NewsWhore
12-12-2006, 05:20 PM
Business consultant Federico Martinez expresses his concern for the lack of capacity for Dominican governments' lack of capacity of rectifying. He brings up the issue in Hoy newspaper's economic section, commenting on a recent talk by Jared Diamond, author of the best-selling "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed" and stresses two points made in the book/talk: The role of people who take decisions (kings, politicians and the wealthy) and their isolation from the consequences of their decisions; and the fact that successful societies are those that re-evaluate their fundamental values."
Martinez criticizes the fact that the DR's wealthy have isolated themselves in their villas at Casa de Campo where they do not suffer blackouts, but live securely, in abundance and far from the sight of poverty and thus from the consequences that their decisions have had on the rest of the population." He points out that this group has ensured policies that benefit their interests, while corruption has created a business capital that has turned politicians into wealthy businessmen, and now it is difficult to control these. "In this scheme of things, the interest of businessmen who do not live off politicians is to avoid paying more taxes, while that of the politicians in government is to ensure the funds so that they can remain in power, and that of the politicians in the opposition is to seek the contrary," he explains. "The middle class and the poor are nothing but spectators (and victims) of this clash of interests.
He highlights the fact that from 1997 to 2002, the poorest 10% of the Dominican population saw a decline in their share of the Gross Domestic Product from 1.5% to 0.7%, according to ECLAC. In economic terms, that means that in 1997, 800,000 Dominicans had to live on 77 US cents a day, while in 2002, 900,000 had to survive on 46 US cents a day. He points out that in just five years, the poor suffered a decline of 41% in the real value of their income, while the 10% wealthiest segment saw a 37% increase.
He mentions that every month he hears of a young professional who quits and goes to live in Miami, because of the higher cost of living here, new violence and contradictions in Dominican society. He describes the country as "a country where to be corrupt and have stolen funds that were collected to combat poverty, is not a source of shame or a reason for going to jail; on the contrary, it is a prerequisite for being a candidate for something."
Martinez comments that the present trend will lead the DR to collapse, and urges the country to pause for a moment and take stock of our code of values. "If we continue to permit the increase of poverty and extreme wealth and we grant criminal impunity to those proven corrupt in the private and public sector, we will be digging our own grave as a nation. We have to pay fair taxes to an honest government that places priority on using those funds to create private and public jobs and on investing in the future through education and health," he writes, concluding that the country has taken the wrong road. He says we are witnesses to chaos in the stealing of a red light and the approval of RD$60 million to restore the presidential vacation home. "I fear that the disillusioned voters will just vote in another jerk to the presidency and we will wallow in another four years of demagoguery and fraud."
He ends with a plea on behalf of his children and grandchildren for a nation where they can live with dignity, and explains that this is why he wrote the article. "Sometimes I think that I would best fulfill my responsibility towards them by migrating; because I do not want to have to lower my head when one of them decides that one has to "seek the big buck at any cost" ("buscarsela como sea").
http://www.tomandoencuenta.blogspot.com/
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#10)
Martinez criticizes the fact that the DR's wealthy have isolated themselves in their villas at Casa de Campo where they do not suffer blackouts, but live securely, in abundance and far from the sight of poverty and thus from the consequences that their decisions have had on the rest of the population." He points out that this group has ensured policies that benefit their interests, while corruption has created a business capital that has turned politicians into wealthy businessmen, and now it is difficult to control these. "In this scheme of things, the interest of businessmen who do not live off politicians is to avoid paying more taxes, while that of the politicians in government is to ensure the funds so that they can remain in power, and that of the politicians in the opposition is to seek the contrary," he explains. "The middle class and the poor are nothing but spectators (and victims) of this clash of interests.
He highlights the fact that from 1997 to 2002, the poorest 10% of the Dominican population saw a decline in their share of the Gross Domestic Product from 1.5% to 0.7%, according to ECLAC. In economic terms, that means that in 1997, 800,000 Dominicans had to live on 77 US cents a day, while in 2002, 900,000 had to survive on 46 US cents a day. He points out that in just five years, the poor suffered a decline of 41% in the real value of their income, while the 10% wealthiest segment saw a 37% increase.
He mentions that every month he hears of a young professional who quits and goes to live in Miami, because of the higher cost of living here, new violence and contradictions in Dominican society. He describes the country as "a country where to be corrupt and have stolen funds that were collected to combat poverty, is not a source of shame or a reason for going to jail; on the contrary, it is a prerequisite for being a candidate for something."
Martinez comments that the present trend will lead the DR to collapse, and urges the country to pause for a moment and take stock of our code of values. "If we continue to permit the increase of poverty and extreme wealth and we grant criminal impunity to those proven corrupt in the private and public sector, we will be digging our own grave as a nation. We have to pay fair taxes to an honest government that places priority on using those funds to create private and public jobs and on investing in the future through education and health," he writes, concluding that the country has taken the wrong road. He says we are witnesses to chaos in the stealing of a red light and the approval of RD$60 million to restore the presidential vacation home. "I fear that the disillusioned voters will just vote in another jerk to the presidency and we will wallow in another four years of demagoguery and fraud."
He ends with a plea on behalf of his children and grandchildren for a nation where they can live with dignity, and explains that this is why he wrote the article. "Sometimes I think that I would best fulfill my responsibility towards them by migrating; because I do not want to have to lower my head when one of them decides that one has to "seek the big buck at any cost" ("buscarsela como sea").
http://www.tomandoencuenta.blogspot.com/
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#10)