dominican businessmen

dominican businessmen only know how to sell but have no idea about economics.this,if you believe el presidente.
he as agronom of course has best knowledge as economist and the economy responds as foreseen to the paquetazo.

risen costs,businessclosings,employment layoffs,investments stops,reduced spending,pushing lower middle class on the brink of poverty.great achievements for 7 month.
3 years 5 month and counting.

Well, he had treated his fellow competition in the campain as chickens (chickentail), asked in Higuey for a miracle - while has it as a Vice President (Milagros) and the laws over here are changing more often than the weather - lets enjoy the sun!!!

Being an American citizen, I am quite reluctant to criticize Mr. Hipolito Mejia, Dominican President. Our own American presidents are far from perfect. However, after reading the DR1 board daily the past 7 months, it seems that Mr. Mejia is prone to announce a bewildering amount of mumbers for spending on social programs.

There is nothing wrong with that, but I think he should spend more attention on the the country's economic infrastructure. Mr Mejia has a great deal of energy, which could do alot for the country. But, his energy should be focused on increasing the Gross Domestic Product through real business development and expansion. Not taxing the hell of the existing businesses and citizentry.

We all dislike poverty. It looks ugly and breaks your heart. We all want to do something and I think Mr. Mejia's intentions are genuially sincere to want to help this strata of Dominican society. But, I consider Mr. Mejia's approach a sort of Robin Hood solution. Taking from the haves and giving to the have-nots. That is akin to putting a bandaid on a man that is bleeding to death.

Social Security is a good idea. But plain welfare creates a way-of-life. Taxing businesses out of existence is not the answer. The people in poverty need job training and skills to move them up in society. The Dominican president should seek lowering of interest rates and an increase in business growth from technology as well as tourism. It is a great country with good people.

The Dominicans I have talked to all want to better themselves and improve their lot. That being said, education should be treated with high regard. Yet, education doesn't seem to be taken seriously with most teachers who are paid pathetic wages. Last December, I talked to a former Santo Domingo teacher who was now making more selling goods from a street corner than as a teacher.

As an American, I felt special visiting Santo Domingo and finding streets named after American Presidents, i.e, Lincoln, Kennedy, and Washington. What a great tribute. I will continue to visit the D.R.

To Charlie W.:

Your points are well taken.....please do not hesitate to express your opinion.

I only hope that they are read and understood by those who have the power to do something about it. The man is certainly well intentioned, he just read Don Quixote one time too many.

Good luck to all.

Ruben

For example,

And did you read in yesterdays paper about the free zone factories laying-off 10,000 employees!? I really feel for those poor folks facing this unemployment and especially right before Semana Santa. When will the gov't wake up ?

Re: For example,

you all soooo smart, whou.
We say...."Best captains are standing ashore"

cu/charly..../who think its easy to creticize..)

Re: For example,

>>> "When will the gov't wake up ?" <<<

Just two more "Windmills" (news items) in an unending list of accomplishments by the "Agronomist" and "crew". . .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ } { ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lifted from the "DR1 Daily News"
Thursday, 5 April 2001

~~~ President says economy is on track

President Hip?lito Mejia said yesterday the Dominican economy is on track. He said that since the start of his administration, the economy has undergone significant changes and is on target. He commented that the performance of the economy in the first months of the year is normally sluggish, but later it picks up. Regarding complaints from businessmen, he said that they do not know about the economy.
"They only know about selling things," he said.

~~~ New employees impede department's true work

The director of the Programa de Medicamentos Esenciales (Promese), Dr. Juan Francisco Benoit, told Hoy newspaper that the large numbers of people the government appointed to that institution, without consultations regarding the need for that personnel, has generated a financial crisis. Promese is in charge of distributing generic and low cost medicine to government-run pharmacies at public health centers throughout the country. The director of Promese says his budget is RD$20 million, of which RD$11 million now has to go towards paying the new employees.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ } { ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Regards,

. . . CES

Creticize?

If you like cliches, this one seems to be more apropriate:
"A lot of people know how to solve the political ills, too bad they are busy cutting hair and driving taxicabs".
Whoa!

GLOBALIZACION

Cuando se nos vendio la idea de que debiamos vender las empresas que heredamos de Trujillo, abrir las puertas del pais a los productos foraneos, convertirnos en una isla turistica y de servicios, los gobiernos fueron advertidos de que confiar solo en zonas francas y turismo para suplir nuestras necesidades de moneda fuerte, no era inteligente.

Pienso que lo mas inteligente seria aprovecharnos de la posibilidad de tener aqui las zonas francas y el turismo, pero pensando en que es tactico el no depender solo de ellos.

Buscar metodos de incentivar la produccion agricola, elevar la calidad de nuestra mano de obra, promover el fortalecimiento y surgimiento de nuevas industrias nacionales, interesarnos sinceramente en que aumenten las exportaciones de servicio, parece una necesidad impostergable.

Se mueve una estrella, y tilila una flor, leiamos cuando nacia la ecologia. Le da gripa a la economia gringa, y aqui tosemos cerrando industrias de zona franca.

Todavia estamos a tiempo...despertemos

Learn from the past

With your mentality and fear of independent thought, it is easy to understand the German people's embrace of Hitler.

Churly, I disagree with you on this.

I would agree that is the RESPONSIBILITY of a free people to openly discuss, criticize and/or applaud the actions of their government as this is the essence of a free society. To admonish people not to independently weigh the actions of their elected officials and thus accept a meek and submissive attitude of subservience hails back to the not so distant past of dictatorships and tyrants who ruled their countries as personal fiefdoms. Sometimes the people DO know better...