It is very rare I have ever agreed with anything from my Newlands MLA, who never returns any call, but there is always an exception. No. Alvar Suckoo did not return my calls. The exception is I actually 100% agree with him.

Please see our story today “New Garbage Collection petition from Cayman Islands Sav/New MLA Office”.

The petition is to try to make the government do something about the many failings from the Department of Environmental Health re mainly garbage collections or lack of.

Suckoo is the man behind the petition. He wants the reinstatement of twice weekly collections. I would be happy if we had the once a week garbage collection and consistently on the same day!

It would also be encouraging if the person who DEH tell us to call knew where Newlands is. When I spoke to her she thought it was in Prospect! Even when we got that sorted out the day she said the garbage would be collected, didn’t happen.

And when you travel the distance my wife does everyday, between Newlands and Pease Bay, the garbage piled up along the roads is an eyesore and a health epidemic just waiting to happen. Just see what that would do to tourism numbers if it became a reality.

Speaking to CNS, Suckoo reportedly said, “No one can argue that the opposition has not been patient and supportive of the government’s claims to be getting this resolved, however I am also aware that many of my constituents are now at the end of the road with being patient. The unreliable collection of trash, which can contain blood, feces, rotting food and other sources of bacteria and viruses, is a growing health risk for these islands. That threat is compounded by the fact that dogs, cats, chickens and iguanas are spreading this material around, making the current situation intolerable and extremely unsafe.”

I agree.

And still no word on why the past head man at DEH went on leave and when he will return, if ever, and why he is on full pay that we are paying. Doesn’t anyone in government care that we are paying for someone to stay at home and do nothing? And DEH say nothing. Can anyone there comprehend that this could not happen in the private sector?

There is nothing wrong with the work force that pick up the garbage – it’s the management where the problem is.

“Management needs to step up and deal with non-performing staff, but also ensure that the department has the resources in place to do the job. We are still uncertain where the new trucks are, and I am told that the ministry may be asking for more cash for trucks or equipment at the next sitting of the Legislative Assembly,” Suckoo stated. “It is also a concern that three of the newest and largest trucks were sent to the Sister Islands, leaving two smaller trucks which are inadequate for Grand Cayman, and as of today they only have two working trucks, and they are once again behind schedule.”

SOURCE: https://caymannewsservice.com/2018/04/petition-garbage-collection-failures/

Now we have the departure of the Deputy Director at DEH.

It is shocking that the government has been so slow to take action on this matter and now the Deputy Opposition leader has had to resort to placing a petition on line to stir up the good people of this island to bang their drums.

So far, nothing is working, and the only comments coming from the DEH – is GARBAGE!