How your tax dollars are at work

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
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The government has an intense publicity campaign--these spin doctors should have worked for Clinton or Nixon--that pounds away at the idea that Dominican tax pesos are really working for the good of the nation in "services and public works"-- is now faced with another reality.

Today is April 19. The hundreds of deputies in the Congress have announced that, since the PLD party convention is coming up, they are taking off work until the 8th of May. Just 19 days at full pay. Well over RD$100,000 each for loafing around.....Oh the pain!!!

HB
 

Lambada

Gold
Mar 4, 2004
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I think it is utterly shameful that for several months now all the politicos attention has been on May 2008. Nothing else seems to matter. And this in a country where there is so much 'governing' that needs to be done, so many issues which need to be addressed, so many very real problems which need to be solved and so many people living on less than US$2 a day.

I had hoped that the PLD would be capable of a higher standard of political professionalism than the PRD was. Boy, was I ever stupidly hopeful!! They are just the same as the last lot. Maybe worse because they can cover it with a better level of articulation.

Utterly, utterly shameful.
 

Chris

Gold
Oct 21, 2002
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I had hoped that the PLD would be capable of a higher standard of political professionalism than the PRD was. Boy, was I ever stupidly hopeful!! They are just the same as the last lot. Maybe worse because they can cover it with a better level of articulation.

You know, I'm also so disappointed. But, the Hillbilly and his fine lady told me that I'll be disappointed ... and somehow, I did not pay enough attention to this understated caution at the time. :knockedou Stupid me!

We were really deliriously happy to get rid of the Hippo and this makes the disappointment double. Damn! Govern already you scumsucking leeches!
 

Lambada

Gold
Mar 4, 2004
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Damn! Govern already you scumsucking leeches!

Any point in sending a letter, signed by all resident expats who pay taxes and who agree to the idea, letting our dissatisfaction be known, its implications for attracting foreign business investment etc etc.? There must be quite a few of us although I've no idea how many. Others would know better than me.

I know the achievement is likely to be zilch unless we get a few of the Ambassadors/diplomatic staff of different countries represented in the DR on board as well. Unless we're citizens we don't have the 'power' :rolleyes: of the ballot box. But if there were hundreds and hundreds of signatures (plus cedula numbers) it might make for some psychological impact if not a political one.

I'm thinking of countries where expats have been established in large numbers for much longer and how they approach issues for example
British ExPats Association (Spain) - Case studies

Normally I'm not in favour of making things an 'expat only' issue as people probably know from other threads. I'm in favour of working through local community groups like the Junta de Vecinos for example. But this seems to be a central government rather than a local issue and I just wondered if giving a combined voice to our concerns with all the weight which DR1 has through a wide membership might make someone sit up? I tend to be a doer rather than a moaner & whilst I believe our moans on this issue are perfectly justifiable I'd like to grope towards some action we might take. If not this suggestion, then something else.

We could call ourselves Expats Trying To Avoid The Revolution or ExTAR (as per estar...........) ;)