Preamble

Profiles of Candidates

• Rolston Anglin
• W.McKeeva Bush
• Eugene Ebanks
• Cline Glidden, Jr.

West Bay District Management

Legislative Affairs & Sound Democratic Practices

• A Bill of Rights
• The Legislative Framework
• Government Fiscal Responsibility, Management & Accountability

The Economy

• The Financial Industry
• Consumer Protection
• Small Business Support
• The White Paper/OECD/FATF/FSF The UN & other International Initiatives
• Tourism
• Watersports & Taxi Operators
• A Growth Management Plan
• E-Commerce/The Use of the Internet

Education & Training

Community Development & Family Issues

• Our Youth
• Crime, Violence & Drugs
• Gender Equity Issues Facing Women
• The Elderly/Veterans & Veteran Seamen
• Housing
• Sports
• Culture

The Environment

• Solid Waste Management

Immigration

Cayman Airways

Public Transportation

Health

National Security

Rolston Anglin

Rolston Anglin is the 28-year-old son of Clovena and McClurn Anglin who grew up in North West Point. He attended John A. Cumber Primary School, the Cayman Islands Middle School and Cayman Islands High School. He then went on to attend the Sixth Form there. Rolston excelled academically and was consistently at the top of his classes during his primary and secondary education and later graduated with Honors from University.

Upon successful completion of three "A" levels, Rolston received a scholarship from the major international Accounting firm, Price Waterhouse, to attend University. While at University he was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and the Golden Key Honor Society. He graduated with Honors from the Ohio State University. He returned home to Cayman and shortly thereafter passed the Certified Public Accountant examinations on his first attempt. Price Waterhouse then sent him on secondment to work in the world's financial capital, New York City, in order that he might gain additional exposure in the financial services industry. He worked with clients such as Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, New York Life Insurance Company, Windward Capital Partners, Permal Asset Managers and Deutsche Bank. This has allowed Rolston to become a well-rounded professional accountant with an intimate knowledge of the products and services in the financial services industry.

Rolston and his wife Shena are active members of the Boatswain Bay Presbyterian Church and also work as the church's youth group leaders. This effort is driven by their desire to help guide and mold the young people in the West Bay district into becoming law-abiding and positive thinking citizens of our country. More recently, Rolston was also elected as the Chairman of the Cayman Islands Christian Youth Workers Association in which he is working actively to co-ordinate the efforts of Christian Youth Workers Nationally. Shena is a 1995 graduate of The Ohio University and is also a Certified Public Accountant.

• Completed and opened the new wing of the Faith Hospital, at a cost of $2.2 Million ($200,000 under budget).
• Organized the smooth transition of 350 staff from Health Service Authority to Health Services Department and secured their pensions and other benefits.
• Established two Mental Health Nursing Posts.
• Put in place the first Paramedics Trainer for the Ambulance Services.
• After due process, selected the Baptist Hospital as the overseas referral facility.
• Upgraded much needed medical equipment and purchased new equipment and medical instruments.
• Opened the Lions Eye Clinic and provided a Bi-Weekly clinic service.
• Took responsibility for transporting back to the Cayman Islands, persons who had been referred abroad by government for medical treatment, and had passed away.
• Appointed a Committee of Senior Health Services personnel, Public Works staff and other senior civil servants, to explore options and plans for the new hospital.
• Appointed a qualified Caymanian hospital administrator.
• Purchased 7 acres of land and 3 buildings to be used for a Rehabilitation Center and Halfway Houses.
• Initiated a Plan for the Development of Health centers in the Districts.
• Initiated a Program for Drug Counseling Services on a regular basis at Northward Prison.
• Passed regulations to protect the public from experimental medical procedures, in light of problems experienced with the treatment of AIDS locally.
• Established a proper application protocol for medical research to be conducted in the Cayman Islands.

• Initiated plans to develop a National Youth Policy for the Cayman Islands.
• Put in place facilities for sports in all districts, including; Ed Bush Sports Center, Truman Bodden Sports Complex, Jimmy Powell Oval (National Cricket facility), Donovan Rankine Field, National Softball/Baseball Diamond and Hard courts for netball, basketball and volleyball, including indoor sporting facilities at the Lions Center.
• Employed local and international coaches for netball, basketball, cricket, football, swimming and track and field.
• Reintroduced basketball, netball, cricket, football and swimming camps.
• Created a sports scholarship for higher achievers
• Facilitated financial assistance for college to under achievers so that they might maximize their potential.
• Created the Cultural scholarship.
• Assisted several churches with sports facilities (e.g., basketball and volleyball courts) and annual grants for youth workers.
• Completed and began implementation of a comprehensive Ten Year Development Plan for Water and Sewerage Infrastructure, which addresses the anticipated water and sanitation needs of the Country.
• Continued piped water up to Frank Sound.
• Negotiated a long-term water supply contract saving $4.5 million over six years.
• Renegotiated the Water Authority loan portfolio to reduce the vagaries of "basket of currencies", interest rates, which saved a tremendous amount of money.
• Increased Caymanian employees at the Water Authority to 90% of total staff, with five of six top positions held at that time by Caymanians, and created nineteen new jobs filled by Caymanians.
• Created, promoted and funded after-school programs with churches, and the broader community.
• Introduced the Young Parents Program.
• Appointed a broad-based Manpower Development Advisory Committee and implemented recommendations for counseling and job placement for the unemployed (EXCO refused to release the report to the public).
• Created a Minimum Wage Committee, which made recommendations to EXCO who refused to make the results public.
• Created Project Prepare to aid in the rehabilitation of ex-prisoners.
• Created a new Government-guaranteed student loan scheme with $3.5 million being lent for higher education to Caymanian students locally and overseas from 1994-96.
• Assisted 154 small Caymanian businesses in all sectors by loans totaling $3 million.
• Created a National Children's Choir.
• Established the Cayman Islands Marine Institute.
• Created the Order of National Heroes.
• Created Cayfest.
• Created and implemented a plan for the production of a comprehensive history of the Cayman Islands.
• Created three national symbols by public vote; the national tree (silver thatch), the national flower (banana orchid) and the national bird (Cayman parrot).
• Commenced a Five-year master Plan for the National Museum.
• Created a Task Force for the development of a National Art Gallery and National Library.
• Created and implemented a plan for district libraries. When the new civic center in West Bay is completed it will serve as a hurricane shelter and the Town Hall will be converted into a District Library. Libraries were completed in Bodden Town, North Side and East End.
• Created the Monica Gore Youth of the Year award in community work. · Hired community development officers and created Community Development Action Committees (CODAC).
• Initiated and completed the Family Study.
• Put in place a good program of and increased financial assistance to the elderly, handicapped and needy persons.
• Established pensions for veterans and seamen.
• Passed the national Pensions Law enabling Caymanians to prepare better for their future and to be secure in their old age.
• Passed Labor Legislation giving more benefits to workers, including longer maternity leave, vacations and compassionate leave.
• Standardized and enforced a proper gratuity distribution system and increased penalty for improper distribution and introduced the audit of gratuity records.
• Introduced a new housing scheme, which gave 170 Caymanian families new homes (second and third phases were never implemented since 1997).
• Put a program in place to assist qualified Caymanian applicants with elimination or reduction of stamp duty on the cost of purchasing: Land up to a maximum of CI$35,000, a first-time, owner occupied home up to a maximum cost of CI$80,000 (increased to CI$150,000).
• Set up a Steering Committee to guide the establishment of a Women's Affairs Office.
• Obtained space for Women's Resource Center as a place of public education and information.
• Held monthly public education seminars (starting July 1996) based upon the Beijing Platform for Action.
• Started work for elimination of domestic violence.
• Founded The Golden Age Home in West Bay.
• Initiated a policy to pay pension to former employees (or their surviving spouses) of the Public Service who had served for at least four years.

• To reduce the high interest on loans and mortgages.
• A mortgage assistance program for people losing their home.
• To reduce high utility rates.
• Streamlining of Education Council Scholarship guidelines.
• To clarify the method of establishing our per capita income.
• Assisted in establishing the Ironwood Scholarship Fund from his MLA salary increase.

Eugene Ebanks

Captain Eugene Ebanks was born on December 19, 1946 in West Bay. He is the son of Captain Marvin and Jeannie Ebanks. Capt. Eugene's primary education was at West Bay Primary School. He then attended Triple C School to Grade 10 and went on to graduate from Chamberlain High in Tampa, Florida.

His work experience included four years with Cable & Wireless and four years in the US Merchant Marine (1968-1972). He attended the American Institute of Aeronautics where he gained his Commercial Pilot's License, and flew commercially for Cayman Airways from 1976 to 1983. He holds a US Coast Guard Captain's License; Captained the vessel for Her Majesty the Queen's visit to the Cayman Islands in 1983 and he has also served as Special Constable with the RCIP, served on the Tourism Advisory Council and the Drug Advisory Council.

He started his own water sports company in 1974 - which is still in successful operation today. He has, in recent times, served as the President of the Cayman Islands National Watersports Association for two years. He is the father of four and has one grandchild.

Cline Glidden, Jr.

