El Caribe newspaper reports that Dominican Municipal League employees making over RD$5,000 feel discriminated against by a 20% wage reduction. The reduction comes at a time when the same organization has ordered a considerable increase in the pay city aldermen received. The League alleged monetary difficulties when making the reduction. Nevertheless, the government almost doubled income available to the municipalities in January. Former League deputy secretary for development, Francisco Bautista, told the newspaper that the increases in the aldermens allowances were assigned arbitrarily by secretary general Amaury Aristy Castro (a member of the opposition PRSC party) to win political favor in the upcoming municipal league board election. Aldermen now are paid from RD$20,000-RD$35,000 to make once a week appearances at city council meetings. Law 3455 establishes that the money is a meal allowance since the posts are honorary. The newspaper points out that the wages of the 88 Santo Domingo aldermen alone cost the city government RD$36.9 million. The total budget of the municipality is RD$1,105 million.