Johnny Ventura is trying, making the announcement of cancellation of 800 PRD activists at the municipality, but he will have a hard time changing the image of the Santo Domingo Municipality as a welfare institution which houses thousands political activists who can use the income. Wendy Santana of El Siglo newspaper did a breakdown of how appointed mayors have used the municipality as a welfare institution. Pedro Franco Badía (PRD 1978-82) received a city hall with 500 persons employed. He increased his payroll to benefit 750 persons. Dr. José Francisco Peña Gómez (PRD 1982-86) increased the number of employments to 1,500 to benefit followers of Dr. Jacobo Majluta, the political opponent within the party to Dr. Salvador Jorge Blanco, who won the presidency in 1982. Dr. Rafael Suberví Bonilla in his first term as mayor (PRD 1986-1990) almost tripled the number of employees, seeking to give jobs to all unemployed PRD members. He also increased salaries. Corporan de los Santos (PRSC 1990-94) added hundreds of new jobs, but kept most of the inheritted personnel because of his personal friendship with former mayors Peña Gómez and Suberví. He also used city hall monies to make thousands of monthly donations in the amounts of 300-500 pesos. Suberví, in his second term, (PRD 1994-1998) again provided hundreds of jobs for PRD activists. During his administration, the bill that granted municipalities 4% of the total National Budget was approved, and thus Suberví made major salary increases for his personnel. By the time present Mayor Johnny Ventura arrived (1998-2002) there were 8,000 persons employed in the city municipality, most without needed functions. El Siglo’s analysis states that Ventura would like to change the image of the institution as a welfare organization. The first 800 persons fired represent a savings of RD$3 million from the city government’s monthly budget of RD$20 million to pay wages.