Cline Glidden is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Cline Glidden, Sr. and was born on 25th February 1966. He grew up in North West Point, West Bay and attended Truth For Youth School to Grade 9 and then the Cayman Islands High School where he graduated in 1982.

After leaving High School, Mr. Glidden was employed at Cable & Wireless where he remained for twelve years. During this time he obtained on the job training in telecommunications as well as going abroad to various training workshops, seminars, and conferences. In 1990 he completed his certification as a Telecommunication Technician at Porthcurno Telecommunications College in England.

In 1994, Mr. Glidden, in his entrepreneurial aspirations left Cable & Wireless to pursue a more visible and managerial role in a security company that prior to 1994 was simply an investment idea. Over the years Mr. Glidden and his partner built this company, Caribbean Security Systems, to be what is currently the largest electronic security company on the island, providing not only electronic security services to residential and commercial customers but also fire protection and door access services as well.

Mr. Glidden is a Member of the American Society of Industrial Security (ASIS) and the company is a Member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Mr. Glidden is the part owner and Managing Director of Caribbean Security Systems as well as a Licensed Electrician. Mr. Glidden's community spirit can be seen in his involvement throughout the years as:

• President of Scholars International Sports Club for 14 years;
• Past Vice President of the Cayman Islands Football Association;
• Past player on various National Football teams at junior and senior levels;
• Founding member and past President of the West Bay Progressive Youth Club;
• Founding member and past President of West Bay Community Development Action Committee (CODAC);
• Assistant Technical Director for Special Olympics Cayman Islands.

Mr. Glidden credits the love, support and spiritual inspirations of his family for shaping and moulding him into the person he is today. Mr. Glidden was joined in marriage on 6th April 1996 to Gloria Glidden, (nee Parsons). Cline and Gloria have one son, Cline Glidden III, born 17th April 1997.

Gloria is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dudley Parsons from North Church Street, George Town. Gloria is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). She worked at Price Waterhouse as a Senior Accountant and is presently employed at the Water Authority of the Cayman Islands as the Financial Controller. Gloria has been involved with the Special Olympics (Cayman Islands) serving on the Board in the past as Assistant Treasurer and Treasurer and is currently still an active volunteer. Gloria was also past Treasurer and Executive Advisor for the Overseas Students' Association.

Mr. Glidden's Father, Mr. Cline Glidden, Sr. was a former Merchant Marine and Sea Captain. He is presently employed as the Sergeant of Arms at the Legislative Assembly. Mr. Glidden Sr. has been known for his honest, dignified personality and was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Certificate and Badge of Honor Award for 1999. Mr. Glidden's Mother, Mrs. Eula Glidden, is a retired Civil Servant having worked for 25 years in the Civil Service.

WEST BAY DISTRICT MANAGEMENT

Mr. McKeeva Bush’s District Accomplishments

Mr. Bush has provided his community with sixteen (16) years of honest, dedicated and faithful service.

During his tenure, the district of West Bay, has benefited from:

• A Fire Station.
• Vicksville Boat Ramp.
• New North Sound Jetty.
• New Primary School.
• Upgraded Town Hall Field.
• Upgraded Town Hall.
• A Public Beach.
• A Health Clinic with Ambulance Service.
• A New School Hall. v Improvement to the Post Office.
• Improvements to Public Cemeteries.
• New Roads and Street Lights.
• Acquired a new bus for the John Cumber Primary School by a joint effort between government and the PTA
• The purchase of 10 acres of Property for the Primary School.
• Purchased property and held ground breaking ceremony for the new 'Dalmain Ebanks' Civic Center/Hurricane Shelter.
• The Ed Bush Sport Center.
• The Jimmy Powell Cricket Oval.
• The Softball/Baseball Diamond.
• Community Park.
• Community Gym.
• Effected a program that built and upgraded poor people houses.
• More scholarships to West Bay young people than ever before.
• Meaningful support for churches.
• First time ever support for after school programs.
• Golden Age Residential home/day care center for the elderly.
• Boat Ramp and Jetty on North West Point Road.
• Community Development Officer.

West Bay District Plans

Position and Plans for the Future

As a fundamental aspect of continuing democratic involvement by the Caymanian Community at large and people empowerment, it is proposed by the Better Balance Team to have a District Advisory Council comprised of West Bay leaders, residents and local business people whose main aim is to:

• Support and assist our local churches, as they are the moral and spiritual guiding light of the district and the entire nation.
• Foster the long-term economic development of the district.
• Liaise with government to offer input on all government projects, which may affect the district.
• Liaise between the residents and their representatives in government to ensure that all legitimate concerns are addressed.
• Ensure that the needs of the government primary school are met in a timely and efficient manner.
• Offer assistance to private schools wherever possible.
• Ensure the completion of the second government primary school.
• Provide more after-school programs for both primary and secondary school age children.
• Provide for an upgraded police station and improved community policing.
• Upgrading of the post office and the services offered there, and provide extended hours.
• Support the establishment of a District Civic Center/Hurricane Shelter, and when that is completed refurbish the Town Hall as a Public Library with computer facilities as a continuation of Mr. McKeeva Bush's plan.
• Provide additional cemetery space.
• Provide boat ramps in the Boatswain Bay and North Sound areas.
• Enhance the tourist attractions in the district.
• Provide a public docking facility and a safe harbor in the Salt Creek Area utilizing government owned property with minimal environmental impact.
• Provide a timely road maintenance program and improve our district road network.
• Provide additional street lighting on a timely basis.
• Provide full time medical service for the district.
• To assist our mentally and physically challenged students with a new and enhanced facility with programs that provides them with self-management and fullness of life.
• Expand and enhance the residential and day care services offered at the Golden Age Home.

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS AND & SOUND DEMOCRATIC PRACTICE

• Seek to reform our electoral, lobbying and campaign practices to ensure that our elected government officials and our candidates owe their allegiance and remain accountable to the people whom they are elected to serve (i.e. by the establishment of standing advisory district councils).
• Provide an effective and efficient division and distribution of the Ministries and Departments of Government.
• Requiring ethical conduct by all our government officials with the respect of acceptance of rewards from special interests seeking to influence government during or following their term of public service and enforcing the code of conduct.
• Ensuring that government officials do not serve on corporate boards for which they are responsible to regulate, oversee and supervise. To avoid all potential for the occurrence or appearance of a conflict of interest.
• Further, there must be no circumvention of standing orders by any government. There must be no untimely delay in answering questions put on the floor of parliament, nor must there be any divesting of responsibility to deal with an issue by simply "establishing a committee" to deliberate the matter and then leaving the committee to not meet or conduct any business. Governments must respect the democratic process.
• Working to strengthen the office of the Auditor-General.

• Team Better Balance firmly believes that the Cayman Islands have clearly reached a stage in their political and social development whereby such a clear statement of fundamental rights and freedoms should be agreed and properly enshrined in the constitution of these islands.
• Team Better Balance believes that any such statement of fundamental rights and freedoms must rightfully be upheld and enforced by the judicial and executive wings of the country's legal structure.
• Team Better Balance is convinced of the basic rights of every human being to protection from persecution, to freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of religion, freedom of expression and right to privacy.
• Team Better Balance will implement these things first before they are forced upon us by external powers.

• For government accountability and fiscal responsibility to be effective, Team Better Balance believes the following must occur:
• Prudence in spending and in establishing spending priorities.
• We should consider the viability of balanced budget legislation.
• Ensure that there is a proper approach to government spending and development projects to ensure good value for money spent by the government whilst helping to enhance the countries growth.
• Government reputation for inefficiency, mismanagement, and budget deficits must be eliminated.
• There must be effective use of public relations campaigns both internally and externally.
• Government managers (i.e. senior civil servants) to be held accountable for budget cost overruns and workplace performance standards.
• Multi-year revenue collection and spending plans with an independent oversight committee monitoring the implementation and effectiveness of such plans.
• Establishment of effective spending controls.
• Adoption of strategic planning with an emphasis on balance budget programs aimed at reducing the seemingly out of control national debt and linking budgeting to actual performance.
• Budget surpluses to be used to reduce the national debt.
• Every effort should be made to educate the country of the risks of carrying a high national debt such as high inflation and interest rates and the reduction of savings, investments and real growth.
• Endeavor to avoid deficit spending as this unethically redistributes resources from future to present generations.
• Independent performance and service efficiency audits of government departments/agencies and of the process used by government to reward contracts to private enterprises should be carried out regularly.
• Encouraging government employees to explore best management practices by establishing a reward system for individuals/departments that improve efficiency while reducing costs. Also, hold individuals accountable for poor performance.
• Establishment of performance based contracts for all EXCO. Members, government department/agency heads along with quarterly evaluations based on these contracts.
• Imposing strict time limits and cost controls for completing government projects.
• Completion of the implementation of the accrual accounting system, which states the true cost of managing government departments/agencies.
• All government departments/agencies to adopt an accountability system to measure performance, outcomes and to detect deviations from procedure.
• Encourage government departments/agencies, where possible, to operate as private enterprises, where profit and customer service is the ultimate reward, and by streamlining bloated and inefficient departments.

