High of 90 Low of 76 Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY JULY 5, 2017 JUL Y 20 17 • WWW . CA YJ OU RNA L .CO M 1 77 THIS ISSUE: SPECIAL REPORT Corporate Tech >>PAGE 9MARKETS The FANG stocks are making a comeback >>PAGE 2AUTO INDUSTRY Electric car disruption lies ahead >>PAGE 3 TRUSTS SMP Partners Acquisition of RBC business adds Cayman avor >>PAGE 4 Cor por at e Tec h Small island marketers go global with digital media SIRI co-founder: AI still too narrow to be feared KAYLA YOUNG In a once-unlikely David and Goliath-type scenario, geographically isolated nations like the Cayman Islands sit poised to take on global marketing giants and shake up the world of digital media. Speaking from the Kimpton Seafi re Resort in Grand Cayman, Google AdWords digital marketing ambassador Joshua Weum described an evening of the playing fi eld for small contenders, ushered in by unprecedented access to digital platforms. Established companies that rely on traditional methods risk irrelevance in a rapidly changing, digital landscape, Weum explained at the Cayman Islands Marketing Professionals Association Con- ference on June 14. “As the internet evolves and digital solutions be- come more prevalent, the small business owner has a chance to embrace (digital innovation) a little bit more than other companies and take market share from them as a result,” he said.“If I’m a travel company in Cayman and I want to appeal to a certain type of consumer, maybe someone who is a little more opulent or someone who lives in a certain area, with the targeting op- tions we have now, you’re really not stuck.”The relative anonymity of digital publishing renders location effectively irrelevant. Universal access to digital mediums means savvy island marketers can now compete on the same level as competitors based in urban centers. “That’s where I think the internet is so great for people here in Cayman. You are in an isolated area but with the technology we have now, you can reach the entire world as if you were on the main- land,” Weum said. “With digital, if you embrace the tools we have and some of the trends we’re seeing and the fore- casting of where digital is going, you can oftentimes compete very aggressively and very well with a business you may have thought was far too big to scratch the surface on.” Local perspective During a panel of local speakers, Rob Barton of Cayman’s BB&P Interactive said he has been struck in recent years by how quickly Cayman’s marketing services have adapted to digital platforms.“It has been supported by the growth in digital media specifi cally Facebook and the empowering nature of those digital channels that everybody now has at their fi ngertips. [It] has changed the way we market ourselves,” Barton said. MICHAEL KLEIN There is no shortage of fears over the rise of artifi cial intelligence. Both theo- retical physicist Stephen Hawking and Tesla founder Elon Musk have warned that the development of full artifi cial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. Futurist Ray Kurzweil predicted in his book “The Singularity is Near” that by 2029 computers will have human-level intelligence. Kurzweil, who is Google’s di- rector of engineering focused on machine learning, believes the singularity, a point when technological advances, especially in artifi cial intelligence, will lead to ma- chines that are smarter than human be- ings, is going to prompt a rapid accelera- tion in intelligence. Rather than fear this development, Kur-zweil argues that AI is going to make hu-mans smarter. Instead of a single all-encom-passing and potentially threatening artifi cial intelligence that is often depicted in science fi ction works, he says that by the 2030s there will be millions of artifi cial intelligenc-es that will be connected to the neocortex of humans, heightening their intelligence.In contrast to Hawking, who is concerned that humans, limited by their slow biologi- cal evolution, would not be able to compete and ultimately superseded by machines, Kurzweil believes AI will enable humans to transcend biology. Closer to the present, Adam Cheyer, co- founder of SIRI, the digital assistant in Ap- ple iPhones, says real AI is nothing that we have to be afraid of in our lifetime.Speaking at accounting fi rm Eisner Amper’s 10-year anniversary in Cayman, the inventor said, “In my view, there is nothing to worry about. If you talk to anyone who works in AI and understands what AI can or cannot do, it will be more likely that we will meet extraterrestrial life than machine life.” Adam Cheyer PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 15 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 15 » Joshua Weum, Google AdWords’ digital marketing ambassador. Established companies that rely on traditional methods risk irrelevance in a rapidly changing, digital landscape, delegates at the CIMPA marketing conference heard. Small island marketers go global with digital media THE CAYMAN ISLANDS JOURNAL EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 ‘PROGRESSIVE’ IMPROVEMENTS FOR COMMUTERS Canover Watson arrested in CIFA probe BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The second man arrested last week in con- nection with a corruption and money laun- dering probe involving the Cayman Islands Football Association is jailed businessman Canover Watson, according to numerous gov- ernment and local football sources. Watson, 46, was taken to the Fairbanks jail and questioned Friday, according to au- thorities. He was arrested on suspicion of “secret commissions” – an offense under the Anti-Corruption Law – and on suspicion of money laundering contrary to the Proceeds of Crime Law. He was not charged as of press time Tuesday. His attorney, Amelia Fosuhene, said Tuesday that she was not in a position to dis- cuss the case. Watson is currently serving a seven-year sentence at Northward Prison for fraud and public corruption offenses following his February 2016 conviction in the 2015-2016 CarePay trial. Watson, along with his business associate Jeffrey Webb, was accused of skim- ming hundreds of thousands of dollars from a public hospital swipe-card contract while Watson served as chairman of the Health Ser- vices Authority Board. Watson is appealing the conviction to the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal. The matter under investigation by the Cayman Islands Anti-Corruption Commission relates to a separate probe. The general nature of the investigation was revealed in a statement Monday by Cayman Islands Football Association Vice President Bruce Blake. He was arrested in connection with the CIFA probe Thursday, a day before Watson, and has denied any wrongdoing. Mr. Blake has not been charged. “Mr. Blake’s arrest was in connection with suspicion of allegations of secret com- mission and money laundering in relation to the signing of two loan agreements on be- half of CIFA with regards to two amounts of US$600,000 each received in the Butterfield Bank account of CIFA and then transferred to the CIFA loan account at Fidelity Bank,” a statement issued by Mr. Blake’s attorney read. SIXTH RESIDENCY CHALLENGE FILED BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Another court challenge has been filed over a permanent residency application, this time in a relatively recent matter. Oliver Sinton is seeking judicial review over the failure of the Caymanian Status and Per- manent Residency Board and the chief immi- gration officer to hear his March 4, 2016 resi- dence application. He is the latest PR applicant to seek legal recourse against the government. Mr. Sinton’s judicial review, filed after a 15-month delay, seeks a declaration that his case’s delay is unlawful. He also seeks dam- ages and legal costs against the government. Mr. Sinton’s judicial review application, filed June 30, is the sixth seeking to chal- lenge delays in the residency hearings process. Three of those six applicants have received permanent residence and are pursuing dam- ages against the Cayman Islands government over the delays. The other three applications, filed on June 16, June 26 and June 30, have not yet come before the court for consideration. The three permanent residency applica- tions that were approved under legal threat were all filed between late 2013 and mid-2014. The government’s delays in hearing an ap- plication for citizenship or residency status have been a subject of concern since last