While Finance Minister Rafael Calderon continues his search for an alternative to the unpopular 5% tax on exports, which was met with strong opposition by the business community and declared illegal by the Supreme Court and the Senate, Francisco Alvarez Castellanos, writing for Hoy newspaper, comes up with a few unusual ideas for new taxes. What the government needs, he says, is money to extricate us from the void created by the greed of others, and it is the public that must foot the bill. In view of this, his suggestion is a 20% surcharge on each cinema ticket. While this might lead to the closure of cinemas, the money has to come from somewhere, he laments. Other ideas included RD$100 surcharges on every television set, DVD and residential air-conditioning unit sold – excluding, of course, those bought by high-ranking government, army and police officials who all deserve a good night’s sleep. Alvarez Castellanos also proposed a RD$500 tithe on each family car bought, as well as on its registration fee, regardless of engine capacity. In regards to clothing, the writer would like to see a 25% surcharge on each new outfit bought, seeing as those who can afford such a “luxury” could also afford the tax. In Alvarez Castellano’s vision, hotel rooms would see a 10% tax on their rates, encompassing everything from five-star properties to the infamous “date motels”. Alvarez Castellanos acknowledges that his measures may cause some resentment on the part of foreign tourists, but local consumers have a choice: pay up without complaint or remove certain “stress-busting activities” from your schedule. Instead of increasing the highway tolls, which, after all, could cause discontentment, why not set up more toll booths? Five or six more tolls on each main highway would greatly increase government income. With this, his musings turn to the more serious issues: while he understands that the Dominican government has to pay its debts, he suggests that the country do more to become self-sufficient, as a means towards financial stability, peace and a secure future.