annual fundraiser invites individuals, students and corporate entities to take part by wearing traditional cultural wear, sportswear, country colors or anything that represents their culture. Cost is $5 for adults and $3 for students. Proceeds support CI Folk Singers and Summer Arts Camp. Contact Cayman National Cultural Foundation, 949-5477 or www.artscayman.org. SUNDAY, FEB. 26 OFF THE BEATEN TRACK: The eighth annual Off the Beaten Track 50K ultramarathon and relay takes place. Registration for the race is open at www.offthebeatentrack.ky/ registration and fees are US$300 for a relay team or US$100 for individuals. GENERAL INTEREST PRESCHOOL FUNDING: Government funding to assist with preschool attendance can be provided for eligible Caymanian children who will be between 3 to 4 years old before Sept. 1. Email ecap@gov.ky or call 244-5724 for more information or to request an application form. Collect forms from Government Administration Building, Department of Education, all early childhood centres, all District Health Centres or the Public Health Department at George Town Hospital. Deadline to apply is April 28. VOTER ID CARDS: Elections officials will start issuing voter ID cards from April 1. The revised voters’ list is scheduled to be out on March 31 with all the verified changes and new registrations. This will be formalized in the final list of voters on April 1. LITTLE LEAGUE: Last call for registration. Child must have turned five on or before April 30, 2017. www. CaymanLittleLeague.com or email info@littleleague.ky. GALLERY TEMPORARY ROAD: The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands has a temporary access road while work is being done to improve site access. The access road is located off Lawrence Boulevard and passes through the grounds of the Harquail Theatre. For more information on roadwork related to NGCI email info@nationalgallery. org.ky or call 945-8111. MARITIME CULTURE: The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands offers a new exhibit that celebrates Cayman’s maritime identity – past, present and future. It seeks to engage visitors with the story of maritime heritage and national identity. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Admission free. Families can download a free copy of the Upon the Seas exhibition guide in advance of their visit at www.nationalgallery. org.ky. Guides include information about the artists, exhibition themes, discussion points and art activities. Guides also available upon arrival. SINGLE-MEMBER CONSTITUENCIES: The Elections Office invites voters, potential candidates and their agents to learn more about recent changes to the Elections Law that have created 19 single- member electoral districts. Email office@elections.ky to ask questions or request short presentations for groups or organizations. Local media will carry information on upcoming meetings, which will aim to address questions. HUMANE SOCIETY BOOK LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 5:30-7:30 p.m. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. Email humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or call 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards etc., in good condition always needed. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. Runners line up for the start of last year’s Valentine’s Mile. This year’s run will be held on Sunday, Feb. 12.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2017 Life Extension Gym and Sauna 949-3753 “Work, live, play and train! ” during her reign, from Winston Churchill to Theresa May. ■■ She has met 12 U.S. presidents, from Her- bert Hoover (after he had left office) to Barack Obama – more than a quarter of all the U.S. presidents since In- dependence. The only president during her reign that she did not meet was Lyndon B. Johnson. She is due to meet President Donald Trump when he comes to Britain for a controversial state visit later this year. ■■ She has traveled more than 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometers) on official trips, visiting 106 of the 193 current official members of the United Nations. She has visited Canada 22 times – the largest number of trips to any nation. ■■ She has four children, eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. ■■ She has cut back on her official duties in the past few years, but Elizabeth still con- ducted 341 official en- gagements in 2015. and portfolios and 27 statutory authorities and government companies. Each year, every one of those separate entities is required to submit finan- cial statements for audit reviews, as well as an annual report describing the work of their agencies over the past year. The timeliness and quality of these annual statements varies among the agencies, but gener- ally Ms. Winspear’s office has noted an improve- ment across-the-board. For instance, Mr. Jef- ferson points out that government’s ministries and portfolios received “unqualified” opinions on their audits – the highest rating – in just eight out of 16 financial reports (50 percent) submitted in June 2013. For June 2016, 92 percent of those agen- cies received the best possible audit opinion. Among the statutory authorities and govern- ment companies, the number of “unqualified” audit opinions rose from 63 percent in 2013 to 79 percent in June 2016. Those audits for the 2015/16 government budget year have not been evaluated in an en- tire public sector finan- cial report, and Ms. Win- spear told the Legislative Assembly’s Public Ac- counts Committee last week that she could make no promises regarding the overall audit for the 2015/16 budget year. Mr. Jefferson noted that there are some significant obstacles in obtaining an “unquali- fied” audit for all of Cay- man’s public sector fi- nances within the next couple of years. “ P os t -r e t i r e me n t healthcare cost, in par- ticular, is a very signifi- cant reason in explaining why the auditor gener- al’s office has issued an adverse opinion … on the consolidated finan- cial statements,” Mr. Jef- ferson said. “Discussions with the civil service are expected to be concluded and a position reached with respect to civil ser- vants cost sharing [with government] … on health- care