Solutions Assessment/Feedback input request

elchino

New member
Jul 7, 2006
98
0
0
The objective of this thread is basically to (seriously) request feedback and solutions input to the followings questions, pertaining to problems affecting our Dominican Nation:

1#) What are the cause(s) and how can the lack of laws of
law enforcement be overcome, or resolved?

#2) How can the judicial system be improved?

#3) How can vocational training, workforce
development and massive jobs creations be
accomplished?

#4) How can we get more people to cultivate the
agricultural land and to work in food production and
farming fields?

#5) How can we help Dominican people with mental illness
and disabilities?

#6) How can all the external debt be totally payout, if need be, just to avoid paying the high interest, and provide needed service with that money?

#7) How can the Dominican Republic become
self sufficient and independent without changing the
current political and economic system?

#8) How can corruption be substantially minimized?

Thank you, in advance for your input. perhaps there are other problems and solutions that dr1 readers can add to this assessment.
 
Last edited:

samiam

Bronze
Mar 5, 2003
592
0
0
Congratulations, this will be interesting!

For my part, here are my 2cents...

1. There are no lack of laws, just lack of law enforcement. Specialize, educate and pay a decent sallary/benefits to our enforcement agents (be police, revenue and/or custom agents). Also reduce their numbers, there are too many doing too little.

2. Start with the lawyers. There is no such thing as a Dominican BAR Exam. Any monkey with a dubious law degree can take the stand in any court, including the Supreme court. Stop that and you are half way there.

3. Pass

4. The US and europe heavily subsidize their farmers, we dont and that takes away a certain competitive advantage. Stop charging taxes on agricultural products or production related goods and services created in the DR to incentivate local production over exports or at least make ours a bit more competitive.

5. I think the state should be responsible for citizens that can not take care of themselves due to mental illness. Stop wasting money on Harleys and build an institute for the mentally discapacitated - We have one now, its called Congress but they get no treatment!

6. Why would we want to pay it all out?

7. It can't be self sustainable. Thats just a fact.

8. Only people with a University degree and Land title should be allowed to vote and run for elected positions! I am serious - If you are not educated enough or dont know the value of a hard earned peso you shouldt have any say in the political matters of such a fragile little country.
 

bilijou

New member
Jun 13, 2006
216
4
0
Elchino, I’m glad to see you opening up.
Even though the questions you ask have a socialist touch to them.

I’m dividing the questions into three:

elchino said:
1#) What are the cause(s) and how can the lack of laws of
law enforcement be overcome, or resolved?
#8) How can corruption be substantially minimized?
#2) How can the judicial system be improved?

These are all about corruption and efficiency. Promote ethics among the political class and make it binding by DEPOLITICIZED anti-corruption organizations (other than DEPRECO) made up by concerned citizens (who themselves are depoliticized). Somehow achieve Transparency!
The judicial system is currently being improved. Standards should be set and, once again, made binding. Ethics should also be promoted, since punishment is not always a deterrent. I must admit that I don’t have an in-depth understanding of the Dominican judicial system.

While a lot of the reader’s here dont agree with me on this, working on identity crisis would do miracles to how much politicians care about their own people.

elchino said:
#7) How can the Dominican Republic become
self sufficient and independent without changing the
current political and economic system?
#4) How can we get more people to cultivate the
agricultural land and to work in food production and
farming fields?
#3) How can vocational training, workforce
development and massive jobs creations be
accomplished?
#6) How can all the external debt be totally payout?
You are asking the wrong questions.

DR cannot be self-sufficient.
You live in the US, do you think they are self-sufficient? Why are we shooting up to $75 a barrel right now? Why so much interest in the Middle East?
The rule of the game is comparative advantage. Every country specializes in certain products. They specialize according to their resources. Fortunately for them, many Arab countries have a very profitable natural resource, oil. We can’t specialize in everything (in order to be self-sufficient), because we only have 9 million people in the country, most of them uneducated (unlike the US). So we should concentrate our manpower on a limited number of industries (then maybe we could expand into others).