year, following a ruling of the U.K.’s Privy Council. That decision overturned an earlier decision of an eastern Caribbean court, ruling that a 19-month delay in registering an application for citizenship was too long and was “likely to be unlawful” when considering an applicant’s human rights. The Privy Council judgment from August 2016 Film award winners starstruck by Cayman KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com CayFilm’s fourth and final night ended with awards and a promise of bigger things to come for Cayman filmmakers. Academy collaborator and screenwriter James V. Hart was named one of two Life- time Achievement Award win- ners Monday at The Ritz- Carlton, Grand Cayman for his screenwriting work in “Hook,” “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” and “Muppet Treasure Island,” among other films. He reflected on the natural draw of the Cayman Islands that has kept him returning year after year. “All of Cayman has been magic for me. I’m a diver and I came here to dive,” Mr. Hart said. “We had a beautiful dive today with my Cayman buddies, my dive buddies, and there is a mo- ment in every diver’s dive which you want to delay as long as possible, especially when you are at the end of your visit. And it’s that last moment where you realize you don’t have enough air to stay down any longer in this magical, pristine gift.” US military veterans visit Little Cayman The Diving with Heroes group brought a group of U.S. veterans to Little Cayman, where they spent a week working and diving with the Central Caribbean Marine Institute. For more, see page 5. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL WEDNESDAY JULY 5, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 BABY DRIVER (R) 12:40 I 2:45 I 7:00 VIP I 9:40 VIP CARS 3 (G) 1:25 I 3:55 I 6:30 I 9:05 THE MUMMY (PG13) 3:40 I 6:50 I 9:30 WONDER WOMAN (PG13) 1:40 I 4:50 I 8:00 DESPICABLE ME 3 3D (PG) 12:30 I 2:00 2D VIP I 4:30 2D VIP 5:20 I 7:35 2D I 9:50 TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT 3D (PG13) 12:40 2D I 4:00 I 7:20 - WEDNESDAY - 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. *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. 640-FILM (640-3456) Three people were ar- rested and 35 received tickets at an annual motorbike event in Frank Sound on Saturday. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service said some people had raised concerns about the event, which drew about 150 people this year. For the most part, the event took place off-road and in an “orderly fashion,” ac- cording to police. Eighteen police officers carried out motor vehicle checks around the event, mainly to deter illegal riding of dirt bikes or unlicensed vehicles on public roads. Also, officers were there to ensure no unlicensed motor vehicles were used to drive to and from the off-road area. Over the weekend, police also conducted an immigra- tion-related raid in George Town and a public nuisance complaint investigation in Rum Point. “Our aim is to dis- rupt low-level illegal ac- tivities even while we ad- dress higher-profile crimes, because these also impact the public and can esca- late,” Police Commissioner Derek Byrne said. Immigration raid A combined police-immi- gration operation in George Town’s Rock Hole neighbor- hood Sunday resulted in five arrests and recovery of a small quantity of drugs. According to the RCIPS, three men and two women were believed to have been illegally residing at a Rock Hole address. They were arrested on suspicion of sev- eral offenses, including theft, burglary, drug possession and “abstracting electricity.” All five were released on police bail pending further investigation. Eighteen police officers carried out motor vehicle checks around the event, mainly to deter illegal riding of dirt bikes or unlicensed vehicles on public roads. Three arrested at weekend motorbike event Boaters missing for 11 days Police are continuing their search for two boaters who were last seen on June 23 off the coast of Cayman. Chadwick Bodden and Edward Henricks-Hydes were seen setting out for 60-Mile Bank on a 30-foot canoe. They were not ex- pected to return until June 28, and police said their ab- sence was not reported to authorities until Sunday. The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service said it is concerned for the safety of the two men and asks anyone with information about them or their craft to contact police. CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – A conflict between President Nicolas Maduro’s govern- ment and his increasingly defiant chief prosecutor was coming to a head Tuesday as Luisa Ortega Diaz an- nounced she was boycotting a Supreme Court hearing on whether to lift her immunity from being tried for unspeci- fied irregularities. Ortega Diaz argued the outcome of Tuesday’s hearing was a foregone conclusion decided by the government that violates her legal right to defense and due process. “I am not going to vali- date a circus that will stain our history with shame and pain,” she said at a news con- ference as the hearing was getting under way. The case against her for alleged “serious errors” while in office was brought by a ruling-party lawmaker and could lead to her ouster. National Guard troops and riot police took up po- sitions outside the court building in Caracas, where protests against Madu- ro’s government have been raging almost daily for several months. On Monday the govern- ment-stacked Supreme Court acted to strip a key power from Ortega by acting itself to impose her deputy: a loy- alist who was sanctioned by the United States in 2015 for her role prosecuting some of Maduro’s most vocal opponents. The decision to name Katherine Haringhton to the post effectively made her the nation’s No. 2 law enforce- ment official even though the constitution says the semi- autonomous chief prosecutor has the power to name her own deputy, with confirma- tion by congress. Lawmakers on Monday had re-confirmed Ortega’s own choice as deputy after he was removed by the high court last week. As Venezuela’s political crisis has deepened, Ortega has emerged as Maduro’s most-feared critic. In April the once-loyal leftist broke with the government over its decision to strip con- gress of its last powers, and she has made common cause with right-wing opponents in blasting Maduro’s plans to rewrite Venezuela’s 1999 constitution. The Supreme Court has also attacked Ortega’s au- thority by throwing out her order for the former head of the National Guard to testify about alleged human rights abuses during the crack- down on the protests, which have left at least 80 dead. It has also limited her powers to investigate abuses, which are shared with the na- tion’s ombudsman. The almost daily assault has only emboldened Ortega, who was warmly applauded Monday during an address by opposition lawmakers who until a few months ago con- sidered her Maduro’s jailer. Haringhton, a career pros- ecutor, was sanctioned by the Obama administration in 2015 for her role pursuing charges against members of the political opposition. That included the jailing of Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma on charges of plot- ting to overthrow Maduro and a case against former lawmaker Maria Corina Machado that was based on emails later shown to be fraudulent. Venezuela high court, top prosecutor in political showdown Venezuela’s chief prosecutor Luisa Ortega Diaz NEWBORN LATEST VICTIM OF RIO’S SURGING VIOLENCE RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – Ar- thur was still inside his mother’s womb when he became Rio months preg- nant when she was hit by a stray bullet from a shootout in a Rio slum on June 30. During an emergency cesarean sec- tion doctors discovered that a bullet had also hit Arthur, damaging his lungs and spine. Doctors say the mother is in stable, non-life threat- ening condition while her newborn is clinging to life in a case that has shocked Brazilians and underscored surging gun violence in Rio. “We had never seen this before,” Rafael Lopes, the head surgeon at the Mo- acyr Rodrigues de Carmo hospital where Arthur was delivered, said during a press conference Monday. Doctors said it was a miracle Arthur was still alive, breathing with the help of machines and cur- rently paraplegic, though they added it was too soon to say if he would re- main so forever. According to Amnesty International Brazil, there have been an average of 13 shootings a day in the Rio metropolitan area over the past 11 months. Most of the shootings occur in hillside slums con- trolled by drug gangs. 