It is better if you don’t know all the facts and being blissfully ignorant of them makes an excellent Chairman of the Cayman Islands Planning Authority (CPA).

If you do have all the facts presented to you and ignore them that is even better. You see, you rely totally on common sense.

If you are laughing at the above you are probably other members of the CPA or are building developers that pray the present chairman, A.L Thompson, stays in his present position – the CPA chairman.

The Public Accounts Committee last Wednesday (9) called Thompson before them to answer some serious concerns raised in a recent report by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG).

This report, “National Land Development and Government Real Property”, charged the CPA with dismissing the advice of experts and behaving outside the laws more often than not.

Thompson implied “common sense” was more important than any government experts like the Water Authority – Cayman, the National Roads Authority, the Department of Environment and even the Planning Department!

It is no wonder the meetings of the CPA are behind closed doors.

Of course, Thompson who owns the largest hardware store, would never allow the benefits his store would get from these developments his board has sanctioned to cloud his judgment or common sense. In fact I can understand where his perception of common sense would be at the fore.

The CPA board is comprised mainly by members involved in the construction field and I can understand that. However, there is no register of interest and I have a very serious problem with that.

Thompson was unconcerned about any conflict of interest and the board “policed themselves”. It was a matter of trust, he explained, and he did ask if any of his members had an interest in any of the developments placed before his board. He said he knew of no occasion where someone had deliberated on a decision where they had an interest.

Of course that’s where ignorance is bliss.