slush funds

mountainannie

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Some congressional perks in numbers
A report in Diario Libre today, Thursday 16 October 2014 points out that legislators will still have many pockets for political patronage left over even after cutting the RD$50,000 a month assignment that was announced by Chamber president Abel Martinez. The discretionary assistance fund called the Social Management Fund by the legislators is better known as the "barrilito'" or little barrel.

The newspaper report says that the fund was first created in March 2007 by then president of the Chamber of Deputies Julio Cesar Valentin and since then it has allocated RD$839.9 million to the deputies for political patronage disguised as social assistance.

The fund assigns RD$50,000 to each legislator for use at his or her discretion. Around 30 deputies had voluntarily resigned from using the fund.

The president of the Chamber of Deputies has offered the Central Government the assignment for the next two months and that the funds be reassigned in the 2015 National Budget.

Diario Libre clarifies that while the president of the Chamber of Deputies has accepted a cut of the RD$50,000 monthly allotment, there has been no mention of other allocations made to the legislators for distributing to their constituents, such as allotments for Mother's Day, Christmas and even sweet beans for Easter. For Mother's Day this year the legislators received a fund of RD$176.9 million. For Easter sweet beans distribution, the legislators received RD$14 billion. For Christmas, they received RD$82 million for use at their discretion.

Diario Libre also looks into the consistent wage raises the legislators have approved for themselves. While in 1990 a deputy received a fixed wage of RD$4,600, per diems for RD$400 and expenses of RD$6,000, by 1996, the deputies had gradually upped their wages so that they received RD$59,600.

By 2006 a RD$116,983 wage was approved, and to this was added in 2007 and 2008 RD$23,396 for expenses, RD$45,000 for per diems and the RD$50,000 social fund assignment plus a wage No. 14 for RD$116,983.

Civil society groups, including the Dominican Alliance Against Corruption (ADOCCO), are calling for reductions in the perks received by the legislators.

Los diputados han consumido RD$839.9 millones en dr1 news
 
Aug 6, 2006
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No different than what Happens in America. Politics and it's perks.



It is quite different in the US, you are wrong about this.

In the US, no politician is given money to spend on any person or group of person he chooses. This is done by the entire legislature passing laws.

In the DR, politicians are given money to spend on particular constituents, as I understand it.

Perhaps the Dominican way is better suited to the DR, perhaps not. But this does not happen in the US.
 

barker1964

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It is quite different in the US, you are wrong about this.

In the US, no politician is given money to spend on any person or group of person he chooses. This is done by the entire legislature passing laws.

In the DR, politicians are given money to spend on particular constituents, as I understand it.

Perhaps the Dominican way is better suited to the DR, perhaps not. But this does not happen in the US.

Really???????.........We just know how to hide it with P.A.C....Politics is the same the world over. With time older more established nations refine how they are viewed. So as not to seem crooked. Have we not been busted giving money to the wrong People? here and abroad?
 
Aug 6, 2006
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Really???????.........We just know how to hide it with P.A.C....Politics is the same the world over. With time older more established nations refine how they are viewed. So as not to seem crooked. Have we not been busted giving money to the wrong People? here and abroad?

PACS take campaign contributions in exchange for political favors that consist of the politician getting bills passed that favor the contributor. I did not say that there was no corruption in the US, perhaps there is more: but again, no politician in the US is given money to distribute directly to individuals.

One example I read about was a politician who was written about and photographed in an online newspaper (Ecos del Sur) distributing prenatal vitamins and other baby stuff to some pregnant women who looked like perhaps they could not afford to buy these things for themselves.

This does not happen in the US. What we do in the US is typically that some corporation of fatcat gives a contribution to a candidate, who then gives it to a TV station to run 30 second attack ads badmouthing his opponent.

Since poor pregnant women being given needed supplies is more beneficial than Charlie Crist or Rick Scott giving half a million dollars to run attack ads to a prosperous TV station, I think that the latter is a far worse sort of corruption.

Surely anyone can see the difference.
 

barker1964

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PACS take campaign contributions in exchange for political favors that consist of the politician getting bills passed that favor the contributor. I did not say that there was no corruption in the US, perhaps there is more: but again, no politician in the US is given money to distribute directly to individuals.

