Electricity - Everyone should pay !

[beeza]

I know that Edenorte or Inglemec went round a few of the barrios in the campos outside Santiago and replaced everyone's light bulbs for free.

But only the ones who were on a fixed price and only the light bulbs that weren't low energy. The folks thought it was marvellous! I'm not so sure myself as they used the cheap Chinese bulbs that give off that horrible cold white light. And I'm sure that if the economics of that project would have meant that they would lose out on giving free light bulbs, I bet it wouldn't have happened!

If everyone had a meter, then surely the economics would prevail. The very poor would not be able to afford electrical equipment such as TVs and A/C etc. Realistically they would only have essential things like a fridge and lights, so their bill would only run to a couple of hundred pesos a month. The problem is that the electricity companies would not want to invest in expensive meters for low usage consumers.

 

[SantiagoDR]

Free electricity is not the answer

Perhaps Investment by the government "in the common people" is the answer.

Elections are won because there are so many employees in the government that the extended families have to vote for the current party. If they don't, then Joe Blow will be out of a job and their extended families would have to support them.

The "weaknesses" in the administration is destroying this country.
The government is spending so much money to keep themselves in office,
there is nothing for the common people.

In the past year they paved many streets in my area.

They did not do mine because we did not "offer" enough to the official doing the paving.
The "weakness" was in the amount of money offered to him.
There was no corruption, our offer was just too weak to get our street paved.

The poor have nothing to offer to overcome the weaknesses.

Many times in the past I witnessed people in the barrio areas paying something toward electric,
but it was going to the guys in the "EdeNorte" trucks.

SantiagoDR
​

 

[bob saunders]

free electricity is not the answer

perhaps investment by the government "in the common people" is the answer.

Elections are won because there are so many employees in the government that the extended families have to vote for the current party. If they don't, then joe blow will be out of a job and their extended families would have to support them.

The "weaknesses" in the administration is destroying this country.
The government is spending so much money to keep themselves in office,
there is nothing for the common people.

In the past year they paved many streets in my area.

They did not do mine because we did not "offer" enough to the official doing the paving.
the "weakness" was in the amount of money offered to him.
there was no corruption, our offer was just too weak to get our street paved.

The poor have nothing to offer to overcome the weaknesses.

Many times in the past i witnessed people in the barrio areas paying something toward electric,
but it was going to the guys in the "edenorte" trucks.

santiagodr
​

unfortunately you are correct.

 

[badpiece33]

How about not giving them any break?, you either pay for what you consume at an affordable rate or you don't get to watch tv. After all it's not like they need to be plugged to be alive, nobody die from not watching tv, listening to "Bachata" etc. Unless they have an specific medical condition that demand they have electricity 24/7, otherwise let them have none, zero, zilch hours of electric power a day, it's not like is making a big difference in their lives anyway, they are not coming out of poverty by watching 6 hours of "novelas" everyday.

Let the need to watch tv be the driving force that allow them to better themselves, get the skill to improve their lives.

I also agree 100% with that conclusion

 

[Vacara]

unfortunately you are correct.

Unfortunately SantiagoDR is not correct. I hope the focus of his post is hidden between the lines (or between the pixels) and his intention are not solely to provide electricity to needy people, otherwise this post is just a big pix elated orgy.

- Elections in DR are not won because the government has too many employee and these and their families are forced to vote for the official party to keep their jobs. In 1978 Balaguer and the Reformistas lost the election in spite of being in the government, so did PLD in 2000 and Hipolito in 2004.

In 1990 and 1994 the official final tally gave victory to the party in government but the results were so questionable that in 1994 Balaguer was allowed to stay in power only for two years, so this two elections also prove SantiagoDR's point is moot.

In 5 out of the last 9 elections the party in government has lost the elections.

- Regarding the bribe offer so the street in his neighborhood were paved, I grew up in a middle class hood surrounded by poor hoods and mine was the only one with the street in deplorable conditions, all the poor neighborhoods had their streets nicely paved, finished sidewalks while my neighborhood was only covered in "caliche" and nothing in the form of sidewalks. Why was that?, because the poor people surrounding my area had plenty to offer to the government in the form of riots, violence, blocking streets and highways etc.

I hope there's a hidden agenda in SantiagoDR's post, I hope this is not what the fight for social issues has been reduced to in our country; making sure that "los hijos de machepa" have enough hours of electricity a day so they don't miss a chapter of their favorite soap opera.

The need for health care, better salaries, better housing, better education, better justice system, more humane prisons, more access to higher education, more freedom, controlling the borders, population growth control are all more important than knowing who "Noelia" is going to bed with.

 

[SantiagoDR]

.....The need for health care, better salaries, better housing, better education, better justice system, more humane prisons, more access to higher education, more freedom, controlling the borders, population growth control are all more important than knowing who "Noelia" is going to bed with.

Congratulation Vacara,
....... You understand what needs to be done.

The things I posted shows some of the reasons it does not happen.

True, the votes may not win the election all the time.
What the statement saids is that many waste their vote to keep family and friends in office, instead of voting to perhaps improve life in the D.R. Civil Service government jobs perhaps would eliminate that, if they kept politics out of the Civil Service commission. And as you stated, eventually the people rebel and kick out those in office.

... and I answered the topic of this thread.

Free electricity is not the answer

Perhaps Investment by the government "in the common people" is the answer.

The photos dramatize the desperation of some of the population.

- Regarding the bribe offer so the street in his neighborhood were paved, I grew up in a middle class hood surrounded by poor hoods and mine was the only one with the street in deplorable conditions, all the poor neighborhoods had their streets nicely paved, finished sidewalks while my neighborhood was only covered in "caliche" and nothing in the form of sidewalks. Why was that?, because the poor people surrounding my area had plenty to offer to the government in the form of riots, violence, blocking streets and highways etc.

Your answer to the above is:

The "Entire" barrio (neighborhood) where I live was being paved.
(So the paving was not an extension for my street)

The street was so bad that it was near impossible to use the portion leading up to the top of a hill where about 12 families live. Nearly impossible for a 4x4. The street I live on is at the top of the hill.

The official doing the paving came to the people up on top the hill and said he was only paving half way up, what did we have to offer if we wanted the entire road leading up the hill paved. They paved the hill after the neighbors got together and pitched in. They graded the top street in preparation for paving, but did not pave it due to "insufficient funds" by the neighbors.

This points out the "No Corruption" just "Weaknesses" that Leonel claims.

I hope there's a hidden agenda in SantiagoDR's post, I hope this is not what the fight for social issues has been reduced to in our country; making sure that "los hijos de machepa" have enough hours of electricity a day so they don't miss a chapter of their favorite soap opera.

My area (barrio, where I used to be about the only Americano) is and has been for some time now, a 24/7 zone.

Besides that, I have an Inverter and a Diesel generator, thus I am not "Campaigning" in order to watch soap operas.

I have "NEVER" been without electric the entire 12 years that I have lived here.
Be it from the power company, Inverter, Diesel generator and/or some wind power.

The only "Personal" benefits I would get would be a "Better" country for all.

SantiagoDR