Arent you glad you are in Dominican Republic?

When you see the sorry spectacle of Argentinians turning into hungry mobs looting the supermarkets and stores in their major cities of Buenos Aires, Cordova and others, it reminds you of famine mobs in Africa. Argentina is the closet thing to an European nation outside of the old continent. A once proud and snob-nose nation

There was a newsreel showing a mob of about 5000 people swarming over a pile of food dropped there by the government, so that they stop looting the stores. I have never seen a scene like this before. The people look like desperate animals stealing everything in their path. President De La Rua is one step from being overthrown. And to think that Argentina is the Breadbasket of Latin America and one of the great beef producers in the world.

Then you take Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Uruguay, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Jamaica, and why not, Brazil, and we just keep looking better and better all the time.

Its a pity that we have such bad governments. Isnt it ironic that next year we will grow economically about 5%, perhaps the highest growth in L.A. in spite of Hipolito and Leonel? I am being serious. With or without the U.S. economy possible continuing downturn, there will be more and more construction than ever before. Banks will have money to boot. Agricultural products will flow the market and Dominicans will continue to invest more money in their country than ever before. Save this note and read it again mid year 2002.

TW

TW, I'm not complaining. The bar is doing OK, the Condos are 100% booked at this time and reservations for Jan. to April are up from last year.

I notice that they say the root of their economic crisis in is years of borrowing and and the too high debt load. Sounds like what they would like to do here.

Well, don't feel like being pessimistic, but we, in DR, should watch and learn from the argentinian crisis... It might be in the next years menu for us, because whatever you say, having the PRD in the driver's seat is very dangerous ! The white's are basically following the argentinian's mistakes...

Get Real

Its a pity that we have such bad governments. Isnt it ironic that next year we will grow economically about 5%, perhaps the highest growth in L.A. in spite of Hipolito and Leonel? I am being serious. With or without the U.S. economy possible continuing downturn, there will be more and more construction than ever before. Banks will have money to boot. Agricultural products will flow the market and Dominicans will continue to invest more money in their country than ever before. Save this note and read it again mid year 2002.
-----------------------------------

Where do you get your information from?? I will bet you $20 that the currency will be devalued within 12 months. Your debt is unsustainable and the costs of living here are out of proportion with the real world.

The Dominican ecomony has been in a recession for some time now and soon you too will also have to pay the piper.

Re: Mad Maxx: Get Real

What is so new about devaluation every twelve months? That is to be expected of every currency in the world. Everybody knows the peso will be at $18.20 to $18.50 by December of 2002. That is not an earthquake. Thats more like a tempest in a jar.

Recession? What recession? The DR has had a recession for 40 years and it is still here. Unemployment has always hovered around 20%, so what is the big deal? Those who have no jobs let them play dominoes in the street. The rest of us will find money.

That we are going to be paying more for products? Do you see the Dominican people rebelling? How come nobody is burning tires anymore? How come we dont have Argentinian food mobs here? How come we dont talk about coups like Haiti and Venezuela? How come our clubs and discos are full and more restaurants open everyday. How come everybody and their mother has a car.Who is paying for all this...O yes I forgot, they are all fronts for money laundering..and yes we will launder all the money for many years to come, Dominican Yorks will continue to spend their drug money here, Dominicans are not going to stop sending money from abroad, and Spaniards think this is Shangryla and want to spend their Euros here, our girls will solve the foreign debt showing their belly buttons and our sanky pankies will help pay for the energy interest payments. This is resource land Mad Maxx.

TW

If yesterday at Multi Centro is anything...

to go buy, the local economy has plenty of cash in circulation. The place was jammed packed, the worst I have ever seen it!
Tried 3 ATM's before I found one with any cash in it.

Rob.

Re: If yesterday at Multi Centro is anything...

Yes economy is bad superficially but TW is right, new restaurants are opening up everywhere and the grocery lines in supermercado nacional are becoming longer by the day.
There was a inaguration party of this new restaurant called Montezuma (right next to monumento), very elegant and spacious. The party alone must have costed close to a million pesos; imported cheeses, expensive liquor, food: jumbo shrimps, stuffed clams, filet mignon shish kebabs etc etc. Top class sexy models were hired to welcome the guests and the security was nothing less than FBI class. There was a famous merengue band on the stage and all the rich and famous were invited. Oh, yes, I was there too, guest of the owner.
So here is your answer maxx, the money is keep pouring in from everywhere while people like you complain and suffer the effects of the declining economy.
To be honest with you, i am in the same boat; i don't see any money coming my way but others are certainly enjoying wealth.

Re: Judge by the Company Fireworks budget

If anyone wants to measure how an economy is going and where it is headed, all you have to do is look at the publicity budget of every company and find out how much has been spent this year in fireworks alone. In fact, I get more ilumination in my roof from the fireworks displays going on from all the grand-openings and special celebrations than the flood lights we have installed there.

The quality of the fireworks being seen here are not too far from those shown in the waterfront of Chicago during Venetian nights. We are using the Grucci Brothers, the best from the north and the light show has the latest fireworks in stock.

I have been walking to nearby stores, because travel by car would take me twice the time and would find no parking. Somebody is spending for sure. I have to get to the supermarket now by 10:30am to get a number at the deli or else I will end up with no lunch. It used to be that you arrived at 11:45am and you would get a low number. Not anymore. Whats going on? Have we taken over the Colombian Cartel?

TW

Remember ? 1984 IMF Food Riots in Santo Domingo?

The Dominican Republic has had a similar situation. Hundreds were killed and injured the last time the PRD was in power during the 1984 food riots in Santo Domingo caused by the price increases the government made to come into compliancy with the IMF demands for economic reform.

Re: Remember ? 1984 IMF Food Riots in Santo Doming

The 1984 riots were just general disorder and chaos, not directed specifically at supermarkets and food stores, like Argentina. Argentinians are just plain hungry.
TW

Save the last post to your HD, and wait

With the debt load Hipolito has already incurred (not to mention what else this joke has planned) this may well be the future of the Republic as well......

Regards,

went yesterday to TGI Friday

and had to wait to get a seat. Outback and tony romas are also full everynight. dont even try to go to David Crockett or Caribbean Blue without reservations.