One example I read about was a politician who was written about and photographed in an online newspaper (Ecos del Sur) distributing prenatal vitamins and other baby stuff to some pregnant women who looked like perhaps they could not afford to buy these things for themselves.

This does not happen in the US. What we do in the US is typically that some corporation of fatcat gives a contribution to a candidate, who then gives it to a TV station to run 30 second attack ads badmouthing his opponent.

Since poor pregnant women being given needed supplies is more beneficial than Charlie Crist or Rick Scott giving half a million dollars to run attack ads to a prosperous TV station, I think that the latter is a far worse sort of corruption.

Surely anyone can see the difference.


You are correct our politicians will never be caught with the hand in the cookie jar. That's what aides (SCAPEGOATS) are for. Slush Funds, Dark Money all the same. Our politicians learn one phrase really fast "Plausible Deniability" Don't get it twisted I love our system but I will call it like it is. More back door dealing go on with politicians than in a whore house. And let's not forget when they retire the smart ones will "LOBBY" and make ten times their old salary.
 
Aug 6, 2006
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You are correct our politicians will never be caught with the hand in the cookie jar. That's what aides (SCAPEGOATS) are for. Slush Funds, Dark Money all the same. Our politicians learn one phrase really fast "Plausible Deniability" Don't get it twisted I love our system but I will call it like it is. More back door dealing go on with politicians than in a whore house. And let's not forget when they retire the smart ones will "LOBBY" and make ten times their old salary.

I can agree with that.
It did not take Cantor even a week to land a juicy job where he could practice lobbying skills.
 

Criss Colon

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?XO?,....?I FEEL YOUR PAIN?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Only two choices for Florida Governor, and they BOTH SUCK!!!!!!!!
?Tweele Di, & Tweedle DUMBER?!!!!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

One needs his ?FAN?, and the other needs a BRAIN!!!!!!
 

barker1964

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I hate to say it but CC is correct. One has been part of every political party and the other is a crook (ALLEGED):laugh:
 
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Governor Skeletor vs Governor Flipflop.

I hate to say it but CC is correct. One has been part of every political party and the other is a crook (ALLEGED):laugh:

I have never voted for Charlie Crist before, but I prefer him to Scott, who thinks he was elected CEO of Florida, Inc. He will have drilling rigs off the coast in four years, I think. His "blind" trust has money invested in oil companies. Florida needs clean beaches more than it needs richer oilmen.

Crist at least bothers to hear what the people of Florida want, and is willing to give it to them in exchange for a vote. I do not see a man who favors issues over party as such a bad guy, sorry.

I had to wait FOUR HOURS to vote in 2012 in North Miami at an early voting location, because Scott closed several polling places and limited hours to prevent people from voting in Democratic strongholds. He has been a crappy governor and has done nothing to prevent all manner of abuse in the prison system. He likes private prisons more than public ones.

A fan is not an electronic device. It is an electrical device. Scott has morons for handlers and held up the debate for seven minutes fighting over a $20 electric fan. I have nothing against Charlie Crist staying cool, Why should I? Why should anyone?

Scott is a crook, and if elected, he won't be able to run again, so this will mean he can steal away and not pay the consequences.
 

mountainannie

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Dec 11, 2003
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well, no, not quite. Maybe it would be better this way. In the US the election costs are paid for by corporate contributions and wealthy donors who expect to have favorable legislation passed. Here the money goes right to the people, from the government, and, I guess, all the legislators get the same amount.

I am sure that a lot of us can agree that $117k per month is not that much.. certainly not in SD. But Since they also have 23k for expenses, and who understands what the 45k per diem?

I think the retirement benefits are pretty amazing as well.
 
Aug 6, 2006
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I am sure that a lot of us can agree that $117k per month is not that much.. certainly not in SD. But Since they also have 23k for expenses, and who understands what the 45k per diem?

I think the retirement benefits are pretty amazing as well.

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I assume that you mean that the delegados are paid $117K pesos per month, a s 23K for expenses. That would be $2720 per month plus $534 for expenses. I am not clear about the $45K per diem?

I confess I do not know all that much about DR politics.