THE ECONOMY

Background

The economy of the Cayman Islands is a fickle one. There has been much talk about diversification. The Team supports new business and industry in the Cayman Islands where viable and believes that Government should support and give incentives to new industry and the diversification of the country's economic base.

The Team further believes in enhancing the two pillars of the country's economy, which is our Financial Industry and Tourism.

The Financial Industry

Background

One of our economic pillars is under attack by various international organizations. It is important that we are proactive and innovative to establish ourselves as a first rate offshore Financial Center from a regulatory standpoint. Team Better Balance will ensure that the public is made aware of all issues facing it and has every opportunity to be a part of the solution.

Position and Plans for the Future

• Establish a proper economic council, consisting of well-known and experienced business people from all sectors of the economy.
• Encourage the continued growth of the financial sector by means of ensuring that the necessary legal, political and physical infrastructure, required to support a sophisticated financial services industry is in place and is well maintained. This is fundamental so that the Cayman Islands will continue to be a leader in the provision of quality, well-regulated financial services internationally.
• We will ensure our regulatory regime provides the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority with an internationally acceptable level of authority.
• Ensure the proper separation and independence of the Monetary Authority and the continued growth of the Stock Exchange so as to encourage additional confidence in the finance system of the Cayman Islands.
• We must ensure that the Code of Conduct and 'Know Your Customer' regulations are kept current and that the relevant laws are fully enforced.

• Support the establishment of proper and practical consumer protection regulations so as to ensure that there is a fair system of accountability for services provided and goods sold.
• Ensure that there is a meaningful Better Business Bureau for the protection of Caymanians.
• Support the establishment of a Public Utilities Commission for the ensured quality of service at fair prices for the Cayman Islands.

• We will look at the capital availability and costs associated with the AIDB and re-organize the AIDB lending practices with a new mission statement and reduce red tape and frustration caused by AIDB policies which are presently burdensome and include a lot of bureaucratic requirements and absurd collateral requirements.
• As present interest rates of commercial banks are exorbitant we will establish a Development Bank to assist small businesses as a source of financing, and supply badly needed project preparation, technical advice and guidance. We will ensure that the parameters and details are specific.
• We will endeavor to reform our education system so that small businesses will be provided with quality staff, because we realize that most small firms do not have the wherewithal to properly train their people. We will endeavor to create relationships amongst small businesses so that there are training opportunities in a cooperative fashion.
• We will work to ensure that proper price caps are put in place to avoid exorbitant premiums and ensure proper levels of coverage for insurance. We will also work to eliminate abuse of the system through the making of improper or invalid claims.
• Provide Market Research Packs that enable potential entrepreneurs to be able to have realistic goals. All potential small business owners should be equipped to intelligibly analyze the market before getting into it. We will facilitate this by setting-up a program of analytical assistance (via the Development Bank).
• Provide Model Business Plans so that potential small businesses are equipped to organize themselves successfully.
• Allow company license fees to be waived for the first five years of operation so that small business owners would be relieved of as many obstacles as possible without the government having to get into any market distorting practices.

The White Paper/OECD/FATF/FSF/The UN & Other International Initiatives

Team Better Balance is familiar with the content and significance of these and other international initiatives, which have had and will continue to have a significant impact on life in the Cayman Islands. Accordingly, the Team intends to remain proactive, at all times seeking to ensure that the Cayman Islands remain abreast of international trends as they relate to financial services regulations as well as human rights and other areas where there is a generally accepted international positioning or change of positioning.

The Team further believes that it is important that the Caymanian people, via their government, seek to put forward their position on these issues as early as possible, whilst ensuring compliance and cooperation in so far as possible with international efforts, having fully considered what is being required of the islands and what is the economic and cultural position of our people. It is similarly important that the islands have a proactive and appropriately managed public relations machine.

Position and Plans for the Future

• Establish a White Paper Task force to proactively deal with this.
• Ensure a cost effective, proactive, efficient and appropriately managed public relations campaign.
• Draft a set of responses that is truly representative of the opinions and positions of the people of the Cayman Islands.
• Continue to negotiate and work to facilitate the country's urgent removal from all blacklists and the lifting of all negative advisories issued by any foreign government or other international body.

The Cayman Islands are supposedly being marketed by the Department of Tourism (DOT) overseas. That Department receives more than CI$23 million of the country's annual budget, yet in the last 4 years, the number of visitors has not risen significantly, nor has the per capita expenditure of the average visitor, if we exclude the impact of Delta's start of service, (which had nothing to do with the DOT or anything done by it). Further, there has been no increase in the per capita expenditure by tourists to the Cayman Islands.

Small businesses are struggling and finding it difficult to keep up or stay open. We are not convinced that our money and the more than 75 people employed by DOT are doing the best job possible for these islands. Team Better Balance proposes to look at whether it can be done with less money and less people. Most successful tourist destinations have lower per capita spending than the Cayman Islands, and employ fewer people. It is time to revisit the strategy, the methods and the people.

Background

• Government's Tourism Budget is more than CI$23 million. We are spending approximately $60/per visitor based on their visitor arrival numbers.
• We have employed more than 75 staff at DOT, 50 in the US alone (compared to the Swiss Tourism Organization which employs 17 staff in the US and the US produces 800,000+ visitors to Switzerland every year). This is not getting value for our money.
• The Visitor Arrival Statistics can be deceiving, for example, the US visitor count for example includes people visiting friends and relatives working in the Cayman Islands; it includes each US DOT staff member when they travel on island for a meeting or with a familiarization trip (FAM) paid for by DOT and it even includes FAM trip's participants, i.e. travel agents.
• There are no Caymanian managers in DOT's overseas offices and there are only two Caymanian managers in the head office at Cricket Square. There is no proper training program in place.
• The Five-year Tourism Management Policy adopted by the Legislative Assembly expired in 1999. The Ministry needs to develop another 5-year policy to guide decision-making.
• All DOT's overseas offices are in prime real estate, costing more than $400,000 per annum for leasing space. It is not necessary to pay top dollar for office space especially with much of it remaining unused, rather, this money could be better spent by getting visitors to the Cayman Islands. There is no strategic or practical value in the present office's location.
• Tourism decisions are being made in isolation from environmental, social and development considerations for the country. There is a need for the integration of planning and decision-making.
• By inviting Continental and Delta to start/increase their services directly undermines Cayman Airways. There has to be more cohesion and strategic planning to identify what policy is needed for Cayman Airways and where we want the airline to go and our reasons why.
• Cayman Airways pays all DOT overseas staff as well and provides them with free travel for themselves and their families.
• Cayman Airways further subsidizes DOT with resources valued at over US$500,000 (e.g. free tickets) per annum.
• Presently, it is evident that the on-island hotels, attractions and services are not consistent with the upscale market, which the DOT is targeting, for example, the last three hotels to be opened are budget or 'economy' hotels yet the intention the majority of the time is targeting the affluent tourist. This causes our tourists to complain about prices because there is a gap between what the glossy advertisements promise and what they get when they arrive in their rooms.
• Investigate the possibility of the Cayman Islands as a major Cruise Ship base in the Western Caribbean.
• Late in 1999, the External Auditor's office completed an audit on DOT's spending on travel, meals and entertainment in response to a Parliamentary Question on this category of spending in the US. This report should be made available to the Cayman Islands public.

Desired Outcome

An integrated strategy for sustainable tourism, which balances long-term viability with short- term results and progress. Tourism must be for the people of Cayman first and foremost. Foreign business and foreign investors are to be partners in our tourism industry, not the reason for it.

Position and Plans for the Future

• Develop a new Five-year Tourism Management Policy based on an integrated, sustainable tourism strategy.
• Review the spending and implement proper controls to prevent misuse of funds.
• Ensure Caymanians and small Caymanian businesses are getting their fair share of the business.
• Encourage more Caymanians to enter the tourism industry.
• Ensure that tourism related development projects support the overall strategy, not just short-term goals.
• Ensure accountability in spending. Today too much money is being wasted on salaries, travel expenses, meals, meetings, etc. instead of being spent marketing the destination.
• Assist small businesses to market themselves better overseas.
• Develop more 'heritage' and 'nature' based tourism attractions in the districts to encourage visitors to explore the whole island, not just Seven Mile Beach. And produce a more balanced diversified and comprehensive quality tourism product that is the Cayman Islands!
• Enhance entertainment provided for tourists and locals and modernize the approach by government to entertainment in the islands in general.
• Develop a succession plan to ensure as many Caymanians as possible are employed in the decision-making levels of the Dept. Of Tourism - both in Cayman and overseas.
• Addition of Jet ways to enable adequate passenger handling during inclement weather and to ensure proper and safe handicap access.
• Consideration of extension of the Owen Roberts International Airport runway.

Watersports, Tour, & Taxi Operators

Background

Team Better Balance is well aware of the difficulties and hardships that our local water sports, tour, and taxi operators have been experiencing while trying to make an honest living utilizing the island's natural resources and we feel that there must be a better balance of the financial benefits derived from this sector of the economy. In spite of the many motions and other attempts by Mr. McKeeva Bush to improve opportunities for the local operators, Executive Council has failed them.