You ask #4, and I ask you (after reading what I just wrote), why should we specialize in agriculture?
We would be competing with the rest of the developing world, not to mention to the subsidized agriculture industries in the US. And we are not necessarily even the most efficient.
Why send more manpower to these industries dependent on fluctuating world prices?
Tourism seems a more reliable industry. But we are a homogeneous product, we sell the same experience as the rest of the Caribbean.
I think the government should improve infrastructure (as they are) and open up the towns and cities to tourists. Most “businesses” in DR are in the informal sector. I say, the government should promote less resorts and more hotels in the city. For the DR experience consist more than just a nice beach. Design a program to “formalize” these businesses (those who sell food, clothes and merchandise on the streets), start charging taxes as they feel the boost from the tourism.

Massive job creation requires massive companies. Yes, multinational.
But before that, we need a few things:
1. a better education system.
2. If you were the CEO in one of these large companies, and keep in mind that you only think in terms of costs, would you establish your company in DR? With above average electricity costs?
We need to create favorable conditions for investment. Before that, we need to invest in our country. How will we do that without any external debt?

elchino said:
#5) How can we help Dominican people with mental illness
and disabilities?
With the history of marginalization DR has, why would they be in the top of the list?
 
Last edited:

elchino

New member
Jul 7, 2006
98
0
0
You ask #4, and I ask you (after reading what I just wrote), why should we specialize in agriculture?

Well, I was thinking more along the line of basic food production, for providing the people with essential, vital nutrition, not so much in terms of specialization. Meaning that if we, as a country, can produce enough food and jobs in the agriculture industry, that will be a step in the right direction.
To emerge the country into the global economic, the central government can stimulate the various national industries by providing incentives that will generate more production of goods and service for export, thus increasing the GNP, which can be use to minimize the Hugh loans that the country is borrowing, just to create simple basic, social services to those in need- LOS POBRES- like education, housing, health and employment. It seems to me that without a big loan, there is no new program.
 
Last edited:

bilijou

New member
Jun 13, 2006
216
4
0
elchino said:
Well, I was thinking more along the line of basic food production, for providing the people with essential, vital nutrition, not so much in terms of specialization. Meaning that if we, as a country, can produce enough food and jobs in the agriculture industry, that will be a step in the right direction.

elchino, I know you mean well. I too want to see the food factor out of every Dominican kid’s mind. I read an article recently that demonstrated how malnutrition could be an impediment on education in many Third World countries. But you’re going about it the wrong way. If you go to a farm in the US, you will see ONE man with a bunch of machines dealing with acres and acres agricultural products and grazing. In a Third World Country, you see 200 men doing the same amount of work but no machinery. One is capital intensive and the other is labor intensive.

You are suggesting the labor intensive. This one man, will be making 150 grand a year plus subsidies from the US government. His products will be cheap and less labor is wasted in the agricultural industry which competes with the rest of the world. The 200 Dominicans will be making no money. This farm’s products are a lot more expensive and most of the population would be in the agriculture industry.

Instead of directing people into agriculture. Let’s mechanize the agricultural industry so we can compete. Let’s make more food, for less money and less manpower, so we can feed the people. Look at Chile’s agricultural industry. I see their products advertised everywhere.

If you want to help Dominicans, don’t support the inefficiency of these industries.

elchino said:
To emerge the country into the global economic, the central government can stimulate the various national industries by providing incentives that will generate more production of goods and service for export, thus increasing the GNP, which can be use to minimize the Hugh loans that the country is borrowing, just to create simple basic, social services to those in need- LOS POBRES- like education, housing, health and employment. It seems to me that without a big loan, there is no new program.
Efficiency is part of the rules of this game. How do you know the company or sector you are providing incentives for is the most efficient? What if you are supporting an innefficient company and undermining a much more efficient company that would provide cheaper food? What about corruption?
Why would you subsidize the agricultural industry so that you can pay off external debt? Why not pay it directly?
I know you have your socialist tendencies, but the only way to do what you are saying is by charging taxes not by having a government owned agricultural industry. I won’t go into it, but I will say it is TOO inefficient. If you want to give the agricultural industry a boost, give them tax breaks.
I must agree with you that there should be more social spending.
 

elchino

New member
Jul 7, 2006
98
0
0
More jobs, how?

bilijou said:
elchino, I know you mean well. I too want to see the food factor out of every Dominican kid’s mind. I read an article recently that demonstrated how malnutrition could be an impediment on education in many Third World countries. But you’re going about it the wrong way. If you go to a farm in the US, you will see ONE man with a bunch of machines dealing with acres and acres agricultural products and grazing. In a Third World Country, you see 200 men doing the same amount of work but no machinery. One is capital intensive and the other is labor intensive.

You are suggesting the labor intensive. This one man, will be making 150 grand a year plus subsidies from the US government. His products will be cheap and less labor is wasted in the agricultural industry which competes with the rest of the world. The 200 Dominicans will be making no money. This farm’s products are a lot more expensive and most of the population would be in the agriculture industry.

Instead of directing people into agriculture. Let’s mechanize the agricultural industry so we can compete. Let’s make more food, for less money and less manpower, so we can feed the people. Look at Chile’s agricultural industry. I see their products advertised everywhere.

If you want to help Dominicans, don’t support the inefficiency of these industries.


Efficiency is part of the rules of this game. How do you know the company or sector you are providing incentives for is the most efficient? What if you are supporting an innefficient company and undermining a much more efficient company that would provide cheaper food? What about corruption?
Why would you subsidize the agricultural industry so that you can pay off external debt? Why not pay it directly?
I know you have your socialist tendencies, but the only way to do what you are saying is by charging taxes not by having a government owned agricultural industry. I won’t go into it, but I will say it is TOO inefficient. If you want to give the agricultural industry a boost, give them tax breaks.
I must agree with you that there should be more social spending.

Indeed, your points are well taken, for clarification sake, I didn't mean to give the impression of nationalizing the agriculture industry, and yes tax relieves are a good plan to motivate production.

What about jobs creation, to minimize unemployment and generate massive earned income?
 

bilijou

New member
Jun 13, 2006
216
4
0
elchino said:
What about jobs creation, to minimize unemployment and generate massive earned income?
As I said in my first post in this thread, immediate massive job creation requires massive companies. Create favorable conditions for Dominican and foreign companies to open in DR. Do you have an idea of how hard it is to open and operate a business in DR? Why would you open it there and not in a more convenient place?

I am personally much more concerned about the quality of the jobs created.
 

elchino

New member
Jul 7, 2006
98
0
0
Human resources/ Back to basics

bilijou said:
As I said in my first post in this thread, immediate massive job creation requires massive companies. Create favorable conditions for Dominican and foreign companies to open in DR. Do you have an idea of how hard it is to open and operate a business in DR? Why would you open it there and not in a more convenient place?

I am personally much more concerned about the quality of the jobs created.

Well, so relatively speaking, using human labor with a substantial minimum wages and health insurance, paid by the farm owner, instead of machinery will be a potential temporary approach to create both food and jobs. Plus it will be less expensive for farmer to work the land, taking into consideration the high cost of fuel and electricity to operate the the machinery. The farmer will be able to paid the wages and medical coverage of his employees from his profits and tax credits.

in the other hand we can create the conditions necessary to bring in foreign investment, that is willing to reinvest in the country at least 45% of their generated profits, as well as having them sponsor specific on the job training and vocational services for the workforce development, thus creating more jobs and earned income for the Pueblo Dominicano.:bunny: :bunny: :bunny: :bunny: :bunny::bunny: :bunny: :bunny: :bunny: :bunny:
 

bilijou

New member
Jun 13, 2006
216
4
0
elchino said:
Well, so relatively speaking, using human labor with a substantial minimum wages and health insurance, paid by the farm owner, instead of machinery will be a potential temporary approach to create both food and jobs. Plus it will be less expensive for farmer to work the land, taking into consideration the high cost of fuel and electricity to operate the the machinery. The farmer will be able to paid the wages and medical coverage of his employees from his profits and tax credits.
You completely misunderstood me. Reread what I said. More mechanization in the agricultural industry and less low paying jobs. Send them instead to the service sector that needs it most.

elchino said:
in the other hand we can create the conditions necessary to bring in foreign investment, that is willing to reinvest in the country 45% of their generated profits, as well as having them sponsor specific on the job training and vocational services for the workforce development, thus creating more jobs and earned income for the Pueblo Dominicano.
If you were the owner of this company, would you like to be forced to reinvest half of your profits? That is also part of the “favorable conditions”.
Remember that we are not oil rich and this company’s interest is labor rather than natural resources. We don’t have much negotiating power, especially with the electricity cost.

May I ask what you do for a living?
Please be honest.
 

elchino

New member
Jul 7, 2006
98
0
0
What about Dominican owned companies?

bilijou said:
You completely misunderstood me. Reread what I said. More mechanization in the agricultural industry and less low paying jobs. Send them instead to the service sector that needs it most.


If you were the owner of this company, would you like to be forced to reinvest half of your profits? That is also part of the “favorable conditions”.
Remember that we are not oil rich and this company’s interest is labor rather than natural resources. We don’t have much negotiating power, especially with the electricity cost.

May I ask what you do for a living?
Please be honest.

The following is what I do for a living, why?

vocational Counselor/Residential and Acute Care Division 12/03 – Present
Conduct workshops on employability's skills, job development and placement for American citizens with disabilities- supported employment.
Review and up-date the vocational plan every 60 days
Conducted pre-employment and post employment training groups/classes for clients.
Work with other team member to organize treatment and social rehabilitation groups as needed for client.
Consistently monitor clients for signs of de-compensation and indications that the treatment plan is no longer appropriate for the client’s needs, consult with treatment team to develop alternative approaches to meet client’s needs
Complete timely, thorough documentation of progress at each contact in accordance with established policy and procedure
Provide individual supportive therapy to clients with the goal of promoting personal growth and development
Provide supportive counseling to other involved family members and/or friends as appropriate.
Develop client placements within the employer’s community and industries.
Visit the work site prior to placements are established to determine scope of job.
Provide focused client training for the job placement.
Supervised / job coach (directly, if needed) clients at the work site.
When needed, work side by side with the clients to assure that the required skills are learned and completed to employer specifications.
**************************************************

Pertaining, to creating the conditions to generate foreign investment in DR will be done under the terms and conditions that are favorable to the Dominican people.

Dominican Republic can not cater to foreign investor without producing some kind of benefits for the betterment of living condition of the Dominican people.

If companies, like in the tourism industry, are not willing to reinvest from their profits in generating at least more jobs we don't want them, we don't need them.

Dominican Republic can not be allowed to be money milked without reinvestment or substantial taxes imposed on foreign profits, we need help not exploitation, either they reinvest thus getting tax credits or simply pay the 25-45 % tax.

Belijou:I honestly told you what I do for a living, regardless of what I think of its relevance to the topic of this tread. Can you be honest, and tell why you asked the question?
 
Last edited:

Mirador

On Permanent Vacation!
Apr 15, 2004
3,563
0
0
elchino said:
The following is what I do for a living, why?

vocational Counselor/Residential and Acute Care Division 12/03 ? Present
Conduct workshops on employability's skills, job development and placement for American citizens with disabilities- supported employment.
Review and up-date the vocational plan every 60 days
Conducted pre-employment and post employment training groups/classes for clients.
Work with other team member to organize treatment and social rehabilitation groups as needed for client.
Consistently monitor clients for signs of de-compensation and indications that the treatment plan is no longer appropriate for the client?s needs, consult with treatment team to develop alternative approaches to meet client?s needs
Complete timely, thorough documentation of progress at each contact in accordance with established policy and procedure
Provide individual supportive therapy to clients with the goal of promoting personal growth and development
Provide supportive counseling to other involved family members and/or friends as appropriate.
Develop client placements within the employer?s community and industries.
Visit the work site prior to placements are established to determine scope of job.
Provide focused client training for the job placement.
Supervised / job coach (directly, if needed) clients at the work site.
When needed, work side by side with the clients to assure that the required skills are learned and completed to employer specifications.


sounds like a fancy job description for a health care worker. ;-)
 

elchino

New member
Jul 7, 2006
98
0
0
It got nothing to do with health care!

:surprised
Mirador said:
sounds like a fancy job description for a health care worker. ;-)

Actually, it's a job description for employment services, Job developer and placement specialist for citizens with disability, within the Department of labor: Agency for Workforce Innovation.

It got nothing to do with "HEALTH CARE", and everything with creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities, helping them to enter or reenter the labor market.
 

elchino

New member
Jul 7, 2006
98
0
0
Health Care?

Mirador, What is specifically heath care to you?

Mirador, you said it sounds like a job description for health care: where are the "health care" duties indicators?":bunny: :bunny: :bunny: :bunny: :bunny: :bunny: :bunny: :bunny:
 

bilijou

New member
Jun 13, 2006
216
4
0
elchino,

elchino said:
Belijou:I honestly told you what I do for a living, regardless of what I think of its relevance to the topic of this tread. Can you be honest, and tell why you asked the question?
The issues we?ve been discussing divide people around the world. In my opinion this has to do with the way you approach it. The reason why I asked about your profession is because I tend to think that someone?s occupation is reflected in their thoughts and approach. Also, I like to answer questions in the language of the person who asks. No disrespect intended.

Your profession explains your concern with decreasing unemployment and job training.

elchino said:
Dominican Republic can not be allowed to be money milked without reinvestment or substantial taxes imposed on foreign profits, we need help not exploitation, either they reinvest thus getting tax credits or simply pay the 25-45 % tax.
First of all, when you say ?reinvest?, do you mean ?reinvest in the company for growth? or ?reinvest in the community which it operates, as an ethical/social responsibility??
If you are going to force a company to reinvest half of their profit in the region where they are operating, you might as well charge them taxes on half their profits and for the government to decide what to invest it on. Don?t you think?

I?m in the management field. I can assure you one thing, NO company is giving up half their profits. I was hoping you would say that you owned a business (or at least you managed one at some point) because then you would understand that you open up shop to make the most profit possible. In creating ?favorable conditions?, more important than a ?nice weather? and ?nice people? is PROFITS. A government trying to get investors interested will try to persuade them that they will be most profitable in that country. The fact is that these companies DON?T need DR, they could go anywhere else, they only look at potential profits.

I know, I?m Dominican too. I wish we didn?t need anybody else, and triumph. Unfortunately, the world doesn?t work that way. We need capital before anything. Either we play the game, or we lose.
 

Texas Bill

Silver
Feb 11, 2003
2,174
26
0
97
www.texasbill.com
elchino said:
The objective of this thread is basically to (seriously) request feedback and solutions input to the followings questions, pertaining to problems affecting our Dominican Nation:

1#) What are the cause(s) and how can the lack of laws of
law enforcement be overcome, or resolved?

#2) How can the judicial system be improved?

#3) How can vocational training, workforce
development and massive jobs creations be
accomplished?

#4) How can we get more people to cultivate the
agricultural land and to work in food production and
farming fields?

#5) How can we help Dominican people with mental illness
and disabilities?

#6) How can all the external debt be totally payout, if need be, just to avoid paying the high interest, and provide needed service with that money?

#7) How can the Dominican Republic become
self sufficient and independent without changing the
current political and economic system?

#8) How can corruption be substantially minimized?

Thank you, in advance for your input. perhaps there are other problems and solutions that dr1 readers can add to this assessment.

El Chino:

You have posed eight very difficult questions for the average person to answer without there being a great deal of discussion connected to each quesion.

Q - #1) section A.

There is not, I believe, a lack of laws. There is a lack of knowledge, on the part of the public, of the laws that are on the books. Coupled with this lack of knowledge is the basic lack of respect that should be given to those laws.
The only way to educate the public in regards to the law is to require that they be exposed to those laws by the law enforcement agencies through community "town hall" type meetings, reinforced with visual examples of what the law is about. Further reinforcement through classes in the public schools, begining with the 1st grade through graduation from "High School". In that manner, the upcoming generation would have virtually continuous exposure and explanation of the laws throughout their school careers.
section B.
Law enforcement is a matter of selective employment and education of the personel of the individual enforcement agency coupled with a vigerous and continuous training schedule designed to further enhance native capabilities.

Q #2)
By the appointment to the judiciary those Senior Abogados who have a reputation of unquestionable integrity and honor. By immediate investigation of any substantiated allegations of misconduct, acceptance of bribery or corrupt practice or incident. Then if the allegations are proven to be valid, immediate impeachment, removal from office and criminally charged and incarcerated for a minimum of 25 years. Abrogation of the responsibilities vested in the judiciary is an unforgivable infraction and must be punished severly.

Q #3)

Partly by the establishment of an apprenticeship program for each of the technical fields; ie., Electrician, Machinest, Auto Mechanic (deisel and other), Bricklayer, Plumber, Toolmaker, etc., etc. The Apprenticeship Programs be supervised by the Ministry of Education and funded by Industry. Such a program would provide Industry and private businesses with an ongoing pool of trained labor, seperate and apart from the insidiousness of Labor Unions.
Wage scales to be presented by Industry and approved by the Ministry of Labor (or similar agency).
Massive jobs creation (an oxymoron) would only be possible through the Industrial and business communities. Government incentives would be appropriate through tax incentives (another oxymoron).

Q #4)

By eliminating the existing Haitian workforce, making mandatory the minimum wage being applied to the Agricultural community and associated businesses. This would require the breakup of the Sugar Industry and Rice Industry monopolies.

Q #5)

Not qualified to answer this question by reason of incompetence.

Q #6)

By the instigation of severe austerity by the Government, refraining from increasing the current debt load, cutting the Government payroll, eliminating the contributions to all NGO's and Political Parties, establishing a moritorium on increasing the existing pay scales of government employees and Legislators,eliminating the subsidies on Electricity and fuels among just a few that immediately come to mind.

Q #7)

Answer is in #6.

Q #8)

See answers in #1, #2, #4 and #6.

Wow, El Chino, you got a good mind! Damn good questions.
Now what are your answers???

Texas Bill
 

elchino

New member
Jul 7, 2006
98
0
0
Wow, El Chino, you got a good mind! Damn good questions.
Now what are your answers???{QUOTE}

Mr. Texas Bill, After we get as many answers, and feedback as possible, then I will submit my answers to this Assessment questions. However, you can go to #4, #6, and#8 to get an idea of what my answers are likely to be. THANK YOU, FOR YOUR INPUT!
 

bilijou

New member
Jun 13, 2006
216
4
0
Texas Bill,

Glad to see someone else participating in this thread. Please don’t get offended, as everybody else on this forum, when I counter your answers.

Texas_Bill said:
The only way to educate the public in regards to the law is to require that they be exposed to those laws by the law enforcement agencies through community "town hall" type meetings, reinforced with visual examples of what the law is about. Further reinforcement through classes in the public schools, begining with the 1st grade through graduation from "High School". In that manner, the upcoming generation would have virtually continuous exposure and explanation of the laws throughout their school careers.
I think the problem is not lack of knowledge but lack of interaction with the law. The further down the economic spectrum you go, the less interaction with the government there is. I see immigrants from developing countries coming to the US, they don’t know or understand the system. Once they get a parking ticket or a ticket for littering for not paying attention to the law, they ask and research. In a matter of a year, they know what they need to know.
If the government were ACTIVELY enforcing the law, trust me the people will learn it, no schools or townhouses needed.

Texas Bill said:
Partly by the establishment of an apprenticeship program for each of the technical fields; ie., Electrician, Machinest, Auto Mechanic (deisel and other), Bricklayer, Plumber, Toolmaker, etc., etc.
This is something that I have always asked myself. Why doesn’t the government do this?
The government has failed at educating a huge portion of the population, why don’t they push for more adult education/technical schools. Not only to work in companies, but to spark some entrepreneurial spirit.

Texas Bill said:
By eliminating the existing Haitian workforce, making mandatory the minimum wage being applied to the Agricultural community and associated businesses. This would require the breakup of the Sugar Industry and Rice Industry monopolies.
What effects will eliminating existing cheap labor have on food prices and competitiveness?

-bj
 

Rick Snyder

Silver
Nov 19, 2003
2,321
2
0
Regardless as to the OP’s thoughts are concerning me I will join in on this discussion due to the fact that I have some knowledge in some of the subject matter due to my prior interest in the subject and from living here and observing was transpires here.

There are many, many laws presently on the books here in the DR and have been for many years. Like any society the Dominicans established laws to enable society to function better. As bilijou stated the problem lays in the fact that the present laws are not enforced and when they are it is usually done as a knee-jerk reaction to a situation. That situation may be a desire for more money and therefore a crackdown on failure of motorcyclists to be wearing helmets as an example. The recent raise in crime and the government’s reaction of converging the military with the police is another example. There is the fact that the majority of the population here has no idea to the many laws on the books and the police are guilty of this lack of knowledge also.

I sitting here in front of my computer can research for the penal codes and traffic codes for all 50 states in the US but I can’t do that for the same codes here in the DR. In the same token if I were in any of those 50 states I could go to the county court house any freely look at the penal code for that state, I could go to any police station and freely look at the traffic code for that state and I could go to any public library and find the same information. Try that at any of those places in this country and see what you get. The public here is not aware, are not taught and the lack of enforcement further compounds the situation.

Here in the DR when a student has finished his schooling he then has the option of furthering his education through a university or through an apprenticeship program that covers a large number of different technical fields. The DR also has a very good adult education program available. All of this is run by the Department of Education. The reason there aren’t large numbers of students in these programs is for the same reasons that over 90% of the students fail to finish high school. Education here is something I’m very familiar with so if you have a question concerning that then ask.

I think TB’s statement concerning Haitian workers should get some very serious consideration and here are the reasons why.

All estimations and census places the Haitian population in the DR at over one million. As the DR population is placed at a little over eight million then that means that there in one Haitian for every eight Dominicans. As it has been reported that Haitians hold a large portion of the informal business sector, 80% of the tourism employees are Haitian, the DR government is looking for Haitian labor, the police help the illegal situation and the DR loses vast amounts of money through poaching doesn’t help the employment in this country. Needless to say you have Haitians fighting for the right to stay here.

The question that comes to mind on the above mentioned labor force is what affect does it have on general employment of Dominicans in their own country? If the illegal labor force were expelled would it cause employers to hire Dominicans which would then be forced to pay at least minimum wage which they don't do now? If all the informal businesses were run only by Dominicans would this country be better off? If there were no Haitians using the Dominican medical and school services would this allow more for the Dominican people? Just something to think about

Rick
 

elchino

New member
Jul 7, 2006
98
0
0
Thank you.

Rick Snyder said:
Regardless as to the OP’s thoughts are concerning me I will join in on this discussion due to the fact that I have some knowledge in some of the subject matter due to my prior interest in the subject and from living here and observing was transpires here.

There are many, many laws presently on the books here in the DR and have been for many years. Like any society the Dominicans established laws to enable society to function better. As bilijou stated the problem lays in the fact that the present laws are not enforced and when they are it is usually done as a knee-jerk reaction to a situation. That situation may be a desire for more money and therefore a crackdown on failure of motorcyclists to be wearing helmets as an example. The recent raise in crime and the government’s reaction of converging the military with the police is another example. There is the fact that the majority of the population here has no idea to the many laws on the books and the police are guilty of this lack of knowledge also.

I sitting here in front of my computer can research for the penal codes and traffic codes for all 50 states in the US but I can’t do that for the same codes here in the DR. In the same token if I were in any of those 50 states I could go to the county court house any freely look at the penal code for that state, I could go to any police station and freely look at the traffic code for that state and I could go to any public library and find the same information. Try that at any of those places in this country and see what you get. The public here is not aware, are not taught and the lack of enforcement further compounds the situation.

Here in the DR when a student has finished his schooling he then has the option of furthering his education through a university or through an apprenticeship program that covers a large number of different technical fields. The DR also has a very good adult education program available. All of this is run by the Department of Education. The reason there aren’t large numbers of students in these programs is for the same reasons that over 90% of the students fail to finish high school. Education here is something I’m very familiar with so if you have a question concerning that then ask.

I think TB’s statement concerning Haitian workers should get some very serious consideration and here are the reasons why.

All estimations and census places the Haitian population in the DR at over one million. As the DR population is placed at a little over eight million then that means that there in one Haitian for every eight Dominicans. As it has been reported that Haitians hold a large portion of the informal business sector, 80% of the tourism employees are Haitian, the DR government is looking for Haitian labor, the police help the illegal situation and the DR loses vast amounts of money through poaching doesn’t help the employment in this country. Needless to say you have Haitians fighting for the right to stay here.

The question that comes to mind on the above mentioned labor force is what affect does it have on general employment of Dominicans in their own country? If the illegal labor force were expelled would it cause employers to hire Dominicans which would then be forced to pay at least minimum wage which they don't do now? If all the informal businesses were run only by Dominicans would this country be better off? If there were no Haitians using the Dominican medical and school services would this allow more for the Dominican people? Just something to think about

Rick

Mr. Snyder, thank you kindly for your input into this assessment.
However would you be kind enough to answer the assessment's (8) questions in chronological order? It will help in analyzing the assessment, and reaching a consensus of solutions.