9 DEAD IN SHOOTINGS INVOLVING FUEL THIEVES IN MEXICO MEXICO CITY (AP) – Nine people were killed in central Mexico in a series of shoot- ings involving disputes be- tween suspected fuel thieves, officials said. It was the latest round of violence in an area east of Mexico City where theives who siphon fuel out of state- run pipelines have fought po- lice, the army and each other. Prosecutors in Puebla state said late Monday the shoot- ings started when a gang of gunmen led by a man known as “El Cuije” – “The Lizard” – went looking for other thieves to extort money from them. They killed three people on the spot and kidnapped five others, whose bodies were found elsewhere, burned. A local police official was also killed in circum- stances related to the shoot- ings in the township of Hue- huetlan El Grande. Another policeman and a town official were injured. Mexican drug and crim- inal gangs frequently charge other criminals for the right to operate in their territory and that part of Puebla state has come to be dominated by fuel thieves. In May, gunmen using local residents as human shields opened fire on Mex- ican army patrols investi- gating fuel pipeline thefts, in clashes that left four soldiers and six attackers dead. “I am not going to validate a circus that will stain our history with shame and pain.” LUISA ORTEGA DIAZ, chief prosecutor Edward Henricks-HydesChadwick BoddenThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY JULY 5, 2017 Meet our new CEO: Angie Baraud As we celebrate 25 years of excellence in the Cayman Islands and beyond, we are pleased to announce Angie Baraud as our new CEO; the next generation. Angie, a Canadian CPA, CA and a member of the Cayman Islands Institute of Professional Accountants, has over 12 years of professional experience with an international Big Four accounting firm. During that time she led the business development and marketing function. Her experience spans the Cayman Islands, Canada and the Caribbean region. Angie’s vast knowledge and experience of the financial services sector encompasses alternative asset management, insurance and banking; she also specializes in coaching teams on strategy, networking and personal branding, in order to deliver top value to people and clients. Angie believes in giving back to the community and serves on a number of committees. She has also been on the Board of Directors of Baraud for a number of years and is excited to take on this new role, building on the solid foundation established by those before her. If anyone knows who and knows how to get things done, it’s Angie. Join us in welcoming Angie. Celebrating 25 years of service as Cayman’s premier recruitment and immigration consultants On July 1, 1992, Baraud opened its doors for business in Grand Cayman. From its humble beginnings in offices on Fort Street, to today’s ultra-modern, state-of-the-art office on Elgin Avenue, the company has transformed the recruitment and immigration consultancy business in the Cayman Islands. Company founder Betty Baraud has single-handedly pioneered the industry, paving the way for a plethora of agencies to follow her trail. Today, Cayman’s leading employers depend on the company for its services, which include extensive connections with local and international talent. New CEO “I am proud to be able to carry on the legacy of Baraud. Betty’s contribution to the recruitment and immigration consultancy business is unrivaled and extremely impressive,” says Angie. Angie also welcomes the challenge and opportunity to lead the present Baraud team — and has the business acumen to do so. She has over 12 years of experience as a Chartered Professional Accountant in Cayman and Canada at a Big Four accounting firm, with vast knowledge of various facets of the financial sector. She has also led the business development and marketing function for the same firm for several years and played a leadership role across its Caribbean regional network. “We are excited about the future of Baraud and looking forward to Angie stepping in to lead the company as its CEO,” says Ms. Baraud. Community Involvement Baraud has maintained strong roots in the community over the past 25 years, from supporting the Junior Achievement program to sponsoring such organizations as the Breast Cancer Foundation, Young Caymanian Leadership Awards program, Cayman Islands Olympic Committee, 100 Women Who Care and Cayman HospiceCare just to name a few. This desire and commitment to give back to the community will remain part of the company’s ethos, as Angie is very involved with the Cayman community. She is a board member on a number of committees, including Positive Intervention Now (PIN), an afterschool programme aimed at helping students develop spiritually, intellectually, socially and emotionally, sitting on the 100 Women in Finance NextGen Committee, as well as being a 100WF sustaining Angel. In addition to being a Board Director of Baraud for a number of years, Angie is also a board member of CPA Canada’s Cayman Chapter, a member of the Cayman Finance marketing sub- committee, and a former member of the Cayman Islands Institute of Professional Accountants’ Membership Development Committee. What’s next? Angie brings a fresh perspective to Baraud and will utilize her skills to build on the solid foundation already in place. “We take this opportunity to thank Alan Brady and Stefan Cohen, the previous management team and partners, for their contributions over the past 5 years and for working with us during this time. We wish them the best in their future endeavors,” says Angie. Angie notes that the company’s current policies, practices, and present staff will remain in place and clients should find the transition seamless. She is excited to collaborate with the highly competent and knowledgeable staff in order to grow the company to its full potential and her main focus is to build on the solid foundation that has been laid over the past 25 years. “Our recruiting, immigration, staffing solutions and payroll outsourcing services will continue at the high standards Baraud has always adhered to. In the near term, the only changes will be to enhance our future services, taking them to the next level in order to bring increased value to our clients and to our people,” says Angie. “In the long term, I am looking to grow Baraud to new heights. Growth is a positive change for all stakeholders. The future is bright.” Baraud - The Next GenerationThe islands’ most-trusted news source 4 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” It is energizing to see so much orange around Grand Cayman. And no, we’re not talking about this year’s crop of mangos. We’re talking about traffic cones. Work began this week on a new mini roundabout at the junction of Crewe and Smith roads – an intersec- tion which, frankly, could use a little “law and order.” The project also includes adding a center turn lane to a section of Crewe Road, as well as drainage improvements, curbs and sidewalks. Once that’s complete, we expect significant “detangling” of the twice-daily traffic “snarls” motorists have come to endure on that stretch of asphalt. Then there’s the ongoing expansion of the Linford Pierson Highway, which will significantly lower commuters’ blood pressure by spreading traffic out across four lanes. On the northern side of George Town, the even more grandiose expansion of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway is continuing to develop, with a recent milestone being the opening of the Dart Group’s three-lane roundabout and underpass. Dart’s project (which includes a second underpass on West Bay Road and will ultimately enable pedestrians to stroll freely from Camana Bay to Seven Mile Beach) right now may seem a bit overwhelming – even dizzying – but when completed should satisfy funda- mental transportation infrastructure needs for that side of the island for years to come. All of the above are welcome next steps in a series of important infrastructure improvements that the Pro- gressives have been steadily tackling in the George Town area for the past several years. Past projects include the widening of Smith Road and Godfrey Nixon Way. The requisite orange cones and detour signs may be temporary nuisances, but the recent (and pending) projects are necessary to alleviate more