Mejia vs. Fernandez?

[Jane J.]

I think that while some people are true partisan voters, especially older people (and even more especially that die-hard breed of PRSCers), the vast majority, IMO, will jump on *any* old bandwagon. It could be the one with the best/loudest caravana, the one that got them the drunkest, or just a complete turnaround from their past vote to spite the "comesolos" currently in power. Then there are the ones who get carn?s for ALL the parties -- to play it safe. I know a few staunch supporters of particular parties, but most voters, I think, are easily bought.

Therefore, it's very difficult to speculate on voting trends in the DR, because so many factors come into play and not all of them are on the up and up, if you catch my drift. Hippo has already amended the Constitution and now holds control of the main newspaper. Obviously, these two unusual occurences will have a great bearing on the results. The past couple of decades say nothing about how Dominicans react to bad government, either, as fraud, untimely deaths of popular leaders and a "nuevo camino" that put the kibosh on a lot of underhanded dealings left many people dazed and confused.

Which reminds me, Toty has to get himself registered to vote from here...Where's the smilie making the "L" sign.....damn....

 

[Chirimoya]

So true, Jane, there are so many variables, and the end result, give a zinc roof or a jeepeta, is always the same.

I find the blindness amongst some die-hards to the failures of their parties amazing. Although I suppose that it is easier for an onlooker to be objective.

What I am really curious about though is the multiple personalities of the person who started this thread. Are you in some kind of identity crisis, Moca/Villa Trina/Jersey Devil?

Chiri

 

[getonwithit]

Fernandez should win. He's better for the country. Anyway a Dominican pres. can't run for two straight terms. They can only run every other term. Anyway Fernandez is great and atleast he raised the peso. Mejia just sank the peso to 25pesos=1USdollar. I think Dominicans know the right choice.

i have to agree with tony c - most new yorkers are completely out of touch. it amazes me why the dominican ones are allowed to vote in dominican elections.
i live here, residence, cedula (says "no vota"), my children are at least half-dominican, they live here and i have absolutely less say in their country's future than dominicans who choose to live somewhere else - though that is also true for most other countries and their electorate anyway.

let's hope coolnyer has a direct line to hipolito to remind him he can?t run for another term. i'm convinced hipolito would be more than happy to stop any future campaign on receiving the call.

i don?t ever remember leonel raising the peso - petrol prices yes, but not the peso.
i have to say though, he or anyone else, including hatuey, would be better than another four years of what we have now.

i believe the latest is rd$28 to us$1.
what is even more worrying for us europeans is that the us dollar is falling as well. it would cost me about rd$130 for a beer in my country now, but rd$80 less than a year ago, and the price over there hasn?t changed...............but it's all relative i suppose.

 

[CoolNYer]

i have to agree with tony c - most new yorkers are completely out of touch. it amazes me why the dominican ones are allowed to vote in dominican elections.
i live here, residence, cedula (says "no vota"), my children are at least half-dominican, they live here and i have absolutely less say in their country's future than dominicans who choose to live somewhere else - though that is also true for most other countries and their electorate anyway.

let's hope coolnyer has a direct line to hipolito to remind him he can?t run for another term. i'm convinced hipolito would be more than happy to stop any future campaign on receiving the call.

i don?t ever remember leonel raising the peso - petrol prices yes, but not the peso.
i have to say though, he or anyone else, including hatuey, would be better than another four years of what we have now.

i believe the latest is rd$28 to us$1.
what is even more worrying for us europeans is that the us dollar is falling as well. it would cost me about rd$130 for a beer in my country now, but rd$80 less than a year ago, and the price over there hasn?t changed...............but it's all relative i suppose.

Hey! Why do you insult NYers! And actually Leonel left the peso at 15pesos=one US dollar. That means that he at least kept it a a better balance.

 

[Tony C]

Jorge blanco left it at 2.80 to one. Does that mean he was a great president?

Under Trujillo it was 1 to 1. Does that make him the DR's greatest leader ever? Wait? That is a trick question!

Was Fernandez a better president than Hippo? Of course he was. But lets not forget that corruption did continue under Fernandez. Albeit at a more inconspicuous amount.

 

[getonwithit]

Hey! Why do you insult NYers! And actually Leonel left the peso at 15pesos=one US dollar. That means that he at least kept it a a better balance.

sorry....that wasn't my intention.
i still don't agree - what is a better balance supposed to mean?

 

[JOHNNY HONDA]

Jorge blanco left it at 2.80 to one. Does that mean he was a great president?

Under Trujillo it was 1 to 1. Does that make him the DR's greatest leader ever? Wait? That is a trick question!

Was Fernandez a better president than Hippo? Of course he was. But lets not forget that corruption did continue under Fernandez. Albeit at a more inconspicuous amount.

