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Daily News - 16 January 2001
President refers to himself as a "workaholic"
President Hipolito Mejía said yesterday that he never tires of work, and that he suffers from a sickness known as "workaholicism." The Chief Executive said that he could work effortlessly 18 hours a day, without tiring because he has 30 years practice. According to a report in El Siglo, Mejía said he could handle the "little chores" of the Presidency, which are a lot easier than agricultural work. "Anyone who tries to keep up with me, will loose," said the President.
Money was returned
The former Director of the Dominican Social Security Institute (IDSS), Sabino Baez, said that its true that he charged personal expenses to his governmentally-issued credit card, but that he reimbursed his department RD$$600,000 he charged. Baez's contention was confirmed by William Jana, current Director of IDSS. Yesterday's press reported the record of Baez expenses, implying that he had gone on a spree at government expense.
Social Security inspectors dismissed for corruption
El Siglo denounced what it termed the "cancerous practice" of Social Security inspectors demanding payoffs in various ways from businesses and other organizations. Two inspectors, charged with the long-standing practice that usually involves workmen's accident compensation, have been dismissed. According to the article, a Santiago businessman, Miguel Angel Grullón, told his relative, Sergio Grullón, who serves as Secretary of the Presidency, about two inspectors whose extortion was widely known in that city. At the same time, two IDSS employees in La Romana revealed that they were being pressured to turn over between $150,000 and RD$200,000 each week to the head of the department. An investigation of 23 other, as yet unnamed inspectors, is underway.
CDE explains that the fiber optic project is in its initial stages
The Dominican Electric Corporation (CDE) denied that it has opened bidding on a project that would renovate its high tension lines with a fiber optics cable, as had been reported in the press. The story provoked harsh criticism in the electronic media. For its part, the electrical distribution company, Unión Fenosa, also denied that it is interested in the project. A CDE press release stated that the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (INDOTEL) had been asked to assist it with the evaluation of pre-proposals for a system to strengthen governmental communications, notably those of the CDE, including new, rapid links with and among hospitals, Civil Defense, schools, security forces, and hydroelectric installations.
Public sector employees cash their first semi-monthly checks
The government distributed its first semi-monthly salary checks to public employees on January 15.. Having done away with once-a-month salary disbursements, the government is now in harmony with the private sector, which typically pays employees on the 15 and 30 of each month.
Department of the Environment take title to Hotel Montaña and La Mansión
The Hotel Montaña, in Jarabacoa, and Hotel La Mansión, in San José de las Matas, have been transferred by the Public Enterprise Reform Commission (CREP) to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. The two inoperative state-owned hotels will be used to stage programs for the conservation, protection, improvement, and restoration of the environment and natural resources.
PRD lead warns government on fiscal excesses
A former Administrative Secretary to the President, Rafael Flores Estrella (PRD 1982-86), warned President Hipólito Mejía that a dangerous situation might emerge in the country in the next few months, if he is not attentive to the grievances of various sectors regarding newly enacted taxes. He told Hoy newspaper aaaaathat "when in a society as conservative as the Dominican, the protests of the business sector are congruent with those of labor, and other grass roots movements, it should signal the government that a serious problem exists. He criticized the current government for applying "savage capitalism" policies that are pushing the middle class and the working class against the wall. There are no compensatory measures to off-set the burden of the new tax package and, if there were, they could not be sufficient to compensate for the devastation that the new tax measures have wrought on the lowest socio-economic rungs of society.
San Jose de las Matas is fearful of deforestation at the hands of illegal Haitian immigrants
Today's edition of Hoy calls attention to the concern of locals over the presence of multitudes of Haitians in regions of San Jose de las Matas. The Haitians came to work the coffee harvest and have remained in the wooded regions of the Cordillera Central range. The mayors of 42 towns that comprise the San Jose de las Matas region will convene a meeting in February with governmental and private sector groups, including officials of the Ministry of Foreign Relations and Migration Department, to address the problem.
Parent of underage driver who killed nine-year old to stand trial.
The mother of the 15 year old who drove the car that fatally collided with the 9 year old Nathanel Montero Martínez and his bicycle would have to stand trial for her son's fault. Speaking to Listin Diario, the mother of the 15 year old, whose name has been withheld, denied the allegation that her son was racing another teenager, also in a vehicle, when the accident occurred. She affirmed that her son acted responsibly because he took the lifeless boy to the hospital. The woman has been widowed for a year and has three children of which the 15 year old is the eldest. She said her implicated son took the car without her permission. He has no permit to operate a motor vehicle. The Vehicular Transit Law provides that .the parents are responsible for fines or claims for damages realized by their minor children. According to a report in the Listin, the law also provides that a driver who negligently causes death will be imprisoned for between two and five years, and fined between RD$2,000 and RD$8,000.
