NewsWhore
11-03-2006, 02:40 PM
In her column on 2 November in El Caribe, lawyer Marisol Vicens repeats her belief that politics continues to prevail before priorities in the DR. She points out that the electricity crisis and the quasi-fiscal deficit should have been the Fernandez government's priorities, but that instead the government assigned priority to the construction of a metro line. She points out that two tax adjustments in its first two years have not been enough for the Fernandez government, which has not demonstrated any will to fulfill its commitment to austerity in spending. She reminds readers that the payroll has not been reduced: on the contrary, foreign service appointments are numerous for reasons of patronage. She also mentions that the old system of revenue sharing instead of wages for consuls continues, and that spending on government advertising is alarmingly high. She says there has not been a single initiative by the government to eliminate duplication and to streamline the government. Instead, the priority continues to be about giving jobs to party members. She mentions that the Congressional campaign opened the spending floodgates in all government departments to ensure a win.
She goes on to comment that the excuse for last year's tax adjustment was that it was needed in order to compensate for the county's entry into DR-CAFTA - that has not yet happened.
She laments the fact that given our idiosyncrasy, from mid 2007 the greatest priority will be the 2008 presidential campaign, and forecasts that we will spend all our energies and public funds on this. "As long as party politics continues to be the deciding factor in investments, actions and principal decisions by each government, the national priorities will remain at the starting blocks. Every day the more desperate citizens are less willing to bear the heavy tax burdens, from which it receives very little back. What is needed is a smaller and less expensive government. Are our authorities not capable of understanding this?," she concludes.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#9)
She goes on to comment that the excuse for last year's tax adjustment was that it was needed in order to compensate for the county's entry into DR-CAFTA - that has not yet happened.
She laments the fact that given our idiosyncrasy, from mid 2007 the greatest priority will be the 2008 presidential campaign, and forecasts that we will spend all our energies and public funds on this. "As long as party politics continues to be the deciding factor in investments, actions and principal decisions by each government, the national priorities will remain at the starting blocks. Every day the more desperate citizens are less willing to bear the heavy tax burdens, from which it receives very little back. What is needed is a smaller and less expensive government. Are our authorities not capable of understanding this?," she concludes.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#9)