Hipocrito Mejia said:
My concern is that given the magnitude of this project and the huge financial expense, that a small percentage of the total cost will be a very significant amount of money. Sure, they'll end up stealing a smaller percentage, but this is a much larger amount of money, and in the end, It'll be a larger amount of money than what other administrations have stolen.
IMO, the trafiic issues in SD could have been resolved by building more elevados and creating a better organized public transportation system, consisting of LPG powered buses.
If LF wanted to leave a true legacy for the benefit of the entire country and future generations, he should have found a way to acquire the funds to restructure the entire education system on a national level. He would forever be remembered as the man who changed the attitude of the country and its citizens, by showing that education has to be the number one priority for a society that wants to modernize itself and maintain consistent and sustainable growth.
For the comment section in dark red:
Yes there is much truth to that. However, things are always relative and percentage wise corruption is much lower with this administration than it has been with any other. Let's assume this project would have been done under Hipolito! Get the idea?
Now that I think of it, Hipolito did almost nothing for the country.... other than steal more than predecessors and leaving the country on the brink of implosion.
Leonel is the better of the bunch, and while we may always wish for things to be even better regarding politics and corruption; reality hardly ever reflects such aspirations and desires.
I understand what you are saying, but less corruption is seen in relative terms, not absolute terms much in the way investments and their returns or increases in literacy or even increases in overall well being is done in relative terms, not absolute.
Absolute terms always are good for a headline story or selling newspapers, but in reality comparisons are worth more in the relative realm of things.
Regarding the section in blue:
The current transport system in the city is heavily controlled by the unions (particularly the conchos) who (as was reported on DR1 earlier this week) don't adhere to government suggestions that would result in benefits to the population. I'm sure government officials are tired of having to resort to extortion or blackmail, as was stated in the report, in order to get anything done with public transport.
The problem with building more elevados is that it has the same effect widening a road has on local traffic patterns. In short, the wider the road the more traffic it attracts shifting the problem from one area to another, but never really fixing the traffic problem. Also, the country needs to move away from fossil fuel based transport and development and one way of doing this is through mass transit systems such as a metro. Once people experience the benefits (seeing is not always convincing, they must experience it as well) they will prefer the metro over any falling apart publico or risky motoconcho; especially if the time to get from point A to point B is cut in more than half.
Regarding the part in magenta:
The problem with legacies is that in order for them to work, they must last. Let's assume Leonel improves public education, what would happen if the opposition wins an election? There goes the public education. People have short minds, so what would happen to Leonel's legacy? I think we both know the answer. Look what happened to the educational system once Trujillo fell of the power base and does anyone remember Trujillo for the relatively good education system? Granted, Trujillo was an evil man in more ways than one, but even evil men have their good moments and deeds.
However, building projects that benefits the population in other ways, such as faster transportation, will have a much more profound effect faster. Let's face it, a metro is much much better than that monstrosity known as the Faro A Colon which does absolutely nothing for the everyday capitale?o.
The truth is that the DR needs all sorts of things all at once and not all those things are able to be fulfilled at once. Governments must define what should be done now and what should be done for later and while many people wish for education to receive more funding, the fact of the matter is that students will not be able to get the education they need if they can't get to class on time! In a metropolis like Santo Domingo, that is still growing rapidly, traffic will only get worse. A metro will help offer a solution to a problem that could affect even the most lavish of education programs in the world.
-NALs