Jacinto Peynado would accept his party's mayoral nomination
Former Vice President Jacinto Peynado would be disposed to accept the Reformist Social Christian Party (PRSC) nomination to be Santo Domingo's mayor if offered it. He said that it was not the idea of former President Joaquín Balaguer, however the PRSC leader knew of the idea and favored it. It would be, said Peynado, his "ordeal by fire." Peynado twice served as Senator from Santo Domingo and was his party's presidential candidate in 1996.
Airlines protest debt forgiveness
Raul Fiallo, the American Airlines manager in the DR, who also serves as President of the Air Lines Association (ALAS), yesterday asked President Hipólito Mejia to reverse his approval of the forgiveness of a millionaire debt owed by local air carriers. The debt is said to be RD$82 million. Fiallo said that the debt forgiveness discriminates against international norms. Speaking in the name of the airlines association, known as ALAS, he said that Mejia's action rewards inefficiency and inadequacy of the benefited national airlines in the observation of air security. The U.S. Federal Aviation Agency has prohibited Dominican airlines to fly to U.S. territory.
West Indies Flyers brings seven airplanes
Seven private airplanes landed at the Arroyo Barril International Airport as part of the winter visitation schedule of the West Indies Flyers, which is U.S. organization with over 8,000 members. The contingent was received by Tourism Minister Ramón Alfredo Bordas, who said that the government is studying the possibility of providing the same low airport cost facilities as the Bahamas and Virgin Islands is offering to this sort of tourist transport. Bordas said that private air travel brings 400,000 tourists a year to the Bahamas and other Caribbean destinations. The group will remain in Samana for five days and then proceed to other Caribbean islands, returning to the DR around January 25, this time landing at La Romana's new international airport.
Franklin Polanco retires from his U.S. embassy position
The perennial link between the U.S. Embassy and Dominican society, Franklin Polanco, is retiring from his post after 40 years, though he will remain as a consultant. Today's Listín Diario dedicated a page to tracing Polanco's career as a journalist, photographer, pilot, radio enthusiast, diver, parachutist, and foreign correspondent for the Voice of America. It also sketches his role in situations of crisis and emergency, such as the 1965 U.S. military intervention, the kidnapping of U.S. Army Colonel Donald Crowley, air attaché of the embassy, and Barbara Hutchison, USIS director, among others. Listin Diario quotes columnist Miguel Angel Velazquez Mainardi as describing Polanco as "the friendly face of imperialism."
Child prostitution continues in Boca Chica
This morning's issue of Hoy expresses alarm that dozens of children and adolescents of both sexes are selling themselves on the streets and beach of Boca Chica. It quotes sexologists Nancy Alvarez and Carlos Lugo Cabrera as saying that pimps provide menus with prices and the ages of the children. On a visit to a discoteque, children were observed kissing and caressing clients, mostly foreigners "But the worst of it is that this taking place with the knowledge and protection of the authorities. A policeman was present as this was going on," they said.
Air Plus Argentina will fly to the DR
The Spanish group Marsans (Spanair) and the Air Plus Argentina company announced their intention to invest significantly in civil aviation which will enable them to start flights to Puerto Rico and the DR. Currently, Air Plus Argentina operates two AirBus planes with 253 seats. However, the joint venture seeks to provide competition on the Caribbean and Spanish routes. The Chairman of the Board of Air Plus Argentina, Luis Lupori, announced that the company plans to take the lead in Argentina tourism and that Air Plus Argentina. The company has requested the right to ply the Buenos Aires-San Juan-Punta Cana-Buenos Aires route as well as the Buenos Aires-St. Maarten-Punta Cana-Buenos Aires route.
Winter Pro Baseball semi-finals standings
The Escogido Lions remain in first place in the winter semi-finals baseball tournament. For the game schedules, see http://www.dr1.com/daily/calendar.shtml
 TEAM  WON  LOST  PCT.  DIF.
 Escogido  10  2  .833  
 Aguilas  6  6  .500 4
 Azucareros  4  8  .333  6
 Estrellas  4  8  .333  6
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