Position and Plans for the Future

• Support local water sports, tour and taxi operators and assist them with marketing their product.
• Make contractual arrangements with the cruise ship industry to ensure that the water sports, tour and taxi operators get a fair share of the financial benefits.
• Streamline the taxi operation, beginning at the airport, and including the dock operation to make it fair and equitable to operators so that they can gain more financial benefit.
• Provide a public docking facility and a safe harbor in the Salt Creek Area utilizing government owned property with minimal environmental impact.

Assist local water sports, tour, and taxi operators with duty reduction with vehicles that will assist them with their business, after proper investigation of need has been established. Provision for handicap assistance.

A Growth Management Plan

Team Better Balance considers that it is necessary, in order to achieve and maintain a balance between the natural and built environment, to have a growth management plan in place. In order for the Country to develop at a reasonable and sensible pace, whilst giving full consideration to its developmental needs as well as infrastructural, manpower, cultural, educational and other societal issues, is necessary that the Country advance in the planned, balanced and sensible manner.

Position and Plans for the Future

• Establishment of a Growth Management Board to act as a government advisory board in relation to government policy in matters in connection with development.
• Commence a study to establish sustainable development regulations within the Growth Management Plan.
• Devise a Growth Management Plan to be coordinated by the Growth Management Board in conjunction with the existing Private Sector Consultative Committee (PSCC).
• Ensure that the Growth Management Plan is properly woven into the development and planning laws.
• Require mandatory impact assessment studies (including community, immigration and manpower, environmental, structural and cost/benefit analysis) on all medium and large development projects.
• Start public relations campaigns in order to educate the general public as to the issues involved in Growth Management.
• Conduct a housing needs assessment for every district.
• Develop a computerized carrying capacity analysis model for the Cayman Islands in order to extrapolate statistics and ascertain in a global sense the direction of the Country in order to determine its infrastructural training, environmental and other needs.
• Review the Cayman Islands Building Code in order to ensure that the standards are appropriate to the Cayman Islands.
• Support the Department of Environment in its efforts to provide and draft comprehensive environmental protection legislation and to ensure the implementation of such.
• Encourage additional internal and external investment in appropriate controlled development projects, which will enhance the quality of life in the Cayman Islands.
• Ensure the avoidance of inefficiencies by duplication of efforts and expenditure on the part of government departments and boards in order to enhance the operation between government departments, boards and agencies.

E-Commerce/The Use of the Internet

Background

The Internet has the power and reach to revolutionize many aspects of our lives. Once a tool reserved for scientific and academic exchange, the Internet has emerged as an appliance of every day life, accessible from almost every point on the planet. Students across the world are discovering vast amounts of data on the World Wide Web. Doctors are utilizing tele-medicine to administer off-site diagnoses to patients in need. Citizens of many nations are finding additional outlets for personal and political expression. The Internet is being used to reinvent governments and make them more efficient by allowing them to deploy technologies and solutions that reduce the cost of offering their services. It will reshape our lives and our communities in the process; we must therefore ensure that the people of the Cayman Islands and its government are up to speed on its use.

New models of commercial interaction are developing as businesses and consumers participate in the electronic marketplace and reap the resultant benefits. Entrepreneurs are able to start new businesses more easily, with smaller up-front investment requirements, by accessing the Internet's worldwide network of customers.

Internet technology is having a profound effect on the global trade in services. World trade involving computer software, entertainment products (motion pictures, videos, games, sound recordings), information services (databases, online newspapers), technical information, product licenses, financial services, and professional services (businesses and technical consulting, accounting, architectural design, legal advice, travel services, etc.) has grown rapidly in the past decade, now accounting for well over $40 billion of U.S. exports alone. The Internet has the potential to continue to revolutionize commerce in these and other areas by dramatically lowering transaction costs and facilitating new types of commercial transactions.

The Internet will also revolutionize retail and direct marketing. Consumers will be able to shop in their homes (and are already doing so in some places, such as New York city) for a wide variety of products from manufacturers and retailers all over the world. They will be able to view these products on their computers or televisions, access information about the products, visualize the way the products may fit together, and order and pay for their choice, all from the comfort of their living rooms.

For this potential to be realized fully, governments must adopt a flexible regulatory, market-oriented approach to electronic commerce, one that facilitates the emergence of a transparent and predictable legal environment to support global business and commerce. Official decision-makers must respect the unique nature of this medium and recognize that widespread competition and increased consumer choice should be the defining features of the new digital marketplace.

Potential areas of problematic regulation include taxes and duties, restrictions on the type of information transmitted, control over standards development, licensing requirements and rate regulation of service providers (such as Cable & Wireless). Indeed, signs of these types of potentially commerce-inhibiting actions already are appearing in many nations.

Governments can have a profound effect on the growth of commerce on the Internet. By their actions, they can facilitate electronic trade or inhibit it. Knowing when to act and when not to act is crucial to the development of electronic commerce.

There is currently a committee appointed by the government to address many of these issues. However, the laws must be in line with current global legislation to ensure that the Cayman Islands can remain competitive in this global market place. We can no longer take a short-term view in the development of our economy, but must adopt policies and legislation that are sustainable and that will accommodate the rapid changes, which will be occurring to the economic drivers of our Islands as a result of the Internet revolution.

The Electronic Transactions Law and the Computer Misuse Law adopted by the Legislative Assembly of these islands this year bring Cayman into the 21st Century as far as the role and legal standing of electronic commerce in these islands. Yet there is an ongoing need to enhance these laws and keep them under regular consideration as well as ensure that they are properly adhered to and understood by those who will make use of this valuable method of doing business.

Additional Issues Recognized by Team Better Balance

• The Government should encourage industry self-regulation and private sector leadership where possible.
• The Government should avoid undue restrictions on electronic commerce. The Government should also refrain from imposing new and unnecessary regulations, bureaucratic procedures on Internet business.
• Where governmental involvement is needed, its aim should be to support and enforce a predictable, consistent and simple legal environment for commerce. Where government intervention is necessary, its role should be to ensure competition, protect intellectual property and privacy, prevent fraud, foster transparency, and facilitate dispute resolution, not to over-regulate.
• The Government should recognize the unique qualities of the Internet. Existing laws and regulations that may hinder electronic commerce should be reviewed and revised or eliminated to reflect the needs of the new electronic age.

Position and Plans for the Future

• No new taxes should be imposed on Internet commerce. Existing taxes that are applied to electronic commerce should be consistent with other reasonable systems applied in forward-thinking jurisdictions and should be simple to understand and administer. E-Commerce, where appropriate, should be placed on equal footing with standard business transactions as carried out at present.
• Electronic Payment Systems. The commercial and technological environment for electronic payments is changing rapidly, making it difficult to develop policy that is both timely and appropriate. This however must be done.
• A Uniform Commercial Code for Electronic Commerce. Private enterprise and free markets have typically flourished where there are predictable, clear-cut and widely accepted legal principles supporting commercial transactions. The Cayman Islands should support the development of an international uniform commercial code to facilitate electronic commerce. Such a code should encourage governmental recognition of electronic contracts; encourage consistent international rules for acceptance of electronic signatures and other authentication procedures; promote the development of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms for international commercial transactions; set predictable ground rules for exposure to liability; and streamline the use of electronic registries.
• Intellectual Property Protection. Commerce on the Internet will often involve the sale and licensing of intellectual property. To promote electronic commerce, sellers must know that their intellectual property will not be stolen and buyers must know that they are obtaining authentic products. Clear and effective copyright, patent, and trademark protection is therefore necessary to protect against piracy and fraud. A revision of the very limited Patents and Trademarks Law is now therefore appropriate. The recently negotiated World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) treaties, for copyright protection, should be ratified by way of enactment within Cayman Islands law. Issues of liability for infringement, application of the fair use doctrine, and limitation of devices to defeat copyright protection mechanisms should be resolved in a balanced way, consistent with international obligations.
• Privacy. It is essential to assure personal privacy in the networked environment if people are to feel comfortable doing business across this new medium.
• Security. If Internet users do not believe that their communications and data are safe from interception and modification, they are unlikely to use the Internet on a routine basis for commerce.
• Telecommunications Infrastructure and Information Technology. Global electronic commerce depends upon a modern, seamless, global telecommunications network and upon the "information appliances" that connect to it. The Cayman Islands need to support and enter into regular dialogue with its service provider(s) to ensure that modern, efficient facilities are readily available and are properly maintained and updated in an efficient and timely manner.
• Technical Standards. Technology is moving rapidly and government needs to keep abreast of this and innovative in its approach

EDUCATION & TRAINING

Background

In 1994, with the development of the national strategic plan for education it appeared that the country was on the right track to addressing some of the problems facing the education system. However, it would seem that progress on that plan has stalled and many of the problems have been left to get worse than they were in 1994.

If the education system is not achieving what it needs to for the country, then the consequences are to be found in immigration, in crime, in the work place and even in the family. The disparity between those who have and the have-nots will widen, and the non-resident workers will have the advantage if they come from a superior education system further compounding the problem for Caymanians.