permanently the growing congestion on our relatively modest system of roads. As motorists ourselves, we know that construction can be a source of frustration in the short term (by the way, kudos to the National Roads Authority for their decision to embark upon the Crewe-Smith project after the end of the school year), but adequate infrastructure is a necessity, not a luxury – ask any West Bay driver how much easier their morning commute has been made by the highway expansion there. Even small projects, like the cut-through road from Smith Road to Elgin Avenue near the Government Administration Building, can allow traffic to flow far more freely and soothe drivers’ frazzled nerves. The Progressives deserve credit for making infrastruc- ture a priority – and treating it as such. As Dart Real Estate President Jackie Doak has said about her company’s infrastructure investments, “Infra- structure is more than an economic stimulant; it’s a growth strategy for the Cayman Islands as a place where people want to live, visit and invest.” Of course, there are only so many roads (by their nature hazardous, dirty and noisy) that our small island can accommodate comfortably. Roads are only one component of a healthy transpor- tation infrastructure. In addition to celebrating the (desir- able) road projects that are either on tap or brewing, our leaders would be wise to look to dense cities and other small islands to see how they are grappling with traffic issues. As far as we’re concerned, all options should be up for consideration – including encouraging the ownership of fewer and/or smaller vehicles, investing significantly in robust public transit systems, etc. In addition to simply building roads, building on what others have learned can help Cayman achieve an efficient and right-sized transportation infrastructure to ensure the road ahead leads to continued sustainable growth. – EDITORIAL – ‘Progressive’ improvements for commuters Those who claim the right to others’ labor would fit in with slaveholders RICHARD W. RAHN Why do so many pro- pose policies that under- mine the never-ending quest to create a government that ensures liberty and protects person and property, as en- visioned by the American Founders? Is it out of a de- sire for political power or ig- norance of the consequences of their proposals? This past weekend, there was a segment on National Public Radio, where the re- porter asked a number of people who identified as Dem- ocrats what their party stood for. Several responded, “It is a work in progress,” and others presented a few, feel-good, non-operational generalities requiring more government spending – but all agreed that they must oppose President Trump, for whatever reasons. No one mentioned liberty. In fairness, if a group of Repub- licans had been asked what their party stood for – many of the answers would have been equally incoherent. Most Republicans used to stand for a more limited government and lower taxes, yet many Re- publican senators are now talking about supporting a healthcare “replacement” that would leave in place many of the Obamacare taxes. Sen. Bernie Sanders keeps repeating that “all Ameri- cans have a right to health- care” – nice applause line, but what does it mean? There is no such right mentioned in the Declaration of Indepen- dence or the Constitution. Healthcare is not a free good – someone has to pay for it. Ask yourself – who should pay for your healthcare? And in order to focus your answer, name the specific person, not a useless generalization – such as, the “rich.” Do you have the obligation to pay for someone else’s healthcare? If so, how much and why? There is an insatiable de- mand for healthcare, par- ticularly as people get older. No society is rich enough to pay for all of the healthcare people want. Thus, health- care must be rationed in some manner – and the only choices are by price, by form of treatment, or by queuing. Those who say healthcare should be rationed by price – as we do with restau- rant meals and most other things we buy – are accused of being mean to the poor. Those who say that rationing should be done by form of treatment – e.g., beyond some age, the taxpayer will not be required to pay for hip re- placements or a heart trans- plant – will be accused of being unfair to the older pop- ulation or those in serious need. If rationing is done by queuing – that is, waiting in line for a certain operation (because of a scarcity of doc- tors with the necessary skill or scarcity of the required fa- cilities) – it is claimed this is unfair to those most in need. Mr. Sanders and his sup- porters say we should in- crease the taxes on the “rich” to pay for more healthcare and all of the other programs they think should be consid- ered rights. Who are these “rich,” and how did they be- come responsible for others’ healthcare? I have a good friend who made consider- able money in business on his own and is probably worth some tens of millions of dollars. A couple of years ago, I referred to him as being “rich.” He strongly de- nied it and said that he was “comfortable” but to be “rich” you needed to have more than a hundred million dollars. In some places in Africa and Asia, there are l tens of millions who subsist on less than two dollars a day. By their standards, the average American on welfare – who has a color TV, dishwasher, air-conditioned apartment and plenty of food – is “rich.” The point is that “rich” is a relative term – and there will never be enough rich people to pay for all of the demands of those who think some are entitled to others’ income. The 13th Amendment to the Constitution prohibits “involuntary servitude” and slavery. At what point does a tax on someone’s labor – where the proceeds of that tax are largely used to pro- vide income or services to others – constitute “involun- tary servitude?” At various times, many countries, in- cluding the United States, have tried to place very high tax rates on the “rich” or others – and it always fails. The “rich” withdraw their taxable labor by taking more leisure time or move to the shadow economy, or to where they are more lightly taxed. Those who think they have the right to the labor of those they revile, i.e., the “rich,” have the same men- tality of the slaveholder who also thought he had the right to others’ labor. Liberty is not only being destroyed by taxation and regulation; it is also being destroyed by formal and in- formal speech codes, partic- ularly on college campuses. Those who would seek to im- pose limitations on the free expression of others are ac- tually revealing they have much of the mindset of King George III of England at the time of the American Revolu- tion – who also believed that speech he did not like was impermissible. Unfortunately, name- calling by politicians and others who cannot think be- yond Stage I (that is, the con- sequences of any policy pro- posal) and express serious ideas in a way that reso- nate with people is not new. Our forefathers did not re- volt against the British to get “free” healthcare or cell- phones, but to obtain liberty – which they believed was worth fighting for. Richard W. Rahn is chairman of Improbable Success Productions and on the board of the American Council for Capital Formation. © 2017 The Washington Times, LLC. WEDNESDAY JULY 5, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Understanding the anti-liberty lobby5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY JULY 5, 2017 Diving helps US veterans find relief from pain, depression TAD STONER tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com As a group, they have been to Cayman a handful of times, but every trip is new, bringing wounded U.S. mili- tary veterans to dive at the Central Caribbean Marine In- stitute, Compass Point and Ocean Frontiers. The latest weeklong trip started June 17, when a dozen veterans, suffering from back injuries, chronic pain, depression as part of post-traumatic stress dis- order, and other disabilities, traveled to CCMI with Vir- ginia-based Diving with He- roes, founded in May 2014 by veteran Joe Brickey and his daughter Jill Brickey Hottel, executive director of the organization. Scuba diving appears to help, relieving stress and pressure to physical inju- ries, especially the spine, and opening a diverse and silent world to men and women damaged in myriad ways in brutal conflicts. “We are unlocking the treasures contained in the