What Has Lionel Done thats been good?

NYDOM

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I live in NY . apart from the peso coming down to 30 FROM 50 -1 US WHAT HAS HE Done to help the People at the low end of the stick.
 

RHM

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NYDOM said:
I live in NY . apart from the peso coming down to 30 FROM 50 -1 US WHAT HAS HE Done to help the People at the low end of the stick.

Not a whole lot. He has boosted consumer and investor confidence and restructured some of the national debt. Unfortunately, the government payroll is just as big as before. The cops are not as blatantly corrupt as under Hipolito and journalists/DJs don't have to worry about getting locked up for expressing their opinions. Education is still underfunded. He is clearly better than Hippo but he isn't a miracle worker.

Scandall
 

Criss Colon

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I'm Not Ready To Give Up On "Leonel" Just Yet!!!!

Just like when the "victim" of a "Hit-&-Run" accident arrives in your "emergency room",the FIRST Thing you have to do is,"Stop The Bleeding"!!!!
Leonel has been getting a handle on the DR's paralyzing external debt!!!(The Bleeding!)
Although "things" have not proceeded with the speed of his first administration,the rules of the game are different this time.First time he was elected,he took the "Helm" from Balaguer,and a "More-Or-Less" stabile,or at least "status-quo"(for the DR!) Government.This time he was presented with a "DOA" economy,and 4 years of "PRD" "Rape,Pillage,and Plunder"! Two Billion US in External debt,the banking 'including"Baniter", collapse."PanAm Games" disaster.Peso in "Freefall"!And general chaos in the Country!
Just like after any "Four Years Of Anarchy" it will take some time to get "things" cleaned up so you can start moving forward once more.I just hope that "Leonel" can be re-elected for another term.I don't know where that "Law" that made "One Term As President" at a time stands???
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PS., The "Bridges,roads,and tunnels", most of them,minus the "Rio Ozama Bridge",are from his first term! Not much construccion this time,no money left by "Hipolito"!
 

rellosk

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Mar 18, 2002
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Criss Colon said:
I just hope that "Leonel" can be re-elected for another term.I don't know where that "Law" that made "One Term As President" at a time stands???
I thought the law was rescinded and that's what allowed Hippo to run again.

Fore those Leonel supporters, it's more immediate (and helpful to his re-election) that his party picks up some seats in the 2006 congressional elections.
 

HOWMAR

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Criss Colon said:
Just like when the "victim" of a "Hit-&-Run" accident arrives in your "emergency room",the FIRST Thing you have to do is,"Stop The Bleeding"!!!!
Leonel has been getting a handle on the DR's paralyzing external debt!!!(The Bleeding!)
Although "things" have not proceeded with the speed of his first administration,the rules of the game are different this time.First time he was elected,he took the "Helm" from Balaguer,and a "More-Or-Less" stabile,or at least "status-quo"(for the DR!) Government.This time he was presented with a "DOA" economy,and 4 years of "PRD" "Rape,Pillage,and Plunder"! Two Billion US in External debt,the banking 'including"Baniter", collapse."PanAm Games" disaster.Peso in "Freefall"!And general chaos in the Country!
Just like after any "Four Years Of Anarchy" it will take some time to get "things" cleaned up so you can start moving forward once more.I just hope that "Leonel" can be re-elected for another term.I don't know where that "Law" that made "One Term As President" at a time stands???
ccccccccccccccccc
PS., The "Bridges,roads,and tunnels", most of them,minus the "Rio Ozama Bridge",are from his first term! Not much construccion this time,no money left by "Hipolito"!
I agree that Leonel has stopped the bleeding. This is in spite of the PRD still controlling the Congress.
 

Axelar

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Jul 28, 2004
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Hippo Changed it

Leonel helped to enact it during his first term and Hippo repealed it when he took over.

rellosk said:
I thought the law was rescinded and that's what allowed Hippo to run again.
 