If El Jefe would come back this country would be better off in many ways but thats another story Leonel is the best of a bad batch unfortunatly his chances are slim,my wifes family are all Peridistas and I have them in tears every time the hipposcrews up I keep proving to them that the PRD is stealing the future of our children but they will continue to vote PRD.Saturday they all went to Casa Marina to get their regalos de dia del madre
Getonwithit
If you want a say and a vote get your citizenship not your residencia,remember as a resident you are a guest subject to deportation at the whim of any big shot who is pegao and wants what you own as a citizen you are a Domican National, hey who knows when some nut bar like the hippo decides to kick all residents out and confiscate their properties,bonus its cheaper in the long run on renewal fees,
J.H.

 

[getonwithit]

Getonwithit
If you want a say and a vote get your citizenship not your residencia,remember as a resident you are a guest subject to deportation at the whim of any big shot who is pegao and wants what you own as a citizen you are a Domican National, hey who knows when some nut bar like the hippo decides to kick all residents out and confiscate their properties,bonus its cheaper in the long run on renewal fees,
J.H.

- yes, thanks for the advice. had jokingly thought about that before. with the "nut bar" around, i might have to put some more serious thought into it while i have the chance.
we could, quite easily, have another robert mugabe here.

 

[GabyCruz]

I got the answer non of the above mention.

I have the answer for all our political wos, is time for the new generation to place a "!basta ya!!!!!!" to the corruption of power and politics, we got to raise, and with lowd clamour denounce all the "sinverguenseria" to the world. Take the law in owr own hands and elect new people.young blood with new ideas from the people for the people and to the people.

 

[mariaobetsanov]

When are the elections?

All Dominican living out of the country should make an effort to return for the elections and vote according to the issues at hand let forget parties,both political and the one you go to dance! There has to be a third political party the represent the best interest of the nation intead of the crooks.

 

[Texas Bill]

Mejia vs. Fernandez

Hi to all;

I'm not Dominican, so please take my comments as being well intentioned and NOT in a derrogotory light!
I have followed all of this retoric with somewhat of a smile, since the verbage has repeated itself with frequent regularity. You are ALL saying the same thing over and over again.
You all agree that the present political party in power is nothing but a corrupt bunch of thieves, has not kept it's promises to you, and in fact has lied every step of the way and rubbed your noses in the offal!!!
MY question is a stand alone one!!!

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?????

If you vote for the same bunch as before, you are selling out to people who don't give a damn about you, your family, OR the country.

Now before you tell me "Yankee go home!", understand this. I'm on YOUR side. I live here also and have done so for the past 3 years. AND the only way you're going to get rid of me is to deport me, and I don't think you would have legal grounds to do that.

You people just need to give up the habit of blaming everyone else for your lack of plain ole GUTS to do what is best and answer for your own actions. As a society, you make more excuses for your failures than a 5 year old child.

GROW UP!!!!!!! BE A RESPONSIBLE ADULT FOR A CHANGE!!!

Now, quit listening and believing everything said by political candidates. Make them tell you how they are going to solve the country's economic and social problems and hold them to it!!
The vote is a powerful tool!! It represents the livlihood of every politician. You have the means to change things, so why don't you act responsibly with your vote instead of selling it to the sleazeballs for a tin roof, or whatever.
Texas Bill

 

[ERICKXSON]

anybody have a better answer?

 

[Tony Cabrera]

The best thing to do is to teach the peoples as a whole about who could bring better thing for the society. Teach the masses that whoever(party) come to you to get your vote that you do not want(rice/bean/platanos) but to give you an understading
at to what he or whoever is going to correct the social system, i.e.
job/economy etc...

Tony Cabrera
"wishfull thinking"

 

[Amicus]

Re: Mejia vs. Fernandez

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?????

Good stuff, all of it.

Yer right, it is up to them. Of course, it would help if they had a credible choice - which they don't.

Maybe all the honest ones went looking for a job elsewhere?

 

[Amicus]

Teach the masses that whoever(party) come to you to get your vote that you do not want(rice/bean/platanos) but to give you an understading
at to what he or whoever is going to correct the social system, i.e.
job/economy etc...

I think the "teacher" has arrived. His name is Iglesias. IMF strictures are going increase unemployment as this government sheds people in an effort to bring down government expenditures. The economic situation is going to get a lot tougher before it gets a lot better.

Let this be a salutary lesson. Have incompetents run the government and the ordinary Dominican will still pay the inevitable price of their incompetence. Reelect the incompetents and expected to be treated as the fools that you are.

This bailout is a one-time measure. There will not likely be a next time. (That is a lesson that both Argentina and Brazil were given by the IMF, and they have not yet really recovered.) The DR's dependence on foreign factors (expat remittances, tourism, FDI, tax-free-zone value-added exports) for dollars will continue far into the future. But, these are all sources that can either evaporate or stagnate due to any number of factors beyond the control of the DR.