un- derwater world and sharing them with those who have fought so valiantly to secure and defend our freedom,” ac- cording to the Diving with Heroes website. “Theirs is the great sacrifice and we are honoring them for it.” Scott Vadnais, Diving with Heroes director of commu- nications, and a 22-year vet- eran of the U.S. Air Force, led the June trip, the sixth to Cayman and the second to CCMI. He said most vet- erans gain diving certifica- tions through the Wounded Warriors organization, “but then have nowhere to go.” They often find their way to Diving with Heroes. “We saw a need,” Mr. Vad- nais said. “The guys have the training, but nothing further. It’s all about pain relief and treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.” Ethan Hughes, 42, born in Indianapolis, Indiana, spent almost 22 years in the U.S. Army, retiring on Aug. 1, 2015. A veteran of one 1996 tour in Egypt’s Sinai, a 2006- 2008 Operation Freedom tour in Iraq and a 2010-2011 En- during Freedom tour in Af- ghanistan, he sustained in- juries in the latter two tours of duty. He initially learned to dive in Sharm El-Sheikh, at the southernmost tip of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, but when he retired, he pursued diving full time. “Being buoyant gives the ability for less pain and lessens the pressure on the spine,” Mr. Hughes said. The relief lasts for short pe- riods of time. “If you stay at 60 degrees, over multiple dives for, let’s say, three days, you’ll be in less pain for three days. “It’s therapeutic for chronic pain and for PTSD,” boosted by the weightless en- vironment, Mr. Hughes said. After returning to In- dianapolis on June 24, he said, he hopes to return to Cayman, either rejoining the Diving with Heroes team or, ideally, as a full-time CCMI volunteer. Divemate and fellow vet- eran Christopher Borger, 30, was born in Levittown, next door to Philadelphia, Penn- sylvania, but grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. His first job, he said, was at a Jacksonville dive shop where he became a com- mercial diver doing sal- vage, recovery, surveying and clearing, eventually gaining his divemaster license. He joined the army in 2004, and did two deploy- ments in Iraq during seven years of service. He suffered from PTSD and injuries to his lower back. “They said I was not able to perform jobs any- more. I wanted to stay over- seas and do private con- tracting,” he said, but plans fell apart “and I sank into a deep depression. “I couldn’t keep a job for two years and got into drinking heavily. I got a ser- vice dog, and that helped, and then I discovered scuba diving, and it’s all I want to do now.” Diving, he said, “abso- lutely helps. In water, my back relaxes, with no aches and no suffering.” It also blocks out “white noise,” Mr. Borger said, de- scribing an acute ner- vous sensitivity to urban stress and relentless over-stimulation. “It’s distracting. It’s hard to focus. It’s frustrating. I get angry and that leads to de- pression,” he said, “but when I get into the water, it blocks all the static. It’s peaceful. “I’ve been doing it now for two-and-a-half years and this is all I want to do. I’ve had more than 300 dives,” he said. The Diving with Heroes divers take a boat journey to Owen Island. Members of the Diving with Heroes crew help move some 300 cinder blocks to the beach as part of an operation to build up a coral nursery. The blocks were floated out to a boat in a big tub and dropped into about 65 feet of water, where the divers moved them into a pattern where coral and sponges will be attached. Front seats stolen from parked car Dive instructor Drew McArthur returned to Grand Cayman over the weekend to find that thieves had stolen the front seats from his SUV. Mr. McArthur, who went to Miami for five days, had left his Toyota Hilux parked in a lot next to the Compass Centre on Shedden Road, about a mile from the airport. When he went to get his car after arriving on is- land around 9:45 p.m. Sat- urday, he discovered his car seats were missing. The thieves had smashed a small side window on the car to gain access. The thieves left a wrench on the car floor and a cigar butt in the ashtray. The car’s stereo and a dog cage in the back of the car were not taken. “I was absolutely shocked and amazed that someone would break into my car to steal the front seats and leave the stereo,” Mr. McArthur said. “The whole thing is a nightmare. I had returned home from vacation to find that I had been robbed. Now I can’t drive my car until I buy replacement seats. “I had heard that there was a spike in crime on the island but just thought that my car was so old that nobody would go to the trouble of breaking into it.” Police say there have been a spate of car thefts throughout George Town in recent weeks. Car owner Drew McArthur opened his car door Saturday night to find thieves had removed his front seats. - PHOTO: NORMA CONNOLLYDISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days Sister Islands WEDNESDAY JULY 5, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Burgess Meredith’s son recalls Little Cayman SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Jonathan Meredith vis- ited Little Cayman only once, but it made an impression to last a lifetime. Mr. Meredith, the son of actor Burgess Meredith, vis- ited Little Cayman in 1970 as part of a class project. He shared his memories with the Cayman Compass. Only 17 people called Little Cayman home when Jonathan Meredith visited, and he said his father made only a few visits to the little house he built on the north side of the island. “I only went there one time,” said Mr. Meredith when reached by phone at his home in California. “Bur- gess bought the house as an investment. He knew a friend of his that had some land. “Years later, I think in the early ‘90s, my dad sold it …. I think he would just kind of hang out and relax there. He would read scripts. He was a big reader. And then he had a little glass-bottom boat. I think Olney Scott, who was one of the guys living on Cayman Brac, he kind of showed Dad around.” The Merediths built that house 50 years ago, and it has recently been mentioned in the Cayman Compass’s Sister Islands District Day pages because of a story in the paper’s precursor, the Caymanian Weekly, about a skeleton found on the property in 1967. Jonathan Meredith does not know much about that story, but he remembers the time. “That sort of came out of nowhere,” he said. “They were building the founda- tion for the house when they found the skeleton and all work had to stop. Burgess was afraid that he might not be able to get the title. But then they figured out who it was, I guess, and everything worked out OK.” The younger Mr. Mere- dith stayed on Little Cayman for three weeks in January 1970, and he immortalized the island’s rustic nature in a 13-minute documentary project for school. The movie is available on YouTube and has been donated to the Grand Cayman archives. “We didn’t do any scuba diving. We didn’t spend any time on Grand Cayman,” he said. “We just went right to Little Cayman. We didn’t have any equipment. We just went swimming. There in Little Cayman at the time, it was pretty primitive. We had nothing there except for the house. And that was it.” There was no perimeter road on Little Cayman when Jonathan Meredith visited, and he said Cayman Brac was more readily accessible than Little Cayman. All the travel was by boat, and when Mr. Meredith was dropped off by Olney Scott, he re- ceived a shock to the system. Mr. Scott told them that he’d be back as soon as weather permitted, and a tropical storm trapped Mr. Meredith and his friend Bob Banner in the Little Cayman house for the next four days. Mr. Mer- edith’s documentary shows the whistling wind and bent palm trees that character- ized his stay. “That was the first thing we learned about Little Cayman,” he said during his video for Callison College, part of the University of the Pacific. “The weather gov- erns the whole life on the is- land.