There are too many gaps, loopholes and breaks in the current system. An education system must be comprehensive. The present system is failing too many children. And by failing to properly prepare our children we are creating problems for them and for us later on down the road. Failing to prepare graduates for even entry-level positions in the Caymanian job market, for example, a wide cross-section of businesses wishing to employ Caymanians in the hospitality and medical industries. Even within the financial and legal sectors, we are only producing some top end professionals – the CPAs or lawyers – but we are not producing sufficient numbers of well-trained legal secretaries or middle-management staff.

Position and Plans for the Future

• Ensure the education system and all its components are geared to:
• Deliver the educational process in a way that puts the child first, and which is based on a philosophy that there is potential for good in every human being;
• Develop the whole child - with the right curriculum of skills - based on learning, sports, arts, music and community involvement;
• Produce employable graduates with the right combination of knowledge and skills for all sectors of the economy, i.e. banking, hospitality, construction, medical and small businesses;
• Work closely with all related Government Departments, e.g. social workers, medical personnel, churches, sports organizations and community groups, to enhance training and life skills programs;
• Establish a system for the proper training of Caymanians and proper succession planning for Caymanians within businesses operating in the Cayman Islands.
• Ensure the implementation of realistic labor budgets.
• Work closely with employers in the private sector to build work skills early on.
• Provide easily accessible, continuing job training for adults to allow them to stay current with skills for today's changing workplace.
• Provide the best facilities possible to meet the objectives of the Education Plan.

Additionally, the team Better Balance Team will ensure that Government continues to (i) employ the best teachers possible by working with the Public Service Commission to provide incentives so more Caymanians enter and stay in this noble profession; and (ii) provide the adequate, purpose built facilities in which to deliver this system of education. This means making education a higher priority in the budget approval process.

• The country needs a status report on the implementation of the national strategic plan for education.
• The country needs to give a higher priority to accountable spending in education.
• Promote and encourage adults to take classes for on-going job training available at the community college; facilitate this by providing transportation and child-care services.
• Bring some of those classes to the district level in the evenings by utilizing school buildings.
• For all levels-primary, secondary and tertiary-ensure children streamed into curricula that best suits their abilities, e.g. vocational and trade training or academics.
• Reduce the bureaucracy of the education department and allow more autonomy for schools to get things done.
• Improve facilities - classrooms, grounds, special instruction rooms, canteens and multi-purpose halls.
• Give the education of special needs children and adults a much higher priority.
• Find more successful ways of educating children who do not do well in the traditional classroom setting.
• Help parent's help their children get the most out of their education process.
• Enhance the scholarship and student loan schemes for tertiary education to make this accessible even to those with very limited means. We will ensure that more favourable rates and terms are available to our students so as to alleviate the financial impact of loan repayments at the end of college/university.
• Enhance career-counseling programs.
• Investigate the feasibility for upgrading the Community College into the University of the Cayman Islands.
• Increase the number of computers and computer classes available to students in all schools and in all age groups so as to ensure that the students of the Cayman Islands are as technologically enabled as possible.
• Continue to develop adult education and adult literacy programs to the fullest extent.
• Develop and facilitate Early Childhood Programs as a fundamental building block in the education process which focuses on the whole child and enhances that child's life by giving a necessary solid grounding and promotes the child's health, safety and well-being

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND FAMILY ISSUES

Background

Cayman has been blessed with a vibrant economy enabling a high quality of life for much of the country's population in what is considered a third world area of the globe. This success can be greatly attributed to the strong moral fabric and cohesive family units established by our forefathers. Better Balance Team recognizes that this quality of life is deteriorating. In an effort to preserve and continually improve upon this quality of life, and to re-kindle those aspects of it, which have been lost, we will endeavor to establish new, and support existing, resources, which serve to strengthen the family unit and promote a caring society. This should include policies, which allow parents to balance work and family, and allow our schools and communities to become friendlier to families' needs. One of the best ways to build yet a stronger Cayman is to help strengthen its families and ensure that they are provided with the resources to successfully navigate the changes in today's culture, workplace, and society in general.

• Promote traditional Caymanian moral, spiritual and family values in schools with necessary modern modification to ensure applicability.
• Establish and enhance existing after-school programs in all districts.
• Promote greater parental responsibility, especially in fathers.
• Establish respite canters for family caregivers.
• Strengthen opportunities and services for older Caymanians.
• Expand access to home and community-based long-term care for the elderly.
• Enhance existing and provide additional nursing homes for the old and the indigent.
• Support and expand family and medical leave.
• Develop and expand care for the handicapped.
• Develop comprehensive parenting programmes, which seek to create more awareness of the varied responsibilities of parenthood.
• Establish a comprehensive treatment facility for those requiring psychiatric attention.
• We will address the growing need for additional Government-owned property in all districts to be designated for cemeteries.

Our Youth

Background

There are many pressures facing the youth in the Cayman Islands today. Issues like crime, violence, drugs, teenage pregnancy, discrimination, etc. It is therefore increasingly important that our youth are equipped with the education and training required to ensure a smooth transition from school to employment, as well as being given a sound understanding of the importance of community service and related policies and practices contributing to the development of healthy and successful young people and thus the country. Mr. McKeeva Bush initiated the National Youth Policy in 1995-96. Prior to this, the Cayman Islands did not have an adequate nor documented National Youth Policy.

Position and Plans for the Future

Though the National Youth Policy is now in place there is a need to ensure its proper management and implementation. Therefore, it would be prudent to ensure that everyone in our Islands obtain knowledge and an understanding of this document and be able to assist with ensuring that mechanisms are put in place for the implementation of this policy. This can be achieved via a well-run public education campaign.

Team Better Balance Proposes the Following:

• To ensure that the Cayman Islands National Youth Policy action steps are implemented and that the implementation mechanisms documented are put into effect, such as the recommendations on institutions and agencies for youth development.
• To create and implement a nationally recognized vocational training program to ensure that all our youth are afforded every opportunity to become productive and successful participators in their community and its economy.
• To ensure that adequate educational opportunities are available for all our youth including our mentally and physically challenged youth.
• To convene the review our Juveniles Law, 1990 and Youth Justice Law, 1995 to ensure that provisions are put in place to make parents more accountable for certain actions by youth brought to justice and to further ensure that the laws are properly adapted to the reality of the lives of the youth of the Cayman Islands.
• To provide more parenting workshops to encourage parental involvement in the children's development including involvement in their education.
• To establish training programs to prepare youth for employment as well as developing programs to encourage the number of young business owners and entrepreneurial spirit.
• To implement an integrated arts curriculum in all schools, as well as strongly encouraging and promoting early childhood musical, artistic and accelerated reading programs.
• To provide additional and enhance, in organized form, the existing mediums for which youth have the ability to express themselves as well as being recognized and awarded for their achievements including cultural, artistic and musical pursuits.
• To encourage Youth involvement and ownership of their community and way of life.
• To investigate the possibilities of staggered or longer school hours/years.

Crime, Violence, & Drugs

Background

The Cayman Islands' strategic geographical location in the Caribbean, as well as the rapid economic growth coupled with a number of significant socio-economic challenges (including imbalances in economic and educational circumstances) has meant that the islands do not escape the worldwide problem of drug abuse, crime and violence. Just only about fifteen years ago we could leave our doors unlocked at night and not worry about anything. Today the Cayman Islands remain one of the safer places on earth to live, but crime, violence and drugs have sadly become more rampant throughout our islands.

Although it is reported that overall crime dropped from 3,307 incidents in 1997 to 3,173 in 1998, it is important to look categorically at the statistics to see the particular areas of crime that are deteriorating our society and that these are in fact on the rise. Firstly, according to Royal Cayman Islands Police (RCIP) statistics, Offences Involving Ganja there was a 32% increase in consuming, 800% increase in importation, and a 13% increase in possession with intent to supply between 1997 and 1998. Secondly, for Offences Involving Cocaine from 1997 to 1998 there was an increase of 32% for simple possession, 274% increase in possession with intent to supply, 75% increase in importation, and 39% increase in consuming. The overall increase in reported crimes in this category from 1997 to 1998 was 47.6%. In addition, for islands with a population of only approximately 45,000, the total amount of drugs seized in 1998 amounted to 8,939.8 lbs. Ganja, 2,498.4 lbs. Cocaine, and 624 cocaine rocks.

Only just a few months ago, the Islands suffered one of the greatest fundamental breakdowns, which could occur in a penal system, that being the problem at Northward prison. There have been attempted armed robberies and five break-ins all within a matter of five hours. It is no longer acceptable to just sweep our problems under the carpet and hope they will go away. We are facing a socio-economic war of crime, violence, and drugs and we have to deal with these types of anti-social behavior and disruption of the social fabric. We must put in place social and economic safety nets to take on these challenges to ensure that the Cayman Islands continue as a world-class destination for visitors and continue to be a safe place to live.

The best solutions in the fight against crime, violence and drugs are prevention and rehabilitation. The main objective is to reduce the opportunity and attractiveness of crime. Education and incarceration are effective crime prevention measures. However, a genuine crime prevention strategy relies on an optimistic vision of the world and all of us in it as caring and compassionate. Our community best polices itself by caring for itself, caring for its children, for its mothers, for its disadvantaged, for its abused, for its addicted, for its troubled and hurting. This must be a vision held by senior police officers, by legislators, by public policy analysts, and individuals in our recovering society. We must seek to strengthen the moral fabric of our families and communities.