costs during 2017.” Whatever agreement is reached will “impact” the financial statements for the next govern- ment budget cycle – be- tween Jan. 1, 2018 and Dec. 31, 2019. Mr. Jefferson said the audit opinion issued during the 2018/19 fiscal year was likely to be a “qualified” opinion – one step up from adverse – if the arrangements for the healthcare cost sharing can be made. In 2014, government’s financial advisers esti- mated a $1.18 billion lia- bility for retirees’ health- care costs [at present dollar values] over the next 20 years. Finance Minister Marco Archer has said costs related to health- care coverage could overwhelm the govern- ment budget if nothing is done to bring them under control. Government offi- cials were warned of the huge increase in expendi- ture by Ministry Chief Of- ficer Wesley Howell in May 2016. Mr. Howell’s estimates put the amount govern- ment might have to spend at closer to $5 million for the two years. Mr. Howell referenced situations last year where the number of detained Cuban migrants grew so large that the detention center could no longer hold them. Community centers in the eastern districts were used to temporarily house migrants until a number of them could be sent home. Just a few weeks ago, the government said 113 migrants were still being housed in Cayman, although the community centers were no longer where they were being kept. To put the additional $2.9 million from the current 2015/16 budget year in per- spective, that is about what government intends to spend over the 18 months between July 1, 2016 and Dec. 31, 2017 on rental assistance for needy Caymanians ($2.9 mil- lion); more than government expects to spend for care of indigent, elderly and dis- abled individuals in those 18 months ($2.1 million); and more than government has budgeted to spend on a resi- dential mental health treat- ment facility in the next budget ($2.5 million). When its budget was first drawn up for the 2015/16 year, government estimated it would spend $270,000 on the care and services for “irregular mi- grants,” but it is widely ac- knowledged that figure is a “placeholder” and local officials will never know how many illegal migrants they have to deal with until those individuals arrive. In late 2012 or early 2013, after a lengthy lull period, Cayman Islands authori- ties began noticing a huge influx of Cuban migrants to the islands in numbers not seen since the 1990s, when “tent cities” had to be set up in areas of Grand Cayman to house thousands fleeing Cuba. The increase in Cuban migrants was generally blamed on a “wet-foot, dry- foot” policy the U.S. main- tained toward Cuban mi- grants since the mid-1990s. That policy was ended during the final days of U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration and Capitol Hill observers have noted it is unlikely to be renewed by current American President Donald Trump. The policy required im- mediate repatriation, or transfer to another country, for any migrant intercepted at sea. However, if they make it to land, migrants would be given a chance to remain in the U.S. Most of the Cubans traveling through Grand Cayman or Cayman Brac are on their way to Hon- duras, eventually intending to seek passage through Central America and Mexico to the southwestern U.S. The migrants can apply for asylum status as refugees in Cayman, but they are typi- cally classed as economic migrants, rather than po- litical asylum-seekers. For countries such as Cayman, caught in the middle of the migration, dealing with the problem of landed migrants has led to additional costs. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Cuban migrants cost extra $2.9M to house Queen Elizabeth II’s 65-year reign CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Financial reports improve, despite ‘adverse’ audit CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ‘Deepening relationship’ between China, Cayman Islands cited Cayman Islands Pre- mier Alden McLaughlin met with Chinese Ambas- sador to the United Kingdom Liu Xiaoming Monday at the Chinese Embassy in London to discuss a “deep- ening relationship” between China and the British Over- seas Territories. Cayman’s Financial Ser- vices Minister Wayne Panton attended the meeting, along with Bermuda Premier Mi- chael Dunkley and British Virgin Islands Premier Orlando Smith. With the separation of the U.K. from the European Union on the horizon, Mr. Liu said it was a good time for China to work with the U.K. – and by extension the Cayman Islands – to broaden its global business interests. He said he would encourage China’s business leaders to look to the Cayman Islands for opportunities to expand business cooperation. Premier McLaughlin said there are already sig- nificant Chinese investment and business relation- ships in Cayman. Mr. Liu was in Cayman last month and confirmed that China would imple- ment an agreement to grant Cayman “most favoured nation” status in registering ships entering Chinese ports. That status means con- cessions implemented will serve to reduce port fees paid by Cayman Islands- flagged ships. RED CROSS THANKS LOCAL HURRICANE RELIEF DONORS Cayman Islands do- nors contributed more than $13,000 for Hurricane Mat- thew relief efforts in Haiti through the Red Cross, the organization reported. A five-week campaign in- volving local businesses, in- dividuals and government departments, raised funds for Haiti after it was struck by the devastating hurricane in early October last year. Red Cross International Federation hopes to raise $5.7 million by mid-2018 to assist nearly 150,000 people in need. According to the Red Cross, as of 10 Jan. more than 38,000 Haitian families had been reached and helped with emergency health, nutrition and shelter needs, water and sanitation requirements. From left, Cayman Islands Premier Alden McLaughlin and Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom Liu Xiaoming with Bermuda Premier Michael Dunkley and British Virgin Islands Premier Orlando Smith at the Joint Ministerial Council meeting in London. A boat carrying Cuban migrants floats off Grand Cayman. The number of migrants entering Cayman waters has increased in recent years. - PHOTO: NORMA CONNOLLYNext >