… During these storms, which are quite frequent, no one can use the boats and life comes to a standstill.” Mr. Meredith said there was no way to get around the island except by foot, and he said that to make it a short way from his house, he had to make a “machete hike” through the island’s dense vegetation. His video shows only one road sign, a marker that says, “Caution: Iguana Crossing.” There was only one store on Little Cayman at the time, said Mr. Meredith, and all the food and canned supplies that he used on is- land were brought by boat from Cayman Brac. That clearly made an impression on the two college students, and Mr. Meredith remem- bers what it was like to live in seclusion. “We were there just doing our video, and that was it,” he said. “No one else was there, except down in South Hole. We took pictures of the Southern Cross club and pic- tures of the houses.” Mr. Meredith said he got full credit for his video, which now exists as a his- torical document of life on Little Cayman. His father, who famously portrayed Mickey Goldmill in the “Rocky” movies and the Pen- guin in the 1960s incarna- tion of “Batman,” later moved to California. He passed away in 1997. The house, which sat in an unpopu- lated area of Little Cayman, fell off the family radar soon after they moved from New York to California. “He started it, and then they finished the house, and he went out there about two or three times. Maybe four,” Jonathan Meredith said of his father. “I think there were times when there were squatters there for a while. And they got tired of it and they left …. The squatters kept it up for a little while and then I think it prob- ably fell into disrepair. But I don’t know for sure because I never went back.” Burgess Meredith’s Little Cayman house, photographed in the 1960s. Volunteers clean beach, climb the Bluff Volunteers who cleaned up a beach on Cayman Brac over the weekend earned a free climb on the Bluff by cleanup organizer, Rock Iguana Ltd. Among the volunteers in the July 1 Clean & Climb Fest was John O’Brien, who col- lected six bags of garbage on the beach and then went climbing for the fist time. Angel Robledo, co-founder of Rock Iguana, said about 20 people took part in the cleanup at the beach at the end of the Brac’s South Side Road East. Between 45 and 50 bags of garbage were collected. Anyone who collected a full bag of rubbish was offered one free climb with Rock Iguana. “We had some people over from Grand Cayman, Brac tourists and residents. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any local [volunteers] from Cayman Brac,” Ms. Robledo said. For those who could not make the weekend cleanup, Rock Iguana is planning an- other “Clean & Climb” on Oct. 8 as part of the Brac Autumn Festival, she added. John O’Brien filled six bags with garbage. Only 17 people called Little Cayman home when Jonathan Meredith visited.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY JULY 5, 2017 “Those two amounts were represented to Mr. Blake to be loans to CIFA to pay down on the CIFA loan at Fidelity Bank in order for Fidelity Bank to remove the charge on the CIFA Centre of Ex- cellence in compliance with FIFA regulations. “Mr. Blake is obviously shocked and dismayed by these suspicious allegations,” the statement read, adding that the attorney had already cooperated with U.S. author- ities and FIFA in their on- going investigations. Panama connection The Cayman Islands Journal, a sister publication of the Cayman Compass, has previously reported that a Panamanian company set up by Watson was used to re- ceive what was described by U.S. prosecutors as a US$1.1 million bribe payment from a company named Traffic Sports that went to Cayman Islands businessman Jeffrey Webb. The US$1.1 million bribe forms part of the allegations made by the U.S. government against Webb in relation to the ongoing FIFA bribery and racketeering scandal. Webb has pleaded guilty to seven charges against him in that investigation and is due to be sentenced in January 2018. The Panama company, Forward Sports Management Inc., was the same entity that drew up the US$600,000 loan agreement with the Cayman Islands Football As- sociation, according to U.S. court records. Watson also served as CI- FA’s treasurer at the time of the loan in late 2013. A December 2015 lawsuit filed in a California court de- scribed that US$600,000 loan from Forward Sports and a matching second loan made to CIFA as “graft,” alleging that Forward Sports and Cal- ifornia-based Cartan Tours paid the money as bribes to former CIFA President Webb in order to win a lucrative business arrangement with CONCACAF, world football’s regional governing body for the Caribbean, North and Central America. Webb was president of both the Cayman Islands Football Association and CONCACAF at the time the loans issue arose. The December 2015 Cali- fornia civil court filing, which was settled before trial, al- leged that it was shortly after an October 2013 CONCACAF summit meeting when Cartan Tours made a “mysterious” US$600,000 loan to CIFA. Ac- cording to the lawsuit, the US$600,000 was disbursed in an unsecured loan from a Panamanian bank account on Dec. 31, 2013. The loan agreement between CIFA and Cartan International Man- agement Inc. was signed by Mr. Blake on behalf of CIFA, U.S. court records state. Forward Sports, whose representatives also at- tended the CONCACAF summit in October 2013, was alleged in the Cali- fornia lawsuit to have ex- tended its US$600,000 loan to CIFA on the same day as Cartan Tours. The same indi- vidual who signed the loan on behalf of Forward Sports had also signed on behalf of Cartan International, court papers allege. The agreement, which was signed by Mr. Blake on behalf of CIFA, and by nom- inee company secretary Irina Abrego de Espinosa on be- half of Forward Sports In- ternational, included a seven-year repayment plan at an interest rate of 1 per- cent above U.S. prime, or 4.25 percent. This loan was also re- designated by the Cayman Islands Football Associa- tion as a “gift” from Forward Sports. As a result, CIFA’s audit firm Rankin Berkower refused to sign off on the football association’s finan- cial accounts and reported the case to police. FIFA indictment The U.S. government’s in- dictment in the FIFA probe alleges that Webb told former CONCACAF General Secre- tary Enrique Sanz to solicit a bribe from Traffic Sports in exchange for CONCA- CAF’s award of the exclusive commercial rights for sev- eral regional football tour- naments, including the Gold Cup in 2013 and the CON- CACAF champions league for 2013/14 and 2014/15. The contract was valued at US$15.5 million. The indictment alleges Webb and Sanz decided to use an overseas company that manufactured football uniforms and footballs to ef- fectuate the bribe payment. The indictment notes a “close associate” of Webb’s, identi- fied as co-conspirator #24, had a connection to “Soccer Uniform Company A.” According to the U.S. fed- eral court indictment: “Webb eventually instructed [Sanz] to submit a false invoice to Traffic USA for $1.1 million to be paid to Soccer Uniform Company A, which Sanz did. On or about Dec. 4, 2013, the US$1.1 million bribe pay- ment for Jeffrey Webb was made by wire transfer from Traffic International’s ac- count at Delta National Bank & Trust in Miami, to a Wells Fargo correspondent ac- count in New York, New York, for credit to an account in the name of Soccer Uniform Company A at Capital Bank in Panama City, Panama.” Forward Sports in Panama, the company cre- ated by Watson, appeared to have an account at Cap- ital Bank, according to com- pany records examined by the Journal. Co-conspirator #24 is de- scribed in the U.S. FIFA in- dictment as a high-ranking official of one of FIFA’s na- tional member associations, an official of FIFA and the Caribbean Football Union and a businessman. involves a Guyanese man who was seeking to become a citizen of Antigua and Bar- buda by virtue of his mar- riage to a woman who had already obtained that status. The central question in the court case, previously heard by the Court of Ap- peal of the Eastern Carib- bean Supreme Court (An- tigua and Barbuda), was whether the 19 months it took between the man’s ap- plication for citizenship and his subsequent interview regarding that application, fell within locally accept- able and legally permis- sible time lines. In total, it took the man – Clive Oliveira – 27 months from the filing of his citizen- ship application until his grant of Antigua and Bar- buda citizenship. However, the court’s main concern centered on the length of time it took for his citizen- ship application to be regis- tered and scheduled for in- terview – 19 months. “We … conclude that a period of one year, from ap- plication to registration … is in general the outside limit of a reasonable time and that delay beyond that time, ab- sent special