Position and Plans for the Future

• Educate and enable our Caymanian youth to reject the abuse of legal and illegal drugs including alcohol and tobacco.
• To promote maternity group homes and parenting workshops to ensure that our children are not victims of social forces related to inadequate early nurturing.
• Promote Crime Watch programs like Neighborhood Watch in every district.
• Invest in better-equipped police and tougher and effective law enforcement with enhanced training opportunities.
• Promote a comprehensive approach that includes providing more jobs and economic development as well as alternatives to crime and drugs such as quality after-school programs.
• Promote tougher anti-crime laws including provision for alternative sentencing so that our criminal justice system does not continue to act as a revolving door whereby even violent criminals sometimes get off too easy.
• Promote Prison Reform by putting in place the following programs to break the cycle of crime and drug abuse while criminals are in prison:
  • Mandatory Drug tests for inmates and prison officers alike.
  • Proper drug treatment and rehabilitation.
  • Continue and enhance "Project Prepare Program" which provides opportunities for the inmates whilst in prison to develop knowledge and skills to prepare them when they are released back into our communities.
  • Promote faith-based crime prevention through prison ministries and specialized prison faith-based groups that reach out to inmates in our prison and steer them away from crime, drugs, and violence.
• To provide funding for more drug counselors, community development officers violence prevention coordinators, and drug education representatives in our schools and to strengthen community-based coalition efforts to help our children reject drugs, and give them the knowledge and support to do so.
• To encourage the commitment of faith-based organizations to reach out to troubled youth and steer them away from crime, drugs, and gangs.
• Provide law enforcement with technology and cooperation to stop gang activity.
• Support the establishment of a cost-effective secure facility for juvenile delinquents.
• To ensure that Caymanians are provided with the best possible health care to eliminate drug abuse.
• To improve the present system of preventing and detecting the importation of illicit drugs through international co-operation and interdiction strategies that have quality and actionable intelligence which keep abreast of sophisticated traffickers.
• Ensure that Government follows through on establishing a shelter for battered women and victims of domestic violence.

Gender Equity - Issues Facing Women in The Cayman Islands

The issues facing women in the Cayman Islands are not dissimilar to those affecting women the world over.

The landmark "Platform for ACTION" document delivered at the historic 1995 UN Conference on Women in Beijing, China, listed twelve critical areas for governments of the world to commit them to focus on. High on the agenda of concerns, were issues such as health, women in management, women in decision-making, poverty eradication, domestic violence and education.

Five years after Beijing, Caymanian women still rank the issue of Inequality as chief among their concerns in a male-dominated society, which increasingly marginalizes them, according to a September 1999 poll, conducted among women on the island.

Of what significance are the issues contained in the "Beijing Platform for Action" to the Government and Caymanian society as a whole?

What progress have we made as a society with respect to Gender Equity, and towards the promotion of a greater understanding of the gender issue in the Cayman Islands?

What is clear is that there is need for significant work to be done to develop and strengthen institutional and legislative mechanisms for women in the Cayman Islands.

These mechanisms must be carefully considered and clearly defined to facilitate the full integration of women in all spheres of Caymanian life, particularly in traditionally male-dominated roles such as Business and Government.

The Cayman Islands, blessed with prosperity and ingenuity, must put the systems in place to ensure that the women who are vulnerable in our society are protected and sustained; and that women with dreams and aspirations for high achievement are not frustrated, but encouraged and supported.

Position and Plans for the Future

• Inequality - Ensure that women be given the same opportunities as men, including equal pay for equal labor.
• Promote male family/financial involvement - young men need to be trained to be responsible role models.
  • Eliminate the problem of fathers not paying financial maintenance by enhancing the enforcement of the requirements in relation to child support and ensuring that these be maintained at reasonable levels.
  • Eliminate the problem of social decay among the youth by facilitating more family based programs including family management guidance.
• Eliminate Abuse of women - establish a shelter for battered women; and promote sympathy from the justice system and police.
• Give assistance for those juggling work and family (especially single mothers and teenage mothers) - including the enhancement of day care programs and other such facilities.
  • Facilitate more understanding on the part of employers for the considerable pressures faced by mothers.
  • Address the issue of the lack of facilities, which cater to working mothers.
  • Address the issue of the societal pressures for women to stay in traditional roles.

The Elderly, Veterans & Veteran Seamen

There is a dire need to provide additional services to care for the elderly. Many families struggle with loved ones when they become older members of the society and have to deal with the challenges of being unoccupied or challenged physically or otherwise by old age infirmities. It is necessary to provide that in each community, there is necessary provision for the care of the elderly as well as the provision of viable services and activities for the older members of our society.

There is a need to remove the bureaucracy in relation to the provision with assistance of medical costs wherever there is a need for such assistance. There is a further need for continued care and assistance in relation to funeral costs to be rendered to those in need.

As set out in the section on Health, the Team Better Balance wishes to ensure that good health services are provided in the most effective, efficient and cost-effective manner for all who need it. It is important at all times to maintain the dignity of our elderly and to give them the necessary encouragement and support that they might continue to enjoy life and understand that they are valued members of our society.

Housing

Team Better Balance recognizes that it is now more difficult for the average person to acquire adequate housing in this country. This must not be so. We realize that people that own their own homes are generally more content. They have a stake in our country and are therefore better citizens. If we are to maximize our potential as a country, housing is the starting point. We feel that housing is the foundation of strong families.

Mr. Bush started a housing scheme that was extremely successful. During his tenure in EXCO over 170 families obtained homes. This housing scheme has sadly been left by the wayside by the existing government. We must now move on to the advanced phases of the housing scheme and ensure that all are given an equal opportunity to obtain housing. The program will be enhanced to incorporate new ideas and deal with new obstacles such as the steep rise in interest rates over the past twelve months. Particular attention will be paid to single parents and low-wage earners who have are finding it especially difficult to obtain adequate housing.

Position and Plans for the Future

• Encourage that fair interest rates be made available by lending institutions.
• Ensure that lending practices are not prejudicial against any particular group of individuals.
• Ensure that the stamp duty waiver provisions are appropriate and adequate.
• Ensure that adequate housing regulations are in place. The cost of land has become prohibitive in the Cayman Islands and we could reduce the lot size requirements so as to reduce the cost of housing.
• Promote the availability of government assisted housing and mortgage schemes wherever possible.
• Put aside sufficient funds annually to provide soft loans up to a maximum of $100,000 for a period of 30 years for first time homeowners.
• Enter into negotiations with commercial banks so that the government would pre-pay the interest portion of government guaranteed loans at a discount, collect this prepaid interest at a minimal service cost from the borrower. This could produce substantial savings to homeowners and make obtaining loans easier for low-wage earners.
• Explore the possibility of providing government guaranteed loans through the Caribbean Development Bank.
• Provide a flat transaction fee for all closing related costs, such as legal fees, to those who pre-qualify for the stamp duty waiver.
• Work to ensure least cost hook-up of water and electricity for low-wage, first time homeowners.

Sports

Team Better Balance believes in the continued upgrading, enhancement and maintenance of sports facilities and of equal importance, sports programs. The important role of sports in the life of our communities and the development of our children as well as an important aspect of a healthy and positive lifestyle should never be overlooked.

Position and Plans for the Future

• To give talented young athletes and hard-working sporting associations and clubs (especially in relation to their youth programs) the best possible support
• Seek to facilitate the enhancement of training and competitive opportunity both locally and abroad for our local athletes.
• Continue to promote healthy lifestyles through active participation in sports.
• Ensure the upkeep of existing facilities.
• Provide additional facilities for an enhanced swimming program.
• Complete the Jimmy Powell Cricket Oval and continue to further enhance the development of cricketers.

Culture

Background

Team Better Balance recognizes the need to continue Mr. McKeeva Bush's policy for the development and continued awareness of our Caymanian Culture. We recognize the need to establish a cultural policy for the country, which must serve as a model for the way in which the country plans and moves forward in the development of our culture.

Position and Plans for the Future

• The curriculum in schools should be improved with provision for promoting Caymanian Culture and the Arts.
• Include the arts and areas relating to culture along the priority areas for Government Scholarships.
• Upgrading of the National Library and National Museum.
• Documenting of traditional Caymanian music.
• Encourage the showcasing and celebration of Caymanian culture and the arts by establishing a marketing strategy to actively pursue its International exposure.
• Encourage private sector recognition of the value of the arts and culture in the society's development and support for Caymanian cultural identification.
• Evaluate the progress and effectiveness of Pirates Week in an attempt to strengthen it and make it more meaningful, cost effective and accountable.
• To give talented Caymanians (musicians and other artists) a more meaningful opportunity to participate in the financial benefits derived from the National Festival.
• Ensure the continued writing and publication of the new history of the Islands started by Mr. Bush.
• We will support, encourage and strengthen Cayfest.

