Sandra Catron (BT) - Responses

1. Constitution: What is your opinion of the draft Constitution?
The draft constitution is an improvement over what we had.. However, I do not believe that we should settle for a document that has been termed “far from perfect”. We should continue working on it until we get it as good as possible. Additional consultation with a more diverse group than just the Ministers Association would not be a bad idea. We are in a position to get this document right and should put every effort into setting a higher standard that we would like to attain. The constitution is meant to be the collective document that reflects our community as a whole and should at least be sufficient enough to service 1 generation of Caymanians. A Bill of Rights would have been a basic component I would have liked to have seen. In addition, I have concerns that the upcoming referendum is not binding; therefore no matter what the people decide the politicians will ultimately decide to do what they wish.

2. Development: To what extent should all public and private sector projects account for economic social and environmental concerns?
We cannot expect the developers to have this concern. We require government watchdog groups and legislation to dictate what the overall ambit should be and how it should be enforced. Clearly all of those factors have to be considered before a major project or development is approved.

3. Economy: How will you strengthen our economy and ensure that opportunities are available to Caymanians entrepreneurs?
In the current economic downturn that we are experiencing we should be very fiscally responsible. Creating business opportunities means that we can make sure that we do not increase government fees at this time. It will be difficult for any business to start-up at this time. However, small business and female owned business account for the majority of the business out there. Offering educational seminars on how to adjust to the difficulties that any business will endure in this climate would also be extremely useful. The fact of the matter is that some businesses will fail. I do not believe that government should intervene to necessarily save individual businesses. However, if the government was operating it’s affairs more effectively and streamlined then they would set the tune for everyone else to follow. Government projects that are not already near completion should be deferred until there are economically feasible.

4. Education: What changes will you make and implement to re-direct the current strategic plan for education?
Some strides have been made already in education. A comprehensive review of the student’s curriculum is key. However, before we even get to the curriculum we need to focus some real efforts on adjusting the overall mindset of our people as whole. Education should be something that we appreciate at the core of who we are. Opportunities are created for our people when we are prepared to take over the jobs in our community. In order to do this we re-evaluate how we have prioritized education. Asians have the best educational results in the world and they do it with the least amount of available resources and physical buildings. We could learn something from their approach to overhauling education. We need the input of all the stakeholders in the community so that we may improve education in meaningful ways.

5. Environment: What are your top 5 priorities for protecting our natural environment and do they include support for the National Conservation Bill?
We need to design and implement an overall environmental plan. This would include educational component and implementation of real world initiatives as well. Cayman relies heavily on our environment to maintain our tourism sector. Yet, our people seem somehow disconnected with how they impact the environment every day. Some immediate initiatives that we can take are: Devise a environmental program; Implement a phased in recycling program; Provide incentives for home and businesses to be more environmentally conscious; Include environmental education in the schools so that our next generation will be more apt to see protecting our environment as a necessity; Government should lead the overall initiative to protect our environment; Government should also look at legislation to prohibit people from harming the environment as well.

6. Government: How do you propose to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the government services including statutory authorities and government owned companies?
One of the areas that I have recognized that government could use help is in the area of training. As an educator I have seen that need and often it goes unattended to. We need persons to have specific training in Public Administration and for a certain grade of jobs in government it should be a requirement of the job. Persons who have been in the civil service for many years should be provided with career guidance and the tools to become more efficient. Government is only as effective as the individual departments/heads of departments and employees. Adopting some aspects of running a profitable business is not a bad idea. Greater accountability and streamlining techniques are always useful.

7. Health: What will you change about the current health care system?
The healthcare system is in shambles by most accounts. We need to hire qualified persons to review the overall system. I would not comment any further unless I had the opportunity to meet with the skilled workers in the healthcare field. Obviously we need to look closely at the level of care that is being provided to patients at the government operated hospital as well as issues with health insurance.

8. Immigration: What are your top five priorities to improve immigration policies including the introduction of new policies?
[no answer included]

9. National Security: How do you propose to address the rising level of crime including its root causes?
I’ve been very disappointed that we continue to look at just the incarceration and punishment of people instead of a more holistic approach. Here’s the content of a recent emailer that was sent out to my e-mail list: With our second murder of 2009 occurring last night we are all saddened by this event. My heart goes out to the family and friends of the on-air personality "Jazzy B". Many of us were also shocked by an attempted kidnapping of a woman in West Bay. I was moved to make sure that I share with you my sentiments on this important issue - CRIME IN CAYMAN. Gone are the days when we left our windows open at night, keys in the car ignition and handbags unattended. When we go for a walk we need to think about security and our own personal safety - it's an ongoing concern for all of us. We cannot expect to have a bustling economy and happy, productive citizens if we live in fear for our lives and safety. More prisons, tougher sentences and more cops is our response to crime when it is already out of hand. However, those are not the means to a sustainable solution. We must be careful that we are looking at the root causes of crime and many of those issues we are not prepared to address. For example, I have been pushing for this government to consider the welfare and safety of our children. If we cannot raise safe and productive children we will never be able to produce productive adults. Expose our children to violence and they will only know violence as a means. Consider this quote: "those to whom evil is done, do evil in return." That is part of the equation. We also have to admit that with such a transient population some of our crime is imported in. What are the solutions for dealing with that? Clearly, we need to do a better job at screening candidates for entry into the Cayman Islands. The Immigration Department has already taken some steps towards that plan; but there is more that can be done. The bottom line is we cannot sit back and do nothing. That may be easy; but I've never been aware of a problem solving itself. It takes a community effort and effective leadership. Proposed Solutions: 1. We must maintain a fingerprint and DNA database to cross reference against that of other agencies; 2. We need CCV cameras to be deployed around the Cayman Islands; 3. Enhance capacity for collecting data on violence; 4. Create, implement and monitor a national action plan for violence prevention; 5. Integrate violence prevention into educational and social programs; 6. Promote cooperation and exchange of information on violence prevention; 7. Establish intervention methods for gang members. We have a lot to learn about what works and what does not work from our neighbors around us. The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Clearly that alone is not the answer. I invite your comments and feedback on how we can be more effective at fighting crime in the Cayman Islands: http://sandracatron.com/issue.asp?ID=1

10. Social/Family: What are the most critical social issues facing Cayman and how would you address them?
We have often neglected the social fabric of our community and families for the almightily dollar. As a result we are painfully behind where we should be. Legislation that does not protect our children, teenage pregnancies, youth violence, adult violence and abuse. The list could almost be too lengthily to address here. Two issues that have already been an area that I’m working on include Child Abuse Awareness and prevention, education and treatment as well as teenage pregnancy. Here are some useful links: www.caymansexoffenders.org
http://www.caymannewsservice.com/viewpoint/2009/04/06/cayman-needs-child-advocate-program ; http://www.caymannewsservice.com/headline-news/2009/04/07/candidate-calls-heads-roll-prison#comments