This was a ridiculous comment. In what other country are people allowed to steal electricity?
Sounds like I upset a few of you.
Now now. We all know that stealing is wrong and I do not condone it, but the situation in DR is not exactly a simple one.
I should let you know that I consider myself to be very conservative, and far from a ?bleeding heart? type that my previous post may have lead you to believe.
You made reference to ?other countries?. Okay, I would like to use the US as an example. There is a large population of Americans that receive free electricity either by subsidies or directly by the USA?s many entitlement programs; public housing is a fine example of this. Poor people receive free electricity by entitlements; Incredible. Do you think for one minute that there would be serenity in the urban centers of the USA if these entitlements were stopped? Do you think that it is even advisable to tell the poor masses that they should not be entitled to electricity because they can?t afford it? I?ll tell you that this is how riots and civil unrests are started.
I see the DR and the US system to be very similar in that the poor receive basic utilities for free, whether it is by stealing or entitlements, to stave off civil unrest. This is Sociology 101.
There are not enough jails or administrative resources to crack down on electricity theft.
Would I like these people to pay for electricity? Yes of course I would. But if they can?t afford it, and the folks in the government won?t give them any, it could be a social experiment ?gone wrong?.
I strongly agree with you and Black Dog that it is the government?s function to find a solution for the people. And I agree with Conchman that they eventually will. Surprisingly Collingwood, who usually have very solid posts decided to be hoakey on this one. No Collingwood, you cannot have my address so that poor Dominicans can steal my TV.
aranoid:
To really see that problem for what it is we need to look for the root cause. Yes inefficiencies and bureaucracy play a part, but as I have mentioned in other similar posts, the root cause of the problem in DR is the basic cost of refined, end product FUEL. Fuel produces the electricity, and I am sure you have noticed that fuel very expensive here.