THE ENVIRONMENT

Background

If the Cayman Islands are to continue on a steady pattern of economic development, we must consider carefully the options available and implement long term strategic plans to protect our fragile environment. Without planned development and proper growth management, our society, like any other will stagnate. Yet, too much accelerated and unchecked growth will potentially smother a society with uncontrollable risks. We cannot command nature except by obeying her. With the increasing feeling in the islands that the accelerated growth in recent years and the resulting destruction of irreplaceable natural resources is leading to the loss of the indigenous Caymanian natural environment, this team endeavors to maintain a balance between development and its effects on our natural resources.

Position and Plans for the Future

• In an effort to further protect one of our most precious resources, the North Sound and its surrounding reefs, we believe that there should be stricter enforcement of the existing Marine Conservation Law in addition to the prohibition of any further dredging in the open waters of the Sound.
• While the Sound has been a primary source of acquiring marl for landfill, the team feels the need to introduce an alternative long-range plan for getting marl with minimum impact on the environment.
• In addition, while the North Sound is a source of livelihood for some local fishermen, Stingray City has become the single most important attraction on the eco-tourism front. Of crucial importance is the need to educate the islands' residents of the importance and fragility of these resources. As such, this team will endeavor to assist in the continued efforts put forward by the Department of Environment in addition to implementing other programs to increase awareness of Cayman's marine environment beginning at the primary school level.
• The Central Mangrove Wetlands ("CMW") is considered by many to be the environmental jewel of Grand Cayman, and as such invaluable in terms of the ecological benefits it contributes to the North Sound and offshore waters. Conservation of the CMW is crucial to maintaining the health and productivity of the North Sound and near-shore marine resources.
• Despite substantial losses of mangroves in the past due to development related excavation, mangrove propagation is a viable option whereby red mangrove fringe habitat can be created along waterways and canal shorelines. In addition, it is feasible to encourage owners to plant grape trees along beach side properties to offset the potential for coast erosion.
• In an effort to minimize dumping in the fast-growing landfill and considering the limited land available for additional landfills, efforts will be made in the form of public education campaigns and incentives to be more environmentally responsible and friendly, including the creation of more recycling programs and finding more modern methods of mass rubbish disposal.
• We will support a requirement for environmental impact studies for large developers.
• We will support the establishment of a Growth Management Board with legal ability to work with the CPA on assessing and enforcing strategies related to environmental impact studies.

Solid Waste and Sewage

Team Better Balance is committed to dealing with issues whether or not the general public can see them in their day-to-day lives. The current situation at the garbage dump is unacceptable. It presents a serious threat to the environment and a potential health hazard. The cost of dealing with this could be prohibitive if the problem is not comprehensively addressed in the near future.

Position and Plans for the Future

• Pursue alternative methods of disposing of solid waste with the view to protecting mother earth from the continued influx of waste material.
• Encourage ongoing and the establishment of new viable recycling programs.
• Ensure that the public does not bear the cost of the private enterprise success, that is, the respective party will pay for any privatization endeavors resulting in the production of large quantities of waste materials. The common man cannot bear any further increases in the cost of living.
• Ensure that the treatment of sewage is given priority as this poses a threat to our survival as a tourist destination.
• Ensure the ongoing upgrade and provision of modern and proper sewage processing equipment.

IMMIGRATION

Background

The team is well aware that the immigration issue, though very serious and in need of urgent attention and proactive, positive action, is not a new one. The Cayman Islands have a history of immigration issues. Caymanians have historically been a migrant people, traveling as necessary to make a living and returning home to the Cayman Islands when possible. Further, the Cayman Islands do not have an indigenous population; Cayman is a melting pot of nations and cultures.

However, the Cayman Islands have developed their own culture and over three hundred years of experience in living in these Islands have brought about the formation of a very unique West Indian culture, which must be recognized and respected.

The rapid growth in the economy of the Cayman Islands since about 1965, especially in the tourism and finance industries has brought about great changes in the islands previously known as "the islands time forgot." There has been a lot of socio-economic pressure brought about by this rapid growth and the immigration issue, though important, is only one of those pressures!

Caymanians now make up less than 50% of the local work force and remain in only a very bare majority in terms of total population, as shown by preliminary indications from the last national census taken in 1999. People from over 100 other countries now live and work in the Cayman Islands.

There is now a distinct perceived need to take more control and achieve a better balance in terms of both immigration policy and practice. There is a need to be fair and add clarity to the system so that newcomers to the Cayman Islands understand their rights and obligations whilst at the same time protecting our unique culture and ensuring proper training and job opportunities as well as political control for Caymanians. After all, these goals are precisely the purpose of immigration policies in all modern developed countries.

Such considerations should of course be balanced with all obligations towards compliance with international human rights principles, which ensure basic standards for a country's citizens, first and foremost, as well as those of its visitors and foreign residents.

Many people have spent much time deliberating about what would be the best system of immigration policy and practice for the Cayman Islands. The team recognizes the fine efforts of the Vision 2008 Roundtable, the Caymanian Bar Association, the Chamber of Commerce and many other organizations and efforts too numerous to mention, in producing very thoroughly thought-out and substantial suggestions for such positive and coherent change.

Position and Plans for the Future

• Ensure that all immigration policies fit within a framework of a national growth management strategy and that they make sense with regards to the country's national manpower needs and plans.
• Clarify the position of existing long term residents.
• Clarify the position of existing and new work permit holders so that there is a regulated and structured system for (1) the processing of applications for permits and permit renewals and (2) ensuring that all permit holders are completely familiar with their rights and obligations.
• Establish criteria to be satisfied prior to achieving any advanced immigration rights.
• Establish a system for the proper training of Caymanians and proper succession planning for Caymanians within businesses operating in the Cayman Islands.
• Ensure that a proper system of appeals is in place, including the establishing of an Immigration Appeals Tribunal and the removal of EXCO as a body of appeals on immigration matters.
• Have all permits processed by staff hired and trained by the Dept. Of Immigration for these purposes, so as to ensure that permit applications are considered and processed efficiently and so as to avoid the untimely delays and undue strain on people and the system brought about by the present system in which applications are considered by a voluntary Board meeting on a part-time basis.
• Clarify the position of Caymanians born overseas and descendants of Caymanians wishing to return to the Cayman Islands in order to have standardized criteria for eligibility and ensuring that there is an effective approach to the grant of Caymanian status in relation to persons in this category.
• Ensure a proper balance of the cultures represented in the expatriate population so as to ensure that no one group has a particularly overwhelming impact on the culture of the Cayman Islands.
• Ensure equal treatment of the Civil Service and the Private Sector. The proper training and succession planning within the Civil Service must be on par with those guidelines set out for the private sector. There must be no double standards

CAYMAN AIRWAYS

Background

Cayman Airways Ltd. (CAL), the national flag carrier has been and continues to be a major and emotive issue in and of itself every election. This election it is particularly important because it crosses a number of other campaign issues, including fiscal responsibility, government spending and tourism. The present situation and future of the airline needs to be addressed. It is obvious that the airline cannot continue without a clear and practical mandate from its Shareholder (that is, the government and the people of the Cayman Islands); one which balances the country's financial investment and risk against its tangible and intangible, real and perceived returns.

There is sufficient evidence that all is not right with the national carrier, and coupled with the pressure for fiscal responsibility, candidates must understand the economics of having a fully government owned airline. Prospective governments need to have a strategic direction and plan of action for the national carrier.

CAL cannot be considered out of context of the global industry in which it does business. Perhaps too many of its previous problems arose from decision makers who failed to consider CAL in the proper context, i.e. that of an airline in a global aviation industry, and mistakenly viewed it as another government department fully controllable within the local community. There are several issues that need addressing:

• The adequacy of the Annual Subsidy and the real intention of such a subsidy and also, the cross subsidies that CAL provides to other Government departments, which are not transparent, and which reduce the 'effective' subsidy the Cayman Islands Government gives the airline. It is estimated that CAL subsidizes the Dept. Of Tourism with approximately US$500,000 in free transportation per year.
• CAL's Overall Financial Performance of the airline and whether or not it is capitalized properly. If the costs of running the airline are already greater than the revenue it earns, are Government's plans to provide the airline with working capital or create the conditions that would allow the airline to earn the revenue it needs? For example, instead of inviting Continental and Delta to fly from the NY region, why not provide Cayman Airways with the ability to fly there instead and improve its revenue performance. Team Better Balance feels there is scope for substantial improvement and if CAL has a clear-cut strategic market and financial targets will be able to focus its efforts and gear its functioning and operations in a very specific manner, thus enabling money-making and cost-cutting capacities which are not presently utilized.
• CAL's Fleet. Perhaps Team Better Balance proposes investigating new or different airplanes that could solve Cayman Airways' problems of service reliability, reaching tourism markets and ultimately, of profitability. We need to know that the current fleet of 737-200's is the best choice for the routes currently being operated. These matters need to be properly investigated and reported to the Shareholders - the people of the Cayman Islands.
• Management. The national airline has had its top executive changed 6 times in the last 8 years with no indication as to the future leadership of the airline. Separately, there are levels of management, and once discussions of Executive Management cease, there is little attention paid to the managerial skills deficit which inhibit the development of better efficiencies, improved customer service and a focus on business behaviors.
• Strategic Direction. Team Better Balance proposes a Five-year Strategic Plan for the airline. If the airline doesn't know where it is going, its no wonder it ends up making little progress!
• The Role of CAL in the Cayman Islands Economy. It is important to establish what type of national airline we want to have. Various Caribbean models exist: Air Jamaica, BWIA, Bahamas Air and Island Air. It is important to understand each of these models individually in order to assess their relative advantages and disadvantages to their respective countries. The strategic purpose, the financial and organization structure are designed to support the vision. They each have different mandates, perform varying roles in the economy and are influenced to differing levels by local politics. The key for the Cayman Islands is to decide what we want for our country and how much are we prepared to pay for it.
• International Business. The airline is one of the few businesses in Cayman that truly operates and competes in the global economy. Major components of the business are determined outside the Cayman Islands, e.g. fleet purchase price, fuel, and fares (the price of the product). Financial success in this business is not achieved solely by increasing the selling price, because the selling price is determined by the demand and supply forces of the market. Wider profit margins in the passenger revenue side of this business are achieved by continually seeking to lower costs, because the market will not bear increases in fares like those of CUC or Cable & Wireless (consumers have too many choices and the other carriers have much lower unit costs).
• Political Involvement & Shareholder Directives. It is necessary to determine what role, if any, local politics should play in the running of the airline. Technically 'who' the shareholder is should be less important that the strategy and objectives they set for the business. There needs to be a clearer definition of the role and expectations of the Shareholder, Board Members, Management, employees, and community vis-à-vis the politics of Cayman Airways Ltd.
• Privatizing the airline is an option that should be investigated.

Position and Plans for the Future

Have a national airline that Caymanians can continue to be proud of - one that is managed as a business within a reasonable, affordable Government subsidy. It should have the resources it needs to be run as an airline, both in terms of capital and fleet. We will not micromanage the airline, but set the vision and ensure the proper management is in place.

Get an objective, clear status report on the airline. Investigate its true financial position. Look strategically at the future of the airline a year to ten years from now as well as the factors impacting its ability to be a viable business entity. Some of these factors include financial history of huge losses (1990-1993), burdensome debt repayments for those losses, expected demand for traffic to and from the Cayman Islands, current and forecast operating costs, fleet, unbridled and unmanaged competition, unbalanced regulatory regimes in favor of the competition, and the local labor market conditions. Stakeholders should come together to develop a national strategic plan for the airline.

Stakeholders would include the airline's management, staff, pilots' association, tourism interests and the government. As part of the plan, the stakeholders would have to identify what the desired outcome should be, i.e. what the country wants, needs, and what is financially feasible. Once that has been identified, the strategic plan should evaluate if the desired outcome is realistic, and the various ways of achieving the goal(s).

Team Better Balance proposes the following:

• To ensure that the airline is managed in such a way that it remains a viable business entity and the country not need worry about being without its own airline
• To define the role of the national carrier in the local economy
• To ensure a 5-year strategic plan is developed within the first 6 months of election
• To ensure a realistic and affordable fleet replacement plan, within a realistic time frame, is in place by the end of the first year
• To ensure that all other Government departments work together with the airline and not undermine its existence.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION & ROADS

Background

All modern, developed societies enjoy the benefits of organized and regular mass public transport. Whether the method of transportation is via bus, train, tram, subway system or other, being able to transport large numbers of a population and the increased mobility of that population enhances the quality of life in that society. The advantages are many. People have more opportunities to be more productive and efficient as well as become more involved in the social aspects of life in their communities.

More specifically such increased opportunity for the Cayman Islands could mean a decrease in the use of automobiles thereby decreasing the cost of living, (since there would be less money spent on gas and other costs of running automobiles). Another benefit would be a reduction in the demand for new roads, more parking spaces. Indeed there would be less strain on the country's infrastructure in general, since there would be less demand for such substantial road works to be carried out. Also very important is the decreasing strain there would be on environment, with less car exhaust being pumped into the air, thus enabling a healthier environment for all the people, plants and animals of the Cayman Islands.

There would be many social benefits. Many persons in Cayman are presently very limited in terms of their ability to participate in the various community and educational activities being initiated. The availability of reliable public transport would change this.

Some have argued that Caymanians are unlikely to use public transportation. However, if regular, reliable, reasonably priced, tidy, and comfortable transport were to be provided, it is hard to see that Caymanians would not take advantage of this. The existence of such would enable workers to name rapidly, efficiently and trouble free and thus contribute more effectively to the economy.

In conjunction with a proper system of public transport there is also a need to continue to improve the road system in the Cayman Islands in order to facilitate the improvement of problems of traffic congestion, damage caused to vehicles due to bad road conditions in some areas and to diminish the risks of vehicle accidents.

Position and Plans for the Future

• Build on the existing public transport system by establishing clearly defined bus routes and schedules, which would be posted in all bus stops and in the central bus depot in George Town.
• Ensure the provision of proper shelters at each bus stop and provide shelter at the central bus depot, which is presently exposed to the elements.
• Ensure that all areas of the islands are properly serviced and it is not just the most populous areas, which have such service.
• Enhance the training of public transport providers so that they are well prepared as safe drivers capable of handling difficult situations and have the necessary knowledge of the islands.
• Enhance the criteria for the maintenance of the buses being used to ensure that seating is comfortable and accessible to all and that all buses are air-conditioned or otherwise properly ventilated.
• Ensure a proper pricing structure so that prices charged for bus rides are reasonable, fair and consistent.
• Establish a system to ensure the safety and security of the bus drivers themselves. · Continue to modify and upgrade existing roads.
• Continue with construction of new road corridors.
• Ensure proper drainage of road corridors so as to avoid problems of traffic congestion and accident risk as well as risk of damage caused to the roads themselves due to the accumulation of water.
• Promote the construction of proper bicycle lanes and the continued addition of proper sidewalks.
• Investigate the viability of a regulated ferry system, at least for peak hours

HEALTH

The Team Better Balance would continue to enhance the Health Services Complex, including the provision of full and secure mental health and drug detox facilities and the offering of other viable and needed services both through the improvement of facilities and the employment of necessary staff.

The Team Better Balance would also continue to enhance the district health centers and improve on the services offered by them.

The Team Better Balance would aim to ensure a consistently first class and comprehensive health service, which would rely less on support services from hospitals and medical facilities overseas. However, where such services are required, the Team believes that these should be made available through assistance from the Government in a non-bureaucratic, means-tested manner, and that the Government should also seek to reduce and minimize the burden of costs for medical services locally and abroad to those in need.

NATIONAL SECURITY

Background

There is potential for the population of the Cayman Islands to continue to increase at a rapid pace. It is therefore inevitable that policing problems and the potential for increasing crime will mirror this rise. Team Better Balance considers that it is necessary to establish a National Security Strategic Plan (NSSP).

The goal of National Security (NS) is to establish an environment in which legal trade may be conducted with reasonable high assurance of being unencumbered by criminal activity and without becoming a conduit for such activity as well as generally protecting the coastline and national waters and airspace of the Cayman Islands from such dangers as illegal dumping of pollutants, illegal immigration, and drug trafficking.

A NSSP should strive to constrict the opportunities for criminal exploitation within the air, land, and maritime transportation systems, its providers and users. In developing a NSSP, the emphasis should be placed on deterring, preventing, detecting and reducing the losses attributed to criminal activities. In order to do so, our NS operations must be proactive rather than merely reactive. This requires intelligence and investigative coordination with law enforcement agencies both locally and internationally.

Position and Plans for the Future

• A comprehensive NS survey and risk assessment. This is the first task in the process of establishing an effective NS regime. This would identify the vulnerability, nature and magnitude of all NS threats to our Islands. The NS survey should be comprehensive in order to enable a complete and accurate analysis of NS vulnerabilities. Analysis of the information compiled in the survey will assist in the selection of various security measures to best counter potential threats and to monitor the effectiveness of counter measures.
• To establish a realistic budget and ensure adequate funding. Whilst the implementation of a NSSP will entail expenditure of funds, that expenditure can be more than offset by the savings NS can provide. The potential to reduce local crime is enhanced as more of the surrounding populace finds gainful employment and benefits from legitimate business.
• Equip our Law Enforcement agencies with Intelligence Data Bases and proper training to be used for tactical and strategic intelligence.
• Information Security methods and procedures to ensure that there is no unauthorized access to information used by our Port and Law Enforcement Agencies.
• International Co-operation that is necessary for building networks of diplomacy and law enforcement to alleviate such problems as smuggling of transnational migrants, in addition to promoting co-operation against transnational organized crime.
• Protecting the point of entry to the Cayman Islands:
  • Airport Technology - Continue to implement and enhance present finger printing identification technology to prevent re-entry of deportees and known criminals, etc.
  • Coastline Monitoring - Develop and implement radar systems to detect maritime activity, increase marine units, and provide air cover to provide a strategic, intelligence-led deployment. This would assist in drug smuggling, currency smuggling (which is an integral component in the money laundering process) stowaways and transnational migrant smugglin