Manuel Jimenez, Presidential Palace reporter for Hoy newspaper, tells about a new category of political patronage jobs created by the Mejia administration that few knew about. He explains that when President Mejia replaced Luis Eludis Perez as consul in New York City, he created a US$5,000-a-month custom-made job for Perez, so as not to exclude him from the government payroll. Thus, the post of Dominican Commissioner in the United States was created. This job was in addition to the post held by Overseas Secretary Antonio Torres, who was supposedly in charge of assisting Dominicans in the US.
Jimenez explains that as time went by, President Mejia came to understand that a General Commissioner for the United States was not enough, and created several deputy commissioners with monthly wages of US$5,000 to US$4,000 in Miami and Washington, DC, among other places.
The jobs have come to light because of documentation issued on 24 June by special assistant to the President, Ana Gilma Madera, who established that the government owes seven months of wages to Eludi Perez or US$35,000; seven months to Manuel Duran (Miami Commissioner) or US$25,000; five months to commissioner Nelson Castillo Ledesma at US$4,000 or US$20,000; five months to commissioner Felipe Rodriguez at US$4,000 or US$20,000; and three months to commissioner Luis Victoria, or US$12,000 ? for a total of US$124,000. The commissioners are asking to be paid before 16 August.