considerations, is likely to be unlawful be- cause a fetter on the legiti- mate applicant’s right to be registered,” the court ruled. The ruling has paral- lels to situation in Cayman, where between 900 and 1,000 people have applied for permanent residence under the current Immigra- tion Law since October 2013. The Caymanian Status and Permanent Residency Board began hearing those cases last month after a two-and-a-half year delay. Several legal challenges re- garding the delays have been filed since the restart of hearings by the board. Blood tests Until this week, all ap- plicants for permanent resi- dence were required to have blood tests for HIV and po- lice clearance checks every six months. Those docu- ments were due to be turned in to immigration authori- ties before each six-month renewal of their employ- ment application – called a “permission to continue working” application. According to immigration officials, the six-month re- quirement has been changed to an annual requirement for individuals renewing their permission to work. The permission to con- tinue working form must still be filled out every six months and the corre- sponding permit fee paid by the employer every six months. The blood tests and police clearances, however, will be valid for 12 months. Local photographer and diver Cathy Church said, “What draws me to Mr. Hart is that he also loves our oceans and that’s where I’ve really met him closely. But if you think about his last name, it really is what he has a lot of. This man is all heart. Watch him near any kids making films and he just melts.” Pixar Animation Studios co-founder Loren Carpenter won a Lifetime Achieve- ment Award for his rev- olutionary technological work for cinema. “Animation is argu- ably the most difficult me- dium because you start with a blank slate and a blank world, blank everything and it all comes out in the end. You don’t get actors who are talented; you are the actor. You don’t get artists who can do your sets; you have to be the artist,” Mr. Carpenter said. Describing his motivation to develop animation tech- nology, he said, “I wanted to see what was in others’ imaginations because there are a lot more imagina- tions than mine.” The evening’s décor hon- ored Mr. Carpenter with a Pixar-themed backdrop and Pixar-inspired des- serts. He was introduced with a surprise appear- ance by young actress San- iyya Sidney of “Fences” and “Hidden Figures.” Cayman filmmakers Local filmmakers made a strong showing during the festival with dozens of shorts and feature films on dis- play. Six Caymanian direc- tors competed for the Frank E. Flowers Local Filmmaker Award, including Trevor Murphy, Malcolm Ellis, Grace Ruby, Heather Harris, Pascal Pernix and Tanya Streeter. “Hotel” director Trevor Murphy, who has lived in Cayman since 2007, took home the accolade. He de- scribed a promising outlook for local cinema. “It’s thanks to Tony and creating CayFilm in 2015 that I believe local filmmakers are thriving. Twenty films this year and it gets better every year,” he said. “I’ve watched your films over the weekend and I am scared for next year al- ready,” he added. Support for film industry in Cayman Addressing a full ball- room of international and local talent, festival director Tony Mark described the third annual event as a step- ping stone for the islands’ film industry. “This is phase one of the film festival, to get awareness, and guess what, we’re get- ting aware. The world knows now about the Cayman In- ternational Film Festival,” Mr. Mark said. “The next phase is to build a media academy here. We’ve had meetings this weekend with some of the VIPs who have come down about starting workshops and some really intensive, week-long courses. Pretty much everyone I’ve talked to is ready to come back.” Mr. Hart encouraged sup- port of young filmmakers, noting that the creation of a film academy would allow CayFilm to uniquely promote film beyond what is typically offered by other festivals. Award categories ■■ Best Feature Film – “D-Love” directed by Elena Beuca ■■ Best Animated Film – “White Tunnel” directed by Chien Lan-Chi ■■ Frank E. Flowers Best Local Film – “Hotel” di- rected by Trevor Murphy ■■ Best Feature Documentary – “Out of State” directed by Ciara Lacy ■■ Best Documentary Short – “Disney Cartoon Camera” directed by Dave Bossert ■■ Best Short Film – “All The Marbles” directed by Michael Swingler ■■ Best Environmental Film – “Straws” directed by Linda Booker ■■ The Paul Schrader Best Screenplay Award – “The King’s Inn” written by Lorraine Portman ■■ Best Music Video – “Dan Sultan – Magnetic” di- rected by Jonathan Chong ■■ Best Underwater Film – “Dive To Be Alive” di- rected by Florian Fisher ■■ Best First Film – “Sea Of Life” directed by Julia Barnes ■■ 48-Hour Film Project – “The Last Act” directed by Cassandra Shea ■■ Lifetime Achievement Awards – James V. Hart and Loren Carpenter Canover Watson arrested in CIFA probe CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Watson, 46, was arrested on suspicion of “secret commissions” – an offense under the Anti-Corruption Law – and on suspicion of money laundering contrary to the Proceeds of Crime Law. He was not charged as of press time Tuesday. Film award winners starstruck by Cayman Sixth residency challenge filed CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Canover Watson Pixar Animation Studios co-founder Loren Carpenter speaks after accepting a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Cayfilm festival, as Miss Cayman Anika Conolly and 10-year-old actress Saniyya Sidney look on. - PHOTO: MAGGIE JACKSON CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18 LOCAL NEWS Check out these photos and others by visiting caymancompass.com/photogalleries or on facebook.com/caycompass (and don’t forget to tag yourself and your friends!) WEDNESDAY JULY 5, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Local and international filmmakers were honored Monday at the awards evening of the CayFilm fes- tival at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman. Lifetime Achievement Awards went to “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” and “Hook” screenwriter James V. Hart and to Pixar Animation Studios co-founder Loren Carpenter. ‘Fences’ and ‘Hidden Figures’ actress Saniyya Sidney, 10, was one of the awards presenters. Co-producer Jeff Consiglio and director Ciara Lacy receive the award for Best Feature Documentary for ‘Out of State.’ - PHOTOS: MAGGIE JACKSON Kim Evey, Greg Benson and their son Charlie arrive at the gala evening. James V. Hart received a Lifetime Achievement Award. Linda Booker, director of ‘Straws,’ receives the Best Environmental Film award. Actor Wes Studi presented the Best Feature Documentary award. Miss Cayman Anika Conolly presents writer Lorraine Portman with the Paul Schrader Best Screenplay Award for ‘The King’s Inn.’ CayFilm’s Tony Mark congratulates Pixar founder Loren Carpenter on his Lifetime Achievement Award. Gary Lucchesi, president of Lakeshore Entertainment, gets ready to present the Best Feature Film award. Director Elena Beuca receives the award for Best Feature Film for her movie ‘D-Love.’The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY JULY 5, 2017 UK payments firm considers takeover Britain’s largest payment processing company is in takeover talks with both JPMorgan and U.S. rival Vantiv. Worldpay, which allows companies to accept credit cards and online payments, said Tuesday that it has been approached, but that no official offers have been made. Police, fire heroics prompt anti-austerity push in Britain LONDON (AP) – Britain’s po- lice and firefighters, repeat- edly hailed as heroes in re- cent months for facing down extremists and rushing into burning buildings, have become the symbol of a new anti-austerity drive in the country. Their exploits are adding to the pressure on Prime Minister Theresa May to ease seven years of belt- tightening after a disastrous election that cost the gov- ernment its majority in Par- liament and led to calls for her to step down. Over the past few days, key ministers have broken with government policy on the issue amid a change in public mood. Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn made emergency ser- vices the focus of a march on Parliament last weekend when demonstrators called for an end to the 1 per- cent cap on pay increases for public employees. With the inflation rate now at 2.9 percent, the cap means the spending power of govern- ment workers is shrinking. Speaking before the march, the head of the na- tional firefighters union said the government’s spending policies and deregulation contributed to the June 14 inferno at Grenfell Tower in west London that killed at least 80 people. More than 11,000 firefighting jobs have been eliminated, and fire sta- tions are being closed and fire engines taken out of ser- vice because of the budget cuts, said Matt Wrack, gen- eral secretary of the Fire Brigades Union. “This was not an act of God,” Wrack told Sky News, speaking of the Grenfell Tower disaster. “It was a hor- rific fire, but the failings that led to it happening on that scale are the result of polit- ical decisions, a series of de- cisions that were taken over many years. That includes the deregulation of building control within local authori- ties, privatization of building control, the destruction and decimation of fire and rescue service safety inspections, the complete obsession with deregulation.” Grenfell Tower is only the most recent tragedy to put Britain’s emergency workers in the news. On May 22, paramedics rushed to Manchester Arena when a suicide bomber blew himself up after a pop con- cert, killing 22 people and injuring 116 others. Doc- tors and nurses worked through the night to treat the wounded, and police launched an around-the- clock investigation to find any accomplices. Less than two weeks later, three men crashed a van into pedestrians on London Bridge, then rampaged through nearby Borough Market slashing and stab- bing revelers in bars and res- taurants. Eight people died, but the death toll would have been higher if a police officer had not confronted the at- tackers with nothing but his baton, delaying them until armed officers shot them dead just eight minutes after the attack began. Then there was Gren- fell Tower, a 24-story public housing project that was en- gulfed in flames after a re- frigerator fire quickly spread through the building. Police officers held their riot shields overhead to protect fire- fighters from falling debris as they rushed into the inferno to rescue trapped residents. Former Prime Minister David Cameron imposed the cap as part of his plan to con- trol spending after the deficit ballooned during the global financial crisis. His suc- cessor, May, has continued austerity, saying it will result in a stronger economy that creates jobs and lifts people out of poverty. Treasury chief Philip Hammond is standing by the policy, saying Conserva- tive-led governments have reduced the deficit by two- thirds while increasing em- ployment and maintaining economic growth. But he said the cuts must con- tinue because the govern- ment is still spending more than it takes in and the na- tional debt stands at 1.7 tril- lion pounds (US$2.2 trillion), or the equivalent of 62,000 pounds (US$80,140) for every person in Britain. “Our policy on public sector pay has always been designed to strike the right balance between being fair to our public servants, and fair to those who pay for them,” he said Monday. “That ap- proach has not changed; and we continually assess that.” The starting salary for a trainee firefighter is 22,017 pounds (US$28,500), though higher rates apply for overtime. If the U.S. is any guide, the Conservatives may have a hard time maintaining the cap. After the Sept. 11 at- tacks, police and firefighters were hailed as heroes risking their lives to protect Ameri- cans, and government offi- cials found it difficult to re- ject demands for higher pay. In Britain, the emergency workers’ own stories are being used to make the case for higher pay. Canada to apologize, pay millions to former Gitmo prisoner TORONTO (AP) – The Cana- dian government is going to apologize and give millions of dollars to a former Guan- tanamo Bay prisoner who pleaded guilty to killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan when he was 15, with Canada’s Supreme Court later ruling that officials had interro- gated him under “oppressive circumstances.” An official familiar with the deal said Tuesday that Omar Khadr will receive 10.5 million Canadian dol- lars (US$8 million). The of- ficial was not authorized to discuss the deal publicly be- fore the announcement and spoke on condition of ano- nymity. The government and Khadr’s lawyers negotiated the deal last month. The Canadian-born Khadr was 15 when he was cap- tured by U.S. troops following a firefight at a suspected al- Qaida compound in Afghan- istan that resulted in the death of an American special forces medic, U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Christopher Speer. Khadr, who was suspected of throwing the grenade that killed Speer, was taken to Guantanamo and ultimately charged with war crimes by a military commission. He pleaded guilty in 2010 to charges that included murder and was sentenced to eight years plus the time he had already spent in cus- tody. He returned to Canada two years later to serve the remainder of his sentence and was released in May 2015 pending an appeal of his guilty plea, which he said was made under duress. Omar Khadr spent 10 years in Guantanamo Bay. His case received interna- tional attention after some dubbed him a child soldier. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in 2010 that Canadian intelligence offi- cials obtained evidence from Khadr under “oppressive cir- cumstances,” such as sleep deprivation, during interro- gations at Guantanamo Bay in 2003, and then shared that evidence with U.S officials. Khadr was the youngest and last Western de- tainee held at the U.S. mil- itary prison in Guanta- namo Bay, Cuba. His lawyers filed a $20 million wrongful imprison- ment lawsuit against the Ca- nadian government, arguing the government violated in- ternational law by not pro- tecting its own citizen and conspired with the U.S. in its abuse of Khadr. Canadian Prime Min- ister Justin Trudeau declined to confirm the apology and money when asked about in Ireland on Tuesday. “There is a judicial process under way that has been under way for a number of years now and we are anticipating, like I think a number of people are, that that judicial process is coming to its conclusion,” Trudeau said. Scott Bardsley, a spokesman for Canada’s public safety minister, also confirmed there is an ongoing court process on this case. “Settlement processes are always strictly confidential by nature. Accordingly, the Government is not in a posi- tion to provide any comment one way or another,” Bardsley said in an email. The widow of Speer and another American soldier blinded by the grenade in Af- ghanistan filed a wrongful death and injury lawsuit against Khadr in 2014 fearing Khadr might get his hands on money from his $20 mil- lion wrongful imprisonment lawsuit. A U.S. judge granted $134.2 million in damages in 2015, but the plaintiffs ac- knowledged then that there was little chance they would collect any of the money from Khadr because he lives in Canada. Khadr’s lawyers have long said he was pushed into war by his father, Ahmed Said Khadr, whose family stayed with Osama bin Laden briefly when Omar Khadr was a boy. Khadr’s Egyptian-born father was killed in 2003 when a Pak- istani military helicopter shelled the house where he was staying with senior al- Qaida operatives. After his 2015 release from prison in Alberta, Omar Khadr apologized to the fam- ilies of the victims. He said he rejects violent jihad and wants a fresh start to finish his education and work in healthcare. He currently re- sides in an apartment in Ed- monton, Alberta. The news of the gov- ernment giving millions to someone who pleaded guilty to killing a U.S. soldier has caused a stir in Canada. “This is nuts. Khadr should instead be in jail for the murder of Sergeant Chris Speer, whom he killed. No consideration for Speer’s family,” tweeted Car Vallee, the former spokesman for ex- Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Former Liberal leader Bob Rae tweeted that compensa- tion was “long overdue.” Omar Khadr spent 10 years in Guantanamo Bay. His case received international attention after some dubbed him a child soldier. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, center, is mobbed by the crowd after addressing an anti-austerity rally in Parliament Square, London, following a march through the city as part of an anti-austerity protest on Saturday. - PHOTO: AP Omar Khadr, in 2015Next >