RHM

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Dragonfly32837 said:
What about the new paved roads, bridges, and tunnels of Santo Domingo? That's something good.

Yeah that's good but it wasn't the question. The OP asked what he has done for those at the bottom of the economic ladder. The answer is "not much". The solution to almost all of our problems is education which he has done next to nothing for. (less than 2% of GDP spent of education in a country where ignorance is rampant) :(

Scandall
 

Rocky

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Scandall said:
Yeah that's good but it wasn't the question. The OP asked what he has done for those at the bottom of the economic ladder. The answer is "not much". The solution to almost all of our problems is education which he has done next to nothing for. (less than 2% of GDP spent of education in a country where ignorance is rampant) :(

Scandall
As we were on the very verge of bankruptcy with ole baldie, and another year or 2 would have turned this country into another Haiti, I would say that Leonel stopping the bleeding did help those at the bottom of the economic ladder, as their plight would have been a lot worse.
The guy's a politician, not a magician.
It takes a lot more work to build than to destroy, and the Hippo destroyed so much that it may never quite be the same.
To complain that he's not doing enough is like the French complaining to the allies after liberating them in the 2nd world war, that they were not doing enough to help rebuild their country.
It's preposterous.
A country is just a big giant company.
Leonel saved the company.
We should all be eternally grateful.
 

RHM

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Rocky said:
As we were on the very verge of bankruptcy with ole baldie, and another year or 2 would have turned this country into another Haiti, I would say that Leonel stopping the bleeding did help those at the bottom of the economic ladder, as their plight would have been a lot worse.
The guy's a politician, not a magician.
It takes a lot more work to build than to destroy, and the Hippo destroyed so much that it may never quite be the same.
To complain that he's not doing enough is like the French complaining to the allies after liberating them in the 2nd world war, that they were not doing enough to help rebuild their country.
It's preposterous.
A country is just a big giant company.
Leonel saved the company.
We should all be eternally grateful.

I gave him his due. He is much better. I'm not complaining that he isn't doing enough in fact I defended him by saying that he is not a miracle worker. But the population is ill educated, that is the root of most problems.

I get your French analogy but it's a bit off. I wouldn't go so far as to say he liberated the country. He was duly elected, the people liberated themselves. That's how a democracy should work and it did.

And I'm not the least bit French :)

Scandall
"Bienvenidos a los tiempos buenos"
 

HOWMAR

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Scandall said:
Yeah that's good but it wasn't the question. The OP asked what he has done for those at the bottom of the economic ladder. The answer is "not much". The solution to almost all of our problems is education which he has done next to nothing for. (less than 2% of GDP spent of education in a country where ignorance is rampant) :(

Scandall
How about the 20% raise in the minimum wage in the private, tourism and government sectors. If that doesn't help those at the bottom of the ladder, what does?
 

bob saunders

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Scandall said:
Yeah that's good but it wasn't the question. The OP asked what he has done for those at the bottom of the economic ladder. The answer is "not much". The solution to almost all of our problems is education which he has done next to nothing for. (less than 2% of GDP spent of education in a country where ignorance is rampant) :(

Scandall

During the first term Leonel put alot of resources into Education and what did it get the PLD and the DR. 4 years of PRD(I'LL GIVE YOU SOME CEMENT AND A NEW ROOF) so perhaps he is being slower and more of a politician this time around. Give him some time man, he has a lot of obstacles to overcome.
 

RHM

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HOWMAR said:
How about the 20% raise in the minimum wage in the private, tourism and government sectors. If that doesn't help those at the bottom of the ladder, what does?


This is hilarious. Who would have thought that there were so many Leonel/PLD apologists on the board.

I give up. He's the greatest. :) :) Just kidding.

The truly poor work in unregulated sectors of society and that raise wouldn't even come close to affecting them. Kind of like the 10% tax we all pay for service at restaurants that rarely is given to the servers. The truly poor don't even have the level of education to meet even the lowest jobs on the totum pole.

