Also speaking at the PUCMM meeting, as reported in Hoy newspaper, Jesuit priest and economist Jose Luis Aleman termed the deal with Union Fenosa a “dangerous political move” aimed at rallying popularity. Aleman said the government should instead have demanded better implementation of the contracted services from the Spanish company. While he believed a long-term solution to the power crisis existed, he doubted there could be one to resolve matters quickly that would take the interests of the Dominican population into consideration. Nevertheless, Padre Aleman called on the public to pay their electricity bills. “Things cannot go on like this,” he said. “There is such a thing as basic decency… a service received, however bad, must be paid for.” Aleman has been quick to point out that the most delinquent consumer is the government itself.