adi?s por un rato...?y cuidat?!
Just briefly I wanted to get back to you guys because I need to finish packing.. off to the Bahamas! (family reunion)
Jim H, I stand corrected on the "no cat houses in Boca Chica." The last time I stayed in Costalunga I passed by what I thought was one, and all these women were inside yelling at me, but they could have just been a bunch of skanky ho's. I will defer to your expertise on BC and I will stick to San Pedro, the capital of dust, dirt, motoconchos and "mucha bulla." In response to your later posts, I cannot give examples of high level corruption other than what might get reported on DR1 and elsewhere. Low level corruption, which generally reflects what is going on above I can speak about from personal experience. I was asked for bribes by the Dominican cops on Duarte and in Alcarrizzos (sp?) and by customs officials at SDQ. The official at the San Pedro Oficial?a would not give me the "extracto de acta" that I needed without an unofficial cash payment. I had to pay busc?nes in the capital at that place way out west by the cervecer?a to get the same extracto notarized (legalizada). Surely you have heard of the passport racket some of the D.R. consuls were running in the U.S.
Jazzcom "I see you are new by the number of your posts which happens to be about half of billybobs. You also claim to be here and posting here for years. Is your other handle "Not Registered"?"
You didn't do your homework. Go and do an archives search. I have been here for years. What is the DOPEY comment about? Does that make you feel better?
Pib, you are right about the voter apathy. The level of cynicism is so high that many people don't see the point in it and don't feel like politics is a participative process.
Bob Saunders, 100% right!
AtlantaBob, what you say is already happening with the Mexicans. I have a good friend whose family is a bunch of Texas campesinos, but he didn't like living like that and so he got a scholarship and now he is a biochemist. Another friend grew up a migrant worker on the NW Ohio Tomato and Pepper Farms. His mom still lives up near Toledo in farmworker housing. He didnt like picking tomatoes and now he is a retail manager. Not going to make millions, but not picking tomatoes, either. Another guy here in town who I have met but is not really a good friend grew up in Texas in a shack and I don't know the in-between details of his story but he is a lawyer here now. These people are exceptional, but the trend you spoke of is real. The issue is this: For people to reach their potential, the opportunity needs to exist -access to education, breaking barriers to business, access to capital) and the people need access to opportunity (breaking barriers such as racism, classism, sexism and the amazing "who's your daddy" especially prevalent in small countries like D.R., Nicaragua, etc.) Equal opportunity (NOT equal outcome) needs to exist.
Kingofdice, Thanks for the compliment and you are right about the current policies being misguided and not fiscally sound. The current administration is attempting the Roosevelt / Japanese approach to economic growth which is to attempt to stimulate the economy by big public works projects. The new highways are an improvement and will save lives (when they finish them) and the tunnels in the capital are wonderful (I would like to see those here in the US) but it is fiscally irresponsible to increase the rate of spending beyond the rate of revenues - especially in a small economy. The U.S. got away with it largely because of the luck of timing. Japan is now paying the price of their excesses but luckily for them, their balance of trade is consistently in the black and their foreign exchange revenues are too strong because of exports for them to collapse...unless they continue to cling to their fiscal sins in the coming years. The Dominican economy does not have the depth of resources to grow their way out of debt, as the growth in recent years has largely been spurred by government spending and has not been organic (private-private commerce as opposed to public-private commerce)
Harold, in your August 5th post, you ask a good question, the previous administration thought they had the answer with PEME but that was a mechanism for corruption. The problem with your solution is that in the short run you may create jobs, but you are creating non-productive jobs, that is to say jobs that do not create wealth: producing a product or adding value to a product through service. Government jobs don't create wealth, they extract wealth. Government jobs must be paid for either with debt or revenues. Revenues come from taxation, which pulls money out of the hands of the public (reduction in wealth) Creating jobs funded by debt reduces the country's "net worth" again reducing wealth. The jobs created must be private sector, and coming up with excess regulation not only reduces the liberty of the people, it causes unpredictable results. In the US, do-gooders came up with CAFE standars, which are fuel efficiency standards for auto manufacturers trying to make them manufacture smaller cars like most other countries have. The American public said "small cars suck" and then everyone who previously bought big Mercurys and Pontiacs started to buy vans and trucks even if they never carried anything. Trucks get worse fuel economy than cars, so the environmentalists' plan backfired.
Tom F, you are right, aid programs need to be focused on the needy, not the cronies. There are legitimate high level initiatives, but to often the international "oil" lubricates the wheel that can squeak the loudest (big gov't. business, ngo, nonprofit, other interests, etc.) Sometimes grants are given and nobody even follows up to audit the efficacy of the disbursements. Like you talked about warped CDE socialism, When the US gov't gives out farm subsidies, that is an abomination of capitalism and is not real capitalism. You can be sure I am opposed to the excess taxes on Dominican rum! Like I said before excess taxation is wrong. Let the people keep their money and do with it what they wish (I will be a capitalist consumer and buy more Dominican Rum!) The Nigerian women's protest is hard core! They appear successful though. If the Dominican women ever plan to hold a public protest naked like the Nigerians, PLEASE let me know in advance, ok!!!??? (21 days in advance for the cheap tickets)
Comrade CES, I am suprised - stunned even to say, that I agree with you an unqualified 100% Is this a first? Have one of the seven seals been broken? ?The end is nigh! ;-)
Mkohn, Mondongo - Interesting proposition, but when these revolts happen, the catch is always this: Who seizes power after the revolution? Do we go from bad to worse? (Somoza-Ortega, Batista-Castro) One of the reasons I don't like Bush's plan to get Hussein is that he hasn't presented a compelling vision of what will happen if Saddam was crispified. In Afghanistan, I dare say again we are in danger of winning the war but losing the peace (not yet too late though). If the populace of the D.R. were to rise up and overthrow the corrupt but democratically elected government, what would be created to replace it?
Lastly, Tony C: ????Amen!!!!
SORRY, that wasn't so brief after all. Now, I've got algunas maletas que empacar. "?ME VOY PA'TR?S!"
?ci?o, ustedes!