I'll say it again. The guy is 100 times better than Hopilito. He asked for the job and the Dominican people gave it to him. I'll hold off any definitive judgements for another year or two. Then hopefully he can get re-elected because God knows trying to make an impact in one term is not easy.

Scandall
 

rellosk

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Axelar said:
Leonel helped to enact it during his first term and Hippo repealed it when he took over.
I think it was enacted before Leonel was elected. I thought it was part of the special election agreement that got Balaguer to step down in 1996 (and hence Balaguer was not able to run until 2000).
 

mondongo

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The main difference between Leonel and Hippo is that Leonel has been a very good boy to the international organizations/companies. This is not a flaming opinion of mine, its in the data. Look it up if you are interested. Leonel is doing this at the expense of the average Dominican.

This tack did indeed slow down the increase of the external debt and stabilize the markets (since they are mainly controlled by same extranjeros and wealthy Dominicans).

There are few other signs (economic) that Leonel will be better than Hippo.
 

RHM

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During Leonel's first term he enacted a permanent civil status for government employees to try and stop the rediculous 99% turnover that happens everytime the administration changes. Hipolito repealed that too and thus on Leonel's first day the entire government was replaced....all the way down to the cleaning ladies (with a few exceptions). Nobody can work with that kind of turnover. It takes people a year to learn a new job anyway.

Scandall
 

Rocky

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Scandall said:
I gave him his due. He is much better. I'm not complaining that he isn't doing enough in fact I defended him by saying that he is not a miracle worker. But the population is ill educated, that is the root of most problems.

I get your French analogy but it's a bit off. I wouldn't go so far as to say he liberated the country. He was duly elected, the people liberated themselves. That's how a democracy should work and it did.

And I'm not the least bit French :)

Scandall
"Bienvenidos a los tiempos buenos"
You're quite right, mi amigo, and my analogy was quickly pulled out of my hat.
It's just that I love living here so very much, and the Hippo almost destroyed my dream, so I am grateful as can be for anything better than him.
From a business point of view, I'm taking a hit during these more expensive times, but I accept my lot in life.
It's a darn sight better than where we were going.
 

RHM

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Rocky said:
You're quite right, mi amigo, and my analogy was quickly pulled out of my hat.
It's just that I love living here so very much, and the Hippo almost destroyed my dream, so I am grateful as can be for anything better than him.
From a business point of view, I'm taking a hit during these more expensive times, but I accept my lot in life.
It's a darn sight better than where we were going.

Me too. I hated seeing things go to **** as bad as they were.

Scandall
 

NALs

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Jan 20, 2003
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In case people are not aware, the single most important thing to me is the overall economy or macroeconomics of the country. When that is doing good, that means the microeconomics is doing good and most people are doing good.

Afterall, the reason people leave is not because of anything other than economics!

Having said that, so far, the Dominican economy has grown by slightly more than 5% in the first half of this year!

The last time the economy grew was in the first year of Hipolito's rule, and that was a mere residue of Leonel spectacular booming years.

Inflation is virtually nonexistent compare to the past four years, we are in single digits again. Overall, the economy is doing better and it will only keep getting better.

Some people (one or two actually responded to this thread in a surprising tune) were not so sure about this a good 10 months ago, in fact, many went as far as bashing me. But, as with everything, time has revealed the truth and the economy is now in the best shape it has been since this decade started, the sad part is that its 2005, almost half of the decade has been lost. But, let's not focus on the past, it's the future what's coming and so far, it looks pretty good.

The economy of the DR should end with an economic growth rate for the year of around 4 to 5%. I have been claiming this since November of last year right here on DR1, some people questioned if this was possible. Now, I am sure they don't question such thing.

The good times are beginning to roll! E Pa' Lante Que Vamos!

Of course, some problems in the country still are apparent, but then again, it has only been 1 year! ;)