For instance:
- Expat remittances are dependent upon Dominicans working abroad, and Dominicans are not the only ones knocking at the doors for entry. The competition is fierce, and even skilled workers are finding it difficult to get jobs.
- Tourism currently favors the DR because of its price advantages, but this was the case for a number of Caribbean countries that focused on it to earn hard currencies. It comes, and it goes. Enjoy it while it lasts.
- FDI depends upon project ROI, which depends further upon tourism, which is a principal source of FDI. If tourism goes elsewhere, so will FDI.
- Tax free zones, under WTC rules, might disappear as they give an unfair trading advantage.
- Foreign expats bring a significant amount of money into the DR for the purchase of real estate and living expenses. For as long as the dollar and the Euro go far in terms of purchasing power, then this will continue. The rate of exchange, as has been shown, can be dependent upon government expenditures financed by borrowing on world currency markets.

What's an alternative strategy? An economic policy that underscores infrastructural development. The nation must achieve as much economic independence as possible by developing a healthy internal market as a buffer for the ill winds that arrive from elsewhere. It is unlikely that it will ever be completely independent of foreign currency inflows, but it could be a great deal more than presently. To do this, it needs to have a working middle-class that spends, and that means jobs that are sustained by internal market demand and not the government payroll.

Has anybody seen such an objective articulated by any political candidate? Thought not.

NB: As collateral for this loan, the IMF accepted the argument that tourism revenues would be flowing back to the DR as both the US and European recoveries grow in strength - so the loan could be paid off. However, the loan repayments will simply displace investments that could have been better made in the economy.

 

[Keith R]

Amicus,
A few small corrections/observations:
* Enrique Iglesias heads the IDB, not the IMF. The IDB is not known for dictating "strictures," but the IMF is.
* It would be great if the government "shed people," as most of the world outside the PRD recognizes that getting rid of the botellas is necessary. But Hipo & the BC head continue to insist that the IMF is not demanding that the government to do this (which I frankly find hard to believe, given the IMF's past track record).
* The IMF always calls its packages "one-time measures," but the fact is that some countries have gotten help more than once (Brazil being one example).
* I'm a bit puzzled by what the lesson is that you think Brazil got from the IMF last year? The IMF was tough on Argentina, but not Brazil. It gave Brazil standby help, and a return of confidence in the country and growing market confidence in Lula's understanding of the economic/financial realities/necessities did the rest. Brazil is actually recovering fairly well, given the current state of the world economy.
* Competition for visas to the US and other OECD nations is indeed fierce, but the DR continues to be treated fairly well compared to its neighbors. According to the Yearbook of Immigration Statistics [http://www.bcis.gov/graphics/shared/aboutus/statistics/ybpage.htm], the DR had more people naturalized in 2002 than any other single country in Latin America & the Caribbean (LAC), alone accounting for 1/4 of all immigrants naturalized last year originally from the Caribbean, 12% of total LAC. In 2001 (the last year for which legal immigration stats are available at this time), the DR got 22% of the visas granted to Caribbean immigrants, 10% of all LAC visas outside of Cuba & Mexico.
And all this is legal immigration -- illegal is far higher.
* Every recent measurement of remittances has scored Dominicans among the highest, even in tight times.
* It's the WTO, not the WTC.
* I had not heard that the WTO was seriously considering proposals to eliminate EPZs, or "free trade zones" (not "tax free zones" as you put it), and would doubt such a measure would be adopted by the Parties, given the fact that many OECD nations use the same mechanism. What is your source for this claim?
* If by "infrastructure development" you mean more investment in its human resources, than I might agree the alternative strategy you suggest. But not just more money in roads, power plants, railroads, etc. Frankly, this "pour money into structures not people" has been the professed and overt strategy of all recent DR administrations, and it has benefited contractors and politicians getting kickbacks as much or more than the common man. I personally believe it's time to get serious about investing in perhaps the DR's greatest untapped (or poorly tapped) resource -- its people. Without doing so there will never be a sustainable internal market.
Regards,
Keith

 

[Amicus]

I personally believe it's time to get serious about investing in perhaps the DR's greatest untapped (or poorly tapped) resource -- its people. Without doing so there will never be a sustainable internal market.
Regards,
Keith

Sounds good! From what I gather, all my concerns about chronic dependence upon foreign income are groundless. Jeez, I worried myself for nothing!

What do you suggest to do with a population that is highly literate (82%, or some such ... I am sure you have the exact figure somewhere) but is underemployed?

In what commercial/industrial sectors do you see their possible employment? What skills do they need? Who can provide them and how?

With all the USAID that has been poured into the DR , why aren't more results seen? (Shall I fetch the figure for you, or do you have it at your fingertips ... )

Better yet, why worry? The IMF will be back with another loan next year, won't it? Provided the DR pays off this one ... with all those tourist dollars. Right?

 

[Texas Bill]

Amicus!!

I've finally figured you out. You're one of those intellectuals(??) that spouts and spouts your innuendos as long as one shows interest in what YOU say and accepts it as Truth! BUT, when someone comes up with statistics that tend to refute and/or discredit those "Truths" you get bent out of shape and resort to sarcasm to "put them in their proper place"!
You're like the New York Con Artist in that when you're "found out", you revert to MACHISMO antics to wiggle out from under the enlightenint situation.
Good luck trying to convince people in the future. You've